Spoiled break
Booked into a site in Cornwall for 10 nights, made the mistake of booking over the first weekend of the school holidays. The first week was great, lovely young family on next pitch, nice site, fantastic weather. Then the weekend arrived, site fills up with loads of campers which was no big deal, despite the numbers of people they kept the loos and showers clean and tidy. But then ion Saturday tea time the family from hell arrived next to us; t#wo adults, two dogs left to run wild, five feral kids, three of whom actually got out of the caravan as they pitched. Ball bounced against side of van within 5 minutes, after cross words we left. Don't think the site could do anything about it, they said that after we left they went to talk to them, and they did refund us without our asking. It's another lesson learned for us, going to look at CLs, never go away in school hols!
Comments
-
Was it a Club site?
David
0 -
It pays to avoid most sites in Cornwall during school holidays. In fact, I’d say avoid Cornwall itself at those times unless you want to be sat in traffic jams and find everywhere crowded with people. Hmm, think I’ll move.
3 -
Quiet as the grave here in the Lynher valley.
0 -
I avoid sites during school holidays like the plaque. My garden is much more appealing at such times.
1 -
Yep, I’m booked on an AO CL next month. Good job there’s a choice, eh?
1 -
Hope that Visit Cornwall dont see this after their reaction to the 'stay out of the sun' Met office advice!
0 -
We stay on AO CLs and CS's most of the time - but especially in school holidays!
0 -
CLs are definitely the way to go! And thinking over the ones we've used over the past 2 or 3 years, only one has been AO, and only on one other has there been a child, obviously staying with grandparents for a few days. So you don't have to restrict yourself to AO CLs , you're very unlikely to experience the sort of behaviour you've just had to put up with at any of them.
0 -
We sometimes use non-fac club sites at busy times and, they too, are generally much quieter than full-fac sites.
0 -
Sorry OP has had their break spoiled. It can be a bit of a lottery who pitches up next to you at very busy times, we seldom go away in school holidays, and pick our sites with care if we do. The last CL we stayed on, normally a gorgeous quiet little place had its ambience altered over a weekend with a couple of visiting families, obviously together. We dealt with it by going off site, but I know others had big problems sadly. It prompted the farmer owner to consider AO. Hasn't changed so far, but just shows how problematic it can be for owners/managers.
You haven't said which site it was?
0 -
I deliberately didn't mention the site name as what happened was nothing they could fix. It wasn't just the kids, usually I am quite happy being on sites with kids charging about, it was the attitude of the whole family, they simply were not prepared to respect our space, left us with no choice but to leave.
1 -
Was it a club site?
0 -
No, but it is affiliated
0 -
Thankyou. I asked because we know the rules applicable on club sites but these aren't always the same on commercial sites and an affiliated site is essentially a commercial site. We'd need to study the rules of that site in order to decide whether the owners/wardens should have acted to protect the interests of others such as yourself.
However, that doesn't excuse the appalling behaviour of the people who disrupted your holiday.
It's pretty clear which site this is and you have given others the heads up on what might be expected during school holidays.
1 -
+1, Do AS, and this AS have a full time presence of staff/wardens like club sites?
0 -
Every AS I’ve ever stayed on has had at least as many staff as on a comparable club site. The staff numbers often include the site owners.
Actually, I’ve mislead folk as there are 3 affiliated sites in Cornwall so it’s not obvious which site this is about. My apologies.
0 -
sorry I meant living on site the way wardens do to deal with any problems past bed time?
0 -
That varies but the site owners often live very close and I can think of two sites with wardens living in vans on site.
0 -
Thanks for that Shuttleworths, can understand why you made decision not to name it. It's a shame how just one set of visitors can make such a difference. Friends of ours were on a Yorkshire Club Site a few years ago, and a similar family arrived. After numerous complaints from visitors Wardens on that Site asked the offenders in no uncertain terms to leave, and followed it up with recommendation that membership be withdrawn, so action does happen.
We like AS Sites, they are well run as far as we are concerned. Haven't used any Cornish ones, but a few others up and down country.
1 -
On the positive side, you have a caravan so you can move on. Some people are unfortunate to have neighbours like that in the house next door.
2 -
I’m really sorry, that you have had a torrid time, but why tarnish all kids with the same brush? Maybe this wasn’t the intent, but suspequent comments are not really friendly towards our more junior members
As a mum of two boys, they annoy even me at times but they are kids. They laugh they play and despite my best efforts probably irritate those who are holidaying as a couple, but in general they make me proud.
kids released after a long car journey want to run free. Their parents, adults like yourselves, are the ones who bear the responsibility for their family’s behaviour. If another member has a problem that cannot be resolved, it is th duty of the wardens to protect the site and uphold the policies of the club. That you received a full refund for your missed nights would indicate to me that thy know they have failed in this respect.
That you would avoid sites that welcome children, for that reason alone is difficult to understand. That it costs far more in school time would be more reasonable...
i don’t like dogs... I was bitten by one when I was tiny, but I recognise that others who like caravanning take their furry friends with them... and sometimes furry friend barks at odd hours, pees (or worse) in front of my pitch...
if this hobby of ours is to be inclusive, tolerance of others is key... my kids love going away in the van, and their friends are jealous of the number of holidays we are able to afford because we have a caravan and are not restricted to hotels. In turn, because we are limited to weekends and holidays, we subsidise low season and midweek prices, to the benefit of others.
It sounds like things got out of hand in your case, and I am sorry that this happened, but give kids a chance... most of them are decent little human beings
8 -
Hope it’s not Carnon Downs because we are going there next month
Brian & Jo
0 -
As a pensioner, I am very happy to have children on sites. Children are the future and learn from play and the guidance of the adults around them. They will be the ones who, when older will be looking after you. I for one will never prefer to be surrounded by dogs as some seem to. Children will eventually mature into young adults, dogs will always be dogs.
3
