Newark

[jonashford]

Lol cec, maybe a return to haxey is on the cards, if they'll let me back in again

[soullad]

It was orgnaised by the Value For Money promoters thou, so what did you all expect .... value for money?

[weeks]

It was orgnaised by the Value For Money promoters thou, so what did you all expect .... value for money?

Come on fella if your going to have a poke on the open forum research the facts ............... Newark was not organised/run by VFM !

The organisers of Newark were EMSA (East Midland Scooter Alliance)

[soullad]

apologies mate, you are correct, sorry VFM ... naughty step awaits

[Tony Hart]

I rode up on the Saturday morning intending to stop a few hours, get some bits from the parts fair and have a gander at the custom show. Couldn't find any rim studs, didn't need a Vespa mug and couldn't fit a 4' x 2' Quadrophenia picture on my scooter. Some very nice scooters on show but I lasted 30 minutes before setting off home again. I did notice the fashion of shorts, t-shirt and flip-flops but carrying a helmet. Were there so many helmets being stolen from tents that people felt it safer to walk around with them?

I did enjoy the ride there and back though

[weeks]

apologies mate, you are correct, sorry VFM ... naughty step awaits

No problem, I know my way there myself ..........

[terryj]

i thought there was a caravan site there till i went to the toilets down there and realised they were all there for the rally

[mainstand]

I normally would've daytripped to an event like this but being nigh on 200 miles it doesn't make sense in my opinion. I was told when I asked about there being a sea of four wheeled contraptions as far as the eye can see and the reply was "the venue lends itself to scooter riders". In the scooter parking area there was still dozens upon dozens of cars and vans. This HAS to stop in my view. Keep them far far away. Its so disheartening when you've enjoyed the trials and tribulations of arriving on two wheels to find out the majority have taken the easy option and ruined the whole vibe of the place..

[terryj]

when cars arrived they were told to unload then go to the car park but few took any notice and there was no enforcement and like i said in an earlier post never seen so may caravans at a scooter rally

[Timexit17]

Only way to stop these is positive discrimination IMHO.

That's not having a pop at those who genuinely have an illness or disability etc that prevents them from enjoying riding, people with blue badges have always been accepted/welcomed in my experience and we all get periods as we get older of back aches and muscles pulled so we all understand.
It's not having a go at backup vehicles either (as long as they are genuine backups and not a mini bus full of drunken cling-ons or a scooter in a van to avoid riding).

It's the ones who make a choice of leaving the scooter at home (if they have one and I am quite sure we all know those still 'on the scene' who haven't had a working scooter, if one at all, for years).
I have started deleting people from FB friends who post up dozens of pictures of themselves at scooter events when I know full well they went there by car, after years of taking the pee out of them half jokingly for doing so and it being greeted by downright hostility and/or pathetic excuses.
One actually had the nerve to tell me he'd done his 25 years of riding and therefore had the right to take his caravan/car.

NO -you aren't 'supporting the scene' by simply attending!

OK -camping when you can afford a caravan might seem like slumming it -but so is going on a 40 year old shopping bike.
If you want to watch people on 2 wheels riding about, talk shite, drink too much and go in your motorhome -go to a Moto GP instead!
It's got beyond a joke when these people don't even blush anymore as there are so many of them doing it, the proper scooterists are the exception!
Soon the only scooters at such events will all come by trailer and only be in the custom show.

The only problem with doing something active about it is you need to have the b*lls to see it through and not just threaten to limit 4 wheelers, you need to have gate staff that are backed up by the majority of people riding to the events, only by advertising and then sticking to a 'strictly scooters' policy.

I know for some people that sort of policy would decimate their event takings and that has to be considered however we have a choice, and I for one hope the LCGB continues to lead the way in showing how a proper enthusiasts rally should be run -i.e.not a pipe n slippers old codgers steam rally but not a 'heartbeat let's dress up and pretend we're something we're not' either.

[terryj]

i would not go to a scooter rally unless i was on my scooter wife follows in car since she broke her shoulder in our off but we never leave car on the camping field and i think the only way is to charge for car parking by the gate and dont let vehicles other than scooters go any further into the site that should at least cut down on the endless blasting out of car stereos from people who think we all want to listen to the same crap as them

[mainstand]

Then we get the problem of the big venue losing money because they motorhomes arrive en masse only to be turned away, that means we cant have 'name bands' of some loose description.

At our rally, Solent cougars, we keep four wheels to an absolute minimum & motorhomes are banned totally. Doesn't stop us having decent local bands & great numbers attending. The only fancy dress turn outs we get our the women in our club, about 5 of them who have some cocktail beach party thing, without the beach.

[speedy]

Newark was the way many 'rally' is going. I just wish we could start to use the word scooter 'Run' again, before it eventually becomes scooter 'Festival' Another thing which I have always been adamant about is, Why on earth do we need bands at a do. It's easy to see that if there are no bands there, then the car and camper brigade in their 'Special scooter outfit' have nothing to turn up for. What's wrong with a good Dj set where everyone gets something they like to hear. Regards the food and such, we took breakfast and light supper food, hoping to have main meals at the various food outlets that Newark had promised EMSA. I know taking your own isn't supporting the venue, but it's a good job we did. Three of our lot are Veggies and one is a caeliac. If we hadn't, then we'd of had to travel outside for food as there simply wasn't anything.

[Timexit17]

agree with speedy there.

I know there are a lot of people that like bands and big events, I don't personally and would prefer a decent DJ, and to be honest most clubs have one of those on tap anyway.
Fair enough it was worth paying a bit for TC (RiP) and Foxy coxy!

There are plenty of events up & down the country, just a pity we can't get more of a balance.

IMHO if any event is billed as a 'scooter rally' ('runs' a good idea though also) then it should positively discriminate at the very least not allowing anything other than scooters* within the main campsite.

I would prefer a 'riders only' bar & camping area also (i.e. turn up on a scooter and get a special wristband), basically everything to make those who rode there feel they were valued.

That doesn't stop clubs, alliances and organisations from having less restrictive events which they can then call whatever they like as long as it isn't 'scooter rally/scooter run' and it means someone going to an event/run/rally/jamboree can tell without having to ask what type of event it is and decide to come and not be disappointed either by lack of bands and too many scooters or by camper vans and a scooter theme weekender.

One of my favourite events which hasn't been on for a while as the 'southern coast -coast' winchester -eastbourne with camping and a do in eastbourne afterwards, a cracking days riding with breaks all in good company, it would be absolutely pointless coming to that in a car!

Simples.


*blue badge cars/dealer vans excepted

[MickYork]

Think the different coloured wrist band for those arriving on scooters is good idea

I agree Newark was awash with cars and vans but with a site that size, in todays climate, a scooter only event would have looked a bit lonely.

Bring on Shipston !!

[Tony Hart]

Couldn't find any rim studs, didn't need a Vespa mug and couldn't fit a 4' x 2' Quadrophenia picture on my scooter.

Forgot to mention that someone found what they wanted at the parts fair - a used grey rear brake pedal rubber. They took it off my scooter while it was parked near the stalls - bas***ds

Tony

[Dazza]

Ok..time to settle a couple of issues here..I am from newark although I had no part in the organising of he rally but do know the main reasons behind the complaints...the showground owners

( from what I have been told) The organisers met up with the showground staff , one of the key things they kept re-iterating was get plenty of bar staff..they said that they were used to putting on events of this nature and to leave it with them..they know what they are doing
On the Friday night I kicked off a little bit at the main bar after waiting for 20mins ( I did apologise to the staff later on as it wasn't their fault) and still no sign of getting served...as some of you may know our very own Big Pete was doing a sterling effort on the security side of things...I informed him that there was going to major issues if not Friday night then Saturday night if the bar issue wasn't addressed..even though it wasn't within his remit I witnessed him informing the powers that be that it needed sorting out...it obviously fell on deaf ears because it wasn't...

Again the lack of catering vans was down to the showground committee not allowing catering vans on..I believe shep even tried to arrange a nice cream van to turn up on the Saturday but it was refused entry..

As for the lack of bogs...I agree shocking ...I don't know the reason behind this but it wasn't good enough...

So don't go blaming it all on the organisers...the showground were to blame for pretty much everything...if they want us back next year (I'm sure they will when the see the potential income) it will surely be under the organisers terms not theirs..

I will be writing to the showground committee to tell them what a bunch of shit kicking buffoons they are and point out how much more money they would have made if they weren't forcing us to buy in food and beer off site...

And as others have said...it didn't spoil the rally for me, the company and laughs more than made up for it..

[steve_lawrence]

Several of us from Leicester rode up to Newark to celebrate one of our member's 65th birthday. We bought tickets months in advance and had a good time, camping. OK, Leicester to Newark isn't the longest of journeys but we did ride there. Not everybody's wives/girlfriends/partners etc want to or are able to ride pillion for any distance but still want to take part in the celebrations so they go by car. My wife did just that, and at the gate she asked where she should park and was told "next to your tent". We thought the toilets were OK, clean by rally standards. As for the bars, we spent very little money, not because of the prices but due to the time it took to get served. We would have spent more if we got served quicker!!!

[terryj]

spoke to a neighbour last night who does most rallies and was telling him how much fun we had at newark and asked why he wasnt there
his reply made me laugh

"went to the last one there and it was such a rip off vowed never to go there again" so some things never change