Farnborough in February

I first went when it was Crystal palace, then there was a gap while I lived in the Hebridies, but once back in Norfolk we've normally been going every other year. There's  a lot of people I know there from Norfolk or other clubs.. Also of course there are several businesses from Norfolk that have stands, as had my own club one year advertising  Home (3rr.uk) So I always know a few on the stands.. Once or twice this has paid off with free tickets..
The boat life show looks interesting, and I may make a trip to it, if it continues, But the entry fee of £15 plus £16 parking plus 176 miles each way, means an expensive £100+ for a day out 

Edited by The Q - 15 Feb 22 at 8:23am

Author	Message Share Topic Printable Version Delicious Digg Facebook Furl Google MySpace Newsvine reddit StumbleUpon Translate Twitter Windows Live Yahoo Bookmarks Topic Search Topic Options Post Reply Create New Topic
The Q Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Posting king Joined: 07 Feb 22 Location: Norfolk Broads Online Status: Offline Posts: 126	Post Options Post Reply Quote The Q Report Post Quote Reply Topic: Farnborough in February Posted: 15 Feb 22 at 8:23am
	I first went when it was Crystal palace, then there was a gap while I lived in the Hebridies, but once back in Norfolk we've normally been going every other year. There's a lot of people I know there from Norfolk or other clubs.. Also of course there are several businesses from Norfolk that have stands, as had my own club one year advertising Home (3rr.uk) So I always know a few on the stands.. Once or twice this has paid off with free tickets.. The boat life show looks interesting, and I may make a trip to it, if it continues, But the entry fee of £15 plus £16 parking plus 176 miles each way, means an expensive £100+ for a day out Edited by The Q - 15 Feb 22 at 8:23am
	Still sailing in circles

423zero Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Really should get out more Joined: 08 Jan 15 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 3420	Post Options Post Reply Quote 423zero Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 14 Feb 22 at 10:19pm
	A new style show, like Glastonbury with boats, travelling fairgrounds.
	Robert

iGRF Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Visit Member's Homepage Really should get out more Joined: 07 Mar 11 Location: Hythe Online Status: Offline Posts: 6499	Post Options Post Reply Quote iGRF Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 14 Feb 22 at 9:35pm
	Pickets Lock, went there in 1978 showing a new fangled device called a videotape connected to a TV with a film about windsurfing on it, playing to an annoying song. sail on sail on whatever, think it was the beach boys, they made me turn it off. Interesting to note the RYA appear to be making a play for Wing foiling at this new show, as usual going about it with all the wrong players. Edited by iGRF - 14 Feb 22 at 9:36pm
	Snow Equipment Deals New Core Kite website

tink Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Visit Member's Homepage Really should get out more Joined: 23 Jan 16 Location: North Hants Online Status: Offline Posts: 789	Post Options Post Reply Quote tink Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 14 Feb 22 at 8:54pm
	Picketts Lock, my first also back in the early 80s. I thought it was magical. Sadly all redeveloped
	Tink https://tinkboats.com http://proasail.blogspot.com

eric_c Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Far too distracted from work Joined: 21 Jan 18 Online Status: Offline Posts: 382	Post Options Post Reply Quote eric_c Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 14 Feb 22 at 8:35pm
	First time I went to the Dinghy Exhibition as it was then, it was in some strange place called 'Piglet's Loch' or somesuch, luckily someone else was navigating. Went a few times when it was at Crystal Palace. About 3 times to Ally Pally. Times have changed, it used to be that for many sailors, the only things happening between Xmas and March were the Show, the Pompey Persiher and the Bloody Mary. Things have changed. Back in the dark ages, it was just class associatiions (remember the spat between the 505's and the RYA about letting RS in when they hadn't sold any boats yet?) but every class association worth the name. One year a mate of mine was on the Mercury stand, when they built their 101st boat. Not sure what the point of it is now? But if the people who support it are happy and it generates some interest, let them get on with it. Those of us who'd be intersted in a different kind of show maybe ought to make it happen?

423zero Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Really should get out more Joined: 08 Jan 15 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 3420	Post Options Post Reply Quote 423zero Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 14 Feb 22 at 7:13pm
	No mention of RYA on ego wall. Andrew Simpson foundation on there.
	Robert

tink Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Visit Member's Homepage Really should get out more Joined: 23 Jan 16 Location: North Hants Online Status: Offline Posts: 789	Post Options Post Reply Quote tink Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 14 Feb 22 at 5:26pm
	Better location for the nation but not any form of boating I know, must be mainly stinkpot stuff https://boatlifeevents.com/exhibitors-landing/exhibitors/
	Tink https://tinkboats.com http://proasail.blogspot.com

The Q Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Posting king Joined: 07 Feb 22 Location: Norfolk Broads Online Status: Offline Posts: 126	Post Options Post Reply Quote The Q Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 13 Feb 22 at 9:15am
	Unfortunately the the RYA is the Royal YACHTING Association, and dinghies are seen just as a route to the big boats. The show it's self ran for 31 years before the RYA took it over in 1983. Who ran it before I have no idea. It a problem for many hobbies that shows were originally created in London because of availability of halls, of course everyone travelled by rail and we still had a good rail network. Now many areas don't have easy ( or cheap) rail services, so the car is needed. London has become very anti car and other than Ally Pally parking is in very short supply. I've just looked up the cost of travel for me to Farnborough. Rail 4.15 hours each way, + 1/2 hour driving to the station,booked ahead ticket £71, parking £3 so a total of about £80. Driving 176 miles 3.3 hours each way. total £70 fuel. In previous years there would be two of us travelling so rail would be double the cost If in the future I go to Farnborough, I think I'll drive most of the way, day before and kip in the back of the Landrover somewhere. Attend the show, drive some of the way back have another kip before travelling on.. Edited by The Q - 13 Feb 22 at 9:17am
	Still sailing in circles

tink Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Visit Member's Homepage Really should get out more Joined: 23 Jan 16 Location: North Hants Online Status: Offline Posts: 789	Post Options Post Reply Quote tink Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 13 Feb 22 at 8:15am
	“ The RYA is very London / South coast biased,’ The vast majority of the British sailing team Olympians where born and started to sail north of London. We need a new governing body. BDA British Dinghy Association
	Tink https://tinkboats.com http://proasail.blogspot.com

The Q Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Posting king Joined: 07 Feb 22 Location: Norfolk Broads Online Status: Offline Posts: 126	Post Options Post Reply Quote The Q Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 13 Feb 22 at 7:41am
	One thing I've just noted from another hobby that uses Ally Pally, is that from next year there will be parking charges there. So that would be a further discouragement to use the place. The problem with holding a dinghy exhibition at say Rutland in the summer, is many of us course are involved with sailing events elsewhere. This includes many exhibitors. Our own Horning Boat show is the 30th April 2022, it's date is carefully chosen to be before the main broads boating season, and not on the day of any major local sailing events.. Sadly there's not a lot of dinghy stuff there, although Horning sailing club is open for a Try Sailing Day. The RYA is very London / South coast biased, To my eyes an ideal dinghy exhibition site would be Doncaster's exhibition centre. It's just off the A1/M18, linked to the M1 and across to the west coast via the M62, easy rail links, and even an airport. For me on the coast of Norfolk it's got the same projected time to travel as Farnborough, but at least it's not the M25. It would be interesting to see a map plotted of exhibitors, and attendees. That would show the actual centre of minimum travelling for everyone.
	Still sailing in circles