We also are newbies this year and have been on 2 rallies from area 5. Had a great time on both of them really friendly like minded people. Wondered if we might feel like outcasts as we were on our own but not at all, we were made to feel very welcome. Can't wait for next year's rally book.
Kathy ShearingHi all, we have just returned from the Felixstowe rally and thought you would like to know how much we enjoyed our time. Pat and David Smith, assisted by Julie and Mick Lee, worked their little socks off to give us a great holiday. We thoroughly enjoyed the quizzes, we were rubbish, but rose to the challenge, bingo we did better at!! The street party for the royal wedding was excellent, company and food really good, in fact I blame them for the fact my favourite crop trousers are now 'snug'.
We are always impressed with the friendliness of each group we rally with and look forward to our next rally in Devon.
Derek and Janet MezenWe joined the RCA in 2016 but attended our first rally at Skegness (Area 5) this year and wish to submit a report as new members.
Although we have been rallying for the past 12 years with other clubs, this was our first with the RCA in which we attended the Skegness rally within the Area 5 region. On arrival we were welcomed on site by rally officers Roy and Sue Johnson along with their assistants Terry and Kay. Roy and Terry guided us to our pitch with a brief conversation regarding the location of water point, elsan etc. Our first introduction was extremely friendly and pleasant which was encouraging to say the least in the promotion of friendship and as there was a full rally programme of entertainment it meant it was a perfect opportunity to be able to get to meet ad chat to other members during the rally. Fortunately we were blessed with good weather that week so it was a bonus in the fact that we could participate in the darts and boules games out on the rally field. The boules competition was followed up by a fish and chip supper, again all laid on by the rally officers. They also organised a trip to a carvery on the Thursday to which the majority of ralliers attended and it didn’t disappoint either regarding the quality of food or the price. On the Saturday evening a visit was organised to a hotel on the sea front which boasted a large dance floor in which a night of sequence dancing was provided for those who wished to participate, this was followed by a huge buffet which excelled with a selection of various foods to suit everyone.
We thoroughly enjoyed the rally so much that I will go as far as to say that it has probably been one of the best rallies we have ever attended, but a rally is only ever as good as the people that run it, so we wish to offer our sincere thanks to the four rally officers for their commitment and contribution to conducting a very successful holiday rally on behalf of the RCA. We will most certainly join the RCA again next year in reflection of our pleasant experience on our first rally and as a final note wish to thank all the members that attended this event for contributing to the friendly atmosphere that we all welcomed and enjoyed.
Yours sincerely, Trevor and Jean Tomlinson
Trevor and Jean TomlinsonThe RCA rally at Stanford Hall
Where a great time was had by all
Bob and Margaret have proved their worth
Only five miles from Lutterworth
Phil and Doreen helped as well
We thank them all for being swell
On the field we had such fun
With games and boules for everyone
The social night was really fun
With quizzes, prizes and a bun
The time has come to say goodbye
The rally week has just flown by
We wish you well safe journey on
Thank you again from everyone
John PrideThanks for the great rally everyone had at the hands of the officers Graham, Elizabeth, Brian and Marie, who all worked so hard in producing a rally full of things to do and clubhouse activities every night but one. The fayre we were presented with on each night was very welcome including fish suppers on one evening and culminating in an excellent ploughman’s tea tonight , the last night. The rally was well attended and many ralliers were meeting new friends...The sun shone and apart from one night of rain during the night, the weather could not have been better.
Thank you officers and well done.
George and Betty Nixon, area 2We arrived at Shrubbery Caravan Park on a wing and a prayer with our vehicle overheating and occasionally stopping dead. We telephoned Mayday recovery who came to our rescue on site and we were told that the cylinder head had cracked and that they could take the car to Axminster to have it repaired. We therefore did not have a vehicle to run the rally. However, in the true spirit of the RCA all the members on the rally came to our rescue and volunteered to help us out by fetching what we required. We had 27 vans on site the first week and Ruth Bridgman volunteered to be our assistant rally officer. This was I believe the first time Ruth had ever been an assistant, but boy did she do an excellent job. She told us afterwards that it had been an interesting experience.
Shrubbery Caravan Park is a lovely site with a newly refurbished toilet and shower block, free WIFI on site, crazy golf course, dog walk, good TV reception and of course free membership of the social club which is within walking distance. We had two weeks of glorious sunshine and during the first week we had food in the social hall followed by a music quiz, dancing and bingo. A cream tea followed by lawn darts and boules. In the second week we had Mr & Mrs competition in the hall together with a ploughman’s supper followed by some music and bingo. We ended the last night of the rally with a game of skittles in the skittle alley. After a disastrous start we ended up having a very enjoyable experience. Roll on the RCA.
David & June Thomas (Rally Officers)Although the RCA rally programme for 2021 has had to get used to an unusual pattern from the normal, Betty and myself would like to submit a report on the Southport rally at Victoria Park, Southport organised and run by Doreen and Phil Holt ably assisted by Margaret and Bob Shaw.
A total of 27 plus 2 rally officers attended this beautiful rally field and whilst the weather, like a lot of other parts of the U.K. weren’t getting the kind of weather we should expect in May, but we couldn’t really complain we still had a daily dose of sunshine and blue skies.
This year we had the luxury of electric hookups cleverly laid out throughout the rally field and which supplied all the power needed and will surely become a more than welcomed addition to this rally’s popularity...Facilities on site offered easy access to everything needed for our 7 day stay..A Morrison’s superstore was only minutes away offering a full range and a fuel outlet adjacent.
The seafront offered a level and lengthy esplanade for walking and sightseeing ....Shopping was more than adequate by way off the famous Lord Street, shops of every kind and although at the time of the rally we were still obeying the Covid 19 government restrictions and so not able to eat in the various pubs a restaurants , this will obviously will very soon change.
This area offers lots to do and see and in between times leisure with our caravanning fraternity friends put everyone in good mood.
It cannot be easy to run a successful rally with so many restrictions having to be adhered to but a successful rally was the case at Southport with the R/O's seeing to everyone's needs.
Thank you Doreen, Phil, Margaret and Bob.
Betty and George Nixon, Area 2