A caravan ruined my jacket....

Several years ago I was staying at the Wharfedale CC site and my story begins on the Saturday after my arrival on the Friday night.

I was returning to the site after a short visit to Grassington by walking along the road from Threshfield which is quite narrow in places with no footpath. Normally I walk with the traffic coming towards me, but this time I didn't, not really sure why, I just didn't.

As I was walking along I heard a car approaching me from behind, I stopped and turned around just as the car began to pass me which it did but then the car pulled sharply back over to the left due to a small car coming in the opposite direction. As the car passed close by me the caravan it was towing didn't, it knocked me off my feet and pushed me up against the dry stone wall and I fell to the ground.

The caravanner didn't even stop to help and that seriously annoyed me, they must known what had happened, they must have felt the bump, why hadn't they stopped, they didn't know if I was alive or dead and obviously didn't care..... Fortunately the driver of the car following the caravan did stop to help.

Fortunately, I wasn't seriously hurt, just a couple of scrapes and knocks and a ruined jacket that got ripped as I was pushed into the wall.

Back at the site and after a nice shower as I was returning to my van a lady approached me who said she had heard about what had happened and that the caravaner was stopping on site. She asked me if I would to go see them as THEY! were very upset. THEY were upset? Why should they be upset when I was the one who got pushed into a wall?...... I agreed to see them. Actually, that's not quite correct, I wanted to see them.

The couple weren't just upset, they were devastated by what had happened. I asked them why they didn't stop, but they couldn't say why, they didn't know, they had just carried on. I think they were either in shock or just simply panicked.

My anger had left me by the time I'd finished my shower but was now returning as I sat in their caravan listening to two people appologising over and over again, crying like they had just lost their children. I repeated and kept repeating that I wasn't really hurt and that as far as I was concerned it was just an accident and that we should just all forget it had ever happened and enjoy the rest of the holiday. By now my anger had turned to frustration and sadness. I realised this accident had hurt these people far more than me.

Sitting in the van I realised they had pitched up but not hooked up and it was obvious that no attempt had been made to unpack the bags of clothes food etc. they had brought along with them. I needed to leave!

I repeated that I was fine and they had no need to be concerned, I accepted their apologies and that as far as I was concerned it was all in the past and was best forgotten as further worry and fuss was pointless. I made my farewell and with a last few words of reassurance I left them to get on with their holiday. That night I went to the pub.

Next day I thought I'd pass by their pitch and hopefully they would see me and pop outside and say hello but the van had gone, it wasn't there and it didn't make sense! They weren't where they should have been and now I was concerned.

Later on that day as I walked past the reception area I saw a notice posted outside saying I had mail waiting.

I collected the letter, returned to my van and sat down to read..

I won't go into the content detail, other than to say Mr and Mrs.Caravanner had decided they would never tow a caravan again! This actually hurt me, they didn't need to do that and I didn't want to read that! They were good people, they made a mistake.... that's all.

That feeling of anger returned! I don't go camping to feel anger, I go camping to relax and enjoy my time doing what I want to do......

I continued to read and now my anger became an overwhelming sadness, my eyes were filling for the first time in many, many years.

It was a beautifully written letter with some lovely stories of their caravanning exploits, good times and bad, where they had been and what they had done and all written in possibly the nicest hand writing I have ever seen. It really was one of the most heart wrenching things I have ever read. Why would they give up something they obviously loved!

I wrote to them a few days later but didn't give a return address, I didn't need to, it was over and I didn't want them to reply anyway.

If you are reading this and you were either Mr. or Mrs. Caravanner? please don't say so and I know you wouldn't anyway! Please just get in the car, hitch up the van and do what you obviously loved..... Camping and caravanning.........

I really do miss that jacket though! [img]http://www.clicksmilies.com/s1106/sprachlos/speechless-smiley-034.gif[/img]