Waltham Chase Caravan Club

It blew and it poured at Wareham to begin with, but it got better and better as the holiday rally progressed. Such is the site it doesn’t matter how much it rains, it remains dry underfoot.

When the children arrived for the Bank Holiday weekend – all ten – it was warm enough to spend a day on the beach, although it was chilly watching the fireworks at Swanage on the Saturday evening.

 Sid and Eve, once again, nobly managed the rally as people dropped in and departed as they pleased. Mind you the rally officer did lead a scrumping expedition for plums and, by popular demand, Sid led the children on an adventure, sighting some of the many deer around the site.

There is so much to do from this site one can never be bored. Monkey World and the Tank Museum are just down the road. Studland’s amazing beach and Swanage, a jewel of a seaside town, a short drive away. It is on the doorstep of the Jurassic Coast and a myriad of walks are close by. It doesn’t matter how may times we return, there is always something new to do and see.

The delightful small, busy and bustling town of Wareham, with its butcher, baker, greengrocer, delicatessen, hardware store, Co-Op and a Sainsbury’s, is on the doorstep.

So make a note in your diary for next year’s Holiday rally on 29 July to 8 August 2011.

Supper in the sunshine

At last, we could all sit down for supper in the sunshine, at the weekend rally at Springfield Farm, Frogham, within the New Forest National Park. A few hundred yards the other way leads onto the Forest where miles of open country is waiting to be explored.

The site, a level and firm field with well cut grass, is situated next to The Foresters Arms where some members were seen heading for a very good meal, and then a short stagger back to the van. All this for just £3.50 a night!

Sixteen members were present in eight vans ably looked after by rally officers Barry and Brenda.

Some members headed for the Foresters Arms

Disco, bar, hot showers, toilets, a level and well mown rally field all for £5 a night. How good is that!

It was a five day rally at Loxwood Sports Association football field where members celebrated Ron’s 80th with a cake and eats in the sunshine on Sunday afternoon before supper and after a free disco in the Association’s bar in its sports pavilion. The disco came as part of the site fee as did the hot showers and toilets and if it had been really rotten weather a pool table and darts all available for members.

The Saturday evening barbecue was enjoyed under Barry’s big gazeboo, plus two smaller ones as we were 14 units and on Sunday night that increased to 38 members which included seven children in all.

It was Harry that led that led the dancing as it is now performed, but we had a good DJ who not only accommodated the youngsters but sized up the preferences of the older generation – “Delilah” and “Oh, what a lovely bunch of coconuts”.

Sorry if you missed a great weekend at a super site.

First the wind blew from the South West and pelted us with showers, then from the cold North West and pelted us with more showers! But there were plenty of hook-up points at a reasonable £1.50 a night, so we could keep warm in our vans.

Members could visit Longleat, Bath or go for some retail therapy in Street, but it was too cold for the 26 members present to get together on Saturday evening. This was a shame as it was the first rally for new members, Pat, Mel and daughter Ruby (4).

However, rally officers Chris and Lynda had erected their large awning and we could all fit in that for our coffee and biscuits on Bank Holiday Monday morning.

Hallelujah!! After being promised electric hook-ups at Parley Glade for years, they have arrived, which was just as well seeing what Easter was like.

Two post with four sockets each in the small paddock where the nine member vans rallied gave those that wanted power the chance to keep warm. Mind you at £4 a night it wasn’t cheap.

However, so all have a chance to hook-up we now have to pitch with the backs of the vans to the hedges.

It rained a bit on Saturday evening! So much so the get together in the shed had to be postponed until Sunday evening, when the sun deigned to shine.