Bongo Fury

bongobaz wrote:Great modern toilet block, Cross country run into hills looking for folks that have gone to find phone signal {Jilly}

Toilet block includes showers. and Laundry room and washing up.

You really needed that workout Baz!

Don't know any sites in the southwest of Wales (apart from at the Gower) but a bit like the southern Softies going from East to West in roughly alternate years then it would appear that the Welsh meet should be somewhere in the southern half of Wales in 2017.

Even ignoring the above, Nantcol (and sites like it) isn't the answer for me. I have been to the Nantcol site and although not having stayed there overnight I was there for a few hours and had a good look around. Because it's setting is fairly unique I can see it's attraction to the people who have suggested it but for me with it's uniqueness and beauty comes issues not compatible with a standard club meet which I include in my list of cons below:

1. It is only 7 miles away from Trawsdir and hence pretty much in the same place as the last 2 years (so it might as well stay close to Barmouth with it's obvious choice of attractions).

2. There is no where to walk to from the site except to one local (2 miles) pub.

3. It is isolated. Not a problem to some of the younger or wild camping type members, but in case it escaped anyones notice there is a fair percent of older (or lazier in my case) people who don't think that spending 45 minutes getting to the only pub in the village is the sort of thing good weekends are made of. There are signs everywhere warning you of the dangers around the waterfalls so I would suggest quite a few attendees would even find the waterfall walk challenging if it wasn't dry with fairly hard ground.

4. It has a very long awkward narrow (mostly single track) steep sided access road. Yes, I know I have a motorhome but so do others, including people with Bongo's towing caravans. It is a challenge for most to avoid the trees and rocks appearing on the kerbs. Pretty much anyone would not want to arrive there with a vehicle in the dark.

5. I was guessing at first, but having checked on Google Earth it has confirmed to me that the nearest bus stop is also 2 miles away.

6. The Wi-fi costs extra and there was pretty much no telephone signal to be found.

7. No hardstandings as an option as I remember.

8. Although it's website claims it has 32 hookups it is only licenced to take 23 caravans/motorhomes so that should pretty much take it out of the equation straight away.

9. When I was there it was midweek but the only people who were there were traveller types who prettty much appeared to be living there in their vans.

10. It's a very dark field at night.

By all means arrange an unnofficial meet there for those of you in favour of this site. The main point I make by listing the above is that this type of site with the issues I highlight is not the sort of site we should even be considering as a club meet type site. We need to be looking at sites that are pretty standard type campsites with fairly local attractions, facilities, access, etc.

I wait to be shot down...

All fair points, Paul.

Access is indeed an issue for many, me included, as our caravan is definitely large.

I've not been to this site but it does sound good for an 'Unofficial Meet'.

Mr Shepherd is right in that we would like to have the Welsh Bash further south next year. Pembrokeshire would be nice, and Celtic Camping has been recommended, but it's in the middle of nowhere. Anyone know places up the coast a bit, perhaps Aberaeron?

We stayed on a splendid site at Aberaeron 2 years ago.

Easy access off main road, right on the sea wall, 10 mins walk to town along the beach... Perfect.

http://www.campingonthefarm.co.uk/