Groundsheets
Comments
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The only way I can see groundsheets on grass working is if there is enough room to move the pegs about between uses. On all the CC sites we have stayed on spacing makes this impossible unless most of the pitches are empty and a complete move about is carried out. I would therefore agree with BB the use of awnings should be restricted to HS pitches.
Either that, or reduce the number to allow sensible rotation and increase the price to compensate.
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"ah, we don't have a dog, or an awning or a caravan..."
You don't know what you're missing, BB!
Actually, I might have to break the habits of many years and agree with you
( though only partly obviously !). Personally I don't understand why folk would want to use a groundsheet on a grass pitch - although we only have a porch awning we never use a groundsheet on grass.0 -
easiest of all is to ban grass? Ok not ban just convert to HS
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No awnings on grass? That would tick another box for us in terms of not renewing membership. The whole concept of what Camping/ caravanning, getting out into fresh air, doing something slightly make do, having a few less of life’s amenities is being strangled by the membership. All folks seem to want nowadays is a whole world away from what the term camping conjures up for me. Very sad really. The Club is a gnats whisker away from static pitches with majority of its Club Sites. Sorry, but that’s how I see the big Club Sites with their serviced pitches, hardstandings, neat little rows of carefully parked boxes, and members to whom that rectangle of gravel represents their mobile kingdom for short term rent.😕
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Id have to disagree as we think grass pitches are nice, IMHO far nicer than HS....it's nice to be able to kick the shoes off, not really on with a HS...
and as for converting all grass to HS....How much would that cost across the network and it would have to be borne by all members via increased fees, hardy fair.....(I think that's how the 'make changes/improvements' argument is usually countered)...
as Steve says, getting the right users/outfit type on the right surface will also pave the way for the right pitch/size price differential....
basic grass pitch (non awning), basic HS (awning/non) perhaps £1.50/£2 premium, SP HS (awning/non, exsisting premium rate).
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TDA, on the contrary....I certainly want to park on grass, often at sites with no EHU....we love being in the open etc, etc, as you describe but the issue in this thread is wht to do to stop awnings ruining the grass we so much want to be on?
no one is going to take up an awning regularly to save the grass, after all, they've paid for the pitch....someone else's problem....
personally, I don't think a massive towcar, huge caravan and an awning the size of Hampshire is 'what the term camping conjours up' either...
so, what to do about it......?
i (and Steve) felt, if awning damage can't be prevented then remove awnings from grass.......at club sites.....your small van would still look nice on a grass pitch, wouldn't it.....surely adding an awning to ones paraphernalia would take you away from the vary concept you desire?
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Complicated price differentials......another micro management tool, and nail in the coffin of adventure.......
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interesting that all new sites, those built from scratch and 'bought in' ones are all HS? and there appears to be in any ongoing refurbishment programme the conversion of some grass to HS.
Makes sense I suppose as they can then be used all year round.
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I do of course realise that we are way out of step with the majority of members, and happily acknowledge this😁
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hardly complicated....club pricing is already way too complex....of course the club could do nothing and let the issue continue...
still, at the CLs that you regularly visit, or the THS sites we use, the subject of this thread isn't an issue...but the evidence of long sited awnings will still be clear.
visiting a Caravan Club site is never going to be an adventure, they're all basically the same.....even the ones they buy they have to 'formula-ize'....
.
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Totally agree TTDA and that's why we tend to use this Club's sites only as a stopover en route to somewhere else - or occasionally in winter when grass pitches aren't really practical.
I suppose, in the back of my mind when I made my post - were the other Club's sites, CLs and CS's - which we tend to use more often. In such locations, there is generally more space (which is why we like them) and therefore the opportunity to avoid previously used areas to allow the grass to recover.
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...i don't see what's out of step with wanting to pitch up on a nice surface like grass......you like it, we like it, others like it...
what I don't see is how protecting this surface by not allowing the thing that ruins it makes you feel like we are moving away from some old camping ethos .....
why not park your little van (or caravan) on grass and enjoy?....as now...it would only be those damaging awnings that would be there on just those pitches.
surely by putting an awining up you'd be moving towards the type of (bloated, appliance laden) camper you think is taking us away from your ethos?
with the greater proportion of club pitches being HS, there would be plenty of space for those who wish to site an awning.....just leave the grass area unspoilt by not allowing awnings....
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Yes. We looked at this a few years ago when considering Camping in the Forest at Beddgelert. We haven’t rejoined C&CC, it’s basically CAMC with better tent provision. Primarily CL usage for us.
Our fear is that CLs will become mini Club Sites, replicating on a small scale all the things that Club Sites now seem to require. With the prices to make all the facilities viable for owners. Thankfully there are still a lot of very nice basic sites with decent nightly rates at the moment. We don’t struggle to find nice, value for money Sites, as we mix and match provision. Owners are usually around every day, checking on things like grass conditions etc....
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I think I understand your post. Not allowing groundsheets on grass pitches is possibly the best way of preserving grass pitches nowadays. I think in the decades we have been camping there’s perhaps a bit less thought from visitors about preserving ground conditions, and the simplest solution is of course to HS the majority of pitches, rather than rely on a bit of common sense. Comes at a price, financial in terms of provision, although this is a double win for the Club perhaps, as they can put up prices accordingly under the guise of “improvement” and get further income off pitches during Winter months, if the site has a long opening period.
Incidentally, by far the worst surface we have ever endured was last year at YRP. Whatever the Club uses on the pitches there is awful. Ankle turning sized ballast, uncomfortable to walk on, in the hot dry conditions very dusty and a very unattractive grey slag colour. We actually considered buying a roll of artificial grass at one point. Would do it if we used more Club Sites. Got by with some of those interlocking foam mats for stepping out, and for dogs to sit on.
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You and me😊
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and a good few others too, us included.
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...is a groundsheet that never touched the ground a groundsheet?
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