We were hoping to stay at the Beechwood Grange site on the outskirts of York next month for our annual visit to see my brothers and their families. I don't like having to make advance bookings months or even weeks ahead of our proposed travel times and much prefer 'just turning up', as we always manage to do when touring out of season in France. Indeed, it was the freedom and spontaneity of travel that attracted us to caravanning in the first place. Some hope.

So, when I checked availability on the CC website a few minutes ago, I found to my surprise that even at this lowest of low-season times ALL the standard pitches both with and without awning have been pre-booked for the whole of January and February (except for January 04-05 for some reason.)



When I last stayed on the site in early January 2012 only a dozen or so pitches were occupied so I was able to choose my own pitch directly opposite the shower block and park on it exactly as I wanted. For this reason I simply cannot believe that the whole site is now booked solid for two of the coldest months in the year.

This was the scene in early January 2012. Does it look busy to you? What is going on?

P1010608.jpg - Bild entfernt (keine Rechte)

So now I have to telephone the site, hopefully to find that they can accommodate us. But if they can, why is the website showing them to be fully booked and what useful service does it provide?

I despair of the Caravan Club. If it wasn't for their Red Pennant continental insurance package I don't think I'd bother to renew my membership.

Zitat

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For some reason the CC have infilled the closed dates with orange which is supposed to show 'Full' days, as the site is closed they should be filled in with dark blue. So nobody has robbed you of a pitch, the place is shut.

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That explains it then, Andy. The idiots have used the wrong colour on their booking chart.

I've just checked my diary for 2012 and the above picture of my caravan was taken on 13 January 2012 so they must now be closing the site earlier than in previous years.

I shall probably wait for Naburn Lock to open on 01 March and go there again. Sod the Caravan Club.

Can anyone recommend an alternative continental touring insurance package to Red Pennant?

Easter dates? Look at the forum calendar

On the spur of the moment last night we decided to book a non-awning pitch for six nights at Rowntree Park, York CC site (open all year) from Saturday 04 to Thursday 10 January for the annual 'visit the friends and relatives' trip.

The total cost for pitch and two adults will be £105.60 (£17.60 per night) which seems a bit steep for January when we are used to paying ACSI rates in June and September in France.

We're not all that bothered about the weather while we are there just so long as the country roads are not too icy and the Ouse doesn't decide to overflow its banks and flood the site which is situated right next to the river.

Fingers crossed.

That's about the same as we paid at Knaresborough last month Brian
R

Quote: Aaron Calder wrote in post #8

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The total cost for pitch and two adults will be £105.60 (£17.60 per night)...

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Now he tells me!

This "parking to the peg" issue is very debatable with an "off side door" caravan isn't it?
On a couple of Camping and Caravanning Club sites we've been on, we've been shown to our pitch and the warden pulled the peg out of the ground, told us to park and then pushed the peg back in in the appropriate place to suit our position
In Knaresborough Caravan Club site recently, we didn't notice the site rules until a few days after we arrived. It stated that "the offside of the caravan should line up with the peg". We were miles out but the edge of our awning/canopy did line up with the peg, a happy accident. Therefore, we presume our unit width, including the awning, was in the correct position. Or was it?
R