Vintage Camping

The first campers Handbook was published in 1908 by Thomas Hiram Holding. He was the founder of recreational camping and we have a lot to thank him for. He took experiences from his crossing of the American Prairies with his parents in 1853, and wrote the first camping handbook in existence. He was also a keen cyclist, a hobby that now seems to go hand in hand with camping, and he cycled across Ireland with 4 of his friends camping along the way. If you fancy a read, the book that he wrote about this journey is titled Cycle and Camp in Connemara. In this book he invited other people interested in cycling and camping to contact him and this led to the formation of the Association of Cycle Campers in 1901. It all started with 13 members. This first meeting of this association was the very start of the organisation that we all know as The Camping and Caravanning Club. Without Holding’s family trip across the Prairies there would not have been a Camping and Caravanning Club.

From 1906 the membership numbers grew as the popularity of camping quickly grew and the first club site was opened in Weybridge. During the First World War the popularity of camping fell and the club numbers declined, but afterwards interest in camping resumed and the named changed to The Camping Club of Great Britain and Ireland, with Sir Robert Baden-Powell as its president.

In 1921 the Club Feast of Lanterns was born. This event is based on Chinese tradition, where campers congregate at a selected site bringing hand-made lanterns to decorate their units with. This event is still popular with the club and with many campers at other various events. Last year I attended a cultural celebration at Brentwood in Essex called The Essex Jiangsu Cultural Festival, where children were taught how to make these lanterns. They are always an incredible sight and I will be trying to recreate my own this year.

In 1932 the Club formed the International Federation of Camping Clubs (Federation Internationale de Camping et de Caravanning - FICC). National camping clubs all over the world are now affiliated to this Club, and international rallies are held in member countries. The FICC is the only worldwide organisation solely devoted to Camping and Caravanning and to defending the interests of campers wherever they are. For more information visit: http://www.ficc.org/novo/

During the War many people wanted to escape from home and took short breaks to the countryside. In 1941 the Youth Camping Association was formed, mainly due to the desire to get out of the war-ridden towns and into the country. Since then camping popularity has been ever increasing, with the Club having around 400,000 members, over 100 award wining sites, and over 1200 smaller campsites. David Bellamy is currently the Club President. The Club has a strong environmental policy and Its Countryside Care section allows Club Members to put something back into the countryside from which they get so much enjoyment.

In 1894 the first campsite was opened by Joseph Cunningham and his wife Elizabeth. Cunninghams Camp at Howstrake was on the Isle of Man overlooking Groudle Glenn. Initially this site was only for the use of male campers, and attracted up to 600 men per week. By the end of the Century it was open from May until October and hence the camping season was formed. Press comment at the time was surprise at the class mixing that took place in the camp. This is a reflection that can still be said about camping but is more so coming in to play as camping is once again becoming fashionable and the modern day celebrity is even supporting camping and festivals. Howstrake’s clientele were by no means only working class youth. By 1904 the site consisted of 5 acres which was occupied by 1500 tents, including a 100 foot dining marquee.

A healthy lifestyle was greatly sought after during the 1920s and 1930s, thus the outdoors character of camping made the activity extremely popular. In the 1960s this grew to the point where it became fashionable again and camping became the standard for family holidays. The ideal behind camping at this time was that it saved holiday makers a great deal of money, and campsites became more popular than hotels and bed and breakfasts. With developments in camping equipment camping has still kept its popularity to date, and many people still choose camping as their preferred vacation. However camping has been frowned upon by many over the last few years and it is not until the UK’s ‘Credit Crunch’ that camping appears to becoming popular again and many people that have been camping for years are now looking to get back to basics. Camping is a much cheaper alternative to holidaying abroad and is opening up the UK and all its glory to many people who had previously only holidayed abroad. So what is back to basics and what was camping like in the 1930s???

Valley Farm Campsite Clacton on Sea now Valley Farm Holiday Park Clacton on Sea – owned by Park resorts

Camping at valley Farm (Holland on Sea) – Amelia Alexander

My recollections as a child growing up in the 1930’s

My father was a park keeper in Clissold Park, Stoke Newington. Wages in those days were not very much, so holidays were what you made of them. We had a neighbour who ran a Scout Group, and took them on Scout holidays in a Bell Tent. When he and his wife moved, he sold the Bell Tent to my father, and so started our holidays camping.

My mother had a huge wicker trunk and everything was packed in to it, taken by ‘Carter Paterson’ to the Station, and left for the farmer at Valley Farm to collect. My parents, myself, sister and brother then travelled to Westminster Pier, in London and caught the ‘paddle steamer’ to Clacton-on Sea. To us children our holidays started on the boat. We would arrive at the boat, and make our way into Holland-on-Sea and get about helping my father put up the tent. What a laugh this was. We then had to collect straw from the farm, and fill up pillow cases and mattress holders to sleep on. My Dad used to tell us, make your beds with your feet to the pole, I never found out why that was, as being a child I never asked as I wanted to rush off down to the beach.

My mother had a stove which she lit with a match, but I don’t know what it was run on, but she cooked, bacon, eggs, sausages and chops on it, and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. At the bottom of the camp field was a pub called the ‘Roaring Donkey’, Mum would say “go down and fetch your dad from the pub” and we would rush down, because we children knew the old boys in there would give us sweets and biscuits. We really enjoyed our holidays

Camping on the site were a group of boys who used to come down on their bikes, so my sister Betty and I used to have a lark with them. Betty got very friendly with one of the boys, who was called Bob. He lived in Edmonton, and she later married him by special licence when he was being sent overseas in the war.

My last holiday camping was when I was about fifteen and leaving school. I had two weeks with my parents, they then caught the boat back home, my sister Winnie came down and I stayed on with her for two more weeks. Then my Aunt Rose came down with my two cousins, so I stayed on with them for two more weeks, which set me up for leaving school and going to work.

By that time the tent had worn out, so no more camping holidays…..

What is Valley Farm like now?

Valley Farm is now owned by Park Resorts, take a look at their website to decide whether it’s a place you would like to visit:

http://www.park-resorts.com/park.asp?id=14

If you are looking for that elusive campsite that harks back to the good old days take a look at these suggested campsites:

Westermill Farm: http://www.westermill.com/

Glynmul Farm: http://www.glynymulfarm.co.uk/

Eweleaze Farm: http://www.eweleaze.co.uk/

Park Gate: http://www.parkgatefarmholidays.co.uk/camping.html

Trefalen Farm:

Bosherston
Pembroke
Pembrokeshire
SA175DR

Tel: 01646 661643