No ball games means No ball games

[Ian_5040589]

Caravan club site, 7:45am Friday 15th February 2008.

Awoke to the wonderful sounds of football being kicked by young boy on opposite pitch and yappy scottie dog tied to a long lead pinned into the ground.

Parents? - Asleep? Waiting for kids to provide breakfast? Who knows.

We were due to leave Sunday, but for various reasons (the above included) decided to cut short our stay.

I know its an old chestnut but rules is rules! If you've got kids (as I have) occupy them - isn't the whole point of caravanning quality time with the family?

Admittedly we were on a site nortoriously frequented by people who throw the kids out of the caravan on a Friday and tell them "see you Sunday lunchtime" but this is testing even the most tranquil caravanners patience.

 

[Stephen_374341239]

Yes

Parents who inflick there kids on every body else.

I do not know way some people have children they have not got a clue how to look after them? Care let loose on the community.

 

[Dustydog]

Fully agree boys.

Whilst I have problem with kids , I am a dad, I detest those

whose parents let them run amok.

Even a tennis ball can cause damage to a caravan .

Where abouts were you when this happened? I'll miss the area . Don't forget it is half term.

Cheers

Alan

 

[Ian_5040589]

Clumber Park. It was the icing on the cake after the bike thefts that have been taking place this week so we upped sticks and came home. Not had anything stolen but being in the middle of a forest with no phone coverage and thieves wandering the site does nothing for a good nights sleep.

Being half term we wanted somewhere nearby (never know what the February weather will throw at us) hence we booked Clumber.

Its the same most weekends. I watched this morning as one circa 3/4 year old boy dragged a small branch along despite being told 5 times by his mum to put it down. He was still dragging it as we left the site.

If he's not listening to his mum now, what hope is there in years to come? My daughter would have been told once and dropped it (not that she would have been dragging a branch in any case).

I can't understand it. I spend all week at work, my daughter all week at school. Half term is a great opportunity to spend time together. I wouldn't dream of sending her out to the onsite play area on her own and saying come back at dinner time. Instead we spend quality time together.

Unfortunately some people frequenting Clumber seem to think its ok.

The boy with the ball and annoying scottie was still annoying people when his dad came back from the warden with his tv hook up cable - at least his dad was sorted anyway.

We had booked Clumber for end of Feb and May day bank holiday - that's a definite no no now!

 

[Jo-AnneFairway5402010]

Ian, poor you. i have kids of 5 and 13 and i keep them occupied all the time. when we stayed at hurn lane cc site last may we had that for days and using the grass area as a cricket pitch aswell. the dad of the boys didnt want them playing near his new motorhome. i went to see the warden twice and she told me well kids will be kids.

i threw my stuff including my awning into my van and moved pitches thank god.

i wont ever be going to clumber park now.

jo-anne

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

I have no problem with kids - behaved ones that is, after all I was a kid at one time, I had kids of my own and now have grandkids.

We had a two berth particulary so we could have quality time together at this period of our lives.

I've said this before on this forum but I will say it again because it sums up admirably what Ian is saying.

A colleague of my wife has a 4 berth caravan so that they can take their grandson away with them. By her own admission she said that he had been told off by the warden for riding his bike through the shower block but the best was yet to come. She informed my wife that she loves having him and taking him away saying "he's no trouble, as soon as we arrive he makes friends and he goes off playing and we don't see him for hours".

I'll leave you to make up your own minds about the last comment :O)

I have to admit they have a far different outlook to caravanning to us. They have a brand new caravan but the shower isn't to be used, it's a storage area. The toilet can be used for a #1 but only in the middle of the night, #2s are a no no, even in the small hours.

If I wanted to holiday like that I'd rent a static or a cottage.

 

[GeorgeB]

Adult only sites are looking more appealing by the minute!

 

[LMH]

I've booked to go to Clumber on one of the bank holidays but I'm going to cancel now.

Don't fancy the hassle of the dogs eating any intruders trying to steal summat.

Lisa

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

It really is sad about Clumber because I class that site as in the Top 5 in the C.C.

 

[Jo-AnneFairway5402010]

george seems to have to right idea but i have the kids. CL's seem more appealing at the moment.

jo-anne

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

jo-anne, as long as your children are well behaved you have no problems and most kids are well behaved. Where we have a problem is those that aren't, those with slobbish parents and we've all met them unfortunately.

The reason people choose to go to adult sites isn't because they are child haters, at least not all but you will find the odd ones as you will dog haters. The reason is because they cannot risk having their time away spoilt by these waifs. The costs of the sites plus the fact not everyone is retired and able to go away when they want for as long as they want compels them to book adult sites.

You will see that Ian who made the original post was complaining and he has kids of his own but obviously better brought up than the ones he encountered.

 

[Meister]

I think I am going to get one of those "Mosquito" noise emitters that only under 25's can hear and put it on the side of my van. Apparently they work wonders at moving kids away as they really dislike the noise.

And kids ..... dont even think about asking for your ball back !!!

Steve

 

[gypsy]

I have to agree NO balls, and NO bikes and NO kites around Caravans, they ruin everyones weeknd with worrying about possible damage,you dare not leave your van for fear of what you might come back to.!!!!!!!!!!.

 

[Stephen_374341239]

I have to agree NO balls, and NO bikes and NO kites around Caravans, they ruin everyones weeknd with worrying about possible damage,you dare not leave your van for fear of what you might come back to.!!!!!!!!!!.

GOT IT IN ONE.

 

[AnnM1]

I am in full agreement with the Rules being adhered to.

However, since the CC allows non-members access some of these people think that the rules do not apply to them.

We also find 'visitors' on site are problematic. They arrive like a travelling circus!!! Everything but the kitchen sink is stuffed into their car(s), particularly toys which are dangerous around caravans!

 

[gypsy]

If the travelling circus turned up near us, we would go over and politly ask them if they were aware that Balls, bikes and kites are not allowed around the Caravans, if no joy I would tell the warden, that if he is not able to stop the problem that I might want the visitors address to claim for damages, I would take the reg number on the car as well.

 

[RogerL]

How do you know it's non-members causing the problem? Only the warden knows which visitors are members.

Having seen everything, over the years, on member-only sites it's likely to be an obnoxious member that's unreasonable - fortunately a small minority.

 

[PaulAsserati]

Reading some of these comments saddens me that any family with children maybe tarnished with the same brush. It seems that there are some people that just don't like children. I almost wish I had read something like this before spending over

 

[RogerL]

Tugster - the problem isn't children in general - it's the minority of parents who don't take control or responsibility for their offspring. Sadly this is a reflection on society as a whole.

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

By coincidence it was the travelling circus that arrived at the next van to us while at Clumber Park.

It must have been one of the kids birthdays and two cars arrived one afternoon and disgorged the circus of about 6 kids, parents and all the ecoutrements like bikes and balls etc.

They must have borrowed extra windbreaks because it came right up to the edge of our hardstanding, so much so that the kids, to ride their bikes into the wood, rode them between our van and car. That was until I went out and parked my car diagonally so they couldn't get through. I did have to look away when they were playing swing ball just a few feet from us. I don't mind the noise of kids enjoying themselves but what made this worse was the fact one of the girls was about 14 and two of the boys were of a similar age and both trying to outdo each other by impressing her.

It didn't last long though when one of the boys, while doing wheelies and skids, came a perler and cracked his snout. They bundled him off in the car, to the hospital I assume, and then things quietened down thankfully after that.

 

[PaulAsserati]

I will be the 1st to admit that I would not want children playing near my mint dent free bmw and brandnew caravan, but I am offended at the traveling circus reference. I am new to caravans but not to camping. I felt that many people on here have been very helpful with my lack of experience with caravans. This is one of the 1st subjects regarding children and there parents I have read on here and there seems to be quite an issue with children. I would hate to think that someone would see me pull up and the children get out of the car and just presume we are the family from hell.

Its funny because my dealer told me there is no one group of people that are more competitive and stuck in there ways than caravaners. I guess only time will tell.

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

Tugster you are either missing the point, not reading the above posts in full or both. Nowhere is anyone saying that if kids arrive on site they are the family from hell. As has been said above, it is the minority of parents or even grandparents that people are complaining about and those who have been caravanning only for a couple of years must have come across a few. There is no set age group who detest these families pitching by them, it covers even those with children themselves which is understandable. If I still had young kids I wouldn't want mine being influenced by out of control children whose parents didn't give a **** where they were as long as they were out of sight. Thankfully it doesn't happen that often. We don't mind families pitching by us as long as they accept that we have a right to be on the site and enjoy ourselves without the hassle of worrying whether our van or car are going to get damaged.

This topic as been raised many times on this forum and one member said, in the defence of his children if they damaged someones van, "well, why do you think you have insurance, you can get it repaired".

It is with this persons attitude that it rubs off onto his kids so they don't get to learn to respect others property.

These are the people others refer to as the family from hell not those with well mannered children. We all know children can't talk, they shout at each other, so the noise doesn't worry us either. It doesn't require too many brain cells to realise what will damage anothers property.

 

[PaulAsserati]

Anyone who has children and a little common sense would read this thread and feel a tiny bit discriminated against. I fully understand all the above comments and those effected have my full sympathy. The problem I have is when people stereotype different groups of people. I am sure you would not appreciate people pulling next to you and seeing 2 more mature people on there own, and thinking straight away. "Oh no" there just going to moan about everything, let move on.

This is exactly the same.

I would like to think my family and I will enjoy the caravan and it would be nice to think that we will not have any of the above problems, or anyone standing there with a clipboard marking down anything they are not happy with.

 

[RogerL]

What stereotyping is there? Most parents take responsibility and control of their children, just as we did in our day.

Therefore MOST families aren't a problem.

If only one family in a million causes problems, are we not allowed to comment because the other 999,999 families see it as stereotyping?

 

[BeemerMal]

Tugster....You have a valid point in saying many people get put in a steriotypical slot.

However, the majority of us have camped or caravanned with children or grandchildren for many years so we understand the issues. Forums like this one all regularly debate this subject and in fairness everyone, (with or without children) agrees that playing ball games around caravans is not a good idea. That is why the Caravan Club banned ball games around the pitches....for the good of the majority.

Unfortunately, it is the minority, those who choose not to follow the rules, who allow their "little darlings" to do just as they please that ruins it for the majority of responsible parents with responsible children.

Unfortunately these people seem to be thin on the ground when it becomes a topic for debate. I wonder why?