Car Show attendance requirements

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I've just had the following from the JDC regarding the Laverstoke Park display over the August Bank Holiday.

"This year the Club will be attending Car Fest South, which is being held at Laverstoke Park in Hampshire over the August Bank Holiday weekend (28th to 30th August). The organisers have reduced Car Club entry to 5 cars per Club and the cost is a non-refundable £60 for one car and two people per day.

Before deciding if you wish to attend, please note that the organisers have informed us that you must arrive between 7am-9am on Friday and 7am - 8am on Saturday and Sunday and you will not be permitted to leave until 7.30pm. Anyone who arrives late will not be permitted entry until after 12.30 pm and at the discretion of the organisers. There is a no refund policy as a Club we have to pay in advance and the tickets are non-transferable.

If you would like to attend please contact the office by return, with your payment details and day/s you would like to book."

I haven't put my car on display for some years since moving to France but in the day we were invited, got free admission, and they were quite free and easy about when we should turn up, although we all tried to play ball and be as early as a hangover permitted. I've experienced this many times at the Silverstone Classic, at Tatton Park, Donington and many other venues. The above seems to me to imply that the organisers are doing us a great favour, that our cars aren't really needed but that we will pay through the nose to help them out. Is this the usual form of things these days and are people falling over themselves to pay out £120 per couple just to park their car?

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Thanks for enlightening me Surveyor. I had no idea that times had changed so much over the years. And as you say, if it is for charity, the complexion changes, although I always wonder just what percentage actually finds its way to the needy.

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Well, 25% then reaches the charity and is to be applauded, but forgive me as one who likes digging, but where does the other 75% go? I assume the site is freely offered, that the majority of helpers are volunteers (or so it says on the site), and then there are usually concessions - who pay dearly to attend which reflects in the price of food etc. - and so on. I'm not criticising the raising of money, on the contrary I applaud it, but perhaps it is just me, I want to know where my hard-earned money goes to. If 10,000 people spend £65 each just for entry over the three days, ignoring the car clubs and all else, we are already looking at £650,000 per event so all in all with the clubs and concessions we are looking at figures running into millions, so if hypothetically the final sum is £2 million then £1,500,000 goes in expenses. I tried looking for the accounts on line but couldn't find them. I am sure they are available somehow though. I'd just like to prove myself wrong. Suspicious nature me.

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Tend to agree with you Toni, but then as someone who quit the club due to differences with the management it was ever thus. Although, in this instance, to be fair I would guess that the tone of the email has come from the organisers, not the club itself. If they are making over a million themselves, who cares? Somebody will want to turn up and take the place. We are now but the cannon fodder.