Easter 2023

You keep saying this JVB, but I can tell you that even our (well paid) children are now amazed at the prices on most Club sites whenever there is a school holiday on the horizon, and are not surprised that we are avoiding them!

The prices in between the school holidays are pretty high too on many sites, only some of the colder months seem to be more reasonable, but that may well soon not be the case with the rising cost of electricity.  

IMO,  most  Club sites are no longer offering value for money.

We are still buying food and other consumables, despite being pensioners, and are not finding the cost of  them so bad.

I can't get access to page 2 so apologies if I'm replicating any info.

Looking at the site that MikeyA put up on the Small Private Site thread on UK touring section, namely Hunter Farm, a service pitch for this Easter for 2 weeks with an awning for 2 adults would cost just under £400. This is in an area that is popular with tourists so not an out of the way location. I don't know if the OP has mentioned which site he/she have booked or whether said site is an all singing all dancing one but the difference in price is staggering. So look outside of the club if you are unhappy paying that amount.

Some people will still pay it as it's a known quantity but like all known quantities there is a line that cannot be crossed with regard to taking your client base for granted.

 Edit - just got access at last so now know it's Chatsworth, so basically just a standard club site in a popular pitch up place.

Whilst the prices quoted above are for this Easter you can add 5%. I included an awning at £2 per night so take £28 off.

As I have mentioned before many of us pensioners are it seems in denial when it comes to prices and costs of today 

I have no idea why you keep perpetuating this line JVB. 

I can assure you that the majority of pensioners that I know, including yours truly, know exactly what the prices and costs of today are. We only have to see the virtually non existent returns on savings and the extra amount going out for energy, fuel, council tax, etc. etc. to know that our purchasing power is diminishing. Believe me there is no denial going on just astonishment at how high some of the increases are.

What I'm most amazed at is the fact that someone wants to stop on one site for 2 weeks 

I can't think of anytime in the last 30 + years we've ever stayed that long, not even abroad.

£750 for 2 weeks, we won't be paying that for 6 weeks in France on full facility sites, with pools, restaurants and a shop. 

The Club has a very big captive market at the moment. Lots of folks able and mostly willing to pay whatever price the Club puts onto its Sites. It won’t bother them if individuals cannot stay as long, someone else will come along and snap up the remaining days, so it’s a win, win for the Club. Higher fees, fuller Sites. Market forces prevail.

"I have no idea why you keep perpetuating this line JVB. 

I can assure you that the majority of pensioners that I know, including yours truly, know exactly what the prices and costs of today are. We only have to see the virtually non existent returns on savings and the extra amount going out for energy, fuel, council tax, etc. etc. to know that our purchasing power is diminishing. Believe me there is no denial going on just astonishment at how high some of the increases are."

Yes, agree with that 100%! I guess, compared to many pensioners, most on here, us included, are reasonably comfortable and could, if we wished, afford the prices mentioned. But, although there are obvious plusses to being pitched up next door to one of the most beautiful estates and houses in the country, those fees seem to be milking things. But folk will pay them because of the situation and many of the alternatives in the area cost at least that much - just try to find a cottage in Baslow at Easter! 

TG, I can fully understand why some folk want to spend 2 weeks or more in the same spot, especially with the cost of petrol/diesel these days,  but not at this particular site especially as I seem to remember the OP telling us in the past that they spend several weekends there too!

Evening

Off topic but there are many many people that stay on club sites for 21 nights TG. Moreso, the seasonal pitch allocation on our sites this year have been swallowed up with many sites having a waiting list (closed now).  It's not all those newbies either, on our site we even have a couple of motorhomes here for the season.

Obviously I can't get involved in the discussion on pricing, sorry for going offthread

For us Easter isn't as busy as the Jubilee weekend

JK

I can perfectly understand why stay in one place for a good length of time. I've often even seen motorhomes do it. 

On our long distance travels in the summer holidays in the past it would be about 17 days in one place, it would be our home from home and gave us plenty of time to completely explore the area and spend time relaxing as well.  Same for holiday cottages which is usually two weeks for us. 

PS am I the only one who thought we'd have deposits by now?

I can understand seasonal pitches and I guess in certain parts of the country like Cornwall. I'd even agree when it's summer holidays and all families want is to be by a beach but 2 weeks at Chatsworth would bore me to tears, still as they say each to there own. 

Prices are just out of control and I for one will not be getting in the game of paying £30+ for a patch of gravel, certainly not in this country its just silly and not VFM

Chatsworth is just 20 miles away from us.  Until last year my wife had elderly parents so, if they needed, her she was able to go over and could be with them in half an hour or so. Sadly they both died last year.  We also have twin daughters, both who are teachers, and they often use the van so, even though it is booked in for a fortnight, even if I don't reduce the number of nights there, they may well use it.

We all work full time but don't necessarily want to trek miles for a few days away.  It's a popular but expensive site but we like it.  Sometimes we don't do anything except chill, read and walk the dog in the park.  It's a sort of escapism, if a somewhat expensive one!

And why wouldn't someone want to stop on a site for two weeks?  We almost always do in the summer.  We don't want to be somewhere for two or three days, putting the awning up, taking it down.  Our holidays are for relaxing with a little bit of exploration, a few good pubs in the area, so we invariably don't move.

We've been to Chatsworth at Easter for the last few years, apart from 2020 due to Covid.  I'm off there on Monday for a week but my wife has to work and won't be out until Friday. I'll even have to pop home on Thursday as I have a dentist appointment which I didn't want to cancel as it would be months before I could get another one.  

We all caravan in different ways.  I baulk at the price of Club sites but they suit us.  We don't want a big, brash, commercial site with pool, bar and entertainment - frankly that would be our worst nightmare but we like sites with facilities - just in case!