From the Chairman

Hi Everyone.

I hope you are all well and looking forward to a great camping season ahead - it certainly will be a welcome change from the various weather events that have challenged us in 2020 so far! Looking ahead we're nearly there, we start our 2020 Meets in just a weeks time so here's an early season update and some important 2020 dates for your diary.

Due to the current weather issues, please also keep in touch with us via our website or Facebook pages, for any last minute alterations to any of our planned meets or events.

Meet #1: Car Colston.

Friday 13th March takes us to Car Colston with the added bonus of being adjacent to the excellent Royal Oak Pub, sitting opposite one of England's largest village greens, complete with log fire and serving good food and beer. Dogs are welcome and the pub enjoys an excellent 4.5/5 rating on TripAdvisor. The site also enjoys a 5/5 rating as a Camping and Caravanning Club CS so all in all this should be a good Meet to kick-off 2020.

Crazy Card Night: Marton & Gate Burton

Make a note for our first "event"Meet of the season at Marton and Gate Burton, 27th -29th March, for our "Crazy Card Night" in the hall on site. This will be a fun evening and there is absolutely no need to understand how to play cards, everything will be explained on the evening. If you wish to to take part you will each need to bring three prizes, these should consist of:

• One prize of no more than £2.00 in value

• One prize of no more than £1.00 in value

• An item from your home that you no longer want but may be of use to someone else

It's a fun night so we tend to see imaginative and amusing prizes and everyone goes home with three prizes at the end of the evening, so bring a bag! Of course everyone is most welcome for the evening even if cards is not your thing.

Easter 2020: Hutton Le Hole, North York Moors

Our Easter Meet is once again at the picturesque Hutton le Hole, North Yorkshire. There is plenty to see and do in the local area within the beautiful North York Moors National Park, as well as visits further afield to Whitby, Robin Hoods Bay, Scarborough and of course York.

We will also be holding socials Saturday and Sunday nights in the village hall which is in very easy walking distance to the site. There is a pub, cafe and tea rooms as well as several gift and craft shops all within the village. The site is also next to the Ryedale Folk Museum which is well worth a visit. The meet will open at 3.00pm on Thursday 9th April and close at 3.00pm on Tuesday 14th April.

**AGM 2020** Ashover, Show Ground

The Sheffield DA Annual General Meeting will be held at Ashover Village Hall on Saturday 25th April 2020 with a 2.00pm prompt start.

The AGM is conveniently planned for the camping weekend at Ashover (24th - 26th April) so remember to bring your valid membership card to be admitted into the meeting. This is the meeting where you can have your say on the running of the DA, and also it would be good for the DA if we can fill any vacant spaces on the committee with new or old faces and ideas. So if you would like to help the DA and be on the committee please let it be known either before the AGM or on the day.

I will also be putting a photo slide show together as a review of 2019 so if you have any photos of members taking part in some of our events or some of the sites and you would like these photos to be included, please email them to me ASAP.

More details on evening entertainment in the hall at Ashover will follow but please make a note and support the AGM.

Things to note

The early May public holiday 2020 will be on Friday 8th May in order to coincide with the 75th anniversary of VE Day.

To reflect this change, Sheffield DA will host the May bank holiday events at Darley Dale, running from Wednesday 6th to Sunday 10th where we will include VE75 themed celebrations including a "Street Party" with a VE Day theme and prizes for best decorated table and VE Day themes costume, so get your thinking caps on.

In addition to the VE75 events there will be the usual May Day Meet fun programme of family sports, CCY Penny Fair, evening entertainment in the marquee and a family walk to round off what should be an excellent weekend.

The good news is that exclusively for 2020, Sheffield DA is delighted to have secured an extended 5-day meet at Osmaston Polo Ground from Friday 1st to Wednesday 6th May so we can still enjoy this lovely weekend Meet.

This allows members the opportunity to enjoy a peaceful extended few days in this 'chocolate box' Derbyshire village with a truly wonderful village pub serving-up an excellent menu and beer garden; take a circular parkland strolls around the lovely adjacent Osmaston estate; easy access to the market town of Ashbourne and a perfect gateway to the stunning White Peak beyond.

Extending the weekend Meet to 5-days allows those who wish to enjoy a few more days and lead into the bank holiday weekend with a convenient Wednesday changeover from Osmaston to the early May bank holiday meet at Darley Dale.

If you require any further information on these meets or any other meets please contact me or visit our website

That's all for now, hope to see you all soon.

Iain.