Caravan holidays
I'm not sure if they still do this, but in the 90's The Sun newspaper used to have an offer where you'd collect a certain amount of tokens and pay about £8 per person for a weeks stay in a caravan park off season.
My family and I did this for about seven years in a row in the October half term.

Myself, my two brothers, my Mum, my Mum's best friend, her three children and my Nan used to all pile into my parents VW van and spend what used to feel like an eternity driving to a seaside resort somewhere in Britain. Once we even visited the exotic land of leeks and sheep, the very wet but very lovely Wales.
There would be a packet of chocolate éclairs to nibble on and a chorus of "are we there yet?" We'd probably get lost at some point and someone was always car sick due to over excitement and sweets.

Our days would be spent walking through woods in our wellies, visiting outdoor adventure parks and a few times we went to farms and got pumpkins for carving. If there was a beach near by we'd always go for a walk there. I actually can't remember being on a beach in the summer until I was a teenager. They're not places I associate with sunshine!
One of my favourite memories is of me being wrapped in a big winter coat, the salt air chilling my nose as I hunted for fossils in Lyme Regis.

The evening entertainment would consist of some form of variety act. I'm sure you know the kind of thing I mean. A minor celebrity, a shit magician and singing girls wearing red coats and far too much make up. Luckily for me this wasn't my family's idea of a good night. So, instead we'd play bingo with my Nan or we'd be given a shiny pound coin to spend in the run down arcades.

There seems to have been a lot of hatred of people who can't afford the better things in life on this QOTW so what I'm trying to say is yes, caravan parks seem to be the holiday choice of the lower classes, some of the places we stayed in had definitely seen better days and a whole family wearing shell suits wasn't an uncommon site.
But, those cheap holidays gave me a chance to run around outside and actually be a child. I got to see some beautiful parts of Britain, I got to spend time with my family and I consider my self very lucky that I have some extremely happy memories of innocent fun.

If going on cheap caravan holidays makes me common, then I have no problem with that at all.
( wanderlust, Tue 21 Oct 2008, 17:45, 9 replies)

No No Wander
Caravan holidays FTW.

I don't hate people who can't afford better things. An England Football top, sovereign ring and thick gold chain do not come cheep, but you are still as common as mud if you wear them.
( Mrs Entity is in hiding., Tue 21 Oct 2008, 18:00, closed)

yes but this is about common people
it is quite clear reading such a heart warming tale of close family ties and the simple delights of spending time being at one with nature, neither you or your family are in any way common

if you were, you'd have burnt the fucker
( spimf ™ is whoever you want him to be, Tue 21 Oct 2008, 18:09, closed)

Oh yes, we did that too,
only I was the Mum dragging the family along.

One time we went to New Quay in Wales in the last week of October and when we arrived all the kids jumped in the freezing sea with their clothes on, and it took the rest of the week to dry their togs out.

All the attractions were preparing to close down for the winter and would let in the younger kids free. The beaches were empty and the kids were safe to roam.

Happy days.
(Juan Quar is clinging to her front teeth on, Tue 21 Oct 2008, 18:12, closed)

fossil hunting in Lyme Regis!
*wears t-shirt proudly*
(happylittletulip helpless and delicious, Tue 21 Oct 2008, 18:14, closed)

camping
despite being able to afford to bugger off to parts foreign for my hollybobs, i still like nowt more than buggering off in my old VW van for a few days at a campsite in England... all human life, as they say, is here. You want to see a splendid mix of what (by the views on here) as commoners mixing it with the middle classes, i recommend Durdle Door campsite - like Stalin's holiday camp, perfectly aligned static caravans as far as the eye can see, tents, vans - and in the on site bar, an excellent chance of bingo winged gin queens hoarsely proclaiming their drunken love for any one and everyone that gets in arse-pincing range. Bloody marvellous.
On the other hand, there's caravan club sites; caravans with awnings like conservatories, complete with satellite dish, patio heaters, sofas, and on one memorable occasion a roll-up white picket fence. And it has to be said they seem less than keen on a bright orange VW turning up full of giggling occupants who proceed to get gigglingly (but quietly) drunk amongst them...

cnuts.
(micky2shoes has more shoes than feet, Tue 21 Oct 2008, 18:40, closed)

What is 'common' anyway?
You are right, having no money doesn't equate to being of lesser social value. Thank you for providing a timely reminder of humanity back into this week's quite grimy question. What is 'common' anyway? Is it an expression of the coarse equation in our minds that poor=uneducated=antisocial=a big fat fail at life? Anyone, regardless of wealth and education can be ill-mannered and anti-social.

Being fairly new to these shores I doubt I will ever really get my head around the (so often self imposed) stratification of British society.

But as for caravan holidays, big Yay there! One of the nicest holidays I have ever been on in this country is to a caravan park on the Cornish coast with a large group of friends. All we did was cook, eat, drink, laugh, and play silly games around the dunes. Brilliant, and cost us absolutely bugger all.
(AmiBambini, Tue 21 Oct 2008, 20:15, closed)

top!
I much preferred the knackered caravan parks to the swankly hotels as a kid. There was just so much more freedom, and yeah like you I got to see a lot of places most people wouldnt. Exploring was great!

*clicks*
(shamen Geekius Maximus, Tue 21 Oct 2008, 22:04, closed)

Caravan holidays
I know the talk is supposed to be about being common, but the best thing about having a holiday in a caravan is taking all the cushions off the settees, taking off the hardboard and finding the stuff that gets hidden there. Caravan holidays aren't the same if you take your own duvet along with you; you have to use the old damp blankets that they provide.
I used to teach a lad who was challenged in the height stakes (I'm old...in my day he was called a midget!) He got a job when he left school helping to fit out caravans cos he could get into places that no one else could!
(Aggers and Jonners, Tue 21 Oct 2008, 22:06, closed)

yes
I used to go on caravan holidays too. Not "common" at all in my opinion. We used to go because we couldn't afford to go overseas. I think there is a VERY big distinction between being "common" and being "poor/not well off".

Common is more about the attitude while you do something. I think...
(Mr.Dog was in love again on, Wed 22 Oct 2008, 20:53, closed)