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Hi all and …… at last… courtesy of the newly engaged Bongoman……….. we have some more pics of the first Solo and One Parent Campers meet held at Cartref in 2005! (http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/gallery/view.asp?gallery=76). What a great week-end it was and many of you asked if we would be doing more.  Well, the simple answer is YES!  I’m pleased to let you know that I have been asked to arrange more of these meets through 2006.  So, now that Xmas and New Year hols are over, the equipment currently stored in the attic is crying out to be set free and I am getting my UKCS diary booked up for the spring to autumn season 2006.

Solo and One Parent Campers meets were born out of general chat on this site where it became apparent that some single campers and campers who are on their own with children often felt nervous or anxious about joining a UKCS meet and some also felt a bit wary of “singles” meets.  UKCS “Solo and One Parent Campers” meets are totally geared towards welcoming peeps who feel they would like to join us but are nervous of camping alone or on their own with their children. The main purpose is to give everyone the chance to “have a go” in a camping environment that is friendly, safe and fun where you (and the kids) can meet new friends around a warm campfire in the evenings and join in as much or as little as you like with any activities that are going on. They follow the traditional UKCS meet style with a BBQ gathering on the Saturday evening (weather permitting) and plenty of “Pink” usually supplied by the raffling of a few small prizes. If you are reading this and feel you would like to give it a go but don’t have the necessary equipment – email me on the link below as it is possible we may be able to help out.

I’m planning four Solo/One Parent meets through the spring and Summer but havn’t arranged anything yet as I would like to get together some idea of how many of you would be interested in the different areas and dates.  Initial thoughts are below but can be altered to suit interest or if anyone has any other ideas or thoughts – please feel free to pass them on:

19 – 21 May                  Somerset possibly around Brean Sands

23 – 25 June                  Derbyshire  possibly Ashbourne/Dovedale (lovely area)

      (alternative suggestion 9 - 11 June - Derbyshire)

21 – 23 July                   Bonnie Scotland! Possibly Lanarkshire

25 – 28 Aug                   Lancashire possibly Beacon Fell View/Morecambe

      (alternative suggestion 8 - 10 Sept - Lancashire) 

If you would like any more info, or would rather email me direct than post your thoughts on here, then please feel free to do so.

So, come on, don’t be shy I’m looking forward to meeting lots more new friends over the coming season and I'm sure you will too! :-)

Hi Chris, glad to see you back, been a while!  Somerset one looks good for me, and maybe Derbyshire. My goodness this year is filling up already, I MUST get myself a meets calendar as I'm already getting in a muddle with the one's I've registered for! Hope to see you & Amy soon,

Debby

Sorry Chris but I can't make any of these dates:

19 – 21 May                  Somerset possibly around Brean Sands clashes with Nettie's birthday meet we're arranging in Anglesey

23 – 25 June                  Derbyshire  possibly Ashbourne/Dovedale (lovely area) clashes with Cotswold meet already arranged

21 – 23 July                   Bonnie Scotland! Possibly Lanarkshire sorry too far

25 – 28 Aug                   Lancashire possibly Beacon Fell View/Morecambe Bank Hol weekend - Probably going to Shrewsbury Folk Festival

Any chance of re-arranging the dates, esp. the Derbyshire one?

Quote: Originally posted by bordercaz on 08/1/2006

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Sorry Chris but I can't make any of these dates:

<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">19 – 21 May <SPAN style="mso-tab-count: 1">     </span><SPAN style="mso-tab-count: 1">            </span>Somerset possibly around Brean Sands clashes with Nettie's birthday meet we're arranging in Anglesey<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></span>

<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">23 – 25 June<SPAN style="mso-tab-count: 2">                  </span>Derbyshire<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>possibly Ashbourne/Dovedale (lovely area) clashes with Cotswold meet already arranged<o:p></o:p></span>

<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">21 – 23 July<SPAN style="mso-tab-count: 2">                   </span>Bonnie Scotland! Possibly Lanarkshire sorry too far<o:p></o:p></span>

<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">25 – 28 Aug<SPAN style="mso-tab-count: 2">                   </span></span><?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:place><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Lancashire</span></st1:place><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> possibly Beacon Fell View/Morecambe Bank Hol weekend - Probably going to Shrewsbury Folk Festival</span>

<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"></span>

<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Any chance of re-arranging the dates, esp. the Derbyshire one?<o:p></o:p></span>

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Hi Chris n little Amy

If these are as good as the first one at Cartref, count me in ( except August as this clashes with the main holiday meet in Cornwall). Just noticed Bordercaz has a meet in Moreton-in-Marsh on one of those dates. Me and Sue (bluenoses) were only talking about solo/single parents meets the other day - you must have read our minds!  Look forward to seeing you and Amy again

Best wishes

Donna and little Jamie

Hi all and thanks for your thoughts.  I have tried to pick dates not shown on the already heavily booked list and have tried to avoid clashing as much as possible with meets already organised. Really sorry Caz for not identifying your Cotswald meet don't know how I missed that one! - lol.  Quite happy to change dates/areas but the calendar is so full most dates  are likely to clash with something.

Although 9 - 11 June clashes with IOW festival perhaps this may be a suitable alternative for a Derbyshire meet?  And how about 8 - 10 Sept for something in the Lancashire area?

Would love to joint one - missed out last year 'cos I was looking after OH following injury & op on his had.

Re Beacon Fell - don't know if they have changed things but last time I went, the tents were on an entirely separate field.   You had to go down a very steep set of narrow stone steps for the loo, water, etc.   No facilities whatso ever on camping field.   Things might have changed, and they might have different arrangement for meet,  but I think that it probably worth checking out.

At a different meet, where tents were totally separate, tenters missed out on the communal bit, as once the kids got tired they had to go back to their area, which was too far away to leave the children by themselves.   OK we had are own mini meet, but did feel a bit left out.   This was not the fault of the meet organiser, but the site, which tended to treat all tenters as second class citizens.

  Beacon Fell in nice for families, in that it is very child friendly.   We loved the swimming pool.  They may have changed their policy of separating the tents, worth asking.   We'd probably revisit.   It was the first site we went to with our tent.

(Bernies OH)

Quote: Originally posted by ChrisAmy on 08/1/2006

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Hi Bernie - yes I remember you had to miss out last year. Hope the OH has fully recovered!  Thanks for the tip re Beacon Fell, havn't looked at it myself in close detail - just felt it may be a good family one. Do you know of others in the area?

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