2019 SS Calendar

[littlepaul]

As with everything you can’t please everyone. But I imagine if the numbers start dropping it won’t be long till a calendar will appear

[ecsrobin]

Jack Mansfield said:

I can now confirm that our next Sunday Service will be on 31st March at Abarth HQ in Slough! Its Abarth's 70th birthday, so we want to go along and celebrate with them

Sign up and full details will go live on 13th March.

This year we're thinking of announcing each SS as it is confirmed; this is because last year we had a lot of cancellations and it got annoying (to you and us) with the constant back and forth without 100% knowing whats going on. Announcing them as they are confirmed alleviates the annoyance (hopefully).

Silverstone - unfortunately that's a no go for PH this year Aston Martin is now using the circuit as the home of their testing, which means other areas have been squeezed a bit and we can't have our track days there. We have other track days planned for the year though, so keep your eyes peeled!

Jack a heads up that the Abarth owners club is encouraging people to signup to PH to attend as they’ve been allocated 30 spaces and Pistonheads 150. They currently have 70+ people interested in the event so maybe worth looking into time frame or post count as mentioned previously as not really fair on us genuine members (who also owns an Abarth)

[SAS Tom]

ecsrobin said:

Jack Mansfield said:

I can now confirm that our next Sunday Service will be on 31st March at Abarth HQ in Slough! Its Abarth's 70th birthday, so we want to go along and celebrate with them

Sign up and full details will go live on 13th March.

This year we're thinking of announcing each SS as it is confirmed; this is because last year we had a lot of cancellations and it got annoying (to you and us) with the constant back and forth without 100% knowing whats going on. Announcing them as they are confirmed alleviates the annoyance (hopefully).

Silverstone - unfortunately that's a no go for PH this year Aston Martin is now using the circuit as the home of their testing, which means other areas have been squeezed a bit and we can't have our track days there. We have other track days planned for the year though, so keep your eyes peeled!

Jack a heads up that the Abarth owners club is encouraging people to signup to PH to attend as they’ve been allocated 30 spaces and Pistonheads 150. They currently have 70+ people interested in the event so maybe worth looking into time frame or post count as mentioned previously as not really fair on us genuine members (who also owns an Abarth)

This is what spoils the Sunday services for people that actually use PH. It’s a bit crap when PH organise something but another unrelated group takes over who haven’t even organised it nor participated on the forums.

[Mrs Muttleysnoop]

SAS Tom said:

This is what spoils the Sunday services for people that actually use PH. It’s a bit crap when PH organise something but another unrelated group takes over who haven’t even organised it nor participated on the forums.

+1.

Unluckily for me I will be in hospital on sign up day 13th having dealt with the joys of Picolax the day before. So I guess I will miss out. (Abarth owner).

[wolfie28]

ecsrobin said:

Jack a heads up that the Abarth owners club is encouraging people to signup to PH to attend as they’ve been allocated 30 spaces and Pistonheads 150. They currently have 70+ people interested in the event so maybe worth looking into time frame or post count as mentioned previously as not really fair on us genuine members (who also owns an Abarth)

Tricky one this. There is technically nothing to stop 50+ folks signing up and adding themselves to a Sunday service list. I guess only someone’s integrity prevents this but sadly not much integrity around at times.

[Brainpox]

wolfie28 said:

ecsrobin said:

Jack a heads up that the Abarth owners club is encouraging people to signup to PH to attend as they’ve been allocated 30 spaces and Pistonheads 150. They currently have 70+ people interested in the event so maybe worth looking into time frame or post count as mentioned previously as not really fair on us genuine members (who also owns an Abarth)

Tricky one this. There is technically nothing to stop 50+ folks signing up and adding themselves to a Sunday service list. I guess only someone’s integrity prevents this but sadly not much integrity around at times.

I think it's extra crappy when Abarth HQ has allocated them some spaces and they believe they haven't been given enough so try to take over someone else's allocation. It's not like they've been snubbed entirely.

[Steedie]

Yeah that's going to mean a lot of people miss out because those people are taking advantage of a free signup on PH. Fair enough they should be allowed to sign up, but if their only intention is to sign up for this single meet, then that means frequent SS visitors may miss out

A minimum post count doesn't work, as that just means people go around spamming for a few days. You need to have a minimum sign up time, say 3 months

[Alex]

I don't have an issue with Abarth club members signing up through PH at all. Brings more enthusiasts to the site. Some might stick around, some might not. Same as everyone else, really.

[Norbury90]

In my experience, most PH events don't book up immediately anyway. Even if you end up on a reserve list, enough people normally drop out to get in. Everyone should have an equal opportunity to get in, it's not PH's fault if people miss out. At the end of the day it's a free event, too bad if you miss out. Everyone should be as eligible as everyone else.

[ecsrobin]

Norbury90 said:

In my experience, most PH events don't book up immediately anyway. Even if you end up on a reserve list, enough people normally drop out to get in. Everyone should have an equal opportunity to get in, it's not PH's fault if people miss out. At the end of the day it's a free event, too bad if you miss out. Everyone should be as eligible as everyone else.

The only events that don’t book up immediately are the large ones like Goodwood and Silverstone. Yes you get dropouts and with the event being released quite close to the event that should stop people fining up and dropping out.

[anonymous-user]

Didn’t this happen a few years ago, when a SS was cancelled because a whole load of non-Pistonheads VW owners suddenly signed up solely to get a place at the meet, flooding the attendance list.

As the organisers had no idea who was going to turn up, and whether they would understand PH’s ethos, (and PH’s reputation was riding on it), it was canned.

[Norbury90]

ecsrobin said:

Norbury90 said:

In my experience, most PH events don't book up immediately anyway. Even if you end up on a reserve list, enough people normally drop out to get in. Everyone should have an equal opportunity to get in, it's not PH's fault if people miss out. At the end of the day it's a free event, too bad if you miss out. Everyone should be as eligible as everyone else.

The only events that don’t book up immediately are the large ones like Goodwood and Silverstone. Yes you get dropouts and with the event being released quite close to the event that should stop people fining up and dropping out.

I have been to a good half a dozen events other than Goodwood or Silverstone, none of which have been full

[ecsrobin]

Norbury90 said:

I have been to a good half a dozen events other than Goodwood or Silverstone, none of which have been full

Care to share which ones? I’m assuming they’re up north as they never fill up.

From memory events that were oversubscribed that I was lucky to attend:

3 BMW SS - oversubscribed by 238 cars in 2016 others always oversubscribed
1 prodrive SS - oversubscribed by 230+ cars!!
1 Mercedes Benz world - oversubscribed
1 Honda HQ - oversubscribed

[ecsrobin]

Just an update to this. Having spoken to the Abarth owners club they were acting on direction from the event organiser suggesting they join PH to get a chance at getting a place.

The owners club have removed reference to PH which hopefully will allow some variety whilst celebrating 70 years of Abarth.

Obviously owners are still free to signup and maybe something for jack to continue to look into for future events (although it has been a long running problem)

[Brainpox]

ecsrobin said:

Care to share which ones? I’m assuming they’re up north as they never fill up.

From memory events that were oversubscribed that I was lucky to attend:

3 BMW SS - oversubscribed by 238 cars in 2016 others always oversubscribed
1 prodrive SS - oversubscribed by 230+ cars!!
1 Mercedes Benz world - oversubscribed
1 Honda HQ - oversubscribed

There were a handful last year that didn't even fill the list. I don't know what changed but 2018 was a pretty slow year for Sunday Services, compared to previous years.

[ecsrobin]

Brainpox said:

There were a handful last year that didn't even fill the list. I don't know what changed but 2018 was a pretty slow year for Sunday Services, compared to previous years.

Here’s all the 2018 events. The numbers are the final lists for the event (so anyone doing the usual last minute dropout won’t appear.

So the first Silverstone event was likely oversubscribed until the night before when it became short of 17 spaces.

I think the reason more we’re under subscribed than usual was the size of the venue or what was on offer.

I don’t know if related but JCB and Alcon brakes are Staffordshire maybe less members in the area?

Ginetta: +24 (200 limit)
Silverstone: -17 (500 limit)
MMR: -49 (250 limit)
Denbies: -154 (500 limit)
Le Mans: -123 (200 limit) France
Bicester C&SC: -147 (300 limit) Had to pay entry
Le Mans classic: -57 (150 limit) France
Alcon brakes: -40 (150 limit)
JCB: -223 (500 limit)
Silverstone: 0 (500 limit)
BMW UK: +92 (400 limit)

[jazzdevil]

For fear of stirring the pot (as I'm both a member of the AOC and long running PH member) where would I sign up for the Anniversary event at the end of the month then?

[Scorpiator]

jazzdevil said:

For fear of stirring the pot (as I'm both a member of the AOC and long running PH member) where would I sign up for the Anniversary event at the end of the month then?

I too would like to know being also a long term AOC and PH member

[monktoc]

[I don’t know if related but JCB and Alcon brakes are Staffordshire maybe less members in the area?


Alcon brakes: -40 (150 limit) ]


I don't know about JCB, but I went to the Alcon event which was really good, but at the same time extremely wet as we had torrential rain all weekend. Maybe that put a few off?

[Norbury90]

ecsrobin said:

Care to share which ones? I’m assuming they’re up north as they never fill up.

From memory events that were oversubscribed that I was lucky to attend:

3 BMW SS - oversubscribed by 238 cars in 2016 others always oversubscribed
1 prodrive SS - oversubscribed by 230+ cars!!
1 Mercedes Benz world - oversubscribed
1 Honda HQ - oversubscribed

Sorry, it was JCB, Aston Martin, Silverstone, Llandudno and Ginetta twice. And also the PH Sporting Tour (although I admit that is very different).

At the end of the day, if people miss out, they miss out. As long as you don't end up driving all the way there and then being turned away, which would be unfair!