Dear Members,

 

It’s with great pleasure for me to be able to act as Chairman of The Derbyshire Centre of the Caravan and Motorhome Club for the 2023/24 period along with a great line up of both experienced committee members and ralliers, along with those just starting out. We’re all in this together!

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A little bit of our rallying background to indulge you all with…..

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I started rallying at just 3 weeks old and then pretty much every weekend after that until my mid-teens with my parents in the North Yorkshire Centre. After moving away from the North East in 2008 myself and Helen soon purchased our first Elddis Caravan and started our memories in our own “wobble box”. This was a start to a whole new experience for Helen and to make things a little more challenging, for a period of time in-between moving properties we had to move in and live in our caravan for several months along with our 2 cocker spaniels at the time Mel and Tom. This was a make-or-break time and when you have lived in a small caravan together, literally on top of one another for that sort of time and you’re still here to tell the tale means she found the bug and we haven’t looked back.

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In 2011 our circumstances changed as we became Landlord and Landlady of our local pub The 19th Hole in Buxton, which for almost 7 years turned our beloved “wobble box” into a square wheeled storage box. When we left the pub, we purchased new round wheels and started our love of caravanning again. Shortly after this we decided to try our hand at a new Motorhome and enjoyed rallying with this over the next 4 years until the Covid pandemic struck and forced a huge demand for Motorhomes, so we decided to trade in and go back to the “wobble box”.

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This year see’s us celebrate our 15th year membership of both the CAMC and Derbyshire Centre. We have made so many friends along the way it has become a massive part of our life and we look forward to each and every rally we attend. However, these days we are joined with our not so little Rally Buddy TJ, Cocker Spaniel Flash and the new addition Mini Sausage Dog Frankie Malc.

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I look forward to serving you all along with my members of committee and with the amazing rally programme we have to look forward to for the next year, giving us more opportunities to meet our friends old and new, I’m sure it will be a good one.

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I will be promoting an open and honest culture and will be encouraging my committee to speak freely with members on topics we discuss. I also encourage you, our members to come forward with any suggestions you may have for us to take away and discuss at our meetings to help make our centre better than ever.

Remember, it’s your centre not ours! We are just representing it on your behalf.

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To finish, I have decided to choose The Air Ambulance as my official Chairman’s Charity as I feel this is a well-deserved charity supporting the whole of our county and beyond which could be needed by any of our members. However, in the current economic climate with people’s finances stretched more recently, I’d rather encourage members to support rallies and not feel obliged to give what they may not have. I will not be aiming to reach a target for my charity and adapt more of “something is better than nothing approach”….also remembering donations can also be made to support the centre progress too.

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So, until I get chance to meet you on the rally field, share a drink at the social or join you on one of the major events. I wish you all the best for our year ahead.

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Stay Safe and Happy Rallying.

 

Scott Wanless

Derbyshire Centre Chairman 2023/24