Billing Tomorrow - what time does it start?
Discussion
Just back from a great day. We paid for the off-road course when we got there - there was no need to queue. The magazine would have you book slots but whilst that was maybe appropriate for Saturday, it wasn't necessary today.
It was great though. I went with my friend who has a Disco-3, and what a simply awesome car it is. Our your boys sat in te back watching Bob the Builder on DVD as we negotiated the course. An "extreme" DEfender got stuck in front of us and had to be winched out. When it was our turn we just ploughed through ON ROAD TYRES. That is some car. It's like a Limo that can defy physics.
The rest of the show was typical - some good, some not so but the car park and caravan park was excellent. The attendees brought along some seriously interesting metal with them.
I've come away from the show with a Toylander set of build instructions. I think I'm going to be hard at work over the Winter building one for my boy.
http://www.reallifetoys.co.uk/
It was great though. I went with my friend who has a Disco-3, and what a simply awesome car it is. Our your boys sat in te back watching Bob the Builder on DVD as we negotiated the course. An "extreme" DEfender got stuck in front of us and had to be winched out. When it was our turn we just ploughed through ON ROAD TYRES. That is some car. It's like a Limo that can defy physics.
The rest of the show was typical - some good, some not so but the car park and caravan park was excellent. The attendees brought along some seriously interesting metal with them.
I've come away from the show with a Toylander set of build instructions. I think I'm going to be hard at work over the Winter building one for my boy.
http://www.reallifetoys.co.uk/
I got down to Billing around 11am on Friday. I couldn't believe I didn't see a single other Land Rover on the run down from Nottingham and drove straight to the gate to pay.
I've not been to this event for a few years, not since it split into the 3 shows (is it 3?) and it was good but not as good as it used to be.
I thought the layout was very confusing and I'm not the only one who spotted some stands at the last minute that I'd not found after 5 hours of walking around.
I was surprised not to be able to find simple things like genuine early defender indicator side repeaters. Where was DLS - they always used to be there and had things like lights on the shelf.
And chairs - I was on a mission to buy a decent quality ballistic nylon/aluminium framed fold up chair and failed miserably to find anyone selling even cheap ones.
Is this because of the split and multiple Land Rover shows now? Is Billing not the show it used to be and is there a better one?
Having said all that, I had a nice day wandering around Land Rovers and Landy bits on my own. A bit of quality time I really enjoyed after a few years out of the scene.
I've not been to this event for a few years, not since it split into the 3 shows (is it 3?) and it was good but not as good as it used to be.
I thought the layout was very confusing and I'm not the only one who spotted some stands at the last minute that I'd not found after 5 hours of walking around.
I was surprised not to be able to find simple things like genuine early defender indicator side repeaters. Where was DLS - they always used to be there and had things like lights on the shelf.
And chairs - I was on a mission to buy a decent quality ballistic nylon/aluminium framed fold up chair and failed miserably to find anyone selling even cheap ones.
Is this because of the split and multiple Land Rover shows now? Is Billing not the show it used to be and is there a better one?
Having said all that, I had a nice day wandering around Land Rovers and Landy bits on my own. A bit of quality time I really enjoyed after a few years out of the scene.
I thought the layout confusing too. It seems you're supposed to follow the tiny triangular-flag type of signs (hand-written, all of them) for entrance into the show, except both entrances we found suggested it was an entrance for camping only, which didn't apply to us. We had to go in a "chance" being asked to go somewhere else. We weren't the only ones either. At least a half dozen people in front of us wondered around outside of the grounds before giving in and turning into the "camping" entrance.
Then, when inside the grounds, there was no indication where you could park. We didn't know you could just abandon your car in the camping ground. There didn't seem to be any normal car parking, at least none we could find by following the little flags. So we parked amongst the caravans.
Then when you're in the show, the various vendors weren't laid out in any manner that would enable you to start at one end and move all the way through, so we ended up criss-crossing through the tents and stores, often passing some we'd previously visited.
So, I agree, not well laid out. Perhaps a little plan of the place might have helped with the tickets but at the end of the day it was the first time I'd been to Billing and I enjoyed it nonetheless.
We went to the show at Malvern a couple of years back. The Counties Showground is a better layout, and enabled you to work through the show without becoming lost of having to pass previously-visited stands. There was an obvious car park outside of the show and a turnstile to get into the show, however one of the appealing features of Billing was that I could wonder around the car/caravan park and back into the show without passing a turnstile. As there were so many intersting cars parked in the car park (and that I am scouting for ideas for a caravan - Shhhh), the freedom to move around was actually better at Billing.
The Eastnor Castle off-road course, which was used for the Malvern show, is supposed to be a real trial. The Billing one was laid out such that no-one should get stuck (although one did in front of us), and was suitable for challenge vehicles as well as "shinies" according to the LRM magazine. This suited me, me being a Landy novice (and passenger), but I now fancy a go at the Eastnor Castle course.
Then, when inside the grounds, there was no indication where you could park. We didn't know you could just abandon your car in the camping ground. There didn't seem to be any normal car parking, at least none we could find by following the little flags. So we parked amongst the caravans.
Then when you're in the show, the various vendors weren't laid out in any manner that would enable you to start at one end and move all the way through, so we ended up criss-crossing through the tents and stores, often passing some we'd previously visited.
So, I agree, not well laid out. Perhaps a little plan of the place might have helped with the tickets but at the end of the day it was the first time I'd been to Billing and I enjoyed it nonetheless.
We went to the show at Malvern a couple of years back. The Counties Showground is a better layout, and enabled you to work through the show without becoming lost of having to pass previously-visited stands. There was an obvious car park outside of the show and a turnstile to get into the show, however one of the appealing features of Billing was that I could wonder around the car/caravan park and back into the show without passing a turnstile. As there were so many intersting cars parked in the car park (and that I am scouting for ideas for a caravan - Shhhh), the freedom to move around was actually better at Billing.
The Eastnor Castle off-road course, which was used for the Malvern show, is supposed to be a real trial. The Billing one was laid out such that no-one should get stuck (although one did in front of us), and was suitable for challenge vehicles as well as "shinies" according to the LRM magazine. This suited me, me being a Landy novice (and passenger), but I now fancy a go at the Eastnor Castle course.
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