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I always like to speak to folk, but it just depends on the situation and the people as to how things go from there.  Some folk we have got to know well and have invited to the awning of an evening for a drink.  There are a small number of sites we have visited regularly in the UK and in France where we have met the same people.  Some folk we maintain email contact with, others we maintain contact by exchanging Christmas Cards.  There are other times when it seems less appropriate and we have met no-one.

One site we used to regularly visit in France, we got to know a group of English folk (which we only ever met in France) and virtually every night we would get together outside a different caravan for beer. wine, nibbles and a chat.

For a couple of years, we were invited by the French on a 'marche at mange'.  This involved about 60 of us meeting outside the camp site at about 9.30am in the morning, each in our own cars.  We then drove up into the hills (and picked up another couple of cars on the way) and eventually ended up at a farm.  We all then went for a circular walk for about an hour and ended up back at the farm, where they had set out beautifully laid out tables for a meal, under the trees.  We sat down to eat at about midday and consisted of much wine, courses of food, bits of bread, all which was punctuated by various folk just standing up and singing telling (what I assume were) funny stories etc.  We eventually finished the meal at about 6pm and suitable ployed with drink (and that's putting it mildly) we attempted to make our way home in cars.  We headed the snake of cars back 'home' throught the country lanes as my OH was one of the few who did not drink.  How we got back, heaven knows.  For about £10 a heas that represented an excellent day out, and such an experience.  We did this a couple of years.

Occasions like this are only possible by talking and getting to know folk.  I accept it's not everyone's cup of tea, but it suited us at the time.

both me and the mrs are always  up for a bit of a chat if we are'nt busy fishing or reading or some other past time but the last time someone came to our space for a chat i was a bit put out as he proceeded to sit in the awning and light a cig all without asking and me sat there with an oxygen mask on !!!!!!!!! got quite miffed when i told him to put it out as NO one smokes in our van / awning in our family so what made him think it was ok for him (in fact no one in the family smokes at all ) so i guess were  the " say hello and pass the time of day " type of caravanner.

                                                          atb Bill 

I've always found that there isn't any snobbery in caravanning. Most people are happy to say 'hello' etc. we've been vanning for about 15yrs now and I can honestly say that there have only been a couple of occasions when I've thought 'miserable git'.

I'll chat to anybody, about anything.  

I remember once at the caravan club site in Looe, a caravan turned up covered in green algae and filthy. It was an old van. I was dissapointed to see other vanners blanking the occupiers and staring at the van. It was as if they were judging them from their nice new shiny vans.

I was more than happy to mingle with them. A really nice couple. Turned out that they had just collected it from storage and simply hadn't had chance to clean it, due to work commitments.

It was a lovely little van.  

Kev.

I think there's a few people jumping on the camping/caravanning bandwagon without being fully aware of what's involved.

They go and look at the new vans which are luxury and home from home but forget they have to live in a field with it in close proximity to others.

Live and let live but I personally think it helps if you're a sociable person tbh.

Quote: Originally posted by thewelshman on 16/10/2011

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Always say hello, and stop and chat with fellow campers - It's a refreshing change from normal life where you barely speak to your neighbours!

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We always smile and say hello, sometimes OH will sit and chat as he tends to spend more time outside the caravan that i do, hes a real sun worshiper, whilst i prefare the shade on a warm day.

Last year we did have a bit of an odd experiance though, OH had gone a walk to buy a paper and bread from the local shop and left me to have an afternoon snooze on one of the front benches. the door of our caravan opened and it woke me up, i was about to say 'why didnt you just leave the stuff in the awning instead of disturbing me' ony to look up and find a stranger of a man in his 60s had let himself in and was standing infront of my kitchen with a Co-ax cable in his hand

Now i dont mind helping anyone out where i can, but i would never go as far as to enter someone elses caravan uninvited to ask for help except maybe in the case of a life or death emergancy. This man had spotted that we had got our TV up and running earlier that morning, and had come to ask if we could help him sort his out. When I explained that he would need to go into the local town and buy a cable suitable for digital TV, (instead of the antiquated example of one that he was holding lol), the cheeky beggar turned round and asked if i had a spare that i could lend him!  From that day on, if i decide to have forty winks in the afternoon i make sure that OH has the door keys if hes outside and i lock myself in to ensure better security all round.

Then there was the man at Sandringham who came chatting to my OH and admiring our awning, then quickly turned the conversation around to the fact that he had just bought one the same, and needed a hand to put it up. OK maybe, but didnt he see that he was asking someone with a mobility scooter parked in the awning he was looking around, who was on a disabled pitch, and whos OH was using a walking stick and limping badly after twisting his ankle on the tree roots in the path that lead upto the shop, oh and finally, since when has a Kampa Awing like ours been the same to errect as a Suncamp which is what he had actually really bought?

We tried to help him the best way we could by asking him to find his instructions and showing him how to thread the beading into the awning channel, but preparing a brand new awning from scratch,  attaching the pegging ladders, guy ropes and sorting out poles was well beyond our capabilities that day, and besides, what was his OH and teenage sons doing whilst he needed so much help?  Preparing the BBq and sitting out having a few beers of course!

Julia

Quote: Originally posted by millermicm on 15/10/2011

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Friendly, approachable but we are not going to be friends or dinner companions.

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Same here, I'll help anyone if they need help but we go away to have family time together & chill right out as much as we can.

BB

Me & Mr U-M and our lad generally go away for 2-3 weeks in the Summer if we can.  Whilst we enjoy our 'family time' I think it would be a bit limited if we only spoke with eachother for all that time.

I always hope that we will stike a chord with at least some of the people on adjacent pitches - even if only for a chat from time to time.  I'm not thinking of inviting anyone to dinner, but it would be quite nice to sit out and have a glass of wine/beer with a neighbour maybe?

It can be a good way of finding what there is of interest in the area.  Last year, in Cornwall, the neighbour told us that it was possible to see seals on a nearby beach and likewise, we told another caravanner who also enjoyed seeing them.

Mr U-M is better at striking up conversation than I am.  Have you ever noticed though that it is always just as you are packing up and leaving that everyone starts talking to you?  How weird is that???  (or perhaps that only happens to us because everyone is glad to see us go!).