We also hate muddy fields Surfer which is why we pick and choose which rallies we attend and also take note of the weather
You never know, we live in the same area and have probably been to the same sites, lucky you, because we use sites with ehu as well sometimes but this topic was more to do with the technology which allows a caravan to function without ehu rather than the merits or otherwise of rallying no matter what the site is like.
We could, if we wanted to, use a full facility commercial site and still do without ehu and apart from the microwave oven and the two 240v lamps at the front corners inside the caravan would be no different to use.
Yours is not the first post that I've read which said that the newbies felt pushed out or that the other rally goers were 'cliquey' or even 'domineering'.
I've no doubt that you have a good time on the T&T and C4U rallies, Eric always used to post details of his rallies on this forum and he was most welcome to do so, he was a true gent.
Do you not think that if a complete newbie turned up at one or two of these forum rallies they would have to take the time to get to know others who were there? If you only ever went once or twice you would be bound to feel left out and that the others there were cliquey.
Each district association is different, as C&CC members we can attend any da rally in the country although we normally stick to those within 50- 60 miles from home. Some rally goers have sometimes kept adjacent places for their friends, if the rally site became full and their friends hadn't turned up then the pitch would go to the next unit to turn up and providing that the rally site is big enough I don't see the problem.
If you want to be in one particular part of the rally site then go early, it's first come first served. If you had gone on a few rallies with the same da then who knows, someone might have reserved your place if you really wanted them to. (we never bother, my mate follows us if he comes to our rallies because he always gets lost otherwise)
Obviously people make friends when they see the same people regularly, I haven't tried a Telford da rally yet but I wouldn't expect to know everybody there if I just went the once. On every single rally that I've ever been on rally goers can do their own thing as long as it doesn't have any adverse impact on neighbours such as loud music late at night or ball games around caravans.
We've always been made to feel welcome on C&CC rallies but without people trying to take over our lives or impose on us, some people can be a bit over friendly and hard to get rid of and we'd hate that.
Rallying isn't for everybody and the world would be a dull place if everybody was exactly the same. We got into it just out of curiosity and it has suited us. We don't go to every rally held by our own d.a but cherry pick the most interesting places, places with nice scenery or rallies focused on things which we like to do or want to try. We found out about solar power from other rally goers who were very happy to help and advise us, no one told us to 'buy a tent' and we don't stay in muddy farmers fields full of animal droppings, sheep or otherwise. I would never dream of trying to imply that what I choose to do is 'better' than someone else's choice as you did in the previous post Surfer.