Club sites - advance booking system

Thats what i have been saying all the time "it pays to talk" as the pitch availability can be very fluid at times as there are numerous reasons that wardens have to withdraw some and also when more can be released,

Castleton Club Site serves two very large conurbations as well, so weekends will always be busy, same as Chatsworth and one or two other sites. Working folks like to weekend away if they can, I know we did when I was working. We used to send menfolk off with vans on Thursdays, they would take dogs, get everything set up, then the Ladies would follow on Fridays after work, taking train to Hope, get picked up at station and expect a meal cooked! Mind you, back then it wasn't half as busy, and sometimes you could move vans off pitch, leave elsewhere, and pick up late on Sunday's. Those were the days!

Suggest you have a look at previous post in UK sites and touring on 26/2/2018 by Bandgirl titled New Booking System from April 2018 to which many on here contributed. Some of the questions raised here about cancellations and the percentage were partly answered in entries 91-98  only a few weeks ago.

Just to add I personally prefer the present booking system as since we are often out for lengthy periods across two or more months I am concerned that I will have to spend much more time on the this site to try to ensure continuity of a holiday and not having to leave at the end of one month because I could not continue the booking into the next as at present. Hope this makes sense.

As for deposits last year we only used one C &CC site for 10 days compared to 13 CMC sites for 16 weeks because I don't like their deposit system.

Notwithstanding the "Groundhog Day" aspects of this thread, there are idiosyncrasies in the financial side of the booking system. No shows incur no financial penalty but early departures do. There does appear to be a degree of inconsistency in policy.

Thanks ForestR.  I don't spend much time on Club Together so missed the original discussion.  I did a search for "Booking System" before starting this discussion, but nothing showed up (as others have said, maybe the search facility could be improved?).  Anyway I've just had a look at the discussion you referred to and found at least one poster who seems to share some of my opinions

I was beginning to think there was something wrong with me!

There's nothing wrong with you ask66, you still exhibit an enthusiasm and hope that your questions and suggestions will get a good airing and elicit a positive response from HQ. I used to be like that, wanting this that and the other improving on the forum, make things easier to use. I am less prone to such hopes for here nowadays, the two years waiting for new website, and the underwhelming changes when it did finally happen, dissolved most of my illusions. It is what it is, most of us get by, hope you get sorted for late June. If you haven't done already, phone Castleton Site direct, a bit closer to your dates.

Thanks for the vote of confidence (and the tips) takethedogalong!

Hi think this has been suggested but it has worked for me a few times when in your situation.

It is always worth ringing the site the wardens are generally very helpful and they know more about the site availability than the head office or the computer it as I said worked for me with a pitch being available I could have.

The Castleton site as others have said is a very popular site at weekends, I was trying to book late one week and the system showed full, rang the site told sorry they were full, my daughter was staying on site and we were hoping to meet up with them so we kept ringing each day upto the Saturday still no luck we visited our daughter on the Saturday as we are only 30 mins away leaving at 8.30 pm Saturday night, we walked around site at close of play there were seven empty pitches disappointing but what the answer is is difficult to determine.

Ask, there's a CL 2 miles away from Castleton, at Hope, Farfield Farm No. 348 in the Site Directory. You could always get a taxi to and from Castleton from there. 

Many thanks to all those who've made constructive comments and suggestions during the day - even if you didn't agree with me.  I guess there won't be many more comments made here, as new discussions push this one further back.  Anyway, I've made my point and will watch with interest how things develop in the future.  Thanks again!