Deep Sky Camp - July 20th to 23rd

[MarkS]

I think it's probably a bit late now to settle on this weekend and it looks like it'll be cloudy anyway.  I'm happy to settle for the following weekend, despite the moon.  It's about time I did some lunar imaging again ... 

[julian]

My vote is for next Saturday, Can't do Friday

Julian

[Mike]

OK I'll let Jackie know we won't be coming this weekend but probably the next one.

[Mike]

Reply from Jackie...

"Dear Mike,
That is disappointing as I had saved the pitches for you and have now subsequently missed out on family bookings.
I will hold the top corner for the following weekend but really need definite commitment that you will come.
Please let me know.
Best Wishes
Jackie"

[Fay]

Oh dear. I can understand her point. The first reasonable weekend for ages & she may have spare pitches.
I think when we individually say we cannot make it for one reason or another, we forget that it can become like dominoes & no one goes. We make a decision regarding ourself, thinking, at the time, it will still go ahead, not realising the implications.

Jackie always tries to accomodate us, it will be awful if she suddenly says no!

[mickw]

It would a pity to lose Rother, it's a public site, with few distractions or interference, that has rules about pitches which they are prepared to bend to accommodate us, actually we are quite spoilt.

It's a shame that the weather has been an absolute git lately.

[Fay]

Thing is, we take up a lot of pitches, that Jackie loses if we cancel, not just one.

[RobertM]

To be fair Fay, although I agree with you, we do often take quite a large number of pitches when there is hardly anyone else there so she most likely still benefits from our custom.

Anyone know what sort of notice she deems acceptable when we cancel ?

Robert

[Fay]

I know. It is so difficult with what we do. She would probably like a few days notice, but we could shoot ourself in the foot, knowing our weather

[Tony G]

To be fair (even though I have missed a few lately) we are booking all year round, so when other campsites have no-one, Rother is usually guaranteed a good few campers once a month, over the winter months, when other campsite have no business, and when its better for us astronomers. And no doubt you also get passing trade as such throughout the year, which in a way is how we found it.
When cancelling we do for a good reason, and in the line of work of say running a campsite, you have to take the rough with the smooth, as the concert organizers have done over the pass few weeks, and cancelled their own concerts because the venue and the abnormal weather do not seem to mix.  

Tony G  

[Rick]

Cancelling on Thursday in winter when the campsite's almost empty because the weather forecast says gales or a foot of snow is fair enough. Cancelling on Thursday in summer when the campsite's fully booked because the forecast says it'll be a bit cloudy is not so fair. For one, it also deprives other potential campers of the opportunity to camp there...

[Tony G]

I think some of the reasons for cancelling is not because its cloudy, but because it been the wettest summer on record.
If you look at the news every evening over the past few weeks they are not showing the pollen count, but a traffic light system showing rain and storms.
I have been to many DSC's when we have known that there is a chance that it maybe cloudy and still turned out, I have even sat by a camp-fire with others and had a tarpaulin over us at the same time because of the rain, but to camp in a sodden field and it be cloudy, is not my idea of an astronomy weekend.
That is the reason Blacklands has been suggested as the drainage on the field is better there.
If the field at Rother was sorted out with drainage, then maybe the campsite would not lose custom at the last minute, as this discussion happens every time it rains prior to a DSC at Rother Valley.

We'll that is only my opinion.

Tony G

[Rick]

...but in the past there's usually been "how boggy is the field?" contact with the campsite, so they've been at least peripherally involved in the decision-making.

[Tony G]

I don't believe that question needed to be asked this time around, as I think the answer was obvious.

http://www.itn.co.uk/home/50626/UK+to+finally+get+summer+weather

The weather, and its relationship with Rother Valley was mentioned on the second reply to this thread, and again on a few occasions, that is why Blacklands was suggested.

Tony G

[Rocket Pooch]

Hi,

One point, although we are about 5-10 tents normally we only take up 2/3 of the pitches and typically were there all year around.  I'm sure she is unhappy but the six months a year we have been there when noone else is there will make up for one weekend we cancelled two days before the weekend, if she has turned people away she can book some others yesterday and today.

Mind you its the most interesting topic on this forumn this week.

Chris