Dec/Jan 2005-6

Firstly I would like to wish old friends and new a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year for 2006.

We ended the camping year in good spirits dancing to Bitter Green, who gave us a truly wonderful evening. Thank you to all who came and thank you to Dianne for the catering and to Bob for the wine.

Although I say we ended our year with the Warmwell meet, that is not strictly true as we also paid a visit to Brownsea Island to help clear the Rhododendrons. This was a very satisfying and educating trip; we cut quite a swathe in the bushes. Unfortunately Sandra hurt her leg just as we were clearing up, and had to be taken to hospital to get her wound dressed, but she is on the mend now. When we finished our task we were taken on a nature trail and saw many birds, including the Spoon Bills, which we found fascinating.

We have a fantastic year lined up for 2006, lots of different sites and lots of entertainment, starting of course with our New Year meet at Dudsbury. This year’s New Year’s Evening theme is Scottish, and I also notice we also have an Irish Night a London Night and an Italian Night, which I am sure will make the meet even more fun.

After New Year we have our Valentines Meet, this time we are holding it at Sixpenny Handley Village Hall, and once again looks to be a winner. After which we have the AGM. We have had to re-issue the Nomination Forms as the District Association’s Constitution has been changed and the way we run the AGM has been slightly altered. Please see in this Diary for details.

Then we have the Tournament at Bashley, which I personally really enjoyed last year, and we have a new venue for Easter, Pooh Cottage Touring Park, Devon, which we are certainly looking forward to.

The SWR Youth Meet, which we are hosting this year is the week before the Country and Western and now we have a Youth Officer we, as a DA, can get even more involved. The Youth are camping at Dudsbury Guide Camp and the parent’s campsite is at Church Farm, Parley.

There are many many more events, the Country and Western, the Teddy Bears picnic, Kingston Maurwood, Blackmore Vale, for the Carnival etc etc etc. We have also a lot of non-event weekends for rest and recuperation, hopefully for the sunny days of summer.

I would like to say a big Thank You to the present Committee, and Jerry, Gordon and Nikki, everyone has worked very hard this year organising sites, venues, catering and events. You are a great team, thank you for your support.

To all Dorset Members, I look forward to seeing you all out and about next year for some more DA fun, best wishes to you all.

Mick
Chairman Dorset DA

Aug/Sept 2005

FICC – Italy
Jayne, Dianne, Terry, and myself departed on the Wednesday for this years rally in Bologna Italy via Easy Jet Stansted Airport. The weather on arrival was HOT 38 degrees Centigrade, so it did not take us long to find the swimming pool on the site where we were staying, adjacent to the Main Rally site.

Thursday morning we went to the rally venue, registered and collected the usual goody bag with maps and information. Terry’s map was of Northern Italy the area in which we were staying, mine was of Hungary!

We then went to find Jim and Mavis who had travelled overland to Italy with their Caravan and were setting up in the designated English area. This area, until a week previous had been a dumping ground for scrapped cars, and as time went by turned out to also be a breeding ground for very hungry mosquitoes.

The rally itself turned out to be a non-event. We should have realised this on reading the official programme as supplied as the entertainment for each night was listed as “Entertainment in the Piazzetta”. There was no mention of what it was or who. The amplification was so poor on the opening ceremony (our own DA equipment is more powerful than that used) that people were leaving half way through the FICC president’s speech, as they were unable to hear anything that was said.

Bearing in mind the average age of the people on site, the entertainment for two consecutive nights was a heavy metal Rock Band. The highlight of the week’s entertainment was the night a local Italian Brass band and the Caravan Clubs own Brass band, who had travelled to Italy by coach played classics and pop, they were brilliant and got everyone singing and dancing.

You will no doubt have heard that several of our own members have had their Caravan / Motor Homes stolen recently. Another member managed to stop hers from being stolen when she woke up at 4am one morning to see the van being pulled off the drive by three lads. (Full report in next diary) So be more security conscious at this time. Thieves are about in your area.

THS Weymouth
Many thanks to Baz who offered to take over this year as Steward for this event. My thanks also to Chris and Lyn who spent over two weeks on site assisting Baz and also to Geoff & Lynn, Gordon & Ann, Brian & Peggy and Brian & Kit, who also assisted Baz during the three week period. The reports I have received both from members on site whilst visiting at the weekends and from letters received speaks volumes for the way that Baz and his crew have looked after our visitors. Baz has agreed to steward the THS at Weymouth again in 2006. Many thanks Baz.

Following on from the theme in the last Diary of thanking someone who does an enormous amount of work behind the scenes for the DA but is sometimes forgotten. Jerry our Sites Officer. He has organised and booked our sites for 2005/2006 and is currently working on 2007. Jerry and Val have spent many weekend travelling all over Dorset and outside the area looking for new and interesting sites for us all to enjoy. Thank you both for all your hard work. Mick
Chairman Dorset DA

June/July 2005

Longleat.
With over One Hundred units present this still proves to be a popular meet/venue. My thanks go to Terry, Dianne and Sandra for Stewarding and to the 4 x 4 crews who helped on arrival.

Country & Western.
On behalf of the Committee and myself THANK YOU to all of you (too numerous to mention, that I should hate to leave anyone out) that worked over the weekend to make this our 21st Country Western the undoubted success it was, judging by the comments we received over the weekend.

The weather (wind & rain) during the working weekend was not very kind to us but we were prepared to trade that in for the marvelous weather during the Country & Western weekend.

For those of you who stayed on to the Rest Weekend and found that the Marquee was still standing. A member of a Motor Caravan Group had hired it on for a wedding and they invited us all to the evening reception. About 20 members attended with music provided by a Duo and separate Disco. We were waited on with drinks, wedding cake and food including pork from a pig roast carried out during the afternoon for the main reception. Anne will be sending them a letter of Thanks on behalf.

Teddy Bears Picnic.
What a fantastic weekend with over 50 children taking part in the various workshops on Saturday. The weather just got hotter and hotter as the day progressed with the children and myself making full use of the stream on site.

Although the latter having survived till about 8:45pm I was ceremoniously carried to the water by three male campers for a ducking.

T.H.S. Weymouth.
We are still looking for stewards to help Baz out during the week time Monday to Friday over the 21 days. If you have any free time available please contact me on 07931 791104.

Dorset Diary
There is one person who always seems to be overlooked by me, I’ m not sure why? My wife Jayne, she sits at our computer for hours on end producing this bi-monthly Diary for us all to read. Sending out nearly 200 copies each edition. Jayne on behalf of all the members thank you for all your hard work and effort in keeping us all informed of what’s going on both within our own DA and outside.

Mick
Chairman

April/May 2005

Jayne and I moved house on the 11th of March and are just beginning to see the floor through the boxes. So we must be getting near the end hopefully. We still have a lot of work to do around the house, but it all takes time and the sun is beginning to shine, so we hope to see you in the field. Our new Address and Telephone number can be found in the Diary.

Our new neighbours on both sides have caravans although being members of and rallying with the Caravan Club. One also has membership of our Club and has said that we should have our own “Close Rally ”. So hope to see them camping with the Dorset DA soon.

Our thanks go to Anne and Gordon who have retired from committee work. They have both served on the committee in various roles over many years. We hope that Ann’s health continues to improve and will soon be fighting fit.

My thanks go to, Alan & Brenda – Ray & Myra – John & Anne and Sandra for standing in as Stewards at short notice over the last few weekends. Greatly appreciated by all.

Furzebrook - Valentines meet was a great success again and my thanks go to Terry and Dianne along with all those that helped in making this a brilliant weekend. Not forgetting the Saturday night spent at Sandra’s prior to the event preparing all the food. Once again many thanks Sandra for allowing us to take over your kitchen.

Easter at Oakhampton, Devon. For once the weather at Easter was more like we are used to of old with the sun shining. The four of us Me, Terry, Dianne and Jayne thought it would be a good idea to take our bicycles with us and make use of the “Granite Way” cycle path to see the local attractions. Not a good idea two days later and 25 miles under the saddle I was walking around like John Wayne!

The bookings for our 21st Country and Western weekend are coming in thick and fast so get your applications in to Ray A.S.A.P so as not to be disappointed. Look forward to seeing you all there.

We still require stewards to help out at our T.H.S at Weymouth especially during the week. If you are able to help please get in touch with me.

Here’s looking forward to a happy camping season.

Mick
Chairman

February/March 2005

A Happy New Year to everyone and welcome to the 2005/6 camping season. I hope to see you all sometime during the year.

And what a happy new year it was, although unfortunately due to ill health etc a few were unable to attend, the ones that did had a great time. My thanks go to all those that helped to make this a wonderful five-day meet.

The first event of 2005 being Valentines Meet at Furzebrook with over 80 people now booked (fully booked). We have a new duo called This ‘n That to entertain you and your Master of Ceremonies will be Terry Sharpe, Vice Chairman, as I am unable to attend. I hope you all have an enjoyable evening and I hope to see you on Sunday morning.

For those of you wishing to attend the NFOL, a booking form is enclosed in this Diary. Please return to Jerry Martin by 31st March to enable us to book with the South West Region as a block booking. The Theme this year is “Festivals of the World”. We will be entering into the Mardi Gras again this year so get your thinking hats on, any suggestions to me please.

Booking form for the Country and Western is also in this edition of the Diary, send to Ray Lacey with your payment to secure your place. Don’t forget to send in your 2004 camping card to get your discount!!

The SWR will be hosting the 2007 NFOL, which is to be held at West Point Exeter Showground. Terry Sharpe our Vice Chairman and Regional Rep has been appointed as Electrical Officer for the event. Well done Terry. If anyone is interested in helping the week before with the Working Party please contact Terry for details. Jayne and I helped at the last SWR NFOL working party and it was great fun.

National Youth Rally 2005 (Plymouth)
If there are any of our Youth who want to attend please let the Committee know.

We are holding a NEW MEMBERS MEET at Birchwood Touring Park April 8-10th. If you know of anyone who might like to attend bring them along. There will be a get together in the Barn on Saturday night with music.

I look forward to seeing you on Sunday after Valentines in the meantime take care.

We have just attended Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, a Pantomime. 30 DA members attended, big and small children alike, it was an excellent evening, thoroughly enjoyed by all. Thank you Gordon and Anne for organising this event.

Mick Cooper
Chairman