What happens at the meet then?????

[bongomadness]

Being new to Bongo's and camping,and not ever been on a meet before of any description what can we expect from our weekend at Merley??????
I do sound very blonde but I am a bit of a nervous sort of person and wondered if it would be relaxed,regimental or a "right carry on"lol
Has this park been used before as the last time i went there it was an exotic bird attraction(god that was years ago),
I guess I am really trying to ask if everyone is nice !!

[mikexgough]

Being new to Bongo's and camping,and not ever been on a meet before of any description what can we expect from our weekend at Merley??????
I do sound very blonde but I am a bit of a nervous sort of person and wondered if it would be relaxed,regimental or a "right carry on"lol
Has this park been used before as the last time i went there it was an exotic bird attraction(god that was years ago),
I guess I am really trying to ask if everyone is nice !!

Let's just say........ It's great fun.... very relaxed and you get very nosey at what your other Meet Junkies have done to their Bongo's..... how they sleep in them, what conversion (if any)....awning they have, where they are from, the chaps tend to talk..... Coolant bleeding or bling... ...... All in all.....a good time is had by all and you meet folks from all over the UK....and some of the fun is translating their forum name to their real names...... mine is easy....some are not quite as....

[dandemann8]

Update your profile with your location

[mikeonb4c]

Being new to Bongo's and camping,and not ever been on a meet before of any description what can we expect from our weekend at Merley??????
I do sound very blonde but I am a bit of a nervous sort of person and wondered if it would be relaxed,regimental or a "right carry on"lol
Has this park been used before as the last time i went there it was an exotic bird attraction(god that was years ago),
I guess I am really trying to ask if everyone is nice !!

I was like you. I knew nothing about campervanning and v. little about camping, I had no idea what these people were like and I'd bought a Bongo for me and my family, not to get sucked into some weird owners club. But the members had been so helpful in talking me through buying one and I reckoned I needed to learn how to camp a la campervan, so I went to a meet. Never looked back. Great company and fantastic comradeship (most of them less weird than me ), and most of my Bongo camping outings centre around club meets because without the energy and effort some of them make in setting a date and booking to it, I know I'd never get round to camping on my own (my wife's not into it and the kids - my son excepted - are off on their own etc.)

Just go - you'll be very pleased you did. And if you make a complete mess of putting awnings up etc. don't worry - we all started like that, and people will help and give you loads of good tips.

Oh, and I find I'm still able to be private at these meets if I want. Everyone understands you may just enjoy busying yourself with cooking, fettling, reading, doing your own thing.

[francophile1947]

The meets are all about sex, drugs and rock & roll
Relax and enjoy them - everybody is really friendly

[missfixit70]

Have a look at some of the past meets in fancy meeting up & in the area forums, you'll get an idea, every meet is different.

[bongomadness]

The meets are all about sex, drugs and rock & roll

Thanks for all your replies....they have all made me feel a bit easier now!!
I will bring a load of coke and if somebody else could supply the puff that would be great lol
Joking!!

[bongomadness]

Update your profile with your location

Done !!

[francophile1947]

The meets are all about sex, drugs and rock & roll

Thanks for all your replies....they have all made me feel a bit easier now!!
I will bring a load of coke and if somebody else could supply the puff that would be great lol
Joking!!

Alas, so was I

[bongomadness]

I know I was just being silly lol

[Bob]

As the guys have said, it's pretty much whatever you want.

Join in with the crowd and you'll have a great time. We have made many great friends at the Meets, you can't go wrong.

[New Forest Terrier]

First meet I went to was Looe, two years ago. I was terrified that turning up with my bargain unconverted tintop, two man tent and a some festival kit, everyone would take one look and throw me out.

Instead I had a fantastic time. Got to know a lot of people and picked up on the Bongo vibe. Since then I have improved the camping kit level but same Bongo though. This has seen me through two drenchings in Wales, the Big Bash and last years Southern Softies, plus many others.

Having an AFT and awning starts you above my level anyway.

Ian always organises a superb walk to a pub lunch, well worth doing.Only bit of advice from last years. Stay clear of Crazy's calvados and cider. Before or after midnight it still bites

[Bongoplod]

Have a look at some of the past meets in fancy meeting up & in the area forums, you'll get an idea, every meet is different.

Good advice there from Kirsty,and you will see lots of photos and short vid clips of what goes on....loads of photos on northwest and yorks section meets too.

Brian

[Alison01326]

I have been to two camping meets and three day meets and all have been very relaxed and friendly. My husband has been with me for just one of each - the others it was just me and the boy but I was still happy to go knowing that some of the people I had already got to know would be there and confident that I'd enjoy myself. Each meet differs depending on who is actually there, where it is, who's organised it and the reason for organising it but as Kirsty says, there's a good record on here of past meets - photos an' all.

I'm nowhere near as brave in "real life" as I am on here, and my Bongo's nothing special (very special to me, but I haven't done anything to it). Although I can stand up in front of a room of 150 people and speak confidently, I find it very hard to walk up to an individual and say "Hello, I'm Alison and who are you?".

I followed advice on here somewhere about putting my forum name (and my real name -which aren't far different) inside my windscreen which helps everyone out, putting people to Bongos (if they ever are anywhere near them!). Many people do this, although some have their forum names on their Bongo or are organised enough to have had a numberplate style one made up to go over their number plate. I certainly helps remember who people are, but there will also be people there who do not use the forum so of course they only have real names. They are very nice too - I was camped beside one such couple at Looe and we had a good chat a couple of times a day!

You'll have a lovely time though and fit in straight away I'm sure. You asked if everyone is nice. Those I have met have been very nice and I'm thoroughly looking forward to going to Southern Softies. It's a bit off my patch, so I'm obviously getting more confident. Hoping to go to the National Bash too.

[missfixit70]

It's easy to find you at meets Alison, just got to look for the little Isaac shaped Tasmanian Devil