CarFest North - Christ on a bike; how much !!??

[snuffy]

I went to this boring load of cobblers 3 or 4 years ago now (I got in for nothing for taking my Aston Martin). Christ on a bike it's £72 for an adult for Saturday or Sunday. £7.20 would be nearer the mark, and then I'd have to think about it.

[droopsnoot]

Can I ask, did you get in for nothing because you're a member of a club that covers the cost of the tickets? Because a car club stand, for seven cars, last time I got them to even reply to an email, cost £550+vat. That includes some adult passes so it's actually not a bad deal if you have enough people and cars who wanted to go, but I've never seen a way where anyone gets in for nothing. So I just wondered if your club cover that.

I've been trying to get in to display my car since the first one at Cholmondeley, I've used the link on the site many many times, only ever got one reply, and the chap offered me a club stand at Carfest South when I'd asked him for an individual display spot at North, and explained why I needed it to be the North one. Didn't even bother trying last year, I doubt they're missing me and my car.

I went to the first one, that was £60 on the gate and it wasn't terrible, but the car content was a lot lower than at the Pageant of Power which back then was at the same venue (before Carfest moved). Also there was no paddock access during the day, only a small part of the track used, etc. etc. There was a lot more food, and if I'd been interested in staying for any of the bands in the evening, that would instantly have improved the value for money of course.

[snuffy]

droopsnoot said:

Can I ask, did you get in for nothing because you're a member of a club that covers the cost of the tickets? Because a car club stand, for seven cars, last time I got them to even reply to an email, cost £550+vat. That includes some adult passes so it's actually not a bad deal if you have enough people and cars who wanted to go, but I've never seen a way where anyone gets in for nothing. So I just wondered if your club cover that.

The year I went it was Aston's 100th anniversary so they wanted 100 Astons on each day. I went on the Sunday and only about 70 turned up. I certainly did not pay. Maybe the AM owner's club paid, but I've no idea about that.

I recall a mate was trying to get 7 cars (Noble) and when he could not get enough (5 or 6 he said would come) they told him to bugger off. I told him they just should have gone anyway (but he did not). When I went there were quite few car clubs that had less than 7 cars on the day. When I told him he about that he was livid.

[droopsnoot]

snuffy said:

I recall a mate was trying to get 7 cars (Noble) and when he could not get enough (5 or 6 he said would come) they told him to bugger off. I told him they just should have gone anyway (but he did not). When I went there were quite few car clubs that had less than 7 cars on the day. When I told him he about that he was livid.

One of my clubs was in a similar conversation. But closer to the day, they told us if we couldn't get seven cars that'd be OK, we could bring what we had. So of course, the first question we asked as "OK, so does the stand price come down pro-rata?" as it was £420 for the weekend back then. No response. I would imagine if your AM stand was for 100 cars and to celebrate an anniversary, then the rules would be different in that case, that's not the normal car club stand.

When I went to the first one, the club stands were quite poor (I think it was quite a late afterthought for the first one), several only had one or two cars, and I suspect that they'd paid pro-rata - I forget the cars involved, but I remember looking at them and thinking they wouldn't have paid the full price between two of them.

It's a pity the organisation for car club displays seems to be so poor, but then they sell loads of tickets and get lots of people there, so I guess it doesn't matter to them, and I have to remind myself that it's not a classic car show - it's really a small music festival, with a lot of food-related stuff and some car content.

I wonder if the attitude I've heard about is because the clubs I'm in aren't for Ferraris or the other kind of stuff that Mr Evans is interested in. Perhaps he (or the team, I doubt he does it personally) feels that the general public are more interested in the higher end or wilder stuff, and he might be right. But I do remember seeing quite a large stand of Austin Metros in the TV coverage of one year, so it can't *just* be about supercars.

Edited by droopsnoot on Monday 14th November 10:55

Edited by droopsnoot on Monday 14th November 10:57

[snuffy]

droopsnoot said:

.. and I have to remind myself that it's not a classic car show - it's really a small music festival, with a lot of food-related stuff and some car content.

That sums it up very well. That's exactly what I thought last time I went, i.e. it's a bloody food festival.

Over the years I've been to a few car shows (Pageant of Power, Tatton Park, Cars In The Park etc) and every time I come away thinking the same thing: "that was rubbish, I'm not going to one ever again". Then the AMOC (not that I was a member when I owned one) asked for 100 cars and you get in free. So I broke my own rule and after 2-3 hours I wanted to leave. I'm not making that mistake ever again !