# Italian Motorhome wild camping in Covent Garden



## HeatherChloe

So, walking Chloe this morning, I have seen an Italian registration plate motorhome parked on Russell Street in Covent Garden. 

When I walked past about 8.30am they curtains were open, but when I returned about 10am, the curtains were all closed.

The Italian owners have probably stayed overnight, gone out for breakfast, then come back for a snooze. 

I'm guessing they don't read MHF.


----------



## sander4709

HeatherC - that's a laugh but you know I have to think "good on them" for just doing it. 

I used to do the same when I was a good deal younger, keeping perfectly still in the middle of the night when the police would knock on the door to try and move me on.

Aah, happy days!

Regards,

Simon


----------



## spatz1

good for them...
us italians would always say "whats the problem !"

And when my old MH had a giant italian sticker (bought in italy & kept number plate on ) and we took the segugio dog a walk... the police always turned up wanting to know why we had a dog in the uk... some jobsworth was always sat close buy having called them and waiting to see events unfold....
no speaky english then produce the quarantine papers after listening to them struggle :lol:


----------



## Grizzly

HeatherChloe said:


> The Italian owners have probably stayed overnight, gone out for breakfast, then come back for a snooze.
> 
> .


So what's wrong with that ?

No good tutting over it - relax and welcome them !

G


----------



## tonyt

........ and why not too? Perfectly acceptable and to be encouraged.

My van is not conspicuously a campervan, so it makes it less obvious when I overnight in a street location, which I do frequently - never need to book and always plenty of space.


----------



## Hezbez

Will they be affected by the congestion charge?


----------



## Grizzly

Hezbez said:


> Will they be affected by the congestion charge?


Depends on how many beds there are and how many passengers.

G


----------



## tonyt

Grizzly said:


> Hezbez said:
> 
> 
> 
> Will they be affected by the congestion charge?
> 
> 
> 
> Depends on how many beds there are and how many passengers.
> 
> G
Click to expand...


----------



## HeatherChloe

deat all

1. I was not tutting - I thought you'd find it interesting. Lots of people ask about where to park in Central London and the answer seems to be.... park right in the middle!

2. Update - they are still there at 11pm on Sunday night. No lights are on. Also, given the "embarrassed to be British" thread, I checked and there is no grey waste. 

3. They are legally parked... until 8.30am tomorrow. 

4. Re the congestion charge questions - if they move within the charging zone after 7am tomorrow, then yes, they'll have to pay £8, or get a fine. Don't know how fines work if you have foreign plates. 

5. Most interesting of all - I knocked on their door - naturally no reply - but I have put a shocking pink post it note under their windscreen wipers which says "www.motorhomefacts.co.uk". Do I get commission???? 

Honestly though, we have so many debates about "wild parking" and at the end of the day, if your van is legally parked and naturally you draw your curtains to avoid people looking in at your lovely TV etc, then no one knows if you're inside or not... so what is the big deal, honestly? 

If the police suspected someone were inside, they surely can't just break in? And if they did, what would be your crime? There's no law against being in a parked vehicle (unless you're drunk, obviously - and even then, there is the statutory defence of being able to prove that you had no intention to drive).

Viva le wild camping. 

Well, so long as you don't take my parking space in Covent Garden. My residents bay was in fact full and I had to park a full 5mins walk away, so Mr and Mrs Italian and their baby ( I noticed a baby seat ) were right outside my flat!!!! LOL


----------



## artona

Lots of us wild camp. I do and I have never had a problem. 

Its important to limit your stay to not more than one night or two at a maximum. I was at the Canterbury Park and Ride the other day and I noticed yet another person wild "living" there. 

Its also when a group of campers decide to wild camp together that problems might arrive. There is a massive difference between traveling and stopping for the night in a legal place to park to deciding to set up camp for a few days. Those that do that will eventually possibly upset it for the rest of us!

As for the police breaking in I imagine they could. I also never drink over the limit if wildcamping. 

I am glad you welcomed the Italians and if they are reading this then come on in and say hello


----------



## tonyt

HeatherChloe said:


> 5. Most interesting of all - I knocked on their door - naturally no reply - but I have put a shocking pink post it note under their windscreen wipers which says "www.motorhomefacts.co.uk". Do I get commission????


How about going back to your post-it-note and changing .co.uk to .com


----------



## Grizzly

HeatherChloe said:


> .... but I have put a shocking pink post it note under their windscreen wipers which says "www.motorhomefacts.co.uk".


Quick thinking Holmes ! Good for you.

Sorry Heather- I misinterpreted your original post. There are so many "knocking Britain" type posts coming on here to the effect that we are so much worse than the continent in that motorhomers are not welcome anywhere in Britain and how rubbish that is etc etc.

It's good to get a post that reflects my view that we take a pragmatic view in UK: park in a sensible place, don't draw attention to yourself, don't park in large numbers together, don't do more than a night and you're unlikely to be moved on.

G


----------



## Glaswegian

*Wild camping in UK*

If you can, wild camp. Don't leave any rubbish etc. Leave the place better than you found it if possible.

Pay the parking charge. Ignore the knock on the door at midnight.

You are a visitor who will probably spend some money in the vicinity. The local community will thank you.

I am from Glasgow. Come and wild camp responsibly, especially during the common wealth games in 2014 and you will love it.

Stand up for common sense and make the Local authorities waken up !!!

If you want advice regarding stopping in Glasgow, ask me. Glasgow is a really friendly city and welcomes visitors.

Text me on 07836 707250 and I will try and help.

Cheers Karl


----------



## jhelm

Not sure when we will be visiting the UK but if and when we do I would like to understand the "rules" on wild camping. We are half Italian with an Italian camper. As I understand it wild camping that is parking and sleeping in your camper is permitted - sort of. Why should we pretend to not be in if someone knocks, I have a hard time with that concept. I would rather answer and explain that we are just parked and will move on in the morning if need be.

The rules are pretty much the same in Italy, by the way. I have never had anyone knock on the door in the middle of the night.


----------



## Joycee

It is impossible to wild camp in a motorhome get the terminology right its called free loading people who don't to pay


----------



## mollmagee

Joycee said:


> It is impossible to wild camp in a motorhome get the terminology right its called free loading people who don't to pay


think you should change your name from joycee to sadcee.lol :lol: :roll: jim m


----------



## Joycee

poor old Mollmagee you would know all about it being a Scotsman ha ha


----------



## Glandwr

Tell me why do you spend so much more on a MH Joycee? What advantage does it give you over a caravan?

Dick


----------



## kencocamper

I wildcamped on Moggs eye Anderby Creek Lincs last week and the council came on Friday and told us they were locking the hieght barriers.
They locked us in for the bank holiday and put notices up to say that we could get the gates unlocked by ringing the council during normal opening hours (which of course was after the bank holidays ), the local council refuced to have a meeting with us to explain thier actions. The area was immaculately clean, no one living full time, no undesirables, and no sence or reason for thier actions, the police came round on a regular basis and were very happy with the way things were.


----------



## jhelm

Joycee said:


> It is impossible to wild camp in a motorhome get the terminology right its called free loading people who don't to pay


And when you park your car on a street that is not in front of your house what do you call that.


----------



## Pudsey_Bear

Joycee said:


> It is impossible to wild camp in a motorhome get the terminology right its called free loading people who don't to pay


 :roll: :roll:


----------



## adonisito

Yes that post was very :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll:


----------



## HeatherChloe

Joycee said:


> It is impossible to wild camp in a motorhome get the terminology right its called free loading people who don't to pay


Hello Joycee

Goodness me, you sound a bit cross!

I hardly ever use a campsite but prefer to find nice places to park. As you rightly say, parking is not "camping"' wild or otherwise.

But I don't think it is "free loading" either, and also, it doesn't necessarily involve not paying -

I slept in my van the whole of last week when i had guests to stay, but I have paid for a resident's parking permit, and my van would have been parked there whether or not I actually slept in it. That's not free loading, is it?

I went to Antwerp at the beginning of August and stayed for five nights at the carpark by the river. In fact, I had booked a room at the Hilton, costing over £400, and drove there, and it was the only parking available for a vehicle of my motorhome's height. I left the hotel room empty and slept in the van. I drove to a campsite and paid them to allow me to fill up with water. Hardly "free loading" is it?

I love sleeping in my van, often at friend's houses, in nice places where parking is free. I never run my generator when it might disturb someone. I never park in front of people's houses. I spend money wherever I go and always park legally.

So, no problem is there?


----------

