Falling foul of the Club cancellation policy - or watching for the signs

This my 30th season as a member of the Caravan Club and I enjoy caravanning as much now as I did when we first started.  I have got used to being unable to book for over the Easter period and May Bank  holidays etc. unless you log on at 5am on the first day internet booking comes online. So, this year, we decided to have a short break from 19 April in Coniston at Park Coppice, one of our favourite bases for walking.  Weather is not an issue.  As the sign in the Keswick shop says, 'There is no such thing as bad weather, only the wrong clothing.'  As I always say, if it didn't rain, there wouldn't be any lakes. (I suppose, if you are arguing semantics, there is only one lake - Bassenthwaite.)

We were looking forward to our break but I should have known it was fated from the day I booked it.  The first outlay was £145 when I needed two new tyres on the car. Two weeks later, the clutch master cylinder went and, with some other essential repairs and an MOT, I forked out anther £500. A week later, the clutch went again on the roundabout near Pleasureland in Southport - on a busy Sunday afternoon.  The slave cylinder and clutch assembly needed replacement.  As it was a 'gearbox out' job and I needed a new battery, I got the car back a week later and £1,100 poorer. At least we had the tow car ready.

A week before our departure, I tried to move the caravan and found that the leisure battery needed a replacement - another £99.  Over the next week, I checked everything out on the caravan and car to make sure we were ok to go.

At 1pm on 18 April, the doctor called at the house, an unusual experience these days.  The outcome was that my wife went immediately in to hospital and she is still there today, our date for departure!.  Despite the rush, I tried to ring Park Coppice before leaving for the hospital but  the number on the website wasn't right.  I went online and cancelled the booking that way, only to find I had broken the 72 hour rule on cancellations.  I received a warning e-mail from the Club about this first strike in the penalty process.

This has taught me two things. The signs were there from the moment I booked the site that we were not destined to go.  I should have taken heed and cancelled straight away.  Secondly, we should only book last minute.  That way we won't fall foul of the Club cancellation policy again  Also, we will be doing a favour to any other unfortunate member who has to cancel last minute by taking up their place and reducing the financial penalty on them.

I'm looking forward to our next opportunity to go to the Lakes but will be looking out for early warning signs that things are against us!