Snow fun for CC members

[MJC]

We were booked in Xmas/New Year at a CC Site in Keswick last year - remember the snow! 2 days before departure the CC site rang to sya we could not go because of the snow. After explaining that we had a Land Rover and were very able to pull our caravan they said they wold have to "clear the pitch". Ok then and what's the problem - they wouldn't/couldn't. So we were left high and dry. I phoned an affiliated site on the borders where we go lots and asked if we could go - no trouble. They had more snow - which was cleared on our pitch when we arrived and a road had been made to get in and out. The difference is -apart from the apathetic attitude of the CC- that the affiliated club has to earn their money. The CC wardens get paid whether or not the site is booked, don't need to so why should I attitude. They sign up for this. My caravan is now on the affiliated site and during the snow there has never been one time that the site has been inaccessible. My friends went to said site last week and had a snowfall in the night. As they were unable to get the caravan of the site - it is up a steep hill - they asked to be moved with the tractor that was on site. - NOT ABLE TO DO THAT. So the wardens were asked in no uncertain terms to grit the road so they could leave. CAN'T DO THAT. After a long heated debate the caravan was towed out with the tractor. These people spoil everything. They do not want to help. But they still get paid so it's no matter. I have been a CC member for many years but these jobs worth wardens are little Hitlers and no mistake. I do because I can. They should have a warden marking system and let the CC elders see how some of them spoil it for the rest - and the MEMBERS.
Roll on the wintry stuff

 

[Maginnis]

There is certainly no consistency in what you can expect, even on the same site from year to year.

We too were on a CC site over Christmas and New Year, Husband arrived on Christmas Eve Eve and had to dig out our pitch himself with a yellow Millenco levelling ramp. No offer to do it for us despite them having equipment to assist, they could have even offered him a shovel surely??

Luckily this year they had cleared and gritted the road within the site, last year only half of it was done even though it's one way and you had to go all the way around to get out.

Following discussions with 'long term' residents it appeared the new Warden was happy to use the equiment provided, hence the gritting and clearing this year, but last years warden didn't like using the equipment so never did. You can odds those kinds of situations, you assume you will receive the same level of service(s) across the company but sadly this is not the case.

I like the Caravan Club, I have no major issues, however I have noticed that when I have asked for assistance with various little newbie issues the answer is always 'no'. A bit disheartening.

 

[Oklahoma]

I can't think of a CC site at Keswick - was it the one at Troutbeck?

 

[MJC]

Yes

 

[jimmy the golfer]

Mandy and maginnes........
As a Caravan Club Member, i hope that you both sent a copy of your comments to the Club at East Grinstead !

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

Do wardens have equipment for clearing away snow?
If not I don't think I'd fancy shovelling away tons of snow while clearing drives and about 80 pitches or more

If they have no equipment then maybe the club should call in contractors because usually there is only two wardens at the most and wardens aren't actually spring chickens

 

[brightmore]

'ere we go again......lets knock the wardens.....They are generally a very hard working and extremely patient lot in my opinion.....especially when dealing with some members, who from their rantings on this forum would try the patience of a Saint. Like 'Jimmy the Golfer' said, have you writen to the CC head office with your complaint.....if I were you, I would opt out of the CC if you feel so badly treated.

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

Instead of blaming the wardens blame the H&S regulations that has blighted this country over the last 15 years. Get rich quick lawyers and the compensation culture that was spawned at the same time is just as bad. Daytime TV adverts are full of the leeches adverts looking to help the poor accident prone public.

 

[easyt]

I was at the Southport Caravan Club site over Christmas. There was 8 to 10 ins of snow lying on the site from a snow fall 4 days earlier. The only clearance was the 1m wide paving just outside the toilets and veg prep etc.. I don't know what (if any) equipmemt is supplied to the warden. I revered the caravan into the snow and used a dust pan to clear the porch awning area.

 

[Big S]

When we were away last time there was a significant snow fall, the wife spent hours looking through the window.
If it snows again next time we are away I may let her in.

 

[Lord Braykewynde]

When we were away last time there was a significant snow fall, the wife spent hours looking through the window.
If it snows again next time we are away I may let her in.

Heh! heh! heh!

BTW Big S, I see you're a fan of Wayne Rooney

 

[OmOnWeelz]

What I remember about the weather at that time were the warnings to stay off the roads. One has to wonder what the road conditions were like if the CC site had so much snow. Even if towing with a tracked vehicle instead of a Land Rover if the conditions were bad should our intrepid heroes have even been out towing in that area of the country?
Before slating the wardens some further questions about the weather and road conditions should be answered

 

[Maginnis]

What I remember about the weather at that time were the warnings to stay off the roads. One has to wonder what the road conditions were like if the CC site had so much snow. Even if towing with a tracked vehicle instead of a Land Rover if the conditions were bad should our intrepid heroes have even been out towing in that area of the country?
Before slating the wardens some further questions about the weather and road conditions should be answered

Here, on the East/West Sussex border, we had no weather warnings, in fact we had no snow of any consequence from about a week before Christmas. I actually joked that we were living in a bubble as we were virtually unaffected after the first wave of heavy white stuff.
We called the site to check they were open and access was possible and were told all was fine.
I believe neither myself or the original poster are 'slating' the wardens, we're just discussing issues we had and how we feel about what happened in a calm and rational way. Maybe our comments will help someone else one day who may arrive on site in poor weather and be prepared instead of surprised by what they do or don't find.

 

[OmOnWeelz]

We were booked in Xmas/New Year at a CC Site in Keswick last year - remember the snow! 2 days before departure the CC site rang to sya we could not go because of the snow. After explaining that we had a Land Rover and were very able to pull our caravan they said they wold have to "clear the pitch". Ok then and what's the problem - they wouldn't/couldn't. So we were left high and dry. I phoned an affiliated site on the borders where we go lots and asked if we could go - no trouble. They had more snow - which was cleared on our pitch when we arrived and a road had been made to get in and out. The difference is -apart from the apathetic attitude of the CC- that the affiliated club has to earn their money. The CC wardens get paid whether or not the site is booked, don't need to so why should I attitude. They sign up for this. My caravan is now on the affiliated site and during the snow there has never been one time that the site has been inaccessible. My friends went to said site last week and had a snowfall in the night. As they were unable to get the caravan of the site - it is up a steep hill - they asked to be moved with the tractor that was on site. - NOT ABLE TO DO THAT. So the wardens were asked in no uncertain terms to grit the road so they could leave. CAN'T DO THAT. After a long heated debate the caravan was towed out with the tractor. These people spoil everything. They do not want to help. But they still get paid so it's no matter. I have been a CC member for many years but these jobs worth wardens are little Hitlers and no mistake.
Roll on the wintry stuff

"Not slating the wardens", the above from the 1st post could have fooled me

The "borders" weather might just be a little different to east/west Sussex border. What kind of bubble you live in Maginnis is your biz, much of the UK was hit by extreme bad weather at that time. My sons business in Brighton E Sussex was unable to operate their vans due to icy roads and the hilly terrain and many customers in that region cancelled jobs due to the bad weather and inability to travel in the area. Weather warnings for the whole country were to stay at home unless travel was essential, just can't see that the reaction from site operators were seen as being strange after what had happened weather wise

 

[MJC]

I am in no way having a go at the wardens - just questioning why some go the extra mile and some don't. There was no snow for my friends at Keswick when they arrived - it snowed in the night - and it took a serious excahbge before they would do anything.
They had the equipment to help, but chose not to offer it. That's unhelpful.
When I went to the borders and was turned away at Keswick - I passed the site. The roads were clear. The site was snowed up. I offered to clear it myself - no (probably elf n sfety). At the border site it was cleared - like I said the warden has a huge stake in the site as it is affiliated (his in effect) so lost customers is lost revenue personally. Not like the CC wardens who are not paid on numbers. The border site was cleared - hima nd his kids/grandkids did it! - The extra mile.
The wardens can be very awkward/bolshy and sometimes downright rude. And they don't always follow the rules - saving pitches being a case in point.
I am not tarring them all with the same brush - but sometimes when I am going to a site I get uptight knowing that somehow and because of something I will be doing something that just isn't right. I have actully stopped going to the one at Kendal because depending on which warden it is, depends on whether you can go in the "glade at the bottom" . One told me I couldn't and then the next time I was told it would be better because I have a longer caravan - the previous warden wouldn't entertain that. So from not having a rant about them I have ended up getting all irate.
At the end of the day these people can either make a weekend enjoyable or they can plain ruin it.
They could do with a dash of Mary Portas - Customer Satisfaction - being sorted