Seasonal pitch - oh dear, I've gone over to the other side1

[Colinn]

I love caravanning and I love my caravan and in general terms I had never really approved of seasonal pitches.

But early this summer we found our perfect pitch - and wanted to stay there for ever! Well we couldn't do that but we did negotiate a price to stay right through to Sept 30.

And what a summer we've had. We've been down every weekend, arriving mid-Fri afternoon and leaving at 8pm Sunday nights.

Plus three full weeks in high season. No worries about arrival/departure times, no worries about booking, no packing up of awning and van, no hauling and re-parking rigmarole. No weight worries.

It's been like one long holiday - much better than our usual two week blast abroad which is over and done with in no time!

The overall cost in fact has not been much more than a two week package holiday - but much better value!

What we have really appreciated is being able to take so many extra home comforts with us - garden furniture, extra gas, awning carpets, hoovers, parasols, etc.

We've also walked for miles and are fitter and happier. And as we've been out and about far more than we otherwise would have been, we have contributed to the local economy

No fellow caravanners we have met have disapproved (to our faces!), indeed most have been envious, but I know many of you out there do.

So should I feel guilty at denying tourers those weekday slots, even though neighbouring places are often empty mid-week? I don't know, but certainly the site owner is happy, and so am I.

I'm certainly going to get myself a similar pitch next summer. So question is folks, am I beyond redemption?

 

[dragon32a]

Not at all mate. I for one am green with envy. I would live in mine if I could persuade the "ball and chain". I only have a little cheap van but I love it and thought of not having to tow it anywhere is very tempting. So as far as I'm concerned, GOOD ON YA !!!!

Don

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

Well let me kick off, no I have no problems with that, especially if they are private sites, the owners should be allowed to let the pitches as they please. Good luck to you if thats your thing.

It's not mine though. The whole idea of us having a caravan was to see all of the U.K. and hopefully further later in time. For years we rented cottages a couple of times a year which was ok but expensive. We also hired motor cruisers on the various waterways in this country and the South of France until eventually we bought our own boat. Due to the pace of boating life you can only travel so far in a given time so we sold up to broaden our horizons by getting a caravan. We looked at a motor home but a caravan had far more advantages let alone the price difference.

In one weeks time Im off to Cirencester Park and Bognor Regis for 8 days then we come back to Lucksall C.S. near our home for 6 days then we are off to Pembrey Country Park for 5 days. We return from there to Lucksall for about 5 weeks due to us letting our daughter and her tribe use our house until theirs is built.

Lucksall is a lovely site and there are seasonal pitches there. The vans have their own solar lights around them with flower tubs etc. but its not for me. I like to wander.

Good luck to you though Colin if thats what you want, a place to chill out.

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

Well let me kick off, no I have no problems with that, especially if they are private sites, the owners should be allowed to let the pitches as they please. Good luck to you if thats your thing.

It's not mine though. The whole idea of us having a caravan was to see all of the U.K. and hopefully further later in time. For years we rented cottages a couple of times a year which was ok but expensive. We also hired motor cruisers on the various waterways in this country and the South of France until eventually we bought our own boat. Due to the pace of boating life you can only travel so far in a given time so we sold up to broaden our horizons by getting a caravan. We looked at a motor home but a caravan had far more advantages let alone the price difference.

In one weeks time Im off to Cirencester Park and Bognor Regis for 8 days then we come back to Lucksall C.S. near our home for 6 days then we are off to Pembrey Country Park for 5 days. We return from there to Lucksall for about 5 weeks due to us letting our daughter and her tribe use our house until theirs is built.

Lucksall is a lovely site and there are seasonal pitches there. The vans have their own solar lights around them with flower tubs etc. but its not for me. I like to wander.

Good luck to you though Colin if thats what you want, a place to chill out.

oops Donald beat me to it :OP

 

[dragon32a]

oops Donald beat me to it :OP

I didnt mean to your Lordship. (grovel)

Don

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

Well let me kick off, no I have no problems with that, especially if they are private sites, the owners should be allowed to let the pitches as they please. Good luck to you if thats your thing.

It's not mine though. The whole idea of us having a caravan was to see all of the U.K. and hopefully further later in time. For years we rented cottages a couple of times a year which was ok but expensive. We also hired motor cruisers on the various waterways in this country and the South of France until eventually we bought our own boat. Due to the pace of boating life you can only travel so far in a given time so we sold up to broaden our horizons by getting a caravan. We looked at a motor home but a caravan had far more advantages let alone the price difference.

In one weeks time Im off to Cirencester Park and Bognor Regis for 8 days then we come back to Lucksall C.S. near our home for 6 days then we are off to Pembrey Country Park for 5 days. We return from there to Lucksall for about 5 weeks due to us letting our daughter and her tribe use our house until theirs is built.

Lucksall is a lovely site and there are seasonal pitches there. The vans have their own solar lights around them with flower tubs etc. but its not for me. I like to wander.

Good luck to you though Colin if thats what you want, a place to chill out.

I might add that Ive been from John O Groats to Lands End now and still haven't seen all of the U.K. :O) Looks like the Isle of Wight is on the itinerary for next year amongst many other places.

 

[Colinn]

That's the great thing about caravanning, isn't it - the flexibility, so many things to different people.

I also intended to tour more, but holding down a full-time job (for the next two years at least) meant that time is at a premium and it suits us now not to waste that time preparing the van, hauling it, setting up, packing up, re-storing, etc, etc. Even the most enthusiastic caravanner would admit it can all be a bit of an ordeal! Doing it once at the beginning of the season and once at the end has definitely been a big plus.

But do we lose the spirit of caravanning? Well I estimate we've spent at least 75 quality days in our caravan since Easter - and that's far more than would otherwise have been possible for us and probably more than is possible for most caravanners.

And when I do pack up work, my "weekend retreat" will be back into full touring mode.

Truly flexible. Truly a great way of life.

 

[gypsy]

We are now retired and found this lovely private 12 Van site in Derbyshire, we have been on site for 5 weeks, will bring the Van home at the end of September (although site is open all year), we don't venture out much in the winter, then we will take it back in the Spring for another 6 months, and then see what we think to being on a seasonal pitch at the end of next Summer.So far it is great.

 

[Surfer]

We have been on out site since end of February. If you want to go away for a week or two, just hook up and you are off. If you don't like your neighbours, hook up and leave. No problem.

 

[Guest]

If people wish to leave their caravan on a site for the whole summer then that is up to them. I have no problem with that. What I do get concerned about is when 'semi static' vans are left on what is supposed to be a touring site. I would prefer that a section of the site be allocated purely for seasonal pitches and the rest could remain as originally designed. Then the seasonal campers could do what they wished in terms of making their pitch more homely. I first saw this practiced in Holland many years ago where all the nice canal side pitches were occupied by caravans for the whole season. Deckings appeared as well as small fences and of course, the ubiquitous gnomes. The rest of us had to make do with the rear pitches. Not a big deal, but irritating, and of course weekends were mobbed with 'residents', and their guests.

Obviously economics also play a part. If sites can get a fixed revenue payable in advance then of course they will be more interested than relying on passing trade, so to speak. However, I just wonder if the spirit of the founding of the CC, if not the actual Constitution, is being broken. What next? Chalets? Or do we already have these on some sites? The original idea of the CC was to promote touring and I know many members join the CC to get away from the static dominated commercial sites. I would rather we didn't start down a slippery slope to whatever.

 

[Val & Frank]

Colin it's up to you what you want to do, is your business and no one else. We live in the North of Scotland and I am looking at a sesonal pitch to use as a cross between a nice site and storage. This would save us time and a lot of extra fuel going up and down to England, across to france etc.

Val & Frank

ps can't beat retired

 

[Countrylass]

Colinn

I agree, sesonal pitches are just great. We've had a winter seasonal pitch at Braemar for a year or two for the ski season. It's really good to be able to take all the bulky stuff there at the start and just leave it in the van without worry. We use the van every weekend even when there's no snow and usually manage a longer break over New Year.

The first time we had a pitch the family on the next pitch looked as if they were going to be there for ever ; Christmas tree, tinsel, strings of lights outside and in and so on. They were there in mid December, over New Year and we never saw them again until the last weekend when vans had to be removed!

A