Live from the National 2018

Hi Kevlon, hope you are bringing sausage rolls with you - if you happen to be passing the Comms Office come in and say Hi 

Alison

Gutted cos we missed this years National,we cancelled at the last minute cos we didn’t collect our Motorhome in time .Glad some of you enjoyed the weekend. You can’t please everyone all the time.We will definitely be at next years.

Brian & Jo

As much as it hurts me to say this, but I have heard loads of very positive feedback about this years national.  Particularly with respect to the amount activities laid on for children.  So maybe there is hope after all.  

Overall we enjoyed it but whoever was responsible for the allocation of pitching areas needs to go away and have a serious think before planning another one.

It seems they need reminding that people with Blue Badges have severe mobility problems. Locating their pitches about 300 yards away across a valley with a rough track to access the main area shows contempt for their problems. Particularly as a large area right close to the arena was given over to Admin!

When I questioned this I was told it was OK as a car park had been set aside to allow us to drive across. So here they go against their request to keep driving on site to a minimum. Motor home owners apparently would have had to pack up each time they wanted to drive over. Talk about making us feel welcome, not!

Also having had all the upset among some members re the rebranding why were all the flags around the arena still the old CC pennants? Surely by now someone would have raided the piggy bank for some new ones.

I would be interested to ascertain the cost of hosting the national. How much money is created through members pitch fees, vendor fees, entertainment tickets and how much profit is used up on the free camping for Executive Committee Members, Chairmans Drinks reception before the opening ceremony and the cost of the provision of the grand stand for the Chairman to sit on. Is it me, or are things like this so outdated, felt like being back in the 70’s to me.

People dressed up with gold chains around their necks prancing around a field just felt a little too colonial for me, but guess we are all different.

Hi Stewartwebr, Please be assured that the Executive Committee, as do all other volunteers at the National, pay for their own pitches. We are very grateful for all the hard work and effort that the executive/events committees and our host of volunteers put into making the National the successful event it has become, whilst also acknowledging that without their continued support members would not enjoy the level of entertainment and organisation that goes into the planning and running of the event. The opening ceremony and reception are well-received traditions at the National, and gives the Executive Committee an opportunity to publicly recognise our sponsors and to thank all the volunteers for their participation, as without their support we would not be able to host the National at the level it achieves. Please also note that the grandstand is open to all visitors of the National following the opening ceremony and is an area people can use to enjoy watching the arena shows. I hope this clears up any confusion.

Thanks everyone for your wonderful pictures and sharing your experiences at the National. All feedback will be forwarded to our events team.

I just want to take this opportunity to thank the events team, all the volunteers, the events committee and the executive committee and everyone who attended the National for making it such a brilliant event. We have had some fantastic feedback about all the activities and I have really enjoyed seeing all the photos here and on our social media pages. We are looking forward to seeing you all again next year at Ragley Hall and please feel free to continue to share your photos of the National here. 

A bit more feedback for the events team.

Why ask for the length of caravans and then pitch the long ones on steeply sloping ground?  I had to use all the blocks I carry to get the caravan nearly level - to complete the job would have required digging a hole for the rear end.  As it was the tow hitch still ended up almost at chest height and the rear washroom drain outlets were at ground level.

Shorter caravans fared better, of course, yet there was plenty of empty pitching space that was almost flat at the top of the hill.

I wonder if the site layout was done by someone making pretty drawings at a desk without considering what the estate actually looked like.

I think just about everyone except the Chairman's line(s?) and the disabled block were on a fairly steep slope, we have a fairly large van and even on the second row of admin block we had our rear end on the grass. The aim is for a flat as possible arena and village area for all the marquees, after that it is pot luck and with just over 1400 units, it would be impossible to take note of every vans length and position them accordingly, especially with people requesting which block they want to be in. There are limited venues willing to take such a large number of outfits for a fairly long time to set everything up - and over a bank holiday, it is so nice to see a new venue for next year, roll on Ragley Hall 

Alison

Great review from Caravan Times ... http://www.caravantimes.co.uk/news/industry/the-caravan-and-motorhome-club-national-rally-$21388193.htm?source=newsletter

Alison