Unfair treatment of a caravanner
Comments
-
I rather think I can add some information on this subject as I believe it refers to the very site which we were on last week which was Bladon Chains, near Oxford. it has 91 pitches but only 31 HS.
We arrived at the start of the week to find that the wardens had actually begun a managed pitch allocation system in order to protect the grass pitches, many of which were water logged, and had no white peg as they were not yet deemed fit for use and rightly so. We were therefore allocated a HS pitch, just big enough for us, no choice, allocated an actual pitch number. All the HS pitches were in use, some motor-homes, some larger caravans, some small caravans. One MH even spent a night on a site road in the out of use grass area, rather than a pitch, to keep it on tarmac. A handful of caravans were allocated pitches at the highest and driest part of the site, and parked cars in the nearby car park, (much the same distance from where they were as the toilet block in fact) , and these vans only stayed for a couple of nights as I recall. They were also assisted on to the grass by a warden and rubber mats were provided for under all of their wheels.
We were surprised that bookings had been allowed over and above the 31 HS pitches, but I imagine that the club had taken a chance on drier weather in March, and lost.
Our view was that it was actually a sensible but necessary approach by the wardens, given the heavy rain, which continued during our stay, and we would recommend the site, not only for its proximity to Blenheim Palace, but the short and efficient bus ride into Oxford. Finally, well done to the wardens !
10 -
Our view was that it was actually a sensible but necessary approach by the wardens, given the heavy rain, which continued during our stay,
My view of being on a saturated pitch is 'once bitten twice shy'. If it was as bad as your post seems to indicate then the pitches were not fit for purpose whatever and I would far sooner have been contacted ahead so I could attempt alternative site provision. I would have no concern about being bogged down.
2 -
Morning
Justus2's post above explains things and would apply to most of our sites. I would add, in response to ET, that the staff would have indeed contacted arriving members to advise and try and offer an alternative if possible. That's of course if those arriving members have supplied the correct phone numbers, many don't
JK
1 -
It does seem surprising that grass is being used so early in the season, in places that are prone to being wet. We were at Clumber the other weekend and only HS pitches were being used and that is on a sandy well drained soil. Yet reading the latest review for Tewkesbury they are clearly using the grass, even for Motorhomes. I presumed when they revamped Tewkesbury and put in HS and multi surface, they would only use those at this time of year. It does not bode well for later in the year, as the grass will not be in a good condition.
0 -
Throughout my working life I had to make some difficult and disappointing decisions affecting others including the public, some being weather related. Did I get them all right? No, but most I believe I did. Those I got 'right' never satisfied everyone though. Such things are not an exact science and often subject to unforeseen variables.
Without knowing the full facts how can those few stand in such negative judgement. Surely, we are better than that, aren't we?
3 -
Thanks to J2 we seem to have got a fuller picture. The warden was managing pitches in view of ground conditions but the poster on SwiftTalk doesn’t appear to have made that clear.
1 -
I have no doubt that the warden was managing pitches to suit ground conditions. No doubt the motorhomes were given the available hardstandings in preference to caravans though in my experience.
What I have doubts about, based on past experience is that booked outfits were given the opportunity to cancel. In my view if rubber mats and tractors are being used to pitch I would prefer to stay elsewhere. I have visited Blaidon twice. Once over 10 years ago I suppose and once last year. Prior to moving to Blaidon last year I was on the Morris Leisure site at Oxton. If I was phoned there and told the situation and that motorhomes were getting preference I would have simply stayed an extra day whilst securing an alternative
0 -
Whilst I realise that you can get wet weather later in the year and then it might be necessary to cancel folk. Surely at this time of year the grass pitches should not have been bookable. There would then be no need to cancel anyone. Closer to the time when their condition and future rainfall is known, they could be released for late bookers.
2 -
That is something you would need to discuss with the wardens and/or the club, Easy. We have no way of knowing if members were phoned on this occasion which makes it somewhat hypothetical.
0 -
As to who gets contacted, and who gets their booking cancelled takes us into a worse mire than the grass pitches would become!
Did we not loose a frequent poster a little while ago because she was banned for complaining that her booking as a single had been cancelled while more recent bookings for families had not?
Perhaps giving a duff telephone number can be an advantage!
1 -
I have no need to discuss it TW as I have past experience to go by when contact has not been made! I also know from experience that motorhomes typically get preferential treatment even if that is only being offered a piece of the internal road system to park on.
0 -
That is one of the "problems"that exist when bookings are taken for seasonal sites when they are closed,
Not all pitches let in case of poor ground conditions?
Warden arrives a few days before site opens and has to assess what pitches can be used ,weather set fair so lets more , (complaints from members that site was showing full last week when wanting to book
All pitches let when site closed and then warden advises EGH that may not be able to let all pitches unless weather stays dry but hopes to manage by pitch allocation
It's called a rock and a hard place, no matter what is "arranged"some will be "put out" its a fact of life
0 -
One person’s preferential treatment is another’s pitch management.
We had such ‘preferential treatment’ once in iffy conditions when we had a heavy T/A caravan.
0 -
It's called a rock and a hard place, no matter what is "arranged"some will be "put out" its a fact of life
Well I will be more 'put out' by being expected to tolerate being towed onto an unsuitable soggy pitch than being cancelled. Whilst preference is given to motorhomes then caravanners like me will be definitely put out to be given the news only on arrival when I could have sought an alternative location
0 -
But a few have jumped to conclusions or inferred these, some having based these on their incorrect understanding of the rules.. Thanks tinny for pointing out the actual rule.
Most, as yourself, keep a more open and measured assessment of this unsubstantiated post.
1 -
And good for the Wardens ,trying to reduce the amount of damage that can be caused to the grass pitches by heavy vehicle /incompetant drivers in poor conditions (or some at any time) which would take out pitches for possibly a couple of weeks or more,
When any reasonable person would understand the situation,and if a hardstand is "essential "then a call to the site it would normally be accepted ,much more user friendly than the site staff having to contact what could be many booked arrivals, for most to accept the situation and still come, and then to read on social media that there "loads" of empty pitches but our friends could not book
0 -
You can call it whatever you wish TW the facts do not change. If we believe Justus then the simple fact that rather than cancel some bookings the attitude is we can shove a few caravans onto the unsuitable ground. Not an attitude that I am likely to appreciate when I arrive. I will have driven 2 hours to an unsuitable site when I could have driven 2 hours to an alternative suitable one.
2 -
Or, if the weather has been nasty for a while, phone and see what is happening on site before setting off? It’s what we do occasionally. I would definitely be phoning YRP if we were due on today, and that’s all HS.
Its currently being evacuated by the way............
1 -
Indeed as a reasonable person I would understand the situation but as a 'reasonable' person I would expect to be told if the site was as bad as Justice describes. I can assure you if I was given the info that Justus has given to us I would not 'still come'.
0 -
this is one of the reasons that I won't use a site unless I can guarantee a HS.
And maybe why the club doesn't want to offer the option of booking a HS pitch? Apart from the fact it confuses us of course.
0 -
Or, if the weather has been nasty for a while, phone and see what is happening on site before setting off?
I have no idea how many pitches are booked or how many are not suitable. As we return to a site infrequently I know little about the nature of a site. If there is insufficient suitable pitches then cancel some
Or, if the CC wishes to give preference to motorhomes rather than cancelling then at least phone the caravan owners due in order to advise that suitable pitches are being saved for motorhomes and unsuitable pitches are available for single axle caravans. Would that also be unpopular? Maybe but sometimes the ruth can be
1 -
Ive just looked again , gone back several days .
What heading is it under please .👍
0 -
Perfectly reasonable.
Would the club then charge you the same as a "no show" if you decided not to come? Its similar in many ways to cancelling due to heavy snow or gale force winds on route.
Its never happened to me as I don't book more than the night before. If the site is full I probably would not have wanted to stay there anyway.
Fysh
0
