| Author | Comment | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
boycey |
annual rally 2010 and beyond! |
Lead | ||
|
WELL what a weekend one of the greatest in history i think you will ALL agree! Anyway moving on!!!! so....... for the past few years the annual rally has
been Curborough on a Saturday and then a venue for the concourse on the Sunday ( and lets be honust this years turn out was pants!!!) Despite the always
brilliant effort of Jon Brooks!!! an idea has come to mind and i have ran this past Richard P tonight before i have typed this so........................ As
you know i have recently banged on about when we do car shows we are always in the "bargain basement area" of shows and as Marcos is a prestigous
British built car ( most rear number plates do state " the great british sports car") lets make next year THE turning point, and lets be straight on
this we need people like Jon Brooks, Richard P and sorry if i have not mentioned you to make this happen. What i would like to see is now Marcos has firmly
made its mark on Prescott and its associates with the 50th just gone lets capitalise on this!. Instead of Curborough next year lets make Prescott our main
venue ie Saturday we all go up the hill and have decent catering facilities (not a burger van!) and so on and then have the concourse at the same venue on the
sunday and open it up the public etc to gain recognition and get this poxy "is that a kit car?" question buried for good!. As lets face it Prescot is
a very prestigous location and if we can get Marcos as a established mark that uses this venue then it will raise the pedigree of the cars also. I am more
than happy to finacially help make this happen ( i know this is not a cheap venue) but then if Marcos is to raise its profile and be taken more seriously then
we need to use venues like this!! and perhaps as an idea an account is set up (in the name of Marcos annual rally account) to be used as a deposit account for
all the clubs and its members so we can make this happen, I am willing to make a substantial deposit to get this started i reckon we all need to contribute
about £10 each per month? to get the amount required to hire this ( a rough guess) I am not doing this to show off believe me i am not a millionare BUT to me
when I 1st brought the LM400 it changed my life! I have made so many great freinds and I have been to places i would never have gone if it was not for the club
members! so this is me doing my bit for Marcos. What do you think?
Last Edited By: boycey Mon, 17-Aug-2009 20:34.
Edited 1 time.
|
||||
|
|
||||
bmarti |
#1 | |||
|
Boycey i am totally with you, I did actually mention to John at Prescott that it would be a great location for the annual get together,I am more than happy to
go along with your suggestion of a monthly contribution to go towards the cost of the venue. Good luck.
|
||||
|
|
||||
goldriver |
#2 | |||
|
Prescott was great. However, the 50th anniversary celebration is what made this an extra special occasion and created the superb attendance with cars from all over Europe and even USA. It would be nice to think that we could arrange such an event every year, but my experience of attending lots of car shows and different events it will be very hard to repeat this each year. Considering that the La Mans Classics is only held every other year it might be that we arrange our special event every other year and have a different venue of some note that will bring new crowds to see our wonderful cars. Your LM, Boycey, was absolutely fantastic and is a crowd puller just on its own. Vic
Last Edited By: goldriver Tue, 18-Aug-2009 19:11.
Edited 1 time.
|
||||
|
|
||||
boycey |
prescott | #3 | ||
|
Great response and true i guess! this is purly a suggestion without exact calculated figuers etc, but prescott compared to Curborough is a massive differeance, lets face it, the partners have a lot more comfortable surroundings and facilities compared to Curborough, and if we can get our ladies to be happy to attend these venues then we have cracked it! more fun time with the cars so everyone is a winner! No doubt there are a lot of other issues and procedures to sort out. BUT this is a start and again i am more than happy to kick start this as i did getting the campaign to get the XP over for the 50th so lets see what the management think and can do.
Last Edited By: boycey Tue, 18-Aug-2009 20:24.
Edited 1 time.
|
||||
|
|
||||
Aviator UK |
#4 | |||
|
That's a brilliant idea Paul. I was asked by the chap at the entrance to the hill climb track (who took the little White tickets) if Marcos would consider using the circuit again in the future. Jon was sitting next to me prior to our run up the hill and while obviously nothing was cast in stone at the time, we both felt that this would be a very popular venue. The cost of the event would obviously be dependent on the numbers interested in going, which will take some work to sort out. I suppose the cost for a day at the track is fixed and easily obtained. It is getting a concrete commitment from the interested parties early enough in the year to get standing orders in place which will be the difficult part. Also consideration must be given to an alternative entertainment for those (and I guess there are many) who do not wish to expose their beloved cars to the dangers of motor sport. Not to detract from your initial suggestion, which I am all in favour of, another consideration for a good venue for a yearly get-together (either instead of or as well as Prescott) may be Silverstone, where we could hire the track for a "track day". I say Silverstone because it is quite central in the country with very good road access. Perhaps Topcats could/would join us to provide (notice I did not say give) tutored laps in a racing Mantis' for those who would like/can afford it, while others could have the fun of taking their own historic car round one of Britains most historic circuits. This would allow for some to get the thrill of racing round a circuit without exposing their own cars to the dangers. I'm sure something could be arranged via Melindi Lockie. I am very conscious that not everyone is interested in motorsport of any kind, that is evident by the fact that out of the 200 plus owners, relatively few cars were/are taken round Curborough or up the hill at Prescott. Just because they own a sports car does not mean they wish to race or drive like the wind on any kind of circuit. Likewise, not everyone is interested in "concourse" or "shiny car" competitions. In order to attract the greatest possible numbers, I feel that the weekend must strive to offer something for everyone. That is easy to say but very difficult to do and would require much in the way of brainwork and discussion. Perhaps a mail-shot (can't rely on internet as not everyone uses it) to every member of each of the Three clubs asking each what they would like a weekend to consist of and what time of year they would be most likely to attend. I know this would be quite a task but would only need to be done once in a while, as although not every member will respond, the ideas from those that do could give enough food for thought for a few years hence. In broad terms I feel the event should offer some kind of motor sport, a good evening meal with entertainment (disco or band etc) a concourse or shiny car competition, with either a "treasure" hunt, or mystery tour taking in points of interest. For instance the treasure hunt could consist of certain "points of interest" being recorded on say a circuit of 100 miles starting and ending at the same point, with people starting at timed intervals and the person who completes it in the shortest time getting a trophy (and NOT the kind of trophy given by Mr Plod!). Anyway, it's getting late, Nuala's gone to bed but these are just a few of my thoughts on the subject and I will not be offended if they are not to peoples liking. All the best Bob |
||||
|
|
||||
boycey |
#5 | |||
|
No this is excellent Bob already we are getting the fire lit for next year this is what matters, more opinions are needed to really get our teeth into what is
going to happen next year just a reminder i have run all this past Richard P as HE is the event organisor after all, but his skills on the internet are
limited!! so i will and place any comments he wishes to add to this also.
|
||||
|
|
||||
spyderv8 |
#6 | |||
|
Anywhere else (Curborough I assume) I would have to have run with mufflers on the exhaust or just not be allowed out, I enjoyed the whole 'just use your
car' aspect of Prescott. It was very informal and very enjoyable and I'd be back there like a shot.
Driving up the hill was fun just for the wheelspins at the start line, I didn't push and there is nothing to say you can't just pootle around with no timing gear. Maybe some cars could be timed if they wished so a two-tiered day, choose timed runs or not. There are plenty of owners who baulked at the CMI price increase from £15-£20 - I doubt you will get many to pay £10/month for an event sadly. Sponsorship would be the way forward, but from who...? There just aren't enough of us to justify anyone stumping for the event as far as I can make out... |
||||
|
|
||||
The Morrisons |
#7 | |||
|
Must say that we agree with most of what has been said here. Would point out that what makes the group of Marcos owners so great is they are people from all
walks of life and depths of pocket! This being the case any proposed events need to bear this in mind. As Vic says, what made this event so special was the
fact that it was the 50th Anniversary and you might find it's a number of years before you manage to get the same numbers/atmosphere again. We think one
of the most important elements to ensuring greater numbers is that the annual rally is an event combining all clubs. Also as Bob pointed out there needs to
be a variety of activities to appeal to all. As for the women getting more involved, perhaps if the men let them drive the cars they may find that they
develop an interest - after all driving a Marcos is one of the most incredible feelings in the world
Must admit Prescott was a fantastic venue and event. Particularly liked the fact that it was very informal, you could go and do a run whenever you felt like it and if you didn't there was lots of other things to do. Having said that, would it have been so good if the weather hadn't have been so perfect and unfortunately no amount of planning can guarantee that. Let's see if we can make Le Mans Classic 2010 the next BIG event. |
||||
|
|
||||
spyderv8 |
#8 | |||
The Morrisons wrote:Anything planned for it so far, or even any ideas out there yet? I must say being able to drive in when I felt like it and park up inside the circuit made for the best car event I've ever been to, combined with a comfy hotel, hot shower, amazing food and drink and twice a day a 45min drive back and forth. I'm hoping we can claim 2010 as our 50th Anniversary again and sort out 'parade' laps and so on Also next time, more people along to the dinner as well! It was really good!! |
||||
|
|
||||
Aviator UK |
#9 | |||
|
I don't think there is anything much planned yet. I telephoned the Travel Destinations number posted by Jon earlier in this thread. I spoke to a chap
called Richard. He was saying that no prices or grandstand locations have been confirmed by the Le Mans organisers. However, TD are organising both my Channel
Crossing tickets as well as my event (Paddock entry, Grandstand and parade lap) tickets. I think these are the most important things to get rolling for now and
I'm sure that nearer the time, when more details are given out by the organisers, MOC/CMI/Mini Marcos Owners clubs could start to suggest/prepare meeting
places for a get together (MOC/CMI owners club stands anyone)
I have only been to Le Mans once before and that was in 2005, so I'm not really in a position to suggest good places to meet or things to do. What I do remember though, was that a lot of us met on the circuit at the Arnage corner on the Friday and again at the "British Drivers Club" so perhaps, if Classic Le Mans is done in a similar fashion to the regular version, we could do something similar again. Apparently France takes August as a holiday, so there is unlikely to be any info re the organisation from the French side until Sept/Oct this year. I will be eagerly watching and waiting
Last Edited By: Aviator UK Fri, 21-Aug-2009 18:35.
Edited 1 time.
|
||||
|
|
||||
The Morrisons |
#10 | |||
|
I am a little concerned about what the involvement of this Travel Destinations company is. Surely if a third party is being used to book tickets they will be
adding their bit of profit to the prices. Last year Isobel bought all the event tickets/parade lap tickets directly from the ACO as she always receive an
invitation as Club Secretary of CMI, which surely is the cheapest way to do it. I am happy to stand corrected if this is not the case but just wondered what
other people think.
Bob, as far as meeting on the circuit on the Friday and The Great British Welcome are concerned, these only happen for the 24hour race not the Classic. As parking for most club cars is within the circuit you get to walk around and see all the cars during the weekend, which again is different from the 24hour. Last year we did manage a convey of a least 12 Marcoses from our house to the circuit on the Saturday morning and it was an amazing sight. And we didn't lose anybody! Hope we can better the numbers next year. |
||||
|
|
||||
Aviator UK |
#11 | |||
The Morrisons wrote:Having spoken to Travel Destinations (TD), they explained their role and the reasons for it as follows (I'll try and get it as accurate as possible). In order for any club or organisation to LEGALLY book packages (either travel tickets and accomodation or event tickets) they MUST be bonded. To do so without the appropriate bond is ILLEGAL. I didn't realise this. TD came about from the Morgan Owners Club and the reason for their being brought about was as a result of something which happened in the Aston Martin Owners Club. Apparently, 10yrs ago, the secretary of the Aston Martin Owners Club organised a package including ferry tickets, hotels etc for a trip to somewhere in Russia. The AMOC members paid thousands each for the trip, paying the money by installments into a club account. Just before the trip, the Secretary did the dirty and absconded with all the money. The club was legally responsible for the members cash. Apparently there was a big "todo" in the motoring fraternity over it and Travel Destinations (formerly Morgan Owners Club) were formed and obtained the necessary ABTA bonding which enables them to organise this type of event for the Morgan Owners Club and now any other motoring clubs that wish to use their services. Now, don't get me wrong, I am not, for one minute, suggesting that Isobel would repeat the actions of the AMOC chappy. I was unaware of Isobels ability to obtain tickets directly from ACO and I must say that as nothing had been posted re CMI organising anything in this or any other thread re the Classic Le Mans 2010, I just took it that T.D were the people being used. This is the type of confusion that is bound to come about when there are two or more clubs doing the same thing Thanks for explaining about the "in circuit parking" Deb, I would imagine then, that the different car clubs would be alloted parking areas for their particular marque, again, with 2 or 3 Marcos clubs I could see this getting somewhat fragmented and confusing but I'll wait and see. My word, wouldn't it be much simpler if there were only one set of "cooks" in our "kitchen". |
||||
|
|
||||
The Morrisons |
#12 | |||
|
Thanks for the info Bob. Last year it was not really a Club organised do. It was Richard P and ourselves that got together and decided to promote it as much
as possible. Isobel kindly agreed to arrange the purchasing of tickets and arranging the club area. I provided as much detail as possible regarding available
accommodation in the area near us and everyone was responsible for booking their accommodation and travel themselves. This seemed the easiest way as people
were coming from all different areas of England and for differing periods of time. Also people have different ideas about what type of accommodation and
location they want to stay at. I did find out that you can get a discount for bulk booking ferry crossings with LD Lines but again it comes down to everyone
wishing to cross from different locations and on differing dates.
I suppose we will just have to wait and see what the ticket prices come out as from TD and make a decision then. |
||||
|
|
||||
The Quiffster |
#13 | |||
|
Just a reminder there's another thread for the Le Mans Classic in 2010. There is some very useful info being posted in this thread but feel it's in
danger of going (& staying) off topic.
I don't reckon Isobel will disappear with all the LMC funds unless she finds out the chassis's gone on the 1800... so that's about 50/50 then... ![]()
The Quiffster
Unregistered user?, Why not come in out of the cold? It's painless, free and opens other options up to you. Spare less than a minute of your time and register here, go on, you know it makes sense! |
||||
|
|
||||
Jack |
#14 | |||
|
After last years experience I would endorse in-field parking, it was fantastic. A potential issue with TD is that they only do half-board packages, and will
not do B&B. For B&B they have a sister company who will sell the circuit tickets but everything else has to be done by the individual - like last year.
|
||||
|
|
||||
martineztop |
#15 | |||
|
have to say I'm not keen on booking though an agent as it's a package, and I like to choose when where and how (apart from the track time that is),
perhaps The Morrisons, Richard and Isobel can do the same again ?
everything went really well last year and a lot of us seem to want just B&B or maybe camping, if someone can organise the track time I can sort the rest myself |
||||
|
|
||||
The Morrisons |
#16 | |||
martineztop wrote:I am more than happy to help with sourcing accommodation again but I must say that Isobel had to put a lot of time and hard work into sorting the tickets/track laps so she may not want to go through that again. Trouble is if someone is going to do it for the whole group they do need the experience that Isobel has and also an account to deal with all the incoming/outgoing funds. Sorry Quiff - this discussion should probably be continued on the thread specifically for Le Mans Classic 2010 but not sure what the best way is to get it back there!
Last Edited By: The Morrisons Sun, 23-Aug-2009 14:32.
Edited 1 time.
|
||||
|
|
||||
jon brookes |
#17 | |||
Go to the Le Mans post and I'II explain what the MOC is trying to do for Le Mans Classic |
||||
|
|
||||
Captain Speaking |
#18 | |||
|
Ok, back on topic.... As a newbie member of the Marcos fraternity having only benefitted from the joys of ownership since Feb 09, my first non-local official
outing was to Prescott and I was mightily impressed with all of the effort the organisers had obviously expended to make it happen. I've obviously not been
to Curborough or Le Mans so have nothing to compare against, nor have I 'tracked' my vehicle anywhere else. I would love to go back to Prescott and
have another go at the hill and would support any efforts to make this happen.
I believe there are some important points to be satisfied by any large meet and it may be useful to list them rather than lose them in a mass of text. 1. No one should feel 'compelled' to do anything they are not comfortable with. 2. Partners without a car-interest should be adequately catered for. 3. 'Event' participants should be able to do so for fun and not feel 'inferior' if they are not as shiny/fast/knowledgeable as others. The 50th Anniversary weekend appeared to tick all of those boxes, as far as I could see. Obviously all locations have an associated cost and if it is not felt that this can be made financially attractive to the owners because of potential reduced numbers due to it not being a landmark (ie 50th) celebration, then maybe it could be made cost effective by sharing with another marque's owners group (Lotus, Morgan, @@% etc). Good luck with narrowing down the options and figuring out the finances.
How do they know it was a Big Bang if there was no one around to hear it?
|
||||
|
|
||||