Has Covid-19 Put a Nail in the Coffin of Centres?
I’ve been a Centre member for over 30 years and have always enjoyed the social aspects and comradeship of rallying as have many other members. However, over the years, the simple pleasures of joining with friends on a farm field, parkland or even school playing field seems to have waned. The Caravan Club began as a rallying group and sites were gradually purchased to accommodate those who wished to travel solo or with one or two other outfits and gradually communal blocks were added.
It’s good to see that club sites are due to open during July as announced on the website and in the email to all members received this morning. However, there is no mention on either regarding Centre rallies. These were cancelled by directive from East Grinstead a couple of weeks before Club sites were closed and it seems the Club is slow in coming forward to allow Centres to start running rallies again. As rallies do not generally use locations where communal facilities are provided and rallies use their own onboard facilities, I’m not sure why rallies can’t be trusted to socially distanced in an open field.
What are the views of other Centre members on this?
Comments
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Alan
I am not sure it is just Centres. Whilst I digress a little we have a retired employee group that used to meet monthly and that is just not possible now and probably into the foreseeable future. That must apply to many hobby groups around the country. I would imagine that if you had to distance by two metres it wouldn't make rallies very sociable? The COVID situation is constantly changing so I suppose perhaps later in the year things might have relaxed a bit but who knows?
David
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David
I understand what you are suggesting. However the lockdown has resulted in many streets sitting outside their own properties, chatting, partying on occasions such as VE75 celebrations and even socially distanced dancing. Centre members are very versatile and innovative and I have no doubt activities such as the above would be organised in very short order while sticking to the distancing rules. And there would definitely be a problem queuing for the facilities when required.
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Yes I have managed to get a reply box.!,,,
Alan you are not alone thinking this.It maybe even more vocal in the CCC rallying brigade.
But my personal view on this is Control,Control that if the Covid re infection took off again they could shut Club Sites and CL’s relatively quickly but with the various rally’s dotted around the country could prove difficult to manage.
Suspicions could be aimed at site fees being lost to both Club’s when they need it the most.
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Fozzie
Regarding your ‘control’ comment, as the vast majority of rallies run over a two day weekend, normally in the local area, I suspect it wouldn’t be too difficult to to close them as quickly if not quicker than club sites. I think CL’s would the hardest to manage as no one in the Club would know who was using them. Even holiday rallies would be easy to contact via Centre Rally Secretaries or their respective regions.
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I suppose thinking about it that even if campsites were open a rally could still be seen as operating against the Government rules of the numbers that are allowed to meet together. I imagine that will remain until the Government relax those numbers? I appreciate what you say about people meeting in the street parties but some of those I have seen come pretty close to breaking the rules if not overstepping them. The problem is that whilst your group might be very well controlled and responsible there might be others that wouldn't. I suppose the Club can only look at the worse case scenario and make decisions based on that. The title of your thread I imagine could be asked over a number of different situations and I wonder whether there are will be a number of members, who having not used their vans maybe this year decide to vote with their feet as far as caravanning/motorhoming is concerned? We are in the position where we are not certain how much use we will get out in our year old motorhome this year but even in the best case scenario I can't imagine us using for much more than a dozen nights this year?
David
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I’ve just finished watching the news tonight. It seems that the Government rules on gatherings don’t seem to be followed very much at the moment by a huge number of people anyway. While I agree that the club should continue to follow the rules, I can’t accept that it’s reasonable when club sites are re-openened, that paying members who chose to use their outfits in a slightly more relaxed way, but still following social distancing rules, should be treated any differently. I don’t believe that rallies are likely to be any less considerate of the regulations than any other members on club sites or CL’s.
We have also SORN’d our motorhome during the lockdown but are hoping to get back on the road as soon as it’s safe to do so. I would have thought there are many other Centre members who feel the same though plainly very few seem bothered about discussing their future plans or concerns here, so maybe my question has been answered.
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I think that rallies are partly about socialising which is defeated with the social distancing so will not be as enjoyable. In my Centre we have marshals that are not now keen on running raffles because of handling money and prizes and also handling any cash which is how 99% of our rally fees are paid and I expect some other way of payment will have to be devised. On top of that we have ralliers some of whom are elderly and have underlying health conditions who won't feel comfortable attending rallies for some weeks to come. As I believe rallies have been in slow decline for many years now I believe this virus situation has hindered the rally scene certainly for the rest of this year with a few Centres already cancelling all of their 2020 rallies.
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The Club have issued guidelines to Centres with regard to Protocal for Rallies once sites re-open (expected/projected for July 4th). I get the impression that Rallies will re-commence when camp sites are allowed to re-open, but I'm not absolutely sure. I suspect that 'social gatherings' as part of rallies with have to conform to strict 'social distancing' rules.
I know there are folk who are looking forward to rallies being re-introduced, even with strict social distancing guidelines/ regulations in place.
David
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I think that there have been guide lines established for the running of rallies but there will also be more elderly ralliers with possible underlying health issues that will still feel nervous about attending a rally. It will also put a lot of responsibility and workload on to the marshals who are volunteers anyway.
I think that the most disappointing aspect is the inconsistency in different Centres approaches. I would have thought that from the head office of the CAMC through their regional structure there would have been a more consistent approach established.
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Our local centre cancelled events until the end of June, I feel they will probably find a work around when things ease up. I think a self contained rally in a field or similar won't have the same risks as a crowded caravan site. But we'll wait and see, looks as though social distancing will come to an end and we'll have to exercise caution in our own way.
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Some Centres have cancelled until the end of June, some the end of July and some the end of August and even a few that have cancelled all 2020 rallies.
I don't think that it will be the location that will be the issue I think it will be things like not accepting cash, not supplying tea/coffee, no visitors, social distancing (especially if there is a problem), sanitising fresh water and elsan taps regularly and the lesser problems of no rally letter and no plaques. I think that it will be a marshalling nightmare !
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I've just received a phone call this morning from the marshal running a rally in mid July.
The rally was given the go - ahead as of the 4th July announcement, but has now been cancelled, upon the guidance from the rally committee, that it is deemed to be a gathering, which would exceed the present numbers allowed to congregate.
Without getting into politics here, I'm sure that we are less of a risk than some of the protest gatherings we seen of late. Those of us, who were going to the rally, had already been given an outline of how we were to conduct ourselves on the rally eg; one way paths to the water taps and tipping points and the like. Also not to pay any outstanding rally fees with cash at the rally. There would be no flag, competitions or such like.
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Rallies with our centre have now been cancelled until the end of July (June previously.) Personally I'd feel ok on a rally or temporary holiday site with a limit on the number. I expect it's difficult to interpret the "rules" at present, is a gathering of people the same as a gathering of self contained units? The guidance would appear to be off-putting and is it a legal requirement or is it just "guidance?"
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It does make one wonder how some people manage to survive? it is very noticeable when out walking our dog in the present climate
Some can stop and talk easily maintaining a safe distance ,
Others will even cross the road,, or go the other way ,when on any of our country footpaths , although most are plenty wide enough to pass
It is one of the converstion subjects that others have also noticed
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As a follow up to my last reply. I've a booking with the CCC club in the third week in July. It's a site where the facilities are closed, which requires me to use my own. They are also unable to sell gas ect. I'll be taking all the food and other requirements with me. All payments are to made without contact with the site staff. The only contact with them will be the escort to my pitch upon arrival. My plan is to be out walking during my stay, taking lunches and drinks with me. So really - other than not knowing the other campers there, is that going to be much different to being on a rally?
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So really - other than not knowing the other campers there, is that going to be much different to being on a rally?
I have never attended a rally but assumed that at some point like minded members might have gathered to socialise on some evenings.
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Hi EasyT,
I've rallied for the past 30 odd years and run a few as well. Once you've been on a rally you'll probably want to go to more. The only thing that puts off some from going is being off grid, but most of us live off solar energy.
Anyway continuing with the thread. You soon get to make friends rallying and along with lower pitch fees and often being in locations that would cost a lot more on club sites, we feel like we're in our own private little place. This is why those of us who have enjoyed the freedom it offers feel we're being left out while other parts of the leisure sector are allowed to restart. As you say about socialising in the evenings, although we can't safely have functions in our marques ect for the foreseeable future, we can still sit outside our vans and interact safely within the governments current guidelines as we often do with our neighbours on a club site.
P.S. Come to a rally and try it.
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P.S. Come to a rally and try it.
It wouldn't fit our style of holidaying I suspect. We prefer to tour a route through various areas moving on every 5 nights for between 4 and 7 weeks. The only time we stay put is usually 15 nights from mid December and I would definitely want EHU then
Saving money is not high on my agenda at 'my time of life'. Although I ran a singles/social group for over 15 years it was not because I wanted a social life but to put something into society and give me a sense of worth and purpose.
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It seem a mixed message coming from the club, it is alright to pay to go on a club site (with probably more than 30 people) with Toilets and showers being used than from what we have been told by our centre it is against the law (So the club emailed him) to rally in a field keeping social distancing rules and using your own facilities. Is this not a case of the club putting their money making before the members acting responsibly and rallying. maybe we will consider whether we will join next year
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I understand that the Club have revoked the exemption certificate for running rallies until the 1st August. I appreciate that this includes all rallies run on private land but does it include rallies run on proper licenced caravan parks i.e. non CAMC sites.
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I queried this yesterday on our Regional FB page following receipt of an update from my own Centre in which a copy of an email from EG was circulated. The email didn’t mention rallies being held on commercial sites. I Later received a reply from one of the Centre Secretaries stating that a letter had also been received; didn’t say when, saying that any rallies being arranged on commercial sites had to be agreed with the site owner as they didn’t come under the CAMC exemption certificate.
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I’m afraid you seem to be ‘hitting the nail on the head’. I do feel that the CAMC treats Centre members as second class citizens. We pay he same membership fee as anyone else, most of which goes to paying for club administration, building multi million pound toilet blocks on sites etc. but when it comes to being included, I’m not sure how we stand anymore. We have enjoyed meeting up with many friends on rallies in the past and although I accept there are restrictions at present, I’d like to think we will be able to do that again in the future. It is however essential that Centres are allowed to function as soon as possible in order to maintain the momentum.
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As I do not use the club sites other than to join a rally and then do not use the facilities preferring to use my own and now that the club site’s are to reopen with no limits on numbers where rally’s are not allowed to I assume that we will be refunded a portion of my club fee ( not likely as they have not extended the membership like the ccc ) It seems the club has forgotten its roots and all the smaller clubs who organise rally’s will benefit as I for one will seriously consider renewing my membership this year.
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As you have said you do not go on rallies if you did you wold know how well run and organised they are try one and you will see. We are not all fortunate enough to use club or commercial sites all the time. My point was if it is illegal for more than 30 people to gather in a field it must be the same for a club site.
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