Whitby. No more

[yorkieowl]

If motorhomes are so bad for the economy of a town then explain why France goes out of its way to encourage motorhomes to its towns and villages,
By providing places and facilities to stop, often for free, and when there is a charge it is often only a few euros

Because France sees the bigger picture, the French don't like paying for nothing (a parking place), they don't mind paying a reasonable fee for waste disposal/loo emptying etc, especially when spending money, and realise it's a win win to the local economies to provide Aires.

 

[barryd]

Because France sees the bigger picture, the French don't like paying for nothing (a parking place), they don't mind paying a reasonable fee for waste disposal/loo emptying etc, especially when spending money, and realise it's a win win to the local economies to provide Aires.

I think the French especially and most western European countries have a lot more respect and tolerance for motorhomers as well. Here I think the perception is often very different. We are considered by some as on a par with gypsies or that we cannot afford a proper holiday and are just a nuisance to be looked down upon. Ive noticed the attitude in places like Tourist information centres in France when you tell them your in a motorhome and its very welcoming and often with a feeling of awe and envy. Just look at where the French sometimes site Aires. Often near houses or within sight of them. They dont seem bothered and are not territorial like we are. I usually spend about £4K-£6K touring each year and 95% of that will be in Mainland Europe. There are thousands like me I suspect. Europes gain, UK's loss.

I do have a big issue as regards paying for parking though in the motorhome or paying much for it. I think its because I always imagined it as giving me this fantastic freedom to go and travel and park where I like out in the wilds and not be tied to sites, car parks or regulations. I would cringe at paying a tenner for parking but would think nothing of spending three or four times that in a local bar or on cheese at a local market.

 

[Pauljenny]

Don't know how you can comment on the Will o Nats Andy, at the last meet EVERYBODY on the meet used the pub, quite a few of us getting more than a little tipsy, and as for eating in the pub as far as I am aware all except one person (who was unable to eat the meals due to health reasons), had a meal on the Sat night. A good time was had all who attended, we (obviously) spent enough as we are more than welcome back, as proved by the new thread.

Don't worry, Andrew, we'll do our bit. If they've Taylor's Landlord on, I'll drink your share and Jenny's.
If it's any of the Theakston's Masham beers... I'm still boycotting them... They must be feeling the pinch, by now?

 

[Channa]

Don't worry, Andrew, we'll do our bit. If they've Taylor's Landlord on, I'll drink your share and Jenny's.
If it's any of the Theakston's Masham beers... I'm still boycotting them... They must be feeling the pinch, by now?

Steady on ....I might be a day visitor yet ......|!!!

Quality control and all that :wacko:

Channa

 

[alcam]

We nearly always spend money at a stopover in France so always add a little to the local economy, and the last time we went to Whitby we spent over £400 in Whitby and a couple of hundred in Pickering on the way Home, but if they feel my motorhome is too big and ugly to visit their town then that is fine,we will just spend money where we are welcome to visit

Many Aires in France have nowhere you can spend money after 5pm . Not sure what benefit there can be to the local economy ?
As channa says it's more about handling motorhome traffic

 

[Channa]

Whitby no more ......is a bit sensationalist plenty of places still in and around the town

Channa

 

[yorkieowl]

I do have a big issue as regards paying for parking though in the motorhome or paying much for it. I think its because I always imagined it as giving me this fantastic freedom to go and travel and park where I like out in the wilds and not be tied to sites, car parks or regulations. I would cringe at paying a tenner for parking but would think nothing of spending three or four times that in a local bar or on cheese at a local market.

I too have a big issue with paying for parking, not just in the motorhome but when out in the car too, I avoid one local town when shopping unless absolutely necessary as I have to pay to park and go shopping, when I can go to the next and park for free. To me a no brainer and saves me a fortune every year, it's the poor shop keepers losing out.

 

[Compo]

whitby

it may not be all down to motorhomes I was there last year in the town without m/h and there was probably 6 twin wheel caravans parked long ways along the station wall taking up probably 8 bays each complete with blow up boats and large red gas bottles some people take the mick !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Jeff G]

Motorhomers are just as bad.Just come back from a visit to friends in Fleetwood.There has been a couple of m/h's parked side on taking up the entire disabled parking spaces.A side dinette doesn't allow you to park side on for an entire b/h weekend and preventing anyone else from a stop for a cuppa or such imo

 

[iampatman]

Doubt we’ll see this sign in the UK anytime soon -



Pat

 

[mistericeman]

Doubt we’ll see this sign in the UK anytime soon -

View attachment 63812

Pat

Good.... Who wants to park in a Aldi/Lidl carpark....

Certainly not what I consider to be "Wildcamping"...
Maybe there is a gap on the T'interweb for a new website called

"Parking motorhomes for free no matter where it is as I refuse to pay "

Or maybe there already is? ;-)

 

[Floridaphill]

Motorhomers are just as bad.Just come back from a visit to friends in Fleetwood.There has been a couple of m/h's parked side on taking up the entire disabled parking spaces.A side dinette doesn't allow you to park side on for an entire b/h weekend and preventing anyone else from a stop for a cuppa or such imo

They should be fined for that.
Parking across bays is some thing that I find very inconsiderate and gives all motorhomes a bad name.
Funnily enough it is mostly motorhomes and not vw size campervans.

 

[Pauljenny]

Very forward thinking, Pat. Pity they don't do hookups.. You could stay indefinitely.
Hope you have sorted your 12v ?

 

[malagaoth]

Must say when I heard about the overnight parking concession now offered in fleetwood I laughed out loud - Fleetwood is one of the most run down poverty struck places in Britain, who the hell would want to park there and watch all the poor people fighting over the food scraps the seagulls refused?

 

[mistericeman]

Must say when I heard about the overnight parking concession now offered in fleetwood I laughed out loud - Fleetwood is one of the most run down poverty struck places in Britain, who the hell would want to park there and watch all the poor people fighting over the food scraps the seagulls refused?

Frankly I think pretty much the same about most of the 'popular' spots in our seaside resorts...

 

[malagaoth]

Whitby has alwatys had a loathsome attitude to vistors, and particularly to the sort of visitors who can afford motorhomes

I dont think its a class thing visitors can be a real pain in the bum to a place like Whitby, its built on the side of a cliff with steep narrow roads with sharp bends - foolish of the Georgian planners not to forsee that it would attract people in 7m long motorhomes really.

Overnight somewhere else and use the excellent park and ride

 

[maureenandtom]

Must say when I heard about the overnight parking concession now offered in fleetwood I laughed out loud - Fleetwood is one of the most run down poverty struck places in Britain, who the hell would want to park there and watch all the poor people fighting over the food scraps the seagulls refused?

Well that puts motorhomers in their places - the ones who helped to organise it, I mean byu putting arguments to Wyre Borough Council when the council originally attempted to bar motorhomes.

I'd like to offer my support to any efforts you are making along similar lines but in places you do approve.

 

[Byronic]

Good.... Who wants to park in a Aldi/Lidl carpark....

Certainly not what I consider to be "Wildcamping"...
Maybe there is a gap on the T'interweb for a new website called

"Parking motorhomes for free no matter where it is as I refuse to pay "

Or maybe there already is? ;-)

Just depends, there have been instances when I'd rather pay €10 (should there
have been such a charge) on certain Lidl/Aldi carparks rather than the nearby official
aire even if free. But since there isn't a charge it can be a win and at times a double win.
€10 can buy a classy wine in Lidls, a widely respected prize winner at times.

 

[Channa]

Whitby and Filey fall under the scope of Scarborough Borough Council , and it will come as little surprise as to whom SBC favour. Only last week a councillor exempted from a meeting (for fear of not towing the line ) ...No explanation to the local voters how money is received and spent (classed as confidential) Monies going into the Harbour area "confidential" a council rotten to the core.

Furthermore Tom will know who, one of the councillors has direct interest in a camping site ..so let you imagine how that bodes for overnight camping / parking

Tourist prevention officers all of them. with distorted and self serving agendas.

Channa

 

[maureenandtom]

...
I would be interested too see the data for where the moneys spent by motorhome owners if it exists ?

....

An excellent point. And there is some information if you care to look for it. Very little for the UK though. All of this has been published here at one time or another.

All this following is from quite a long time in the past and I've not updated my researches. I'm, not even sure that I still have the information but it does exist.

There were two excellent Australian documents prepared by some specialist research companies for some Australian motohoming organisation and shared with Austalian Government Tourism Authorities. Their findings were that motorhoming contributed millions of dollars to the Australian economy. There was an Italian document with similar findings reproducing a speech by an Italian Tourism Minister. I found references to a similar American document though not the document itself. Probaly other documentation too.

The Australian document led to the setting up of Motorhme Friendly Towns (or some such thing) and the Italian Minister's speech led to the expansion of he aires system in Italy. The American document led to the similarly named (so I might have confused them) Motorhome Friendly Towns in Florida – and probably in other States too.

All this sort of stuff can be found and some of us (John Thompson particularly) might still have it. I can start you off with a couple of leads to begin with. A European Survey of Motorhomers and their habits in my dropbox Dropbox - The european motorhomers-summary of Answers to International Survey.pdf

… and maybe more useful - a survey carried out towards the end of last year in Ireland. Some of us might remember responding to a questionaire though I never heard of any published results. The local authority doing the survey was Ards and North Down Borough Council. The person collating the information was laura.watson@ardsandnorthdown.gov.uk and if you email her she might be able to tell you if the council published the result