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The search
is over!
Dateline: Sunday 19 October
2003
On this momentous day, the
NASC have at last agreed terms for an alternative Nats site.
Our previous attempt to book the site was thwarted by –
of all things - a wedding, booked for the same weekend. However,
the sheer determination and dogged persistence of Al Harwin
has paid off – Big Time!
Even though we had been informed that the site was booked,
a further enquiry uncovered the fact that the wedding had
been cancelled. Sad for them, great for us! Because that meant
the August Bank Holiday weekend was available after all. Some
preliminary discussions and negotiation; which fired the imagination
of the new Show and Events Manager, really got the ball rolling.
This initial approach resulted in a full committee meeting
taking place at the site today. The site is without doubt
one of the biggest and best we have ever seen! In all it boasts
250 acres, all virtually flat, so there’s more than enough
space for the event to grow. All of its roads are wide enough
for two vehicles to pass; they are all surfaced and even have
street lighting! Electricity and water is available virtually
everywhere on site. There is an abundance of toilet and shower
blocks throughout the site, with the added luxury of them
all being on the main sewage system. There are numerous permanent
buildings on site, all with power and lighting, which means
that we won’t have to have any marquees. We’ll just
use what’s already there, simple.
Interested, want to know
more?
The site is the Suffolk Showground;
check it out at www.suffolkshow.co.uk
to see just how good and big it really is.
With a new site comes a new set of
rules, the most important things are as follows, and we can’t
stress how important these rules are.
The most stringent rule, which must
be adhered to without fail, is that all camping units MUST
be 6 metres apart, in all directions. This is policed without
mercy and if any unit is found to be too close to any other,
it will simply have to be moved. If you usually have the kids
in a separate unit next to your own, this is the only time
any unit is allowed to be closer than 6 metres to another.
In this case they will allow a minimum spacing of 3 metres,
but no closer.
The next important rule is bottles; because it is an active
livestock site the management have imposed a policy of no
glass containers being allowed on site. So all your drinks
will have to be in either cans or plastic bottles. This is
again policed quite rigidly and anyone found to have brought
in glass bottles will be ejected, to conform to site policy.
Alternative forms of site transport, such as go-peds, rocket
mopeds, electric scooters etc, etc, cannot be used on site,
so just don’t bring them, you will not be allowed to
use them.
There is also a 5 MPH speed restriction throughout the site,
which is for the safety of all. It must be adhered to or you
will face ejection and a ban.
The insurance liabilities and site licence also restrict the
time at which we can admit paying guests, so we cannot accommodate
opening the gates at one minute past midnight on the first
day, as we have usually done. We can only open the gates at
8 AM on Friday morning. However the site does have an alternative
to offer, right next door they have their own campsite. Anyone
arriving early can stay on this site for only £3.50
per night; this will also include main site access via an
alternative – less busy – gate, from 8 AM on Friday
morning.
In terms of amenities and suitability
for our event this site is probably as perfect as we are ever
going to find in the country. We think we have found the site
that everyone has been craving, it has everything going for
it; but rest assured we have all got to treat it with the
respect it deserves.
The message is quite simple –
come and see what you think of it, but one thing you can be
sure of …..
Abuse it and we’ll
lose it!
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