Campaign for Real Aires - CAMpRA

I've been in it since just after it started. We have given advice to some people who have land, but it all takes time.
This last week there have been an explosion of new members. I posted about it on a thread on here. How else did people find out about the group?
 
Last edited:
toasty said:
Anyone in this facebook group? A UK site trying to get some aires here. I am pessimistic about achieving the aim but can't fault their enthusiasm, so I've recently joined and thought I would spread the word.
Click to expand...
Hi How do i join this group. have you a link please ?
Thanks john
 
Better send a LINK to Whitby Council. These holiday resorts are going to be crying out for visitors after the summer idiots have gone home. They have nothing to loose by providing parking for an evening and everything to gain but these Councillors have their heads buried in the sand. We used to pay to park in Whitby and always had meals out, fish and chips and a few drinks.
 
We always managed to spend plenty in Whitby too whenever we went.
We always used to stop in Pickering too on the way home and usually managed to find a thing or too to buy there too.
And would often visit in the winter months as well as the spring and summer months, until they became anti Motorhome.
But not been for a few years now, and won’t be going again anytime soon if they only want our custom in the winter months
 
toasty said:
Anyone in this facebook group? A UK site trying to get some aires here. I am pessimistic about achieving the aim but can't fault their enthusiasm, so I've recently joined and thought I would spread the word.
Click to expand...
Got a link?
 
helen262 said:
We always managed to spend plenty in Whitby too whenever we went.
We always used to stop in Pickering too on the way home and usually managed to find a thing or too to buy there too.
And would often visit in the winter months as well as the spring and summer months, until they became anti Motorhome.
But not been for a few years now, and won’t be going again anytime soon if they only want our custom in the winter months
Click to expand...

Helen that’s great that you contributed to the local economy, we to try to do our bit on that front when out in the van.
But I reckon we seriously have to look at this situation.
Its almost from a position of guilt that we do so, we have been made to feel that we are burdens on local economies, and somehow have to justify ourselves as being economically viable. But look at the 500,000 who visited Bournemouth, what did they offer the local economy. Well they created pandemonium blocking roads, making it difficult for local businesses to operate, and emergency services to go about their business. They left several tonnes of litter for local services to clear up, and they probably infected some locals with Covid 19. There were apparently no toilet facilities available so its impossible that human waste was not also an issue.
How many times have I seen car parks full of day trippers who venture no further than the beach, St. Andrews is a prime example. The fact that they are a burden on local communities being ignored. Yet folk love to tell us that we who make up 0.5% of road traffic are no more than a bunch of freeloaders. The fact is we may not spend nearly as much as folk staying in hotels, and B&Bs, but we probably spend more than your average car driver, and we tend to take more interest in were we visit. We have forked out thousands in VAT, Fuel duty, road tax, insurance, and maintenance, we have put billions into the uk economy long before we parked up for the night.


All the best to this FB group, but they have a difficult task on their hands. And no doubt they will find that resistance to their campaign will not only come from outside the wild camping fraternity, but also sadly from within.
 
runnach said:
Bill, last we used St Andrews as a forum meet was the last time, because restrictions were put in after this meet. Of course the locals were ignorant to the fact that the local award winning chippie made over £600 which included delivery to those of us who ordered. I know many members visit the pubs and shops. Us personally, had lunch in an Indian restaurant, plus did a local shop before heading home.

On the Sunday morning while I was walking dog on beach, I got speaking with a local lady out walking her dog, then a lady friend arrived with her dog and they got talking, topic, us campers. I mentioned I was with this group and asked what harm were we doing? One replied “she felt intimidated with our presence”. Utter rubbish I replied and so on.

Problem with St Andrews is snobbery, uni town and of course, the home of golf. Barriers now in place and the boy racers who cut up the grass are welcome to, I’ll never again spend ten pence in St Andrews.
Click to expand...

We took our grandson there on February.

Well this is what happened to us.

We were in a large carpark primarily for golfers, but being February a carpark that would take easily 200 cars had us and about 20 cars in it, mainly dog walkers. Before parking I noted no overnight parking signs on the beach carpark. But this carpark had no signage whatsoever stopping us from parking. As the day turned to night there was just us and two cars left. We were watching a movie at around 8.30 came the knock on the door from a security guard. He started rabbiting on about a £200 fine if we did not move informing me that there was nowhere in the town for us to park, but strangely telling us to book into a hotel. Well he picked on the wrong guy.

First I asked him to show me where it stated I could not park, and where did it state a penalty of £200. Well this got him wound up and he started to raise his voice. I informed him that our 9 year old grandson was with us, but he kept rabbiting on about us going to a hotel and this mythical £200 fine. I asked him not to raise his voice but he just kept rabbiting on about how we take over the place in summer. I I formed him this is winter and in this massive carpark we are alone. But he just kept on talking in a threatening manner. I went back into my van got my mobile, and told him if he did not leave I was phoning the police. He walked away to his van and buggered off. Still waiting for my £200 fine for “illegal” parking.

But to add insult to injury we had spent over £100 that day. We had visited the sea life centre, went for coffees, and had bought some kitchenware from the local hardware store. Also I don’t know if you are aware but there is a converter in St. Andrews who do van conversions, St. Andrews Motorhomes, and I must have spotted at least 15-20 Motorhomes parked in driveways that day. Perhaps if anyone on here lives there they could add to this. But like you I will never set foot in that place ever again.
 
Last edited:
I have no doubt motorhomes contribute to local economies overall, equally there is a fraternity who delight in spending as little as they can. So what do we spend ? And does it matter?

There have been no studies as far as I am aware that gives a quantifiable figure there has been one or two suggestions over the years but relates to sites not wildcamping.

So when we are writing to councils and the rest of them stating we spend money, have above average disposable incomes they are words that can’t be quantified one way or the other and personally think the wrong tact ....we can come across spend money = self entitlement ? And that can rev people up (it does me)
 
channa said:
I have no doubt motorhomes contribute to local economies overall, equally there is a fraternity who delight in spending as little as they can. So what do we spend ? And does it matter?

There have been no studies as far as I am aware that gives a quantifiable figure there has been one or two suggestions over the years but relates to sites not wildcamping.

So when we are writing to councils and the rest of them stating we spend money, have above average disposable incomes they are words that can’t be quantified one way or the other and personally think the wrong tact ....we can come across spend money = self entitlement ? And that can rev people up (it does me)
Click to expand...

To me Andrew this is a non issue, and we should avoid getting involved in this rubbish. Take St. Andrews again, in summer thousands of cars park up for the day. They head for the beach in their droves, dump their litter, use the free toilet facilities, then bugger of home. Most of them don‘t even venture into the town. Has anyone accused them of being freeloaders, of setting up campsites and taking over towns and villages. Are they asked to justify their presence on financial grounds, no and why should they. And this scenario is repeated throughout the UK. We are not freeloaders, but neither are we some charitable organisation only there to support local economies. We are people who have through work and taxes supported this country, and who now in their latter years wish to explore it. We put billions into this country every year, and in return we get abuse from Pratt’s like ill informed morons like councillor Colin, and treated like vagrants by some who's lack of knowledge about us is staggering. It’s time that we came of the defensive, stopped beating ourselves up about not contributing as much as a hotel customer, and reminded some that we have paid vast fortunes before heading out.
 
Fisherman said:
Helen that’s great that you contributed to the local economy, we to try to do our bit on that front when out in the van.
But I reckon we seriously have to look at this situation.
Its almost from a position of guilt that we do so, we have been made to feel that we are burdens on local economies, and somehow have to justify ourselves as being economically viable. But look at the 500,000 who visited Bournemouth, what did they offer the local economy. Well they created pandemonium blocking roads, making it difficult for local businesses to operate, and emergency services to go about their business. They left several tonnes of litter for local services to clear up, and they probably infected some locals with Covid 19. There were apparently no toilet facilities available so its impossible that human waste was not also an issue.
How many times have I seen car parks full of day trippers who venture no further than the beach, St. Andrews is a prime example. The fact that they are a burden on local communities being ignored. Yet folk love to tell us that we who make up 0.5% of road traffic are no more than a bunch of freeloaders. The fact is we may not spend nearly as much as folk staying in hotels, and B&Bs, but we probably spend more than your average car driver, and we tend to take more interest in were we visit. We have forked out thousands in VAT, Fuel duty, road tax, insurance, and maintenance, we have put billions into the uk economy long before we parked up for the night.


All the best to this FB group, but they have a difficult task on their hands. And no doubt they will find that resistance to their campaign will not only come from outside the wild camping fraternity, but also sadly from within.
Click to expand...
Just joined too. 😀
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Users who viewed this discussion (Total:0)

Back
Top