Pomeroy Trophy - Is it really closed to the great unwashed ?

[Nick M]

Having been to the Pomeroy Trophy at Silverstone in the past (some years ago admittedly), I thought I'd try and get along there this year as there is usually an interesting spread of cars taking part.

But after a little digging around for details it seems that you'll only get access to Silverstone if you're a member of the VSCC

Is this correct ? If I pitch up at the doors on the day and I likely to be turned away ?

And I guess it begs the question why.

[anonymous-user]

Nick M said:

Having been to the Pomeroy Trophy at Silverstone in the past (some years ago admittedly), I thought I'd try and get along there this year as there is usually an interesting spread of cars taking part.

But after a little digging around for details it seems that you'll only get access to Silverstone if you're a member of the VSCC

Is this correct ? If I pitch up at the doors on the day and I likely to be turned away ?

And I guess it begs the question why.

didnt realise it was a closed shop, cant really see why as its not like the VSCC to be that elitest, i find their meets and hillclimbs quite welcoming.

arent there a few business units around inside the circuit that you can visit? just turn up on the gate and say that you are visiting one of them? there used to bea GPR shop but i guess thats closed now?

[williamp]

I suspect you need to be a VSCC member to compete in the Pomeroy, although I cant see anything on the silverstone websit other then "headline events".

[Roy C]

pablo said:

Nick M said:

Having been to the Pomeroy Trophy at Silverstone in the past (some years ago admittedly), I thought I'd try and get along there this year as there is usually an interesting spread of cars taking part.

But after a little digging around for details it seems that you'll only get access to Silverstone if you're a member of the VSCC

Is this correct ? If I pitch up at the doors on the day and I likely to be turned away ?

And I guess it begs the question why.

didnt realise it was a closed shop, cant really see why as its not like the VSCC to be that elitest, i find their meets and hillclimbs quite welcoming.

The VSCC hold a range of events, but not all are open to the public. The "Pom", like many trials and rallies, is a not a public event and entry is only by membership card. Friends of Members are allowed to attend if accompanied by the Member.

The first time I went to the Pom, I wasn't a member and I didn't realise it was not open to the public, but security let us in. The guys on the gate now check everything, so you probably won't be so lucky.

Edited by Roy C on Thursday 15th January 09:59

[lord summerisle]

You could always volunteer to marshal. Dont have to be a member of the VSCC to do so. You'd be helping out the club and get close to the action too.

But its the same with alot of the Trails they hold - only open to VSCC members.

[Nick M]

Roy C said:

pablo said:

Nick M said:

Having been to the Pomeroy Trophy at Silverstone in the past (some years ago admittedly), I thought I'd try and get along there this year as there is usually an interesting spread of cars taking part.

But after a little digging around for details it seems that you'll only get access to Silverstone if you're a member of the VSCC

Is this correct ? If I pitch up at the doors on the day and I likely to be turned away ?

And I guess it begs the question why.

didnt realise it was a closed shop, cant really see why as its not like the VSCC to be that elitest, i find their meets and hillclimbs quite welcoming.

The VSCC hold a range of events, but not all are open to the public. The "Pom", like many trials and rallies, is a not a public event and entry is only by membership card. Friends of Members are allowed to attend if accompanied by the Member.

The first time I went to the Pom, I wasn't a member and I didn't realise it was not open to the public, but security let us in. The guys on the gate now check everything, so you probably won't be so lucky.

Edited by Roy C on Thursday 15th January 09:59

A bit of further digging suggests it's likely to be due to Public Liability Insurance - to keep the cost of the event down, it's cheaper if the organising club only needs PLI to cover competitors and guests, rather than every Tom, Dick and Harry who walks through the gate.

It's a 2 hour drive up there from deepest Essex, so I guess I'll give it a miss. Pity, as the ones I attended in the past had a real mix of cars, from Frazer Nashes to Subaru Imprezas, and a BDA engined Mk 3 Cortina !!

[rude-boy]

As said though why don’t you give them a call and offer to help marshal the event? You would love the experience and they would doubtless be grateful for every extra hand they can get.

I’ve been lucky enough to sign on at almost every event I’ve attended since I was old enough to and being the other side of the fence is a totally different experience, especially if you have work to do!


Go on, give it a whirl, hell you might find yourself a new hobble, getting dressed up in an orange romper suit and standing around at old WW2 airfields all day in all weathers for the sheer joy of it!

[Nick M]

rude-boy said:

As said though why don’t you give them a call and offer to help marshal the event? You would love the experience and they would doubtless be grateful for every extra hand they can get.

I’ve been lucky enough to sign on at almost every event I’ve attended since I was old enough to and being the other side of the fence is a totally different experience, especially if you have work to do!


Go on, give it a whirl, hell you might find yourself a new hobble, getting dressed up in an orange romper suit and standing around at old WW2 airfields all day in all weathers for the sheer joy of it!

To be honest, and at the risk of this sounding spectacularly ungrateful because I do appreciate the work marshalls do, I'd simply rather not.

I enjoy taking lots of photos at motor-racing events and I suspect that might just be ever so slightly incompatible with marshalling . Also, if I'm going to drive at least 2 hours each way then I'd prefer to do it on my own time-frame and not have to be there from dawn until dusk (slight exaggeration perhaps). Particularly if it's hissing down with rain and freezing cold !!

Basically, if I was going to do something as important as marshalling then I'd feel that I'd have to do it properly, and not just try and be an occasional fair-weather marshall. And I simply don't have the time to do that.

If that sounds a little selfish then I apologise, and as mentioned above, it's in no way intended to devalue the work that dedicated marshalls do at race meetings.

[hot metal]

Nick M said:

Having been to the Pomeroy Trophy at Silverstone in the past (some years ago admittedly), I thought I'd try and get along there this year as there is usually an interesting spread of cars taking part.

But after a little digging around for details it seems that you'll only get access to Silverstone if you're a member of the VSCC

Is this correct ? If I pitch up at the doors on the day and I likely to be turned away ?

And I guess it begs the question why.

Some guy won it in a rusting mk3 Cortina a few years back,put a few noses out of joint I think

[Nick M]

hot metal said:

Nick M said:

Having been to the Pomeroy Trophy at Silverstone in the past (some years ago admittedly), I thought I'd try and get along there this year as there is usually an interesting spread of cars taking part.

But after a little digging around for details it seems that you'll only get access to Silverstone if you're a member of the VSCC

Is this correct ? If I pitch up at the doors on the day and I likely to be turned away ?

And I guess it begs the question why.

Some guy won it in a rusting mk3 Cortina a few years back,put a few noses out of joint I think

I think was there that year - it was an orangy red coloured one. I'm not sure if it was rusty, but the BDA engine under the bonnet certainly sounded the bees knees !!

[Derek Smith]

I think it is a bit of 'The right crowd and no crowding'. But why not join the VSCC? You get cheaper tickets to the public events and free entry to the closed ones.

I used to go every spring to their Silverstone event but Goodwood sort of took over.

[Nick M]

Derek Smith said:

I think it is a bit of 'The right crowd and no crowding'. But why not join the VSCC? You get cheaper tickets to the public events and free entry to the closed ones.

I used to go every spring to their Silverstone event but Goodwood sort of took over.

I did consider that, but a brief look suggested that membership of the VSCC was about £80 !!

Given I would only attend one, maybe two, VSCC events during the year that didn't really seem to stack up

[anonymous-user]

Derek Smith said:

I think it is a bit of 'The right crowd and no crowding'. But why not join the VSCC? You get cheaper tickets to the public events and free entry to the closed ones.

I used to go every spring to their Silverstone event but Goodwood sort of took over.

"the right crowd" like Goodwood still claim to attract?! LoL, there were far more "enthusiasts" at the Silverstone Classic last year! the number of times I saw people at Goodwood walk past a red sportscar and say "thats a nice ferrari" was astonishing... one was a lola Mk1 for goodness sake!!

anyway, i guess the other reason for the Pom being a closed shop is the unique scoring method which are somewhat akin to the rules of Mornington Crescent... most people, myself included, would get lost as to what is going on and who was winning...

[hot metal]

Nick M said:

hot metal said:

Nick M said:

Having been to the Pomeroy Trophy at Silverstone in the past (some years ago admittedly), I thought I'd try and get along there this year as there is usually an interesting spread of cars taking part.

But after a little digging around for details it seems that you'll only get access to Silverstone if you're a member of the VSCC

Is this correct ? If I pitch up at the doors on the day and I likely to be turned away ?

And I guess it begs the question why.

Some guy won it in a rusting mk3 Cortina a few years back,put a few noses out of joint I think

I think was there that year - it was an orangy red coloured one. I'm not sure if it was rusty, but the BDA engine under the bonnet certainly sounded the bees knees !!

Yes thats the one,rear arch`s were quite bad if I remember correctly.
Made me smile

[Fane]

hot metal said:

Some guy won it in a rusting mk3 Cortina a few years back,put a few noses out of joint I think

The late great James Diffey, RIP. http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=e0i8L1bOodw