Can a stranger camp in your garden?

As campers descend on Clapham Common ahead of the wedding, another camping phenomenon has just launched, where you can pitch in a stranger’s garden for £10 a night Usually the only canvas to be seen on Clapham Common are the shelters erected by optimistic fisherman seated around the pond. But by tonight a temporary canvas village will have sprung up, complete with toilets, hot showers and of course, plenty of bunting. The gates to Camp Royale , which is billing itself as London’s Royal Wedding campsite, opened at midday Thursday. While the site has failed to reach its full capacity of up to 1,000, several hundred campers are expected by this evening, each paying £75 for a three-night stay. A few are forking out rather a lot more. A spokeswoman for Camp Royale said several of the maharaja-style tents, provided by Camp Kerala and offering proper beds with Italian mattresses and Egyptian cotton bedding, have been booked – the poshest for a mere £3,500. Whether campers are glamping or slumming it in a two-man, it will be a short stroll across the common to the garden party area where festivities – from fairground attractions to a Pimm’s bus and, of course, a giant screen for the live show – will kick off early on Friday morning. If the idea of pitching your tent in the midst of a three-day, Pimm’s-fuelled mass bender doesn’t appeal, how about the peace and quiet of a private garden? Campinmygarden.com is a new website inviting people to advertise their private garden to cash-strapped travellers. Owners can charge up to £10 a night to people who want to pitch on their lawn. At the time of going to press, two Londoners – one north of the river and one south – were advertising their gardens. Campinmygarden is pushing itself as the affordable accommodation alternative for sports events, festivals and exhibitions in the UK, although a quick mosey round the site reveals a distinct lack of gardens so far. However, founder Victoria Webbon is optimistic that the concept will take off. “I hope that one day there will be thousands of private gardens being offered as temporary campsites across the world,” says a quote on the site. Meanwhile, wheretosleep.co.uk , which launched this week, provides a more comfortable alternative to a hotel, offering short-term lets in private homes in 10 countries. This weekend it is advertising a couch in Westminster for £10 . Camping London United Kingdom Budget Travel websites Royal wedding guardian.co.uk

Posted by on April 28, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.