Goodwood Revival (By L'oreal?
) Meeting 11th - 13th September
Not an event on my horizon. But I now understand why Beaulieu Autojumble took the chance to take a pace forward in the calander of weekends, to clash with The Great Dorset Steam Fair. It knows from feedback it cannot clash with Goodwood and survive. So despite giving up its traditional weekend of the second weekend in September to Goodwood, its better to be an adjacent weekend and feed off the same punters. How will this go down with the GDSF? While it might not attract Beaulieu's punters in full numbers, GDSF does attract the stallholders? What I do not know is if Goodwood is offering an autojumble area. If it is not, might it see the benefits of doing so, now there is a free, and traditional, jumbling weekend. Could the Beaulieu Autojumble find itself between a rock and a hard place. Only time will tell, but the new boy on the block appears to have kicked sand in the old beach bullies eyes.
For our little world it means that September's first two weekends have really become rather difficult. As it is also the traditional time for the National Microcar Rally. In an ideal world Goodwood, Beaulieu Autojumble and the GDSF are all events that need avoiding to ensure a good attendance for a National, particularly from the south of England. This has been proven in the pasr. Go later in September and its not school holidays, the weather falls away and evening draw in. August Bank Holiday is traditionally DWAC's weekend, though few Brits seem to trouble to go any-more, and has been untouchable since the start of the National.
So if this is to be the future case, is the National Rally really ever going to come as far south as it has in the past? For having it, say, near Newbury, will be pointless, if the Southern attendance is increased by only a few, at the expense of the more likely attendance from more stations north of proven reliability. Is the National a more northern event, as has been the general drift?
Yet the 10 days of the three big events should be a huge draw for our continental chums. So tagging the National into that period might well see some take up from abroad. Not confrontational dates, but dates offering a continued menu of vehicular activities. that would mean, probably, a reasonably accessible venue, for the National, to the other events and the Channel crossings. One could even be left field and use a venue midweek taking up the dead days between Beaulieu/GDSF and Goodwood offering a conveniently placed secure parking area for classics left behind on either weekend! I can imagine some very entertaining evenings resulting.
Following on from that thought it becomes clear that given a habitually more northerly National, the Bath Rally really does become very important if there is to be Microcar activity in the South West, possibly even the South in its entirety. It being the lone extended weekend event most years recently, down here. Yet this year Bath was really supported by a group from up country, another from Essex and those from Devon and Cornwall. Off the closer area only the Southampton area really showed up in numbers. The locals were conspicuous by there absence, as was the South coast. Talking to Wynford an attendance of 35 cars is the minimum that the accounts can really accommodate. A reduction in day visitors this year was noted, the other earner. So Bath continues, but it is near the edge, and really needs more support.
Yet reports from events seem to confirm that unless there is something special going on, 30 cars is a normal showing, with often a fair few folk attending with no car. So Bath is not unusual, or if it is, its in getting that few extra folk along. The one off Ken Piper do, by contrast, has some 60 Schmitts booked in. Proof, if it were needed, that the support is there for a better quality event - traditional run, reception, beef roast and barn dance, showing area and more, all in private grounds.
All the above is done with minimal advertising or media support. Unlike the three big Southern September dates. Its no competition as to who is going to collect those not within the easy reach of Microcar Club information. So if this is a trend set, then it would seem that Bath might be more the saviour of Microcars in the South, than the National Rally. In effect a better Bath would offer the National its sloppy seconds, if it were to re-engage some enthusiasts down here. More so than relying on a National coming south of the Cotswolds, say, for one year, to revitalize an area during just the time of greatest distraction. Its all food for thought.
As is the option of escaping the stiff competition at the end of summer and replace the September date with one in May, or even April.
