Is this normal?
Hello all,
we arrived today at New England Bay caravan site in West Scotland. It is a nice site and bordering a nice beach.
When we arrived we checked in, paid and went to find a pitch. We drove past a pitch that looked OK but there were some cars behind us so we did a lap of the site. When we came back to the pitch someone who was behind us when we checked in had walked to the pitch with chairs and sat waiting for their husband who was about another 15 minutes in the queue at reception.
I have had to something similar at some sites where the wardens have said walk down the site to find a pitch because there was nowhere to turn around but this was always after paying.
Is it normal / acceptable behaviour to reserve pitches with a chair?
Comments
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In all our stays the only one I've come across where it happened was Trewethett Farm. So perhaps not that common. However, if it had been us OH would have got out and bagged the pitch while I did another circuit. Now we have the MH she occasionally goes looking with our MH using this pitch sign, while I fill with water.
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We have seen it happen on some sites where there is a queue waiting to get in.
Like SteveL I would have jumped out and stood on the pitch until OH manged to turn around and come back.
Some wardens that can see the area will give the first van a chance to get on a pitch before they open the barrier to allow the next van in but not all wardens or sites can do this. However in this case it wouldn't have made any difference. It happens at Stonehaven on a busy day, the passenger runs in and bags the pitch leaving the driver to do the booking in.
Its not nice/fair that folk do it but there is little you can do about it I'm afraid other than have 'words' with the offender.
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I don't think it's fair or acceptable, but it's not all that common. I can, though, remember one occasion at Cirencester when a MH pulled up on the road near where we were pitched and plonked a table and chairs down on what we thought was the pitch they wanted. Fair enough, we thought they were then off to the service point to fill up with water. So we were amazed when they promptly drove on to the next door pitch and set up there (even more so when the table and chairs remained in place until their friends turned up later in the evening!)
It's not a very friendly practice but it does happen, whether it's worth provoking bad feeling by tackling those who do it is up to you though.
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SteveL,
Trewethett Farm, hmm
. Is that not the site where the Office Staff, pre C19 of course, used to hand out a 12" length of plastic drain pipe to drop over the White Peg 'till you have booked in ??? Suppose they still could if the 'pipes' were just dropped in a bucket of disinfectant Not that it matters, of course, since I place my PITCH TAKEN BY --> sign and dare anybody to move THAT
Cherry Hinton, Cambridge, holds new arrivals on the IN - Lane, normally sends two off to " find and return " to book in on the chosen pitch before they let you in, then they release the next two Pitch Seekers to walk the site !! Seems to work well enough there because there is no real space for turning m/vans never mind DGB twin axle c'vans.
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Not when we went ABM, although it's a few years ago. When we got to the front of the queue there were still lots of vans behind. However, when we were let through the barrier there was someone sat on a chair on every empty hardstanding pitch. We ended up on that big grass area at the end about 400 / 500 metres from the facilities. You live and learn, we know the procedure if we go back.
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The wardens at Trewethett used to tell arrivals to walk the site and leave something, or someone, on their chosen pitch 🤷🏻♂️
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I don't think it's fair or acceptable, but it's not all that common. I can, though, remember one occasion at Cirencester when a MH pulled up on the road near where we were pitched and plonked a table and chairs down on what we thought was the pitch they wanted. Fair enough, we thought they were then off to the service point to fill up with water. So we were amazed when they promptly drove on to the next door pitch and set up there (even more so when the table and chairs remained in place until their friends turned up later in the evening!)
And there is a CT regular who does this all the time
and confessed to doing itP.S he is now a caravanner but still has is old Motor Home using this pitch board which he uses
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We got a nice pitch in the end. I just thought it was a bit rude, I guess if you snooze you lose.
Some of the pitches here have a caravan, awning and a massive tent in them too. With not much distance between the tent and the adjoining pitch.1 -
It's first come first served so if someone attempts to queue jump in the manner you describe, you'd be quite entitled to tell them to push off, JTC.
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I'm afraid I would have been very polite but assertive and suggest that the lady with the table/chairs moves or she'd be likely to get run over as I reverse on to the said pitch. The first come, first served is after you've booked in and paid so you'd have been perfectly entitled to ask her to move out of your way and, if I wanted that pitch, I'm afraid I'd have it.
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It’s not my favourite part of my stay either. We have stayed four times at Hillhead and it is a pitch lottery and a very busy site. Because it is a long way from where we live we got there later than most people and had one or two pitches to chose from but the wardens didn’t really know which pitches were free as people hadn’t gone back to the office to tell the staff what pitches they were on.
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We’re at New England Bay, arrived about 2:30 this afternoon. There was one small camper just finishing booking in as we drew up. They left, I went in and paid. I asked if a particular pitch (131 - our favourite) was free, but no. So we drove round, saw several suitable pitches, then half way round to what we thought the best of them. No one too near us. Spaces to the left of us, spaces opposite us. No sign of “bagging pitches”. The front row does look crowded (awnings and windbreaks etc), but there are still quieter areas.
The warden asked if we had been before - I said since 1976, and every year for about 15 years. She said “you’ll notice some difference” - and yes it is busier. But still one of the best sites, and maybe some people have a favourite pitch and rush to get it.
I am sorry for the long, mainly irrelevant post, but I’m just browsing while supper cooks. Maybe time for an aperitif.
I hope you found a pitch to suit and have a good holiday.
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Unfortunately it is a sign of the times.Before lockdown it was common to see people bag a table in a busy eating place by dumping coats etc at an empty table.Polite behaviour has been totally ignored and modern folk only care about themselves.No longer do people hold a door open for the next person,give up their seat on public transport,or take their rubbish home.Drivers would rather pull out of a road junction in front of other vehicles than have to wait a few seconds,overtake in illegal or stupid places rather than travel at the legal/safe limit on country roads.The world has become a horrible place to live and I,personally,will be glad when I shuffle off.
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Gee, that's cheerful. Still, look on the bright side, you’re getting closer each day 😎
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Evening
So, TW and SteveL. We worked at Trewethett last year and the system for pitch selection was as ABM has stated. You book in and pay and are given a piece of 3inch drain pipe which you take with you while walk the site to select your pitch. Place the pipe over the pitch marker and report to reception with the number. You're then given the barrier card for said pitch and off you go. This prevents the old way that folks used to run off with a chair etc. It works quite fairly for everyone
JK
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That sounds a better way.👍🏻
It was several years ago we were there.
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I agree that society has become more selfish but there are still many good people around who behave in the opposite way to those mentioned in your post. The selfish section is unfortunately getting bigger but I for one am still enjoying my mortal coil.
Besides which the Government hasn't given me any of my money back yet. I hope to collect a fair bit.
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Oh dear, I'm sorry that you feel this way.
Things are changing but as WN said there are still many good and nice folk around.
JK, that seems a very good system to have, we've never stayed on the site but called in to check it out about 8 years ago. The warden at the time told us that if we wanted a front row to be prepared to move pitches and be good runners
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That's why we put the system in place TG. I started with the club on that site 11 years ago and the famous trewethett tango was ridiculous. People actually resorting to fisticuffs to blag that front row spot, it beggared belief. I thought what the heck have I come into! The site managers tried the pipe idea in 2017 and although it upset all the runners with their chairs it proved to be a good system. I hope the new managers there adopt it and don't return to the old days
JK
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Meanwhile, half a mile up the road is a lovely CL complete with a swimming pool for half the price.......🤣
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We were last at Trewethett in September 2015 and they had a similar system in place then. You had to walk the site and select a pitch then report back, we wondered when we arrived why there was a string of unoccupied outfits queueing in the road. They must have had some way of marking which pitches had already been selected.......the drainpipe thing sounds familiar.
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Shusss! They'll all want to go, and then we won't be able to get a pitch.🤔
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Venndown Farm. You can see the sea, just, but there’s none of the caravan waltz on this Site, and the pool and spa tub are lovely. Showers and loos as well if they are open.😁
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