Introduction.

The Chairman and Committee of East Warwickshire welcome you to the Centre, and hope to meet you soon, in person, on the rally field. Congratulations and thank you for choosing to register with East Warwickshire!

Along with your Rally Book, this leaflet has been written to help you understand what rallying is about, and to make it as easy as possible for you to book and then attend your first rally. We have tried to explain what a rally comprises, to give you an idea of the essential equipment you need to bring with you, and to provide an answer to some frequently asked questions. If you have any general questions regarding the Centre, rallying or caravanning in general, please contact any Centre committee member. You will find their contact details near the front of the Rally Book. If you require information about a specific rally, contact the Rally Officer for that rally. We will be only to pleased to help you in any way we can.

What is a Rally?

This is probably the hardest single question to answer, since a rally can take many forms depending on the venue, the time of year or the programme put together by the Rally Officer, to name but a few. There are some formal events, but the majority of rallies are informal weekends organised by ralliers for ralliers. Probably the simplest definition is that a rally is a gathering of like minded caravanners who enjoy the countryside and the company of their neighbours.

The most important thing to remember about any rally is that although there will be a programme of events for the weekend, you are under no obligation to take part. The rally site is your base for the weekend, and you do what YOU want to do.

If you look at the rally programme through the year, you will see that the programmes vary dependant on the season. In the winter months, we try to organise social evenings in village halls with some form of entertainment. It is usual to take your own drinks, supper is usually provided. The Centre has its own music equipment that allows us to provide music for dancing. In the early part of the year we hold a “Noggin and Natter” which gives Centre members an opportunity to raise any matters of interest with the Committee in an informal forum.

As spring turns to summer, we try to organise events on the field – communal barbecues, family games, fishing and so on. We also try to organise rallies to coincide with other events within the Centre – Village fetes, Steam fairs and the like. Some weekends we hold joint rallies with other local Centres. Also during the Summer we we hold a Chairman's Rally and a Consorts Rally (Organised by the partners of the Senior Committee). We have a small but extremely enthusiastic Junior Committee, who also organise a Junior Rally.

In the autumn we have our Rally Officers Meeting, where the next years Rally programme is presented, and members volunteer to run each weekends rally. This is followed by the AGM, where we elect the Junior and Senior Committees to serve for the forthcoming year.

As winter approaches, the rallies are themed to the events of the season, Halloween and Bonfire night, a ‘Last Fling’ to mark the conclusion of a seasons rallying. For those hardy souls who wish to see in the New Year with caravanning friends, there is a New Year Rally.

How do I book a rally?

Look through your rally handbook and select the rallies that interest you. Some rallies are limited as to the number of outfits they can accommodate, so if you wish to attend a limited rally as your first rally, it is worth while checking that there is room before you send in your slip. Also, if you have any questions about the rally, please telephone the Rally Officer, he will be happy to answer them. For a normal weekend rally, you should book at least one week before, for Bank Holiday rallies and some others as defined in the Rally Book, you need to book at least a fortnight before. You will find blank booking slips in the centre pages of your Rally Book. Please be aware that it is not normal for a Rally Officer to acknowledge receipt of a booking slip. You may of course book by telephone or through the Centre Web site. Unless otherwise stated EWCC rallies are ‘Pay on arrival’.

If, having booked a rally, you find you are unable to attend, please let the Rally Officer know as soon as possible. If this is later than the Monday prior to the rally, you may be subject to a nominal charge to cover expense incurred on your behalf.

What do I need to take with me to the rally?

Some of the fields on which we rally are sloping. It is worthwhile carrying a number of levelling blocks and wedges to help you level the outfit.

From late autumn to early Spring, you may arrive in the dark. Bring a torch
You will need a water container and filler pipe for drinking water.
A container (e.g. a large empty pop bottle) for water to rinse out your toilet. Please note – for health reasons, toilets must NEVER be filled or rinsed out at the drinking water tap.
A bag to take your dry waste home.

What do I do when I arrive at the rally?

To get to the rally, follow the directions printed in the Rally Book. As you approach the Rally location, watch out for EWCC direction signs. These are A4 size, fluorescent pink in colour, with the letters EWCC and a direction arrow. These will guide you to the entrance to the Rally field.

As you enter the Rally field, the first outfit you meet will be the Rally Officer’s. He will also have a yellow ‘Rally Officer’ sign in his window or by his van. Call into the Rally Officer’s van. Here you will pay your rally fee and receive your weekend programme. Either the Rally Officer or his assistant will then show you to your peg and advise you how to site your van.

Remember, once on the rally field you are free to spend the time as you see fit. There is no pressure on you to join in any of the activities provided.

If you have any problems, don’t hesitate to ask either the Rally Officer or any of the other ralliers. There is always someone willing to help. Ralliers are very friendly people, they will always make you feel welcome.

Many rallies organise a cup of tea or coffee and biscuits on a Friday night. This is a good opportunity to meet your fellow ralliers and introduce yourself. We as a Centre pride ourselves on our friendliness and a warm welcome awaits all members of your party.

The Envelope.

When you arrive at the rally you will be given an envelope containing the rally programme, details of the weekend competitions, and, if you have ordered one, your rally plaque.

The programme details all the events taking place over the weekend, with times where applicable. Although we have said that you do what you want to do on the rally, there is one item on the programme that ralliers should make every effort to attend. This is ‘Flag’ or the official closing ceremony for the rally. This is where we make our formal thanks to the landowner for the use of his land, and to the Rally Officers for giving up their time so we can enjoy ourselves. Flag is also the place where you, as a new rallier, are officially introduced to the other members, and are presented with your ‘First Rally’ bar to go with your Rally Plaque. Competition prizes are handed out, and there is an opportunity to book future rallies.

The Centre supports a different Charity each year, and at Flag there is the opportunity to purchase books, crafts etc in aid of the Charity. Last but by no means least there is the Tote. This is a means of raising funds to cover the costs of running the centre, maintaining and repairing Centre equipment etc.

The competition that you find in your rally envelope is set by the Rally Officer. Different competitions are provided for adults, teenagers and children, and a prize awarded to the best/most accurate entry.

The plaque that you receive is a permanent memento of the weekend. This should be ordered when you book into the rally, and is years to come will help bring back memories of enjoyable weekends on the Rally field.

At the end of the Rally.

Most rallies take place in where there is no facility to dispose of dry waste. Please bag it up and take it home. Grey water should be collected in a suitable container and disposed of along the edge of the field. Facilities will be provided for toilet emptying ( the Pit). This may be down a manhole, into a permanent facility, or occasionally into a freshly dug soakaway. Please do not let children play near the pit, for both health and safety reasons. Also, do not take your toilet to the fresh water tap for rinsing. Take a bottle of water with you to the Pit.

In wet weather, there is a risk that you may experience difficulty in towing off the field. If you think you might get stuck, speak to the Rally Officer. He will arrange for a 4 x 4 to tow your caravan off the field. If you need this, then the driver of the 4 x 4 is entitled to a £1 per tow. To avoid unnecessary damage to the field, the Rally Officer may require vans to be towed off using 4 x 4’s.

As you leave, it is customary to thank the Rally Officers for their work over the weekend.

Other Information.

OUT OF BOUNDS SIGNS – There are occasions when either the landowner or the Rally Officer consider areas around the Rally field to be of danger or private. These will be identified by orange ‘OUT OF BOUNDS’ signs. These must be obeyed. Please make this clear to your children.

BROWN BEAR MAGAZINE – This is a monthly newsletter which gives details of rallies, articles from members, items of general interest etc. It is provided free of charge to members and contributions are always welcome. The Editor’s details are in both the Rally Book and Brown Bear.

Do’s and don’t’s

We try not to have too many of these, but these are for both your safety and the safety of others. A full list is in the Rally book, this list is the main ones:

No toilet, or part thereof, to be taken to the drinking water tap.
Dogs must be kept on their leads and under control at all times, the lead must not exceed 10 ft in length. Dogs must be exercised away from the caravans. It is always handy to carry a plastic bag in case Fido embarrasses you round the ‘vans.
Children are the parents responsibility at all times and should not be left on the field without an adult being responsible for them.
The speed limit on the field is 5 mph, or walking pace. This may seem slow, but it does give the driver a chance to stop if a child runs out, particularly if the grass is wet.
No ball games should be played in the vicinity of the ‘vans.
A small pup tent may be erected on East Warwickshire rallies at the discretion of the Rally Officer. Please be aware that if rallying with other Centres, the use of pup tents may not be permitted.
If you are expecting visitors, please ask them to report to the Rally Officer on arrival. This might seem petty but it does help the Rally Officer keep a check that only legitimate visitors are permitted access to the field.

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