1935, and the parallels with today.

[Fisherman]

If you care to look back to 1935 and the formation of the ramblers association there are clear parallels between our current position and those who wished to venture into our countryside. The Peak District saw several large meetings and flouting of laws that forbade people from venturing over the hills of the Peak District, something we all take for granted today. Yet these protestors were maligned by the press, ignored by government, prosecuted by land owners, and treated terribly by over zealous police.

These people were portrayed as middle class extremists, who wished to run roughshod over established norms of the time. Blamed for vandalising property, littering, verbal and physical abuse, poaching, and general selfish behaviour.
What was it they were asking for, the right to roam freely over land that was owned by the established elite, the right to enjoy environments much healthier than the ones they had to live within in those hard times.
It wasn’t until 1949 when the first national park was established that things started to change, and today we all benefit from what they achieved.

Well a quick look at were we are right now shows the parallels I mentioned at the start. The only difference being that today we live in a much changed world than the world of 1935. Today we are better connected, better informed, wealthier, and more liberal in our views. But for all of that there are still echoes from our dim and distant past which affect how we think today. And these echoes are what we have to overcome, and to do this we have to work together constructively and with some unity of purpose. Thankfully in recent times we have started to do this, and not before time.

Hopefully one day when I am dead and gone someone will write about how we had to work hard to change how we were treated. Hopefully the future world will accommodate us better.
Hopefully the future world will have a different outlook on people who only wish to do something in the winters of their lives that most were not able to do throughout their earlier years.

 

[r4dent]

Not too sure about the "middle class extremists" description.

My understanding has always been that the Mass Trespass was was an act of willful trespass by ramblers and members of the Young Communist League. Indeed, it was largely organised by Benny Rothman, secretary of a branch of the Young Communist League.

 

[SquirrellCook]

Since the fake lockdowns I have seen across the fields huge wide tracks of destruction to farmers fields by walkers who must walk side by side. News articles about the difficulty to feed us because of strains on farming. Walkers tracks used to be more sympathetic.
I was taught as a child to walk single file, that way someone hunting you would not know how many of you there are.

 

[jagmanx]

Will Russia comply with Trespass laws in Ukraine ?

 

[mariesnowgoose]

I've concluded it's just easier now to travel over the other side of the channel at every opportunity. It's a lot nicer - at least once you're over there. The locations, the general topography, the food, the public transport, the people - in fact just about everything you can think of - is far more welcoming and pleasant than here in the UK. The way the UK is 'bigged up' you'd think we were the only nation on earth that had anything 'scenic' going for it. Always make me laugh, that one

I'm too old and knackered to get uptight about any of it. I'll definitely just head over the channel instead if I want an extended tour in the camper.

 

[Wooie1958]

I've concluded it's just easier now to travel over the other side of the channel at every opportunity. It's a lot nicer - at least once you're over there. The locations, the general topography, the food, the public transport, the people - in fact just about everything you can think of - is far more welcoming and pleasant than here in the UK. The way the UK is 'bigged up' you'd think we were the only nation on earth that had anything 'scenic' going for it. Always make me laugh, that one

I'm too old and knackered to get uptight about any of it. I'll definitely just head over the channel instead if I want an extended tour in the camper.

We discovered that Marie many, many years back and is the reason we do very little in the UK.

We are also at the point of deciding whether it`s worth keeping our memberships of 25 years with both the CAMC ( formerly CC ) and the C&CC going

As soon as things look a bit better we are off over there and touchwood, wind in the right direction and all that malarky we`ll get 3 trips abroad this year

 

[Fisherman]

Not too sure about the "middle class extremists" description.

My understanding has always been that the Mass Trespass was was an act of willful trespass by ramblers and members of the Young Communist League. Indeed, it was largely organised by Benny Rothman, secretary of a branch of the Young Communist League.

I was not only referring to the mass trespass. I was referring generally not specifically on a single matter. Of course there were many protests from working class members of society. Also that was not my description, but how some viewed them at the time.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

Whether you got to France etc or not depends on where you live, we live in Yorkshire and it is a real trail to go down south to the coast, and not a very nice trip either, so we go north usually.

 

[jagmanx]

Provide all is well
We wil get to UK about Easter 2022
If France is "easily available" we may well "Frog it" for 1 month.
We will happily stay in UK if need be but return to Thailand earlier than usual (covid protocols permitting)
Nobody's crystal ball works but I think that if we foresee European travel as being too difficult from say 2023...

We are likely to sell up...We like wild amping and Aires/Stellplatz etc
Not adverse to the odd campsite
No decision but things may be clearer in June/July

The only thing that never changes is...
Things are always changing

 

[Fisherman]

I've concluded it's just easier now to travel over the other side of the channel at every opportunity. It's a lot nicer - at least once you're over there. The locations, the general topography, the food, the public transport, the people - in fact just about everything you can think of - is far more welcoming and pleasant than here in the UK. The way the UK is 'bigged up' you'd think we were the only nation on earth that had anything 'scenic' going for it. Always make me laugh, that one

I'm too old and knackered to get uptight about any of it. I'll definitely just head over the channel instead if I want an extended tour in the camper.

As far as England is concerned Marie I could not agree more, but that comes with some qualifications. We only wild camp in Scotland, when we cross the border it’s campsites or CLS only for us. I do think to compare England with Europe is slightly unfair. You have 55 million people in a country only 25% larger than Scotland with its 5.2 million. Look at France it’s over six times larger than England with just 65 million. The roads in England are so busy. No matter where you go in England you are met with people, even in rural areas such as the Peak District and the Lake District. We stopped going to the Lake District because it’s so busy. You can spend a day in Scotland hill walking and see nobody or possibly one or two couples. Not in England. When we did the Hills from Castleton we could not believe the amount of people on the hills, and many were poorly equipped.

Some parts of Scotland are starting to get the message, and in some areas things will get better in years to come. But even up here there are some idiots masquerading as councillors and the intellect of your average field mouse.
We can only hope that things do improve steadily up here, and some down your way take cognisance and do likewise. But England’s over population makes matters difficult.
I think that many of our issues are created by this over population of England.

 

[barge1914]

I’ll concur that France is somewhat spacious. But the often aired (by some in councils) augment that England is too congested to cater for motorhomes is hogwash. The population density of Germany and Italy is not greatly different from England, they bristle with stellplatz and Sostas, it’s just a different mindset.

 

[Fisherman]

I’ll concur that France is somewhat spacious. But the often aired (by some in councils) augment that England is too congested to cater for motorhomes is hogwash. The population density of Germany and Italy is not greatly different from England, they bristle with stellplatz and Sostas, it’s just a different mindset.

I never stated that England was to densely populated to cater for motorhomes.
And England has 5/8ths the population of Germany with one third it’s landmass. Italy has 63 million with a land mass two and a half times larger than England.
But England could and should be more welcoming towards us.
But being one of the most densely populated countries in the world does not help.

 

[barryd]

Whether you got to France etc or not depends on where you live, we live in Yorkshire and it is a real trail to go down south to the coast, and not a very nice trip either, so we go north usually.

Give over Kev! I can do Dover from here in 5-6 hours and Im 70+ miles north of you! Foot down, swear at a few people on the M1, over to France by tea time, relax! You always said you would do it one day.

I think I would go back again this year but its the ancient van that puts me off now. That said, I enjoyed most of our four month UK tour last year apart from the weather. I picked my spots carefully though. I would still rather be in Mainland Europe though.

 

[Fisherman]

Whether you got to France etc or not depends on where you live, we live in Yorkshire and it is a real trail to go down south to the coast, and not a very nice trip either, so we go north usually.

I would have thought that the journey down could involve one or two stops making it part of your holiday, instead of it simply being a journey. We intend at some point to head for Cornwall and Devon next year from north of Glasgow. But we will stop over for two nights on our way down, and do the same on our way home.

 

[barge1914]

Not a comment on your post as such Bill, just an observation on another of those popularly quoted myths bandied about by those who don’t want us in their back yard.

 

[SquirrellCook]

Whether you got to France etc or not depends on where you live, we live in Yorkshire and it is a real trail to go down south to the coast, and not a very nice trip either, so we go north usually.

We use Harwich, not to bad a drive form Doncaster. We take the morning boat, so travel down at night. Fewer idiots on the road also. Not so good for sight seeing.

 

[barryd]

We use Harwich, not to bad a drive form Doncaster. We take the morning boat, so travel down at night. Fewer idiots on the road also. Not so good for sight seeing.

For oop North you could also go from Hull I think if you dont want to drive down to Dover but for me personally I would rather be in the van than stuck on a ferry overnight. The first 24 hours of a Euro trip are always a bit of a frantic dash. 310 miles to Dover on day one then generally about the same on day 2 to get anyway half decent away from Calais or Dunkirk. After that I hardly do more than 40 miles at a time.

 

[SquirrellCook]

For oop North you could also go from Hull I think if you dont want to drive down to Dover but for me personally I would rather be in the van than stuck on a ferry overnight. The first 24 hours of a Euro trip are always a bit of a frantic dash. 310 miles to Dover on day one then generally about the same on day 2 to get anyway half decent away from Calais or Dunkirk. After that I hardly do more than 40 miles at a time.

Did the Hull boat once and didn't like it. or the price. We don't tend to do france, and seem to stay east. So our regime for Harwich is, breakfast, sleep then escape the Netherlands or at least Hooke. If we are heading South, Emmerich is a good overnight and even a good place to explore. Very few English about so makes it nicer. I find France around the ports from Dover very rough.

 

[TJBi]

For oop North you could also go from Hull I think if you dont want to drive down to Dover but for me personally I would rather be in the van than stuck on a ferry overnight. The first 24 hours of a Euro trip are always a bit of a frantic dash. 310 miles to Dover on day one then generally about the same on day 2 to get anyway half decent away from Calais or Dunkirk. After that I hardly do more than 40 miles at a time.

Nothing wrong with Dunkerque; very pleasant coastal resort.

 

[TJBi]

Did the Hull boat once and didn't like it. or the price. We don't tend to do france, and seem to stay east. So our regime for Harwich is, breakfast, sleep then escape the Netherlands or at least Hooke. If we are heading South, Emmerich is a good overnight and even a good place to explore. Very few English about so makes it nicer. I find France around the ports from Dover very rough.

Answer is not to use Dover! Try Newhaven, Portsmouth or Poole.