# CCC Rules - what should I do?



## H1-GBV (Feb 28, 2006)

My next door neighbour was very proud of the way his wife reversed the caravan "right up to the centre of the marker". On inspection (now that he's got his legs down etc) I can see he is too close to us - she reversed upto the electricity supply post - the pitch marker is 3 feet further across!

Should I yell abuse at them? Should I wait 'til the warden does the rounds tonight and complain? Should I wait and see if the warden spots this heinous transgression, given some comments about "jobsworths" on other threads?

It's a lovely sunny evening in this part of northern England; perhaps I'll just have a drink and forget about it. OK, I know its a breach of H&S, but what distance do we get between outfits on most aires?

If their kids get noisy, perhaps that is the time to strike.

The drink sounds good - Gordon


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## gnscloz (Oct 4, 2008)

i would ask them to move first,, then complain to warden if no joy


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## midlifecrisismil (Sep 27, 2009)

I agree chill out and enjoy the sun and drink. Life is just too short. If the warden makes them move then life is good but if you end up falling out then that just stresses you and them out.

In fact you could invite them round for a drink and when they cant squeeze in the door gently suggest that they move their van to the right spot. :lol: :lol: :lol: 

They may be newbies and dont understand where they should be parking.

PS where in the North of England are you - Im up in Lancashire and its a lovely evening.

Milly


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## Telbell (May 1, 2005)

> ; perhaps I'll just have a drink and forget about it.


Have a drink- then have a quiet word :wink:


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

I can't help thinking that the warden will have the quiet word if he thinks the van is too close. 

I know some people think it is a daft rule but, H&S apart, it does mean that those who think they can gain an extra foot or two for their awning at the expense of your pitch find they can't.

On our last trip out we reversed right over the pitch number sign and buried it under the van. When we did find it and the hole however we were spot on.

G


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## cleo (Nov 17, 2007)

H1-GBV said:


> It's a lovely sunny evening in this part of northern England; perhaps I'll just have a drink and forget about it. OK, I know its a breach of H&S, *but what distance do we get between outfits on most aires?*
> If their kids get noisy, perhaps that is the time to strike.
> 
> The drink sounds good - Gordon


Live & let live, I say. OK, so it's just over 5m and not the 6m but is it a major problem? - pour a second glass & enjoy!

Jill


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## pippin (Nov 15, 2007)

Sit back in your deck chair, enjoy your glass of wine and just imagine that you are on a nice Camping Municipal on a warm sunny evening somewhere in France.

Now a French couple turn up on the adjacent pitch and park up a bit skew-whiff.

Would you bother "having a word" with them?

Would you go running to M. le Patron?

That's your answer!


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## Telbell (May 1, 2005)

That reminds me- this happened to us at a French Campsite last month.

You think YOUR neighbour was close!!


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## tonyt (May 25, 2005)

pippin said:


> Sit back in your deck chair, enjoy your glass of wine and just imagine that you are on a nice Camping Municipal on a warm sunny evening somewhere in France.
> 
> Now a French couple turn up on the adjacent pitch and park up a bit skew-whiff.
> 
> ...


.............. and then 2 more arrive and squeeze in between you and the first one!


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## wp1234 (Sep 29, 2009)

oh my god is this for real ..... hang em I say !


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Just be thankful your not here










An aire at Erquy in Brittany. We didnt stay there just drove past on the bike and laughed!


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## Zozzer (Aug 13, 2006)

barryd said:


> Just be thankful your not here
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Why Not ?

I'd love to have *that sort of freedom *to tour around the UK parking on the UK equivalent of aires / stellplatz.

It doesn't matter where you park up for the night, muddy fields, crowded parking lots, five star luxury campsites. They all look the same when you close the curtains or blinds at night.

I think there are far too many folk who will NEVER be satisfied. If it's not the size of their pitch (which they defend to the death) then it's whinging on about other peoples electric hook up crossing THEIR pitch, or people walking across THEIR pitch when going to the bog.

Well at least it's good fun watching the Uptight Brigade getting their knickers in a twist.


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## pippin (Nov 15, 2007)

Well said Zozz.


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Zozzer said:


> barryd said:
> 
> 
> > Just be thankful your not here
> ...


Good point!!

At least none of them can complain on that Aire as it was just one big campervan pie! We had a ride round on the bike and chatted to a few and it seemed like a good atmosphere. The photo however doesnt really do it justice. Some of the vans were so close you couldnt open the habitation door without banging it into your next door neighbour!

I like Aires however for the fact that there are no real rules and people just get on with it and respect each other (most of the time) some or great and you get better views and space than the best campsite but some are, well like the one in the picture.


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

Zozzer said:


> They all look the same when you close the curtains or blinds at night.
> .


They might *look* the same but don't *sound* the same. I suppose if you are used to noisy neighbours and noisy surroundings at home then you sleep well even if the people 2 feet from your ear are chatting way, have music on or a TV.

If however you are used to silence at night then it is not easy to sleep in such circumstances. Most aires are silent at night but UK campsites are not always. There is always the selfish campers who sit in their awning with TV going full blast or group of friends chatting well into the night.

We've even seen the right to do this defended on MHF in a recent thread.

G


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## Zozzer (Aug 13, 2006)

barryd said:


> Zozzer said:
> 
> 
> > barryd said:
> ...


I have to chuckle about this. The way some Brits defend THEIR pitch and police the campsites, aires etc, reminds of the two charactors of "Cissie & Ada" played by Les Dawson & Roy Barraclough.

Ooh Cissie "Just look at that, they've not been here five minutes and they are trying to take the place".

"Yes Ada, How much room do they want ? . I think the warden will have something to say about them using that vacant pitch as THEIR personal car park.

"Just look at the plan, it's say they should park their van on righthand side of the pitch, with their car in front.". "It must be the recession, theyre letting all the riff raff in these days."


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Very true Grizzly. I just wouldnt stay on an aire like the one in the photo and I hate campsites for the very reason you specified. We live in a remote part of the Yorkshire dales and on a night you can hear a pin drop so we tend to find places to park the van that are similar.

Some people are just more tolerent of noise I guess and are oblivious to the noise they make. I agree though that Aires seem to just go very quiet around 10:30 or 11pm unless they are full of drunken brits.


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## Zozzer (Aug 13, 2006)

[quote="Grizzly.[/quote]

They might *look* the same but don't *sound* the same. I suppose if you are used to noisy neighbours and noisy surroundings at home then you sleep well even if the people 2 feet from your ear are chatting way, have music on or a TV.

If however you are used to silence at night then it is not easy to sleep in such circumstances. Most aires are silent at night but UK campsites are not always. There is always the selfish campers who sit in their awning with TV going full blast or group of friends chatting well into the night.

We've even seen the right to do this defended on MHF in a recent thread.

G[/quote]

I must agree about noise. Mrs Zozzer and I go to bed relatively early by most peoples standards as we love to get up really early.
Many a night we resort to sleeping with a pillow over our ear.


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

What sometimes annoys me on some Aires or when you are close to a few vans is that you will always get one where for some unknown reason around the time you decide to turn in, your just settling down and then the people in one van nearby who also appear to be turning in will clump around inside for what seems like hours. bang bang bang, rummage rummage rummage bang! What can they be doing? Ok so maybe you have to make a bed up or two, well ours take 30 seconds. Am I just becoming an old grump now?


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

barryd said:


> What can they be doing ?


The funniest ( though not at the time) night we had on an aire was at the P&R in La Rochelle. We'd got a lovely shady spot under trees and we thought we were all packed in as tightly as reasonable and no-one could park closer to us.

Around 9pm however a Spanish van moved in next to us -very close-and the couple proceeded to have a very noisy and public argument with much throwing of things and shouting. Their little dog barked to accompany all this. All their windows were open so no-one missed anything and it was every bit as good as grand opera.

Around 10 pm they decided to eat and so a lot of clashing of pans and crockery and more shouting. They then washed up, with endless tap running ( how their pump held up is a mystery) and finally, around midnight when we were about to move the van in despair, they started to make love with predictable crashing about and noises off !

By then we were all for setting fire to their van.

It did give me great delight next morning , when we had to be up early, to accidentally knock against their van and set the dog going.

G


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## peachy (Feb 9, 2007)

We were at ccc St Neots last weekend and it was packed to the brim but while we were out a tent was pitched next to us but there car was nearer than we would have liked. It doesn't bother me but it does my other half. He did speak to the warden but didn't want to make fuss. Our neibours were from an Eastern block country and did not speak English but spoke very loudly. We couldn't hear each other when eating our dinner so I put my ipod on loud and they got the message, so I tuned it back down low again and had no problems after that. Shame they weren't a bit more friendly but I think when you go away this time of year there is the chance of this happening and should just go with the flow..

Lin


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Grizzly said:


> and finally, around midnight when we were about to move the van in despair, they started to make love with predictable crashing about and noises off !
> G


Wish my Mrs would settle our arguments like that!


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

*reply*

.....


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## relay (May 9, 2005)

barryd said:


> What sometimes annoys me on some Aires or when you are close to a few vans is that you will always get one where for some unknown reason around the time you decide to turn in, your just settling down and then the people in one van nearby who also appear to be turning in will clump around inside for what seems like hours. bang bang bang, rummage rummage rummage bang! What can they be doing? Ok so maybe you have to make a bed up or two, well ours take 30 seconds. Am I just becoming an old grump now?


  I wonder if you were parked near us last week. When I went to put the bed up, at about 11.30pm, I discovered I'd leaned back too hard on the seat and it had come adrift. This in turn had allowed the seat slats to fall off its ledge into the base and there was no way I could make up the bed with it like that. I had to unscrew the back, prise the rest of the staples that had been holding the slat-thing on out again and then get the mallet to hammer it back into place  . Getting the mallet meant opening (and therefore closing) the sliding door, which isn't a quiet job, and then opening and closing the back door (you can't open our back doors from inside, which seems a bit of a mistake, really). Then hammering. Our neighbours must have wondered what the hell we were doing 

On the subject of closeness. We were at a site in Sparkford, Somerset, last week. Some of the pitches there were incredibly close, one awning door was only about 2'6" from the side of the camper next door! I'm not generally fussed about space as we rarely stay on site during the day. We live on a main road so noise tends to go unnoticed.
-H


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

relay said:


> I wonder if you were parked near us last week. When I went to put the bed up, at about 11.30pm, I discovered I'd leaned back too hard on the seat and it had come adrift. This in turn had allowed the seat slats to fall off its ledge into the base and there was no way I could make up the bed with it like that. I had to unscrew the back, prise the rest of the staples that had been holding the slat-thing on out again and then get the mallet to hammer it back into place  . Getting the mallet meant opening (and therefore closing) the sliding door, which isn't a quiet job, and then opening and closing the back door (you can't open our back doors from inside, which seems a bit of a mistake, really). Then hammering. Our neighbours must have wondered what the hell we were doing
> 
> On the subject of closeness. We were at a site in Sparkford, Somerset, last week. Some of the pitches there were incredibly close, one awning door was only about 2'6" from the side of the camper next door! I'm not generally fussed about space as we rarely stay on site during the day. We live on a main road so noise tends to go unnoticed.
> -H


No that wasnt us but if it had been I would have been really annoyed at 11:30 at night!


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## relay (May 9, 2005)

barryd said:


> No that wasnt us but if it had been I would have been really annoyed at 11:30 at night!


And I wouldn't have blamed you! Trouble was, there was no way of making the bed at all without doing it  I don't think our "usual bed-making" makes a lot of noise, but it's always at around that time so I'll be extra careful in future.
-H


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## H1-GBV (Feb 28, 2006)

UPDATE: We always just let things like this go, so I was wondering how the Warden would react. However, we went out by 7pm and when we got back from the pub at about 11.30 the van hadn't moved, so I was (drunkenly) tempted into being a bit noisy.

Strangely, their car was parked in front of the van! When we got up this morning, they had disappeared!!

Presumably, if the Warden had raised a concern, the response might have been "is it worth it for just a few hours?" and the W might then have proved to be human and replied "That's OK I don't mind".

The MH which has replaced the caravan is almost the other side of the marker! (Should I ask them to move nearer?)

Gordon


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## Rapide561 (Oct 1, 2005)

*CCC*

Hi

The CCC has a "6 metre rule" for a space between units. I agree with Grizzly and suspect the site staff will sort it out. I am surprised however that this occurred as on CCC sites, campers are shown to pitches, rather than the free for all as operated with the Caravan Club - this eliminates situations as described.

Russell


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## wp1234 (Sep 29, 2009)

Oh my God is this still going on !


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## Rayo (Jan 3, 2010)

Without wishing to sound like a grumpy old man, there's a very good reason for the 6m rule. I would have a quiet word if I were you.


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## Zozzer (Aug 13, 2006)

Rayo said:


> Without wishing to sound like a grumpy old man, there's a very good reason for the 6m rule. I would have a quiet word if I were you.


The 6m rule is obviously not working. Cut it down to 3m and reduce the price by half.

The site looses no revenue, and with the money the customers save we can all buy cotton plugs for our ears.

Has the Meerkats would say, "Seeeemple"


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## suedew (May 10, 2005)

I have watched this thread with interest. Why are we happy to park at aires, some like glorified car parks, then get annoyed when a van is a foot or so too close on a 'proper' camp site?
Think some of us need to get earplugs and or chill.
No offence intended, I have a low threshold for noise, sometimes use the earplugs at home  next doors music annoys me when J can hardly hear it.
Sue


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