Whitlingham Broad Campsite

Dear Rebecca
I need to respond to your review and subsequent email to the campsite in which you demand a refund and also additional payments in compensation for distress caused and expenses incurred. My name is Fergus and I own and run Whitlingham Broad Campsite with my partner Linda.

The first thing to say is that I am sorry that you did not enjoy your stay with us here. Here at Whitlingham we welcome all guests and, unlike some other campsites, we do not have a strict ban on (for example) groups, bookings by young people or families with young children; we think having a mix of people on site creates a nice atmosphere and makes this a better place.

Having said that, we do work hard to ensure that all guests know our rules and how these apply on site. To that end we emphasise both the specific rules (set out in our camping code) and the general approach (be kind, enjoy yourselves, be considerate to other guests) when booking, on arrival and, as needed, during guests’ stay.

At this time of year we have staff on site between 0830 – 2000. Whilst we have (lots and lots!) of other jobs to be getting on with throughout the day, we also keep an eye on the camping fields and speak to any guests we feel may be acting in an inconsiderate way. Outside of those hours we are always contactable by phone, have a regular whole-site walk around between 2230 – 2300 and we also live on site.

Your complaint centres on the behaviour of one group of campers and the campsite’s response to your concerns, expressed on the night of Saturday 19th August. Specifically, you state:
• The group of campers were taking cocaine; and
• You reported this to campsite staff; and
• The staff did not check the site, did not report the suspected drug use to the police, did not make any note of the conversations I had recorded or take any steps to protect the safety and wellbeing of fellow campers, a large majority of which had young children with them (quote from your online review on Pitchup).

Unfortunately, I do not believe this to be a true reflection of events so, for clarity and transparency I set out my record of the night:
• On walking around the campsite at approximately 2030 I noticed that the pitch of the group in question was very messy, with a pile of rubbish, a bottle of sprits and bottles of beer left strewn around the pitch. We had received no complaints regarding either the state of the pitch or the behaviour of group (this being their second night) but, this notwithstanding, I felt the condition of the pitch was unacceptable and that due consideration was not being given to our other guests. Accordingly, I confiscated the bottle of spirits which had been left outside the tent and spoke with the group about the condition of the pitch and the respect they needed to show both to the campsite and their fellow campers. I also confiscated the group’s fire pit as it was clearly being used in a way which breaches our campsite rules. The group tidied the pitch and apologised.
• At 2132 you called and reported drug taking by that same group
• At 2158 you messaged to say no action was being taken by campsite staff
• Between the time you called and the time you messaged I visited the pitch and spoke at length with the group. On visiting the pitch, I noted that the group were not being particularly noisy and the pitch had remained tidy. Because of the nature of your complaint, and because the group were friendly and cooperative, I went inside their tent to speak with them. Whilst in the tent (a bell tent with no internal partitioning) I saw no evidence of drug taking. I explained to the group that someone had reported drug taking, which they denied. In further discussion with the group it became clear that they were in the process of leaving the site to go to our local pub, and also that they lived relatively locally (Norwich). Given that, and mindful of my earlier issue with the state of their pitch and the concerns expressed by a fellow camper (i.e. you), I suggested that it would be best for all concerned if they did not return to the campsite as it was likely that both they and I (as the person responsible for dealing with complaints in the night) would end up having a rubbish night. Again, they were friendly and agreed that they would probably just go home (i.e. not return to the pitch) after the pub. At this stage, mindful that I had received no other complaints, had seen no evidence of drug taking and was dealing with a group that were being cooperative, I did not think I had good reason to demand they leave the site. I also took the view – conscious that it was now approaching 2200 and I had received no other complaints regarding the groups behaviour over the preceding day and night - that the disturbance associated with taking the tent down and packing up was going to be greater than any issues being caused by the group.
• At 2212, having visited the group and discussed the situation with my partner, I called you to explain the situation. We spoke for approx. 6 minutes during which I apologised that the group’s behaviour had impacted you, explained I had visited the tent and seen no sign of drug taking, received no other complaints and that I was confident that the group had taken the message regarding respecting other campers on board. I also explained that I had suggested to the group that they would be better not returning to the site, but did not feel I could force them to leave on the basis of both their behaviour and the evidence I had before me. I finished the call by reassuring you that I would be conducting walk-arounds later and also that I lived on site and would be able to respond to the emergency line all night.
• Between 2230 and 2245 I did a walk around and the site was quiet
• Between 2315 and 2330 I did a further walk around and the site was quiet (on one of these walk arounds I saw someone leaving their tent with a rucksack, which may have been you leaving the site, though your tent was still on the pitch the following morning so I was not sure)
• At 0000 I walked to the edge of the campsite and all was quiet.
• To date, I have received no other complaints regarding the behaviour of this group and have had no engagement with the police

I understand that it was upsetting for you to have your holiday impacted by other campers who you believed were behaving inconsiderately, and I am sorry that this experience has soured your stay with us.

However, your assertion that we did not respond to your concerns is simply wrong. The suggestion that we did not take appropriate steps to protect the safety and well-being of our guests is incorrect and potentially damaging to our business. Your expressed hope that ‘new management can be brought in’ to ‘improve’ the campsite is personally insulting to Linda and myself who, as the founders and owners of the business have worked hard over the last 10 years to create a campsite that we are proud of and which gives many people many happy memories each year. Finally, your request for refund and compensation are entirely without basis and, as such, will be disregarded.

This is a very busy time of year for our small, family-run business and this matter has taken up far too much time already. However, I wanted to make sure that we provided a full and truthful response to the concerns raised in your review.

Given the time taken to date on this matter, I will not reply to your email requests for payment of compensation, or engage in any further correspondence with you.

Fergus

Thanks for taking the time to review us, we are glad you had a wonderful time on site and hope to welcome you back

thanks for your review