Struggling to find pitches!

We bought our first (new to us) caravan yesterday. After dreaming of getting one for a year we thought, great, we are all sorted and will go just up the road next weekend and try her out.

Thought we would start with small CLs first and not too far away. After much mulling and trawling and looking at reviews I began to call them all, only to find what you lot probably already know, that you have to book waaaay in advance to get in anywhere decent!

I thought I was being too choosy so started knocking off the things I had selected, leaving only EHU and showers (I would like on site showers if poss but of course can use the one in the van)  Well, I had no more luck there and then thought oh well I will have to book a larger CC site. More chance of the pope coming for tea with this one as they are also all booked up.

Cannot begin to tell you how disappointed I am, and naive obviously, thinking we could pop away next Friday and come back Sunday. Now realise I will have to plan months in advance when we are really more impromptu than that! I can rarely go away out of school hols (work in a school but don't get all the holidays off) and hubby works for the water board and is often on call.

I just thought we could do mainly Friday to Sundays with a couple of full weeks in the year away. 

If anyone knows any secrets to finding somewhere within half an hour or so's drive from Ringwood (near Bournemouth) then please share your thoughts; I would be eternally grateful 

We bought the van partly as we were fed up with trying to find hotels and B and Bs for weekends away and thought this would be easier...