We had a bit of a funny one arriving at Hawes a few weeks ago. We arrived on Sunday to find ourselves in a long queue, and the warden was sending in vans every two or three minutes with "Go find a pitch, then come to reception and pay. This we did.
Arriving on our pitch the first thing i "noticed" was that our white peg wasnt in the right place, you know the routine, reverse offside corner to the peg, car parked offside, awning of course nearside. Its been this way for the decades I have been a club member. So judging where the peg ought to be, I reversed in, levelled the caravan and put the awning up. Having finished, I looked around and realised everybody else was setup caravan, awning, car- the awning now being in the middle. So off I tab to the guardhouse to ask what was happening, and was told that they had changed pitching to allow for motorhomes. "WHAT!" It was then explained that many motorgnomes have awnings with a much bigger projection than our standard 8 foot projection, and that when setup in the accepted way, they spilled onto the grass and killed it. "Okay, fine, but why in hell didnt you tell me that when you came to me in the queue and told me to go straight to a pitch. I then told him that if they want to change the layout that is up to them, but at least tell caravanners what you have done. So you have put it up wrong, says the warden. No I havent, even the club handbook still states the old way. You should have warned us. Well, Im sorry about that says he, but you will have to take it down again.
"Really says I, You want it down pal, you come take it down!"
About 5 minutes after I got back to my the pitch, a lady warden arrived, apologised, said my awning was fine as there was still an acceptable firebreak, and to leave it.
Over-reaction on my part, but look at it this way. I was expected to move because I may have contravened the firebreak, but if the problem had been with motorhome awnings spilling over, then surely every one of them was conravening the same regulation when things were still done the proper way.
So, is this across the board with the club or only Hawes? Certainly its not something I have experienced.
Arriving on our pitch the first thing i "noticed" was that our white peg wasnt in the right place, you know the routine, reverse offside corner to the peg, car parked offside, awning of course nearside. Its been this way for the decades I have been a club member. So judging where the peg ought to be, I reversed in, levelled the caravan and put the awning up. Having finished, I looked around and realised everybody else was setup caravan, awning, car- the awning now being in the middle. So off I tab to the guardhouse to ask what was happening, and was told that they had changed pitching to allow for motorhomes. "WHAT!" It was then explained that many motorgnomes have awnings with a much bigger projection than our standard 8 foot projection, and that when setup in the accepted way, they spilled onto the grass and killed it. "Okay, fine, but why in hell didnt you tell me that when you came to me in the queue and told me to go straight to a pitch. I then told him that if they want to change the layout that is up to them, but at least tell caravanners what you have done. So you have put it up wrong, says the warden. No I havent, even the club handbook still states the old way. You should have warned us. Well, Im sorry about that says he, but you will have to take it down again.
"Really says I, You want it down pal, you come take it down!"
About 5 minutes after I got back to my the pitch, a lady warden arrived, apologised, said my awning was fine as there was still an acceptable firebreak, and to leave it.
Over-reaction on my part, but look at it this way. I was expected to move because I may have contravened the firebreak, but if the problem had been with motorhome awnings spilling over, then surely every one of them was conravening the same regulation when things were still done the proper way.
So, is this across the board with the club or only Hawes? Certainly its not something I have experienced.
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