ALL MAJOR CAMPSITES CLOSED FOR 2008

[DelBoy]

Having said that I didn't enjoy the company of the tossers in the big truck this year either so perhaps I should just stay home until the Classic 

Thats probably the only good thing to come out of all this - where will THEY be pitching??

And like others, I don't fancy BSJ either.  The 'Action' at LM (for me) is in two categories:  1) The social side which has improved dramatically the last few years, and 2) the track action.  In the course of the week, I go to the village/grandstands maybe a dozen times, and my old bones would find it hard to make that trek from BSJ.

Regarding KN - I thought it was very good a few years back when I stayed on there - we got in with the Danes, had free meals with them, and use of their 'hospitality' area (TVs, Bar etc), and it's about the same distance as MB.  The only problem was that we had JK blaring away a couple of hundred feet away - but that was solved by going out to the pub!! But didn't I hear somewhere on here that KN has now been virtually taken over by the Danes/other big outfits??

Also, I liked Expo - provided you can get away from the cattle sheds.  You couldn't get much closer to the village, there's a bar right outside the entrance, facilities are good for both filling, emptying and cleaning the body, and is quite secure as it's fenced and you have to show a ticket to get in, even walking (at least on race days).  As far as I know, there are no marked pitches, so a good spot could be reserved by early arrivers.  In fact, if MB is to be denied us ever again, I think I might head back there next year.  (Cue Werner for comment...)

Del

[Piglet]

Having said that I didn't enjoy the company of the tossers in the big truck this year either so perhaps I should just stay home until the Classic 

Thats probably the only good thing to come out of all this - where will THEY be pitching??

Knowing my luck, they'll be opposite me, wherever I end up 

[Paddy_NL]

Okey dokey boys and girls....I've just spoken to Guy who runs White Rabbit Racing which is linked out of Pistonheads.

He has an area of 15,000 square metres on BSJ this year, this will include private toilets, showers, water, security etc.   

Thanks for the effort Piglet, I'll discuss this with the others and see what the general idea is. Bleu Nord is in a more ideal situation as for reachability for the Party, but Beausejour gives me a safer feeling (even though that's the only place wherever there was anything stolen from me at Le Mans).
We'll keep in touch!

[Leftie]

Having said that I didn't enjoy the company of the tossers in the big truck this year either so perhaps I should just stay home until the Classic 

Also, I liked Expo - provided you can get away from the cattle sheds.  You couldn't get much closer to the village, there's a bar right outside the entrance, facilities are good for both filling, emptying and cleaning the body, and is quite secure as it's fenced and you have to show a ticket to get in, even walking (at least on race days).  As far as I know, there are no marked pitches, so a good spot could be reserved by early arrivers.  In fact, if MB is to be denied us ever again, I think I might head back there next year.  (Cue Werner for comment...)

Hi Del,

We always try to camp on Expo having experienced BSJ and BN in recent years. Failing getting Expo, would prefer BN.

Regarding 'security' , I think Werner can back me up here if I say it's fairly good. But when thousands are camped, there are always the dipsticks. We assisted in ejecting some for the last few years including their 'belongings'.

The centre field is wholly Danish and there are a decent bunch. We had a laught last year by changing thier tent numbers!!! I know it was childish, but hey.....................

[mgmark]

We were on KN for a few years next to the Brethren when, after the demolition of the banking and then the increasing invasion of KN by the corporates and the Danish bus tours, we decided to try BN last year. 

With the exception of our one theiving pikey incident (which was as much to do with our chap being so neat in in his camping habits), we found it to be great - excellent atmosphere, plenty of other CAers there, and highly convenient for the track, the grandstands and for Arnage village and further afield.  Acknowledged that security may be a bigger issue there for DfH than the normal happy camper, but perhaps only marginally more so than MB.  Get in early enough and bag a big space in the far corner up by the airfield fence and then that's at least one side reasonably protected.   Pitches were not numbered last year, so you can get plenty of spaces together when you arrive early enough; the layout of the fire lanes (which were pretty rigidly enforced) might give you a long rectangular site rather than a sqaure one though.

MG Mark

[knetter]

Pitches will be marked and numbered this year on BN, which makes it a bit of a problem where to pitch. paddy and I just have major concerns about roaming pikeys and all the expensive sound equipment we bring along. The atmosphere amongst campers will probably be the same as on MB. So we are not worried to much. Just the party is a bit of a shot in the dark for us, not knowing the site and where we will be pitching up.

[Barry]

We were on Bleu Nord in 2006.

Reasonable site but needs more toilet/shower facilities, also had problems with very differcult officials telling me where to camp.

Fire lanes enforced, so the largest pitch possible will only be 2 pitchs wide in the area we were camped.

Security did not seem to be a problem,duirng the week, however I had to return to get something from the tent at midday on the Sunday, and the gate officials had already buggered off. There was already signs on pikie transits cruising.

If using this site I would say that once the race starts it is essential that everything except for tents is locked in cars/vans or certainly in the case of tables and chairs hidden from sight.

[E36GUY]

Hello everyone. Just thought I would pop in and say hello. Had an interesting conversation with a couple of your members yesterday. Pretty sure I can help solve your problems. Looking forward to hearing from the powers that be to discuss!

Cheers

Guy

www.whiterabbitracing.co.uk

[Piglet]

Hi Guy, nice to see you made it over here 

[Jay (Team Cannonball)]

BSJ is truly massive and with you guys that turn up on Sun/Mon you would have the pick of the space - this seems like the logical thing to do and BSJ is not that far from the action its an illusion, just make sure you have a beer scooter when you walk back. We rocked up last year on the thursday afternoon and were able to get a truly massive pitch right at the front (not sure if we were on the three car part but nobody questioned us and we did have 4 passes between us).

We have been on BSJ for the last three years and am happy to answer questions. Termie is right the oneway system was a complete screw up which was made worse by the mud. Hopefully they will have learned from there mistakes. The only other downside last year was the demise of the shithouse family who were replaced by a woman in a van a few times a day. By sunday it was pretty grim.

[E36GUY]

BSJ is truly massive and with you guys that turn up on Sun/Mon you would have the pick of the space - this seems like the logical thing to do and BSJ is not that far from the action its an illusion, just make sure you have a beer scooter when you walk back. 

This is not strictly true Jay. I think you might have lucked out with your spot.  Yes BSJ is massive but it is now also zoned with low level fencing and manned gates. The frenchies have tried to put the space to better use but they have just ended up pissing everyone off. What they now do is open the first section nearest the entry on Weds. Pack that to bursting point then open the next, pack that and so on until eventually the whole place is full. I had a private place for White Rabbit Racing in the back corner nearest the trees last year and they wouldn't let me in when the first convoy tipped up at dawn on the Wednesday. Took my shouting at them and waving my contracts and a lot of moustachoed haw haw hawing and eventually the opened the gates and let us through. Next convoy had the same problem until eventually the Pierres recognised the logos on the cars!

What this zoning meant however, is that the hardcore that showed up on Weds and tried to bag space for their mates got squeezed in and thus, mates joining them on Thurs/Fri couldn't get anywhere near. I heard a lot of stories like this after LM07 from a lot of disgruntled people!

Personally, I have tried several campsites and tbh, all this talk about which is best is nonsense. Ok I grant you some are less of a walk but, put it realistically, how many times are you going to walk back and forth? Once each way probably when you think about it. Or do what I do and get a ticket for parking vert then drive back and forth. That's easy when the race is actually on and the traffic has cleared. The atmosphere on any of the campsites is equal to the other and if anything, BSJ now has one of the best if you ask me.

BSJ also has the added benefit of being very close (through the trees dodging marshalls fun) from one of the fastest points of the track where I was lucky enough to witness Scuderia Ecosse crashing out in 06. See this video for some awesome night shots that I took back in 2006. If you can't be arsed to sit through the whole thing go to 16 mins 44secs.

BSJ is also spitting distance from Arnage where the atmosphere boozing on the main road from one of many bars watching the amazing kit cruising by is great. And it's only a 20 min walk up to the fairground now.

3 cheers for BSJ......

[Dobbo]

Hi guys. Better outlook regarding Houx Annexe, which might be of interest to some of you. I run a small agency and we had some tickets allocated there yesterday (with the downsizing I wasn’t actually expecting any). There looks to be some hope for those that requested HA through the ACO. For DFH and co, you could try phoning some of the other agents asap as some of them have HA available at present (Team Langoustine, Select, Travel Destinations as far as I know). For info, we received a very limited allocation on Maison Blanche, slashed from what it was in 2007. Instead we have been allocated many more in Bleu Nord, obviously echoeing what has happened to the majority. In terms of timings for issuing of invoices, when I spoke with the ticket office last week I was told that Houx Annexe and Karting Nord weren’t yet on their booking system (due to uncertainty over how much space they were going to loose) which was holding the entire process up. Houx Annexe is obviously now live so they are just waiting on Karting Nord. They indicated that this would take another 3 or 4 weeks.

[Kev_mk3]

Hi guys. Better outlook regarding Houx Annexe, which might be of interest to some of you. I run a small agency and we had some tickets allocated there yesterday (with the downsizing I wasn’t actually expecting any). There looks to be some hope for those that requested HA through the ACO. For DFH and co, you could try phoning some of the other agents asap as some of them have HA available at present (Team Langoustine, Select, Travel Destinations as far as I know). For info, we received a very limited allocation on Maison Blanche, slashed from what it was in 2007. Instead we have been allocated many more in Bleu Nord, obviously echoeing what has happened to the majority. In terms of timings for issuing of invoices, when I spoke with the ticket office last week I was told that Houx Annexe and Karting Nord weren’t yet on their booking system (due to uncertainty over how much space they were going to loose) which was holding the entire process up. Houx Annexe is obviously now live so they are just waiting on Karting Nord. They indicated that this would take another 3 or 4 weeks.

email sent to yourself Dobbo 

[Chrisgr31]

We have camped on Expo for a number of years (at least 5 now).  It is a bit more civilised now, and has even gained a few showers!

However last year you didn;t need a race ticket to enter and exit the campsite, just walked straight in and out.  There were a few years when at race time you were given a ticket leaving the campsite, which you needed to present next time you came in.

Anyway suppose I'll find out soon where I am going!