Conference govt02::basingstoke

    As it happens, yes I do know what this annual event is. As any member
    of The Caravan and Camping Club will tell you, it is an important
    event in our calendar, always held over a weekend, attracting many
    caravanners and campers from all over the country. 
    The event is held in a different part of the country each year and is 
    hosted / organised / run by the local 'DA' (district association).

    It is a great opportunity for us campers/caravanners etc. to spend
    yet Another weekend on the grass, away from home, having a great
    time. The major difference with this weekend event is that Thousands
    of us attend and many events, games, displays etc. are laid on.
    I understand the title comes from a parade of lighted torches held on
    Saturday evening.
    
    If you love getting into the field, get there. But then, if you
    did really love it, you would already be a member of the best club in 
    the land. If not, come and see me for a membership form. I can highly
    reccomend it.
    
    If you do not want to join us on the grass, steer clear of this
    enormous traffic jam of trailers, caravans etc. which is bound to
    upset the average whizz kid in his GTi etc. The build up will already
    have started, with a fresh chaos occurring on Sunday, when we all
    go home. Please do not get impatient or toot your horn at any trailing
    vehicles as there are more of us than you.
    
    If you get there, look for me in the fluorescent green tee-shirt
    and bright shorts (yankee style).

    If you want more details, don't ask me as this is the first time
    I will have attended.

    
    Andrew

    
        Oh, by the way - its all happening at Stratfield Saye.

Thanks for the complete description, Andrew.

By the way, I hope you saw the pratt in the BMW who drove all the way from
Brasingsteak to this event on Friday evening at about 9:00 pm. with his
rear fog lamps on; he didn't understand why everyone was flashing their 
headlamps/rear fogs at him.....

S'funny, he hadn;t noticed he'd lost his caravan either!

Peter.

    I thought that was standard for a BMW ... :-)

    It was fabulous. You could sense the atmosphere as soon as you arrived.
    We had great fun arriving as the organisers had deliberately signposted
    all traffic off the A33 at the roundabout on the end of the dual
    carriageway, to circuit the Stratfield Saye estate, keeping
    it on the left. This meant there should have been no caravans trying
    to turn right across the A33. It should also have kept the queue
    to get in along waiting in the side lane, not on the main road.
    I say 'should' as I was not there at the time.
    When I arrived on Saturday afternoon, all the umpteen thousand caravans
    were already there - what a sight! I've never seen so many in one
    place. 
    
    Anyway, the 'feast' itself was great. marquees all over the place
    to cater for pop entertainment, folk singing and dancing, disco,
    trade and craft fairs etc. Trade stalls galore. Sheep dogs (with
    sheep) in the arena when we arrived. The fancy dress parade was
    very funny, on the theme of T.V. entertainment. 
    But the highlight was the lighting up on Saturday evening. Almost 
    every unit on the site lit up something, ranging from an ordinary 
    light or coloured candle to full home-made displays and pageants.
    Some areas had formed their units into 'streets' with lighting all
    along it, music playing and people generally having fun. Some of
    the displays had a great deal of time and effort put in (e.g. The 
    "mobile library" with titles like "Hole in the Matress  by  Mr. Again") 
    as were the boats on display with Christmas lights on and the welsh
    mine under a caravan (complete with welsh choir music).
    
    I could go on for a long time. Suffice to say I shall be camping
    there next year, for the entire weekend, wherever in the country
    it is.
    
    Andrew

.0�Does anyone know what the 'Feast of Lanterns' is ?
    
    I believe it is a feastival for light eaters.
    
    (I'll go now, it's OK..)

    
    However I must say that Stratfield Saye has one drawback for this
    festival: apart from the A33 all the roads around the park are two
    narrow for anything wider than a motorbike to procede in the opposite
    direction past a caravan under tow.
    
    Since these narrow lanes are on my way home I was somewhat peeved
    by the number of caravans proceding at high speed and in convoy
    down these roads.
    
    I am also surprised at the DA that had a caravan park a couple of
    miles away in a field that is only served by a single track road
    clearly marked as unsuitable for heavy vehicles. This signage should
    include towed caravans...
                         
    Signed, 
    
    Annoyed of Oxfordshire
     
    (Who next year will use a LandRover on these event weekends and
    refuse to reverse...)
    
    /. Ian .\
    

    You wont have to....
    As I understand it, the event has not yet been held in the same
    locality for a second occaision. Something to do with variety maybe.
    
    I agree with you about the unsuitable road, if I had been sent down
    that sort of road, even towing my humble trailer, I would have
    complained bitterly. We are normally informed of access/road
    restrictions to avoid the sort of situation you describe. 
    In small defence of the D.A. it is probaly a private site, made
    available by a local landowner wanting to rake in the money from
    the overflow of a big event like this.
    
    Andrew

    
    The site on the single track road has been used three times this
    summer ... there were still caravans there this morning that have
    been there for two weeks, so I guess some people made a thorough
    job of it.
    
    I'm not insensible to the problems of caravanners ... I've had fun
    in vans, and I regularly tow things (often very heavy things - I
    once towed 20,000lb on the back of a loaded Land Rover 109 - off
    road of course - such things not being legal on the road). However
    you must admit that it is frustrating to meet a towed van a few
    yards past a pull off on a single track road and have to reverse
    500 yards round a bend to the previous one (risking accidents of
    course) merely because the oncoming vehicle is unable (or unwilling
    and unskilled which amounts to the same thing) to reverse.
    
    At least in a Landy I could pull into a field sometimes... 
             
    The Feast of Lanterns isn't the only event the Duke of Wellington
    has let Stratfield Saye for (the County Landowners Association annual
    Game Fare earlier in the summer actually caused worse disruption).
    Perhaps his Lordship is short of ready cash these days?
                                                           
    /. Ian .\