Less fussy members

Aspenshaw - the club did run a trial on a limited number of sites and concluded that despite it being popular with members it was too confusing for them so the idea was dropped. 

Cynics might say that they discovered grass pitches remained unbooked so to protect revenue they are keeping it as it is - ie find out you're on grass after you've paid. 

According to a warden on one of the sites that ran the trial,members were having "problems" understanding why they could not have the "empty" hardstand for their week ,as it was already booked in 3days time.and also being unable to extend on the hardstand they were on,and would need to move  possibly the next day, even that day at times

Thanks, JayEss. I'd forgotten. I haven't bothered what cynics say for the last 20 years or more. They add nothing and waste a lot of everyone's time. So I'm only sceptical of the CMC findings!

The CMC manage the muddle of booking awning/non awning pitches so I doubt they would have a problem managing grass/hard standing if they really wanted. We book non awning pitches where we can, even though we might end up on "pitches in the back of beyond or by the bins". More often, the timing of our stay coincides with empty awning pitches so wardens give us a choice. Perhaps, the weather will continue to encourage the CMC to increase the number of hard standing pitches until it reaches a stage where the number of grass pitches is about the same as non-awning pitches.

Worrying that members driving outfits weighing possibly 4.5 tonnes + at speeds up to 60-70mph on busy motorways are so easily confused!   And that they are so forgetful that they cannot remember they booked  a grass pitch.

After all, how many people turn up at a site without having booked?  A very small percentage I would think.

We used one of the sites in the trial, pretty much all the HSs were in use, but only a few outfits on grass, I think that shows what most members want.

We avoid sites that have a lot of grass pitches, and these days are using CCC sites far more as we can book a HS.  They also offer the wrinkly discount, and shorter peak periods, so work out better value for us..

M........presume that price at Cirencester is due to a mid week discount?

How many come on here  saying that sites are full but have not scrolled down the page,to where there are pitches available but of a different type

The cc can manage the different type of pitches, its some of the members who seem to have a problem understanding how the different  pitch types are booked when looking at the booking system

No - just more common !!!

"M........presume that price at Cirencester is due to a mid week discount?"

No midweek discount at this time of year, Kj, but standard price for pitch & 1 adult! 

I just don't buy this. You can book a service pitch without getting confused, you can book a non awning pitch without getting confused so why would anyone get confused between booking a hardstanding and a grass pitch, it makes no sense. The real problem with the experiment was that it was only done on a minority of sites, it should have been done network wide and for a complete season and reviewed. I have my suspicion that wardens, who were getting unwanted flak over influenced the decision to leave things as they are. Members certainly don't seemed to have been asked. Every C&CC site and every commercial site I use I have a choice of a hardstanding why does it have to be so difficult for the CMC?

David

It isn't difficult for this club David. The introduction of an additional field on the booking system seemed to cause no problem at all. 

The unwillingness to continue with the concept of booking pitch surface will be down to financial matters. I considered booking Malvern which was a trial site. However there were no HS available so I booked the C&CC site next door instead. If all things were equal I'd have booked the CC site as it was slightly cheaper, the booking system is better and there's no faffing around with deposits if you need to make amendments. However as I've been on a grass pitch at Malvern before I will never return to that site while there's a chance I'll end up on grass. How many other people feel the same way?  Possibly enough to see a downturn at the trial sites.