Kempsford Camping

[Clive1]

Afternoon All

Just to let you know that finally Therasa has woken up from her winter hibernation and started work. As always the emails have gone to those who were with us last year first. You'll get a month before we open up to everyone else. Web site is up and the phone is switched on (send her a text - she misses you..). We have had a record number of new enquiries in recent weeks so it looks like we will be full again.

Detailed plans will come, but we seem to have a formula that keeps us all happy and judging by the great customer surveys last year, we shouldn't change what isn't broken. So it's all steam ahead as normal.

Metcheck says........

10 Jul to 22 Jul A traditional warm period for the UK, the first of the 'Phew, whatta scorcher!' headlines hits the press as the Azores high builds and extends over the UK

So we'll be getting the mist gate out again!

See you all in 160 days (ish)!

Cheers
Clive

PS Out of forum but can I make a plug for Cosford? Am loving working up there and the show is coming together really well. www.cosfordairshow.co.uk

[Burleysway]

Had my email an hour a go, paid online already, looking forward to it as usual

[G-CVIX]

Will be all paid up on Monday! Cannot wait.

[Stu666]

I've not stayed at Kempsford before and was thinking of trying for a caravan pitch this year. Is it suitable for children? I've heard a couple of worrying things about some nearby camps, techno at 3am etc

Also, on the booking form it states that pitches are £20, electrical hookup pitch £40. Do you have to pay the pitch fee plus the electric fee, so £60 pitch fee total?

[TYPHOON3]

I've not stayed at Kempsford before and was thinking of trying for a caravan pitch this year. Is it suitable for children? I've heard a couple of worrying things about some nearby camps, techno at 3am etc

Also, on the booking form it states that pitches are £20, electrical hookup pitch £40. Do you have to pay the pitch fee plus the electric fee, so £60 pitch fee total?

Never stayed at Kempsford before, being a Totterdown regular but I have stayed at Rhymes in the past and have known late night problems there and Flyby is the other one known for problems.As far as I know Kempsford is one of the better campsites along with Totterdown but you never know who is going to turn up at any of them and cause late night problems.Apparently Furzey Hill is supposed to be one of the quietest and family friendly but it is further away from the airfield so if you are viewing from the campsite on any of the days then Totterdown or Kempsford are your best bets.Totterdown is the best view and does accept caravans but doesn't have any electric hook ups.

[106500]

I've not stayed at Kempsford before and was thinking of trying for a caravan pitch this year. Is it suitable for children? I've heard a couple of worrying things about some nearby camps, techno at 3am etc

Also, on the booking form it states that pitches are £20, electrical hookup pitch £40. Do you have to pay the pitch fee plus the electric fee, so £60 pitch fee total?

Kempsford is excellent for children and they usually have a bouncy castle! Never seen any excessive noise (beer tent can be a bit rowdy towards closing time but the kids will have long gone to bed by then!). I think you are right in terms of fee calculation. We've been the last 3 years and have no complaints. Careful about the route you take to the camp site as some roads are closed off (we made the mistake of taking our caravan down a closed road thinking that it went to the site and the locals deliberately parked cars so that caravans couldn't get past!). Boy do they hate the show - or that's what it seemed!

[Stu666]

Thanks for the advice Typhoon3 and 106500.

Totterdown is another site I've looked at, but perhaps a tad too far to walk to the base entrance for a 6-year-old, and we don't want to be taking the car on-base if we can help it. Absence of electric hookups an issue too.

Last year I took a tent to F.A.T. Camping in Kempsford (http://fairfordairtattoocamping.co.uk/) and highly recommend it. No kids in tow however, and I'm not sure they allow caravans, but the service and facilities were great. Fantastic bar and food, good entertainment, not over-populated at all, and just across the road from the base entrance. Probably not as close to the action as Kempsford though.

[106500]

We're in the caravan from Friday to Monday and find the battery is more than sufficient (provided you avoid using the TV too much). Site is ideal for show - very close to the entrance as well. Site might be pricy but the outlay is worth it for the convenience.

[DerekGM6]

I had not camped at RIAT before but chose Kempsford for 2014, and I've booked again for this year, for four nights from Thursday to Monday. It's not cheap but the facilities are outstanding. I was expecting it to be crowded but it wasn't. There were plenty of vacant pitches in my field. No problems with noise, at least where I was, well away from the marquee and family camper vans. My only comment is that although right by the airfield it is below runway level mostly, so you can't see aircraft unless they are airborne, or close to the perimeter fence. But since I was inside the showground every day that didn't matter. I did get to see a lot of departures from the campsite on the Monday though, a constant stream of aircraft taking off, so that was a mini-airshow in itself.

Apart from two friends meeting up with me inside the show on Saturday, I'll be on my own, so if anybody wants any company in the beer tent please come and say hello. I'm not an expert aircraft anorak like most on here but I was mad on planes when younger and did an apprenticeship with Saunders Roe (BHC) on the IoW, working on the cross-channel SR-N4 hovercraft, BN Islanders, etc. As a souvenir of those days I have the control column of the SR-N2 hovercraft under my stairs. Flew a lot when younger on VC-10s, Trident, B727, DC-8, 747, BAC-111, 757, Britannia, etc etc, and loved every minute of it. I still have all my Observers' books from the 60s and 70s. Highlight for me was the Breitling Connie at RIAT a couple of years ago. Grey Omega estate M519 RRX.

[Maverick]

I am also hoping to camp at Kempsford this year with my parents and brother, have been going to Riat since the early 90's and have always been envious of watching those enjoy a nice bbq after the show whilst we trundle to the car for the drive home.

We were planning to arrive on the Monday, can anyone please tell me how busy the campsite gets on the first day? We were hoping to camp at the plots next to the fence line!

Really looking forward to it! See you all there!

Sam

[Big Eric]

I am also hoping to camp at Kempsford this year with my parents and brother, have been going to Riat since the early 90's and have always been envious of watching those enjoy a nice bbq after the show whilst we trundle to the car for the drive home.

We were planning to arrive on the Monday, can anyone please tell me how busy the campsite gets on the first day? We were hoping to camp at the plots next to the fence line!

Really looking forward to it! See you all there!

Sam

You'll have no problem getting a fence-line pitch on the opening Monday but I've no idea why you'd want to be there on the Monday as nothing normally arrives until the Wednesday.

[Maverick]

I'm travelling down from RAF Boulmer In Northumberland, a good 320 miles, so i Plan to set up the gear on Monday and relax on the Tuesday prior to it kicking off on the Wednesday!

[Big Eric]

I'm travelling down from RAF Boulmer In Northumberland, a good 320 miles, so i Plan to set up the gear on Monday and relax on the Tuesday prior to it kicking off on the Wednesday!

Good plan, you could even take a run over to Brize too.

[Burleysway]

Just had my confirmation email from Therasa @ Kempsford.

Roll on July.

[Stu666]

Are they only responding to people who have camped there previously at the minute?

Bit confused, as the booking form is online now. Are you supposed to send this in first?

[Burleysway]

Are they only responding to people who have camped there previously at the minute?

Bit confused, as the booking form is online now. Are you supposed to send this in first?

Stu. PM sent.

[Russ]

Are they only responding to people who have camped there previously at the minute?

Bit confused, as the booking form is online now. Are you supposed to send this in first?

I would like to know the answer to this one too.

[Domvickery]

Are they only responding to people who have camped there previously at the minute?

Bit confused, as the booking form is online now. Are you supposed to send this in first?

I would like to know the answer to this one too.

Me too

[Clive1]

Morning All

As usual we only process bookings from last year's customers up to the end of Feb and then we open it up to all. It's a customer loyalty thing really. We have only emailed last year's 600 customers so far, but will be emailing all the rest soon. There's over 1000 who are on this second database from staying in the last couple of years or who have recently enquired. The form is indeed up on the web site but if anyone sends one in who wasn't here last year, they go on to the March processing pile.

Please do be patient with the poor girl, she's processed over 200 already and has another 100 sat on her desk! Over 50% sold already, so it looks like we will be sold out soon.

Any other questions do ask!
Cheers
Clive

[Clive1]

Morning All

Bookings coming in much quicker this year. Do you guys know something we don't?

All electric hook-ups now gone and 500 pitches gone so only 100 left.

Clive

[aviodromefriend]

Morning All

Bookings coming in much quicker this year. Do you guys know something we don't?

Clive

Ramex Delta?

[Timc]

...and to think Kempsford's well on the way to being a sell-out before available pitches go on general release, can't see too many being up for grabs for the first timers unfortunately this year.

[Clive1]

Sorry but all pitches now gone.

See you soon.

Clive

[G-CVIX]

Must be nearly newsletter time!

[Burleysway]

Must be nearly newsletter time!

What newsletter is that please ?