National Microcar rally 2015

[Garybond]

I want be able to make it either as it corresponds with the Great Dorset Steam Fair

[Big Al]

That does not sound right. GDSF is traditionally a week before Beaulieu and many of the traders go from one to the other. GDSF is not such a great pull on the National Microcar owner, so it was an OK weekend to be having the National in the better weather, hopefully, longer evenings and school holidays. Indeed the sweet weekend to be having the event. I would suggest Beaulieu is on the wrong date, and they have chosen to go against GDSF for trade in a battle that need not occur.
 
When is Nettley Marsh and the Boat Jumble. Those were always on the same weekend and folk went to all of these over a weekend. I see that neither has a date, and in all probability have been taken by surprise that the traditional date has not been adhered to. I see Beaulieu continue to say they are the 'biggest outside' autojumble this side of the Atlantic. Mannheim is bigger and has been for a long old time. Though it might be more efficient in its use of space being nigh all on hard-standing thus a higher density of stands. So is there a good reason for this change or is Beaulieu continuing its arrogance, a reason many no longer attend after poor treatment?

Either way that is unhelpful to the Microcar event as it will have to work harder to pull folk up from the west country that habitually go to these events.  Bummer.

[super-se7en (Malc Dudley)]

Its their loss Al as its going to be a cracking event!

[Big Al]

Indeed, hopefully we can get folks wound up for it and make it one to remember. Baring probs I hope to drive a car there.

[richard]

I can believe it Malc , great idea having it run by Unusual micro owners too ! I cannot possibly think of how but I would have loved to have been involved in some way . Very few micro people will be at Beaulieu and I don't suppose that many in Dorset either so no great loss , just a shame .

[super-se7en (Malc Dudley)]

Regarding the comment made by al on another topic i would like to offer a new service at the national.
I would like to attract as many auto jumblers as possible but if you only have a couple of things to sell we are going to offer a stall where you can leave your items with a price tag and a contact number and we will sell them on your behalf. that way you can enjoy the national and pay for the day.

[Big Al]

Innovation, new ideas. This is the life blood of events. Bit like a Clockroom at a function. Sounds like a brilliant idea to me.
Minor charge on stuff sold? Such depends on the figures brought into forecast for the event.
 
I have wondered about an auction at the rally. The MOC have done this. I think its Wynford that is qualified to hold auctions, he certainly used to work in one.

Get the ads out that this event is popping and its the NEC this weekend I think, isn't it. Naff all distance from Hatton so a home game!

[Grant Kearney]

Get the ads out that this event is popping and its the NEC this weekend I think, isn't it. Naff all distance from Hatton so a home game!

All ready done.  NMCR stand built up today with a record number of rare microcars and now ready for the 'traditional' press day tomorrow.  Posters, flyers and invites for the 2015 NMCR are in place.  Malcolm Dudley and the team of volunteers will be kept busy over the next 3 days.

[Big Al]

So much better when there is action to stand behind. Now to work on some of those who are in the headlights of Beaulieu. There are folk down there perfectly capable of driving their cars up to Hatton, perhaps coalescing  into a convoy like old times. Unfortunately the Pied Piper of Wimborne is inconvenienced by health currently, none the less he is determined to go to the NEC. Get him to commit to attending and you will get quite a few others. Just in Schmitts there are some 15 runners down in that area! The MOC are failing to tempt them out by a WW1 strategy of a further frontal assaults on Kettering. I do not want to upset Frisky folk but making this a Messerschmitt special might well bring them out, capitalising on the lack of support for their own event.

[messyman]

judging from the early heads up b4 the show season starts it sounds like it may be an event that some one may see lord messy!!!!!!

[Big Al]

Mixed reviews on the NEC coming back. Chief gripe is why there is a car parking fee on this event making it rather expensive to attend as a punter. Well that is outside the control of the clubs and traders, but many folk I know get concessions from various sources and do not pay full price to get in. There were comments on some tired looking stands. One guy took a photo and had the same guys and cars in the same positions decided by a gap of some 15 years. Lets grow old at the NEC in effect. But then maybe they are one of a very small group who do a stand for what is not a not common car. It was rather amusing though. Depends whether you see doing the same things as comfy slippers, or change, moving on to other fresh fields, as better. We are not all the same.
Word is spreading about the National, so that is good. I am getting stuff all of anywhere on my idea, which is bad. Are entries to Hatton going to be on sale for Christmas? The Christmas Bubble Pudding Club, or some such. Great present for a Micronaut (and a weekend cleared away in full agreement at an early stage) and a nibble of pud on Sat night or something.

[Bob Purton]

I visited the NEC show last year for the first time and although I enjoyed it, the cost and the inconvenience of the travelling out weighed the enjoyment I derived from it. I think it was £10 to park the car, a bit of a rip off and its not even that near the buildings, a fair walk or a bus ride away. Still, it remains a popular show and Microcars are well represented there.

[DaveMiller]

NEC Classic Motor Show:
I guess we have to accept the costs for what they are, and make our own decisions on whether to attend.

The parking charge is set by (and paid to) the NEC, rather than the show organisers.  Some shows (eg the Motorhome and Caravan show, which I attend) have "free" parking, but that will simply mean that the organisers have paid the NEC.  They can afford to do that, because the occupants of each stand - eg the motorhome manufacturers - have paid the organisers fairly huge fees to have a stand.  With the Classic Motor Show, the organisers charge the clubs etc absolutely nothing to have a stand.

So, is the entry fee of twenty-odd quid too dear?  We'd all love to pay less, of course, but the practical answer has to be "obviously not": all eleven halls were packed, but walkable.  The organisers will set the price at a level where the place is buzzing, but not too full to enjoy, or be unsafe.  Clearly, they were spot on!

I was lucky enough to get in free, but could spend little time off-stand to see the rest of the show, and soon decided to have a day next year when I'm there to do my own looking around.  Even if it costs me!

[richard]

All rather a shame to bushwhack Malcolm's subject regarding the very POSITIVE news regarding the 2015 NMCR

[DaveMiller]

All rather a shame to bushwhack Malcolm's subject regarding the very POSITIVE news regarding the 2015 NMCR

Quite right, Richard - though I was there (at the NEC), along with a gang of others, specifically to promote the 2015 rally!
The attention that visitors gave to the NMCR stand was amazing - many of them, having forked out their twenty-odd quid, were happily spending half an hour looking and talking on just our stand.

As a Bond owner ( or owner of much of one ... :^)  ) you'll be interested to note that the traditional statement that "you need to kick start these, don't you" has morphed into "these are the ones where the front wheel turns through 180, so you can go backwards".  Two and three years ago, I got loads of the former, NONE of the latter; this year, it was about 8 kickstarts to 30 backwards. What has appeared in the last couple of years that those 30 people have been reading?
(And why don't they understand that that would be turning through 360?)