YOUTH LEADERS NEEDED!

We are currently in need of Youth Leaders, as Debbie and Clive have had to stand down from the role due to unforeseen circumstances. The EEDA wish to thank Debbie, Clive and Cali for all their hard work and efforts. We therefore urgently need some volunteers to continue with the role and keep the momentum that Debbie and Clive started going strong. Anyone interested in the role please contact one of the committee members to find out more.

Let me set a little scene for you, it’s the late 1950s the country is finally recovering from the effects of the war and people have more leisure time than ever before. What does this mean for The Camping Club? Membership numbers were going up and DAs growing, for Essex DA this meant weekend meets averaging between 40 to 50 camping units and bank holidays numbers could reach into the hundred. OK the main camping season was shorter with the first meet being Easter and the last sometime towards the end of September, but remember most people camped in tents, a few arrived on site in a car, others on motor cycle combinations and the rest on pedal cycles and of course one or two came by train carrying their worldly goods for the weekend in back packs. Sites also didn’t open until 6.00 on a Friday evening and closed once the rain stopped on Sunday.

2nd - 4th October 2009

We arrived Saturday morning in a force 9 gale, to be warmly welcomed by Bert who was doing his best to stop the marquee from blowing away. Bert's recommendation to go to the pub for lunch was excellent. Much of the afternoon was spent extending, strengthening and decorating the marquee for the evening's festivities.

What a night Bert and Jackie organised for us, there was hot and cold German food, plenty of free beer all provided by our hosts, who were as were many of the campers, dressed up in traditional costume.

16th - 18th October 2009

This turned out to be a very expensive weekend for Tony, good job it was such good fun. A basketball hoop just jumped out in front of our van as Tony was trying to park (Hardstanding) think it was a slam dunk. Any how there is a great playing field next to the site and we went conker picking and arranged a contest in the afternoon with the kids good fun and no injuries.

We all decorated the hall to look medieval with shields and the like. The evening was brilliant with excellent food. The stocks proved popular especially with the jesters Martin and Clive who planted a fork on unsuspecting peasants which meant a spell in them, luckily no cabbage to throw.