What is a rally

A rally is simply a gathering of Caravan and Motorhome Club members, generally for a weekend and sometimes a longer holiday rally (anything over 5 days). Rallies are a great way for families to spend quality time in the outdoors, they promote friendship and allow members to meet new people and share interests.

There are many different interests within the membership. On different rallies over the years we have seen photography, fishing, golf and driving competitions, sports rallies with or without other centres and charity fundraising rallies too. We pride ourselves on being the Centre to run the rally at Osberton International Horse trials which is always well attended. We might celebrate Valentines, Mother’s Day, Easter, Bonfire Night and Christmas to name but a few. There are Free and Easy weekends where there is nothing organised and there are busy weekends like the AGM or New Year where there is live entertainment and hot meals. You should never feel obliged to join in anything which does not interest you

The people who run the rallies are called ‘marshals’, they are ordinary members, who have volunteered to organise and run the rally on behalf of the members. Some are very experienced in running rallies, others may be new to it so please show them support when attending rallies and be thankful for what they have organised for you. Without these volunteer marshals there would be no rallies.

Rallies start at 12.00 noon unless otherwise stated. This is to allow the marshal sufficient time to prepare for the ralliers arrival. Please do not arrive before the stated start time. If you need to arrive earlier, please contact the marshal the day before to check if this is a possibility.

Prior to arrival on the rally the marshal will contact you with payment details so that you can pay for the rally by BACS payment. They will also send out information about the programme for the rally and other relevant information (this is normally referred to as the ‘broadsheet’).

On arrival at the rally, drive up to the marshal’s unit (usually the first in the field and next to the Centre Flag). The marshal will greet you and will advise you where to park your caravan/motorhome and if you need help this person is your point of contact. They will also show you where the water and elsan point is located.

At some point on the rally there is a “Flag” meeting. Ralliers gather at the rally marshal’s van. The rally marshal will share results of any competitions, give an update of Centre news, welcome any visitors and any new ralliers. The appointed Committee representative for the rally will announce forthcoming events and extend thanks to all the rally marshals on behalf of the membership.

PLEASE NOTE: In addition to items you would normally expect to take on a commercial site, you need your own toilet which you will empty yourself into the ELSAN point provided, a water container to fill your toilet with to swill it out (toilet cassettes must never be taken to the drinking water tap as this is a serious health hazard), a waste bin for your dry waste so you can take it home (the marshals will not have any facilities for disposal of dry waste) and some simple wooden wedges and blocks in case you need to park on sloping fields. The general unspoken rule is that you use your own toilet/onboard facilities in your own van when on the rally field where no public facilities are available. There is no electricity available unless otherwise stated and no designated hard standing.

So hopefully at this point, you are still interested so why not give it a try? If in doubt contact a committee member who should be able to deal with any concerns you may have. Don’t forget, we all rally for fun, to relax with like-minded people and to see different parts of the county as well as other surrounding areas. We would like to share this experience with you and everyone will be made very welcome.

Hope to see you on the rally field soon.

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Hints and Tips for Ralliers

To attend a rally

1. Online booking for rallies is available at www.nottscentre.com. If you do not have access to online booking facilities, then please contact the marshal who will assist you.
2. If the rally is full a waiting list will be in operation. This will be either via the website booking system or operated by the marshal.
3. You should receive an automated response to confirm your booking. If you haven’t received this, please check your spam or junk folders before contacting the rally marshal.

Getting to the site

1. Confirm the directions on a map before setting off. Then use the postcode that is supplied on the rally web page.
2. Near the site our yellow NCC rally signs will be displayed to assist you in finding the field.
3. Directions provided on the website always start from Nottingham and you will need to adjust these accordingly if you are travelling from a different location.

At the Rally Site

1. You should already have paid for the rally by BACS transfer and received the rally paperwork via email. The only thing your marshal should have to issue on arrival is a plaque (if you booked the rally in time). (A plaque is a small decorative plastic token).
2. If the marshals have organised a social, they will ask you for payment on arrival as this is classed as a private event and is separate to the rally fee.
3. The marshal will either give you a choice or will designate a definite pitch for your caravan/motorhome. Under Centre rules, you are allowed to save two pitches for others although this may not be possible on some rallies. It is emphasised that the marshal is in charge of the rally, and his/her instructions must be followed.
4. The location of drinking water and the Elsan disposal pit will be indicated by the marshal.
5. It is essential to provide your own chemical sanitation at all centre rallies. These must not be filled or cleaned at the water taps.
6. Levelling blocks may be required.

General

1. There may be a competition which the marshal may issue on arrival. Participation is voluntary. Competition winners are usually announced at Centre Flag.
2. Any additional information may be given on arrival.
3. Centre Flag is a meeting of members attending the rally addressed by the Chairman or one of his deputies, to impart news of future rallies and the latest Centre information.
4. It is advisable that every caravan/motorhome is equipped with a first aid kit and a fire extinguisher.
5. The ringing of a bell on the rally field indicates a FIRE. DO NOT ring a bell for any other purpose.
6. To avoid damage at site entrances during bad weather, members must not use their cars when the YELLOW flag is flying from the flagpole.
7. Persons accepting a tow from any other vehicle do so at their own risk.
8. Consult one of our centre officers or committee for any further information you may require.

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How to book a rally

To book on a rally go to the website and click on the ‘Rallies’ tab and go down to ‘Rally Programme’. Scroll through the rallies until you find the rally you wish to book on. You will see the following buttons: ‘Book’ and ‘Read More’. The ‘Read More’ button will take you to a page that gives more information about the rally including the cost. This should include what the marshal is organising in terms of activities. The ‘Book’ button will take you to a form that you will need to complete with your details in order to book on the rally. A further button at the bottom of the form ‘Book Rally’ will send the booking to the relevant rally marshal and you should receive an automated message to say that your booking has been received. If you haven’t received a message, please check your spam and junk folders before contacting the marshal. We also encourage marshals to contact you by email to confirm your booking.

When the rally is nearly full this is displayed on the rally and the ‘Book’ button changes to ‘Book Now’. This also happens when there are only a few days left before the start of the rally

If the rally is full you will see that the ‘Book’ button will have changed to ‘Book Wait List’. If you wish to go on the waiting list for the rally, click on this button and complete the form. When you click the ‘Book Wait List’ at the bottom of the form, this will notify the rally marshal and, once a cancellation is received the system will automatically take the booking at the top of the waiting list and add it as a booking on the rally. You should then receive a notification to tell you that you are booked on the rally and the rally marshal will see that your booking has moved from the waiting list to the bookings list

How to pay for a rally

All our rally payments are now by bank transfer. This assists the marshals as they don’t have the risk of storing large amounts of cash and it also works better for the landowners as the Centre Treasurer can pay them by direct bank transfer as soon as the rally marshal confirms that everyone has arrived on the rally.

Once you have booked on a rally the marshal will make contact with you by email a few weeks before the start of the rally to ask you to make payment via BACS transfer. They will supply you with all the details you need to make the payment. If for any reason you are unable to pay by BACS transfer, please contact the rally marshal and they will try to assist you. Please note: cash payments for rallies can only be accepted by prior agreement with the rally marshal and only in exceptional circumstances.

How to cancel a rally

If, after booking on a rally, you find that you are unable to attend must cancel your place as soon as possible so that it can be made available to other members. There are two ways that you can do this:

You are responsible for cancelling, please do not ask others to cancel on your behalf as this does not always work and it is unfair to the rally marshal to have to chase for information. Failure to properly inform the rally marshal of a cancellation in good time may also result in you receiving a bill for any costs that may have been incurred on your behalf.