Rip Off Britain

[Dave Wickham]

Has anyone been camping in France recently? Just back from a 2500 mile round trip and never paid more than 30 Euro for a site, in fact in the range 23-30. Every site bar one had a swimming pool, restaurant and great facilities. One in Millau had 3 pools, water fountains and slides for kids!! Now back in UK (unfortunately) trying to get a campsite in the Dales/Nth York Moors = £30 night and thats no EHU and the closest swimming pool is the North Sea to the east or the Irish Sea to the west. Some don't even have toilets. The argument of supply and demand is used to hide the greed that is really behind all this. As usual we are getting ripped off!!

 

[flying banana]

Agree. Learn to manage without hook up, if it's extra money it's always a rip off. I can give you some tips where to stay in the dales. I'm even more of an expert on the lakes. Keep at it. Go independent and try searchforsites website or app. Don't rule out pub stops. Some great ones in the dales. Off the bat, yorkshire dales try kettlewell camping. You can get ehu there too. Beautiful spot and 3 pubs in the village. Also a park up in kettlewell by the river. 6 quid a night. Pub stop try helwith Bridge near settle for walks galore or station Inn at ribblehead with views to die for of the amazing viaduct. The beer is sh1t in the station inn though but trains available going to Carlisle and settle. Another beautiful spot, orchard caravan park in reeth or the tan Hill inn. Get yer flat cap on and go for it. You get a great yorkshire welcome at all these

 

[Dave Wickham]

Agree. Learn to manage without hook up, if it's extra money it's always a rip off. I can give you some tips where to stay in the dales. I'm even more of an expert on the lakes. Keep at it. Go independent and try searchforsites website or app. Don't rule out pub stops. Some great ones in the dales. Off the bat, yorkshire dales try kettlewell camping. You can get ehu there too. Beautiful spot and 3 pubs in the village. Also a park up in kettlewell by the river. 6 quid a night. Pub stop try helwith Bridge near settle for walks galore or station Inn at ribblehead with views to die for of the amazing viaduct. The beer is sh1t in the station inn though but trains available going to Carlisle and settle. Another beautiful spot, orchard caravan park in reeth or the tan Hill inn. Get yer flat cap on and go for it. You get a great yorkshire welcome at all these

Thanks Flying Banana, will look this up. If you ever want recommendations for some great sites in France, just shout. Most didn't even have to book, just turned up. BTW, Kettlewell camping full. Probably left it too late.

 

[The Tall Luthier]

Has anyone been camping in France recently? Just back from a 2500 mile round trip and never paid more than 30 Euro for a site, in fact in the range 23-30. Every site bar one had a swimming pool, restaurant and great facilities. One in Millau had 3 pools, water fountains and slides for kids!! Now back in UK (unfortunately) trying to get a campsite in the Dales/Nth York Moors = £30 night and thats no EHU and the closest swimming pool is the North Sea to the east or the Irish Sea to the west. Some don't even have toilets. The argument of supply and demand is used to hide the greed that is really behind all this. As usual we are getting ripped off!!

Agree with your sentiment but France is a bit of a gold standard when it comes to camp sites. Spanish sites that we've been to throughout June are also cheapish, especially with ACSI, facilities are really good, but I wouldn't say that swimming pools are standard or that they have they same great look or feel as France. UK is madly expensive in comparison to both and facilities are very poor.

 

[Dave Wickham]

Agree with your sentiment but France is a bit of a gold standard when it comes to camp sites. Spanish sites that we've been to throughout June are also cheapish, especially with ACSI, facilities are really good, but I wouldn't say that swimming pools are standard or that they have they same great look or feel as France. UK is madly expensive in comparison to both and facilities are very poor.

Yep. A campsite in Yorkshire (well a farmyard really) charged me £20 and the toilet was an elsan in an old timber shed with no toilet paper and you had to wade through a mountain of nettles to reach it. That was last year, it'll be £25 now no doubt. Better to stay in a layby than this. Why do we put up with this sort of thing in this country? Has Thatcherite greed reached into all facets of our life?

 

[Grigio Van Grigio]

Tend to agree campsite prices now through the roof. Typical to have to spend £25 a night and no EHU. I don’t feel guilty doing one night in three at a campsite, stealth camping in between. Still spending plenty in the local community, mainly on beer!

 

[Lee.Van.Cleef]

I suppose European sites have longer seasons and are potentially more established. Maybe most of them have long ago covered their costs. Many UK sites on the other hand are either new or recently expanded so possibly high fees are to pay off their investment loans.

There are other factors. The idiocy which shall not speak it's name means it's harder to recruit staff in the hospitality sector, which drives up wages and costs generally. Then again, it could just be greed. EHU charges are certainly a scam. There's also tremendous variation in quality of site maintenance outside of the club networks.

 

[flying banana]

I suppose European sites have longer seasons and are potentially more established. Maybe most of them have long ago covered their costs. Many UK sites on the other hand are either new or recently expanded so possibly high fees are to pay off their investment loans.

There are other factors. The idiocy which shall not speak it's name means it's harder to recruit staff in the hospitality sector, which drives up wages and costs generally. Then again, it could just be greed. EHU charges are certainly a scam. There's also tremendous variation in quality of site maintenance outside of the club networks.

When I stayed at a farm in the lakes recently for 8 quid a night the farmer never mentioned brexit. It was lockdowns in march 2020 that made everyone go home and not come back. I absolutely agree that sites in France are on another level to ours but that's always been the case. Again nowt to do with brexit. I'll say it. Same when you compare a hotel room in Thailand to Blackpool . We get ripped off, we always have done.

 

[Lee.Van.Cleef]

I'm just speculating and generalising, but Brexit has crippled the hospitality sector in some areas (larger pubs & restaurants can't recruit enough staff where I live) so I assume it has had an impact on bigger sites that rely on seasonal staff. Probably not so much the farmer who makes a bit of pocket money on the side without needing to employ staff on spiraling wages. But yes, supply and demand (call it greed if you like) is probably also a factor.

 

[flying banana]

I'm just speculating and generalising, but Brexit has crippled the hospitality sector in some areas (larger pubs & restaurants can't recruit enough staff where I live) so I assume it has had an impact on bigger sites that rely on seasonal staff. Probably not so much the farmer who makes a bit of pocket money on the side without needing to employ staff on spiraling wages. But yes, supply and demand (call it greed if you like) is probably also a factor.

In my opinion. The pathetic useless lockdowns did the main damage. There was no problem til March 2020. Brexit was 2016. As for immigration if you think brexit has stopped that for some reason, it's actually increased.wouldnt hurt some of the local young uns to go get some work would it.. like I did .

 

[Grigio Van Grigio]

In my opinion. The pathetic useless lockdowns did the main damage. There was no problem til March 2020. Brexit was 2016. As for immigration if you think brexit has stopped that for some reason, it's actually increased.wouldnt hurt some of the local young uns to go get some work would it.. like I did .

The referendum happened in 2016 but the effects of Brexit didn’t kick in until way after that. And will be with us for a generation. Never has a nation voted to make trading with their closes partners harder. Madness (IMHO!). Covid and the war in Ukraine has combined with Brexit to create a perfect storm of political and economic “problems”. Plenty of arguments out there on all sides to say what the overriding cause of it all is but in reality, like a lot of things in life, it’s more complex than that.

But hey, this is a camper forum, not Twitter!!

 

[Vagophile]

Why do we put up with this sort of thing in this country? Has Thatcherite greed reached into all facets of our life?

Why indeed? Supermarkets under investigation overcharging on fuel prices, energy companies warned not to disregard their customers in favour of investors, banks under investigation being tardy in raising savings interest following bank rate rises, water companies on the verge of bankrupcy after paying out billions to shareholders, my plumber raising the quoted cost of a boiler service by 30% , where does it all stop?
We all know that it's happening, but what to do?
I appreciate that I've gone walkabout again, but it's a serious question, although I accept that this is not the right place to open a discussion about the revolution.

 

[Grigio Van Grigio]

Viva la revolution!

 

[flying banana]

Why indeed? Supermarkets under investigation overcharging on fuel prices, energy companies warned not to disregard their customers in favour of investors, banks under investigation being tardy in raising savings interest following bank rate rises, water companies on the verge of bankrupcy after paying out billions to shareholders, my plumber raising the quoted cost of a boiler service by 30% , where does it all stop?
We all know that it's happening, but what to do?
I appreciate that I've gone walkabout again, but it's a serious question, although I accept that this is not the right place to open a discussion about the revolution.

And ask for a pay rise and its all the workers fault

 

[pjm-84]

I was involved in one of the first supermarket PFS and was made aware that the objective at that time was to kill off the local competition by subsiding prices, and then raise prices. Hence the pump numbers / design. However as a consumer it relies on you to participate.

I'm fortunate not to to feel the pinch too badly but will walk when I don't consider the price to be appropriate (even if it has little impact on my finances)

 

[Perfectos]

We’ve never had it so good, remember the 1970s

50 Things Only People Who Lived in the 1970s Will Remember

If you were alive and kicking in the most far out decade, here are 50 things that probably still trigger your 1970s nostalgia.

bestlifeonline.com

 

[Corradobrit]

We’ve never had it so good, remember the 1970s

50 Things Only People Who Lived in the 1970s Will Remember

If you were alive and kicking in the most far out decade, here are 50 things that probably still trigger your 1970s nostalgia.

bestlifeonline.com

Good times.

 

[The Tall Luthier]

I wonder whether the problem is more cultural. The English have very low expectations when it comes to campsites. If there’s a field we can run about In and somewhere to poo we think that that’s camping.

First time I went to France I was absolutely blown away. What do you mean we have as pitch. An actual allocated area, to call our own. How weird.

 

[Vagophile]

We’ve never had it so good, remember the 1970s

60's were better. Say no more.
Apologies to you yougsters, it must be boring to have these "boomers" reminiscing about thigs that they can only dream of. I certainly don't envy this generation.

 

[wildslammer22]

Viva la revolution!

The English invented the guillotine perhaps we should take lessons from the French on how to use it…!

 

[wildslammer22]

We’ve never had it so good, remember the 1970s

50 Things Only People Who Lived in the 1970s Will Remember

If you were alive and kicking in the most far out decade, here are 50 things that probably still trigger your 1970s nostalgia.

bestlifeonline.com

I did spend some of the 70's pretending to be bionic like the Six Million Dollar Man. I now have two titanium hips which isn’t quite how I imagined it would pan out…

 

[Corradobrit]

I now have two titanium hips which isn’t quite how I imagined it would pan out…

"Wildslammer22, a camper van operator. A man barely alive. Gentlemen, we can rebuild him. We have the technology. We have the capability to build the world's first titanium hipped man. WS22 will be that man. Better than he was before. Better, stronger, faster to ascend to the poptop bed."

 

[wildslammer22]

"Wildslammer22, a camper van operator. A man barely alive. Gentlemen, we can rebuild him. We have the technology. We have the capability to build the world's first titanium hipped man. WS22 will be that man. Better than he was before. Better, stronger, faster to ascend to the poptop bed."

Brilliant, I might have to update my biog!

 

[Perfectos]

Brilliant, I might have to update my biog!

Add a sound bite of the noise that Steve Austin used to make when he was using his Bionic abilities

 

[larrylamb]

Stayed in plenty of pricey french sites and you don't even get a toilet seat.