The queues usually have dispersed after an hour or so, at which point it's possible to drive straight out. After the rally has actually closed they usually open all the gates they've got to try and get stuff out (obviously doesn't help those exhibitors who start leaving before the end of the rally though). I'm not quite sure how much more the organisers could do? I can understand those travelling long distances wanting to get on the road, but is it better to get worked up and annoyed shuffling forwards in a queue, or to chill out for an hour or two and have something to eat until the mad rush has died down? ....I'm sure the organisers would be only too happy to have some helpers to start getting the fences stacked up if anyone is at a loose end whilst waiting.


I'm not totally clear why the steam engines would need to be located near the working field? That's predominently for infernal confusion engine tractors.
The ploughers (who live exclusively in the working field) are always over there, as are the couple that work in wood sawing/threshing/crushing arenas. The commercials are near the working field on the bit of site leading up to it - but then that's also sloping ground so unlikely to be welcomed by the steam owners. It would also mean an uphill climb for all the steamers to reach the arena for the parade, not a sensible situation if it can be avoided. The original location for the arena was a little further over until one year when it hissed with rain at just after 2pm... unfortunately in that location all exits from the arena were uphill: The majority of the engines were stuck in the arena unable to get out.

Whilst I agree the working field does feel a bit seperate from the main site, that's always been the case and the organisers have made efforts to merge the two by adding side stalls, exhibits and other things along the corridor between them. Personally I think they're a lot more joined up these days than it was in the early days.

If the exhibitor camping area and public camping area were to be displaced to be taken up by exhibits and fill the triangle between the two sites, then where would the camping go? There are only just so many fields available for the rally to use (and abuse).


I think it's a few years ago now, but they have had "The Wurzels" at Onslow. They were a novelty the first year, but after two or three consecutive years they were starting to sound a bit like a broken record playing the same set in the same order each time. ...as for 'Busker - I guess that's a "Marmite" type thing.

I think it better to book some local talent for the entertainment than pay a premium for a novelty act. In the evening the beer tent/entertainment is for the benefit of the exhibitors, which is a rather captive audience. Those who go over to the beer tent will do so irrespective of what the stage act is.


That's indeed good to hear, none of the orgainsers I've spoken to during or since the rally were aware of that, so you must have a high up source.

Looking at video footage I took from inside the playpen arena last year you can see visitors a couple of rows deep around the outside watching. You don't get that for the main parade at many other events. The sight and sound of the heavy trailers being dragged up the hill was always impressive and the public queues for trailer rides around the arena were never ending.

By comparison this year's effort was pathetic - a soft muddy stubble patch around the outside of the ploughers (such that they could only cultivate in one line), located 4 miles away from the engine line with a convoluted route for the steamers to be able to make their way across to it... shared with tracked military vehicles that would rip the mud up on every corner so there'd be no hope of any roller making it round without getting stuck.


There has been a long history stretching back over the 20 years the rally has been at Shrewsbury where for many years there was a total movement ban. For various reasons that has relaxed, but I agree that it can be very frustrating when yellow jacketted wonders start making up their own rules on the spot. It can also be a tad exasperating when some 13 year old cadet starts issuing orders as though they're on their parade ground. It's important to remember that as a member of the public one is also perfectly at will to be deaf and not hear them - especially when they declare it's "unsafe" to walk between two stationary vehicles lined up for the arena. In the same way one takes responsibility for your own actions whilst navigating the public car park, just watch what you're doing on the rally field as well.

A couple of years ago they seemed to stop using the cadets (there used to be thousands of them) and instead used society volunteers. The numbers dropped and the number of chips-on-shoulders also seemed to decrease. I'm aware they were using cadets again this year. I suspect finding volunteers to do that job isn't easy, and in defence of the cadets: They've been told words to the effect of 'keeping people out of the way of vehicles' - they're just doing what they've been paid to do. I just personally wish some would use more common sense, occasional manners, and remember they're NOT in the army barking orders to subordinates. Having said all that, I didn't witness any 'problems' with the cadets on site this year - so experiences clearly vary.

I always remember with amusement some cadets getting in a frenzy when they saw Ray Matthews walk out from the crowd towards "Tommy" as it was moving towards the arena. ...without taking any notice of the cadet (who was getting quite agitated) he waited until the engine slowed and paused before climbing up onto it. The cadet suddenly went quiet and shut up again after seeing the owner get on their engine!


The delays along the A5 and A458 have always been a problem - but then even before the rally moved to that site there were tail backs (and still are on other holidays in the year) as the whole of the West Midlands who have been to the Welsh coast for the weekend all pour out of Wales to go home. Trying to add the population of the rally field into the same traffic jam is just going to make matters worse. There are signs out that try to divert through traffic via. Westbury & Halfway House, but I'm skeptical about how many people use that? It's a good road and no further than using the A5/A458.

As for moving the entrance nearer the bypass - where?
There are only three gates onto the site, all open out onto the A458. The bottom one is used for the public car park, the middle one is the normal estate entrance and is blocked until after the rally has closed, and the top one is the exhibitor's entrance. There aren't any entrances from the dual carriageway and adding anything more would require the land owner to allow brick walls and established hedges to be destroyed.

A good few years ago they did route the exit from the public car park along a private lane/track across the fields that deposited everyone on a narrow lane at Dinthill, but then the traffic is all going to head back to Ford and try and join the A458 again. I'm sure if anyone out there has some magical solution to getting all the rally traffic in and out of the site whilst avoiding the A458 (ie. the only road that runs alongside the estate) then I suspect the organisers would be only too happy to hear it.

I'm not sure about the solution to queuing to pay, but I understand 'Dorset can have huge queues at the pay booths as well. Perhaps once 'Dorset have found the solution Onslow could try copying it?


I have a vague recollection they try to get around the 'steward' problem for the road trains by claiming they're a 'fairground ride' or some such. I'm not personally all that convinced there's a great difference between a tractor and multiple trailers barging through the visitors and any other exhibit moving about, but hey ho.

Going back a good few years when Frank used to do the water with the Scammell. I remember the 'all vehicles must be accompanied by a steward' ruling was not too popular - especically with the stewards who had to walk miles in front of it! By the end of the first day one of the steward's Hi-Viz vests was draped across the front of the radiator and it just crawled around on its own. The stewards had given up!

Stewards aren't a unique "Onslow" problem though, it can be a similar situation at other events and I find it infuriating that many stewards/event organisers have it driven into their thick skulls that steam engines are in some way different to every other road vehicle out there. At the beginning of June I had the knackered-roller at an event held on a show ground with a metalled road network around the site. On the Sunday evening I was making my way towards the gate for the start of the little 3 hour drive home - safety valves feathering and everything 'on song' ready for the run through Shrewsbury and up out of town. Despite there being no other pedestrians in sight, and cars moving around the site freely, some yellow jacketted marshall took it upon himself that my engine needed a steward - so he stepped out and walked along directly infront of me (not the brightest place to walk anyway!). Aware of what he was up to, I didn't slow down... after a short time he clearly became aware of the clattering monster behind him catching up, so he started trying to swot a fly - at least I assume that's what he was doing as he started waving his arm up and down. Eventually he twigged that I was ignoring him and stepped to one side whilst shouting for me to slow down. My response was to point out that the site speed limit was 5mph, and I definately wasn't going that fast. (reference to GPS log data later in the evening confirmed my statement). For some reason he was blind to all the cars moving faster than I was, yet some how felt a steam engine should be doing a fraction of the site speed limit. Having left the site I could then play with the pedestrians, parked cars, buses and lorries as I went past the town centre and up through the suburbs without needing marshalls, hi-viz or someone with little to no knowledge of my engine and its abilities telling me what to do on a deserted rally field.

During the rally marshalls and stewards are a necessary evil so organisers can show they are responding to their duty of care. I just wish some of the chosen stewards could do it politely, with courtesy and learn to switch off when the rally is over! (needless to say, my comments don't apply to all the marshalls and stewards who are sensible already!)


This year engine owners were told that if they wished to go on the expedition to the 'playpen' then they could "self-steward" through the public areas before reaching the service road around the back. However this itself is a bit of a retrograde step seeing as a few years ago when the playpen was first introduced there was also a relaxation of the "no movement" rule in that engines could move about the site so long as they did it slowly, sensibly, avoided large crowds and you didn't have all the engines trying to move about at the same time - there was no requirement for stewards. In practice most engine movements were to/from the playpen - after all, why shuffle slowly around the public areas when there's a nice large playpen that the engines can be driven about in at will? ...I'm not sure how an engine with a crew of one is suppose to 'self-steward', but seeing as there effectively wasn't a play pen and on Monday it was a mud bath, the situation never arose.

Not really relevant to Onlsow, but of course in the whole never ending "steward" arguments I've yet to ever find anyone able to explain why 'exhibits' need marshalls and stewards, and yet hired security firms can drive about in cars/quads without stewards, the toilet servicing contractors do not need marshalling, any police presence can drive unmarshalled, and the rally organiser's themselves don't need their vehicles/quads etc. stewarding. The best one of all was at Welland a good few years ago when Sherpa pick ups with "Midland Sherpa Spares" branding on the side could be seen driving through the crowded public areas in the middle of the day by children who I'd guess were around 13/14 years old with their mates in the cab and no adults. None of the stewards or event safety officer seemed at all concerned by this, funnily enough. ;)


From the marks on the road, it looks as if it wasn't the first engine passing that way...

Criticisms
 

I note all the adverse comments but we always enjoy ourselves, we are made to feel welcome and the numbers of people attending proves the organisers are getting it right. So what more do you want.

Mine explorer putting in a late entry for longest post of 2014. Good effort.

Ian 'an hour or so'
It is more like three hours.

Yes , Ian , I did have a high up source , albeit he may have been expressing his intent to see that it would be so .

Having driven a roller at Onslow I appreciate the situation with the lie of the land. I just feel it is a bit of an odd situation having the working demonstrations (steam threshing, stone crushing, sawing etc) up one end of the field and the play pen (well this year it was more threshing) up the other end.

I know it is hard to please everyone, I appreciate space is finite and at no point was I suggesting 'displacing' people to make room for steam. But perhaps a rejig might be in order?

I reckon that a part of the trouble with pestilential stewards is that they are under the common delusion that steam vehicles are somehow inherently dangerous .

It should be impressed on them that this is not so , but that an engine driver may be grateful for some HELP in crowds , rather than ignorant and officious HINDRANCE .

Again, having done this activity at Onslow and being a CI with the Air Training Corp I've done my fair share of car parking / stewarding at events (most unpaid by the way) and it really is not an easy job. It is frustrating, hair pulling and sometimes downright dangerous stuff that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy and in my opinion it is certainly something that 13-17 year olds should not be employed doing.

The paperwork alone for allowing teenage cadets anywhere near a event like Onslow is immense (and we aren't just taking about the usual health and safety 'nonsense' here).

Above it all they are just doing what the organiser has told them to do and I've seen some strange sights. Like the year the organisers placed a large blue biffa bin in the path of the engines coming from the arena to make them divert round a particularly soft patch and left a group of cadets to 'guard' it. That went down really well with engine men and public a like. How to look like an pillock in one easy lesson.

Add to that most people seem to think that the reason you go to events is to wear a hi-viz vest and order people about to satisfy some bizarre sexual thrill and to be honest you really couldn't pay me enough to do that job.

I for one had a brilliant weekend! As did all the crew! As for the comments about officious high viz wearers, on Sunday eve when trying to locate the playpen, we took a wrong turn. Thankfully one was on hand knew exactly where we were trying to get to before we even murmured play pen, offered to escort us down, but was perfectly happy for myself to do this task.

All the crew enjoyed themselves, even though it rained on Monday, still thought it was a good one. I only hope we are invited back next year!

The rally doesn't finish until 5pm. If I'm taking the steam U-Boat back to its home yard then I arrange with the section organiser to leave the engine line about half an hour early so I can hit the road and be back before dark. On each occasion I've done it, the roller has been leaving the rally gates onto the A458 at 5pm (so has technically been on site until the end!), which means it's taken less than 30 minutes (usually 15 to 20) to do the quarter to half mile or so from the engine line at slow walking crawl and to then join the queue and shuffle along the entrance drive. This means it's moving and not a huge problem around 16:30. On Monday night I drove straight off the field for the first time at 19:30 without sight of another vehicle trying to leave, and the road had been like that for some time as I'd been parking up the tatty heap a short distance away from it ready for Tuesday.

That means in the space of three hours it goes from moving steadily at roller speed through to nothing trying to leave at all. If you spent three hours waiting for the exhibitor's gate then I suspect you were severely lost, because the build up was gone before that, and as the backlog does shuffle forwards nobody sat queuing would have to wait anywhere near that long between joining it and getting out.

What IS unfortunate is that the exhibitor exits cut through the site a bit, so it's a pain trying to cut across the queue to get from one area to another as people wrongly assume you're trying to jump the queue. It also means those trying to reach the low loader park also have to try and join and then leave the queues to reach their trailers long before actually wanting to leave. I can't see any realistic alternatives for that though.


Last time I spoke to the playpen's section organiser they didn't know where the playpen would be next year, although they did hope it would return. I believe there are portions of the rally organising committee who were against the playpen idea from the start, so there was no guarante it would return for subsequent years. I suspect it will equally be a 'discussion' at committee level over its location or even existance next year as well. I can only think of one person who might hold a high enough position to say with any certainty where it might be, and I'm not sure they're a great fan of the 'pen either.


Ah, the location of the playpen this year being far away from the engine line, as opposed to a general layout issue of the entire working field being seperate from them is I think what is called 'a bodge'! Having lost the usual playpen area on the main field they decided to find an alternative rather than do away with it altogether. In the rubik's cube shuffle there wasn't alternative space elsewhere so it got lumped in the already existing steam ploughing/cultivation area - thus meaning there wasn't enough space for a proper demonstration of that either. Not exactly a great sucess from any perspective, but the alternative would have been not to have even tried to accomodate one...

This year could either be seen as an unfortunate "one-off", or the beginning of the end. If it's decided that the traditional playpen space is not available in future years and everyone - visitors and exhibitors alike moan like hell about this year's alternative, then it will no doubt be easier for the organising committee to decide just to do away with it and not make any attempt at one in the future. We'll be heading back to the engines stationary on the peg for the weekend situation - which was the situation prior to 2010.


When I said 'displace' I was meaning being moved to elsewhere on the site. Clearly space for exhibitors to camp isn't optional, but it does occupy a large area. Public camping provides a welcome income stream so it would be financially daft to reduce or remove that. The public car park field is one great long slope, so not ideal to use for exhibits. The camping is the opposite end from the public entrance, move that across to make room for exhibits means all the public will have to walk through a camp site to reach the rally - that ain't gonna work. Visitors already have to skirt around the edge of the camping to reach the working field which is where the 'division' between sites comes from.

There are effectively only two entrances onto the site. If you make the current exhibitor's entrance the public one then the only large area for public parking will be the current working field. It isn't possible to move that to the other end where there's currently public parking as that ground is uncultivated park land for grazing - the landlord isn't going to want that ploughing up.

Whilst minor tweaks are possible, and sections can move (spit bangs have been in a variety of locations over the years, as have trade stands, craft and beer tent. The fair has also shuffled a bit), when faced with the site they've got it's hard to see how there can be any great major rethinks, and certainly nothing that solves the traffic issues outside the site.

It should be remembered that David's photo was taken at 08:30 in the morning - the gates to the rally didn't open until 9:15, so people are queuing up like that 45 minutes before the start! I accept that I understand the queues were pretty bad throughout the day as well, but the organisers can't do anything to prevent queues before the gate is even open. Even if the decision was made to open early, all that will happen is in subequent years it will become expected that it will open early and people will start arriving and queuing even earlier.

For all the critisim on here, that members of the public and enthusiasts are prepared year after year to stream into the site and form such long queues must surely mean the organisers are at least doing something right to provide an attraction that's that popular.


Well I could quote each post and pass comment individually, filling the page with posts in the process - or I could write one post and incorporate all references into it. If someone isn't in the least bit interested in my mutterings then it's easier for them to skip one long post rather than have to scroll through multiple ones...

Whilst I don't for one minute assume those on the ground get paid, I would think that the cadet organisation would receive financial recompense for providing their services.


Understandable, and a good reason why I wouldn't want such a task. Most exhibitors (steam or anything else) can be quite reasonable if it's explained to them what the issue is (ie. very soft spot). The problem is that requires those 'on guard' to approach the engines and explain that it's soft ahead - not necessarily something everyone is confident doing, and when on an engine trying to negotiate already soft ground stopping for a conversation is the last thing they'll want to do as they might then be stuck and unable to start again - seeing an easily moveable bin in the way with some apparently unhelpful cadets standing by it talking amongst themselves rather than moving it can be seen as annoying when the full situation is unknown.

I'm not convinced the cadets age group are the most confident at approaching complete strangers and asking them to move, and it certainly isn't all who bark orders around - it's just unfortunate that the few who do stand out for the wrong reasons tend to tarnish the majority who don't. That's the same whether the marshalls are cadets or adult volunteers.

Personally I think it much more effective if marshalls alert visitors to the presence of approaching vehicles they might not be aware of, rather than demand they either move out of the way, or issue orders 'not to cross'. People cross the road every day and don't need high-viz stewards standing at the curb telling them want to do. On a rally field the road way isn't defined, so marshalls marking the route and asking visitors to be careful whilst crossing is fair enough - but stewards demanding people don't try to get from one side of a slowly crawling and frequently stopping line of vehicles to another is just insulting to the visitors - it's no wonder people can get irritated and annoyed with the marshalls.

The marshalls don't necessarily have an easy time either, especially around the steam section when some teenager has been told to 'stand there and keep people back', but they might not have actually been told to stand in a very useful place, and don't necessarily know what the steamers are trying to do. The marshalls don't necessarily know where each steamer is heading to get back to their peg, or how the owner is going to try and achieve that in the space available - eg. it might be easier to reverse an engine some of the way to avoid very tight corners, and shunting around the portables that have been towed behind engines isn't quick and simple either.

For all the complaints, the organisers and marshalls manage to cram an awful lot of exhibits in the space available and DO manage to get one chuff of a lot of engines both into and out of the arena for the main parade in a fairly organised fashion - how total gridlock is avoided with amost every square inch of grass in the arena covered by engines is a minor miracle each year!

I couldn't comment on the current Onslow situation but often events of all types see cadets as little more than 'free bodies' . Again, in my opinion a 13 year old is not the right person to use as a steward, especially if they are tasked with telling people to move out of the way.

I agree wholeheartedly. And it is fantastic to be both on the outside looking in and the inside looking out. But I think there is always room for feedback.

Its always been my way of thinking that if you want to be seen, wear a high viz. This doesn't mean you become the boss of all before you, it just means you can be seen and are taking your own safety to hand as you see fit.

As for loads of event officials in jackets, to my mind its the wrong way round. Surely it would be better for the general conciousness not to see them all over the place? That way if a load suddenly appear, you'll know something is up and you need to stop what your doing/going etc.

Have eyes and ears around for sure, but a name badge (or number) should suffice if instructions are to be given. Personally if folk are accountable for what they do/say I always find them more polite.

As for kids in jackets. Get them involved, teach then some skills and yes make them aware of whats what, but do't ever get them to tell me how to drive or behave.

All my own opinion of course and my thoughts are not connected to Onslow.

Onslow,is the best rally in Shropshire for exhibits, I have seen some of the rarest tractors in preservation in the working field.
When I have exhibited I have enjoyed it thoroughly, sadly for personal reasons I did not exhibit this year and to be honest, I missed going, but Ian as for getting out in about a hour, you must be gifted and the the traffic parted in front of you.
One engine owner said it was the worst he had ever seen, it took him an hour and a half to get to the lowloader park, never mind loading and exiting from there. I know several trade stand owners, who are debating whether to go next year, though the takings are good, the time taken to exit site is putting them off, they need to replenish stock and get to the next booking.

." I know several trade stand owners, who are debating whether to go next year, though the takings are good, the time taken to exit site is putting them off, they need to replenish stock and get to the next booking."

Speaking from personal experience, I simply cannot think that any trader would refuse to return here because of the delay exiting the site, good shows (from a trading viewpoint) are hard to find!

May be, they could be somewhere else that is less hassle.

Don't forget this is on in Shrewsbury the same weekend
http://shrewsburyfolkfestival.co.uk/

Its interesting reading all this bollocks about Onslow.

If reports of getting on site at Dorset are to be believed the Onslow troubles are small fry and show what a well organised show it really is.

I agree with Hedd, the real reason is that the rally site is located on the main trunk road to Mid Wales and most of the population of the West Midlands are having one last trip to the sea side before winter. Little anyone can do regarding the amount of traffic on that road, with the possible exception of holding the rally on an available weekend in the middle of December!

Winter rally, that could break Christmas up a bit! I like the idea! Bank holiday too on Christmas day.

You can get a week in Spain cheaper than a weekend in Barmouth.

We travel from Preston to Onslow with our Burrell tractor on its transporter and 6 berth caravan hooked behind. This rally is a good enjoyable weekend for us and now we know the run of things we hang on with loading and leaving site till later, this year we left in pouring rain about 8 pm. The bug bear for me is getting my caravan and engine from the engine line down to the wagon, and we have realised now that you might as well just wait till about 6 pm before starting this manourve, so we take tea in the caravan, pack up, and wait till the weight of traffic has gone.

Onslow is no different to any other annual event and surlely if it wants to survive it must change a little each year and also introduce specials such as the Tanner display. Obviously not every change will suit everybody, however judging by the weekends attendance and above reported problems which in the main are all due to its popularity it looks to me like the committee has got the formula about right.

Every rally has its problems and there other rallies we attend where traffic queues form at the end of the event when everyone wants to leave at the same time, however this problem isn't unique to steam rallies , go to a big pop concert, sporting event or agricultural show and you will expect to be in traffic.

What I want to say in summary is that it is very easy to critisise the organising of the event but I wonder how many people offering criticism would be prepared to give their time to help improve things. Therefore I would like to offer a big THANKYOU to Edward and the committee for all their hard work in putting on this event for us to attend and long may it flourish.

I have found with more than one trip to get away from Onslow; I couldn't really do it all on the Monday evening. The best thing to do is sit tight and watch the chaos as everything else trickles out, assist as necessary with the breakdown of the show or towing by which time the light is fading; stay over until the Tuesday morning when traffic is minimal and I find the morning rush hour/business traffic in proper daylight is less problematic than doing battle with the holiday returners in fading light.
The problems this year were that it continued persisting down all night which didn't improve field conditions at all and the toilet providers were a bit keen taking all of them from the working field camping very early on the Monday evening; which the better half wasn't too happy about.

Yeah, they start herding together the thunder-boxes on a Monday night - but if you're prepared to walk, the proper flushing site loos are still functional for a while on the Tuesday morning.

Dispose of any rubbish on Monday night, because bins and skips dissappear sharpish, and the water main gets turned off at some point Tuesday morning so standpipes and the site loos can be dismantled (which can be a pain if you're busy trying to fill an engine at the time!)

Oh, and don't plan on a lie-in on a Tuesday either - there are tractors, front loaders, bin lorries and steam engines moving around from very early o'clock!
...In the case of lowy loaders heading for 'Dorset they can start running up air tanks and hitting the road at exceedingly early o'clock in the small hours.

I haven't seen the thunder boxes rounded up on the Monday evening before; not that it is a massive problem, that's what the chamber pot is for - when the thunder boxes are unfit to use. Fair play at Onslow they keep them in really a good state.
It is usually quiet on the Tuesday morning; tractors, lorries etc. I find don't disturb me. When the show is on usually somebody is cranking up the briefcase genny or revving motorbikes at 6.30 a.m. arrrrgggghhh!

The family next to me outside the beer tent had taken two and a half hours to get in, presumably that was a common experience for those arriving at the same time as them. They obviously thought it worth the wait, others may not have been so happy. Certainly those with children who are the future of shows like this and the hobby in general.

As I said in one of the earlier posts, online ticket = instant admission once you are actually parked up on site. I don't know how the event is advertised, I live in Gloucestershire and heard about it by way of mouth originally but this should be plugged. I repeat, THE WEBSITE IS PATHETIC, I can't even find the rally opening and closing times on it, I found 09.30 on a general visitor attraction site using Google. It looks to me as if all that has been done to it this year apart from adding the online ticketing is change the dates. No mention of special attractions like the Tanner Reunion.

I assume lack of volunteers is the reason why more ticket selling points are not added.

Is it the same reason why the event is not run over three days like Welland and South Cerney who got good crowds on a Friday this year? Or is the Bank Holiday Saturday traffic even worse?

I'm afraid I couldn't comment on the delays for visitors to get on site, but from what I've heard nothing would surprise me. The queues have been horrendous for years, but I'm afraid reports of queues of over 3 hours for exhibitors to leave the site on the Monday night are just plain rubbish - I do have experience of that. The rally doesn't finish until 5pm, so clearly no exhibitors would dream of trying to leave before then, and the queues had all vanished before 8pm - I drove out myself at 7:30pm with nothing in front of me at all.


I'm slightly surprised by this comment, the website was totally redone at the end of July and although I accept the point that the Tanner Reunion wasn't mentioned (at the point I was involved in giving feedback on it I wasn't aware of the reunion myself - a bit of a vicious circle that one I suppose! lol). However, rally opening times were readily available on there.

The front home page only gives the rally dates, the gate opening time is shown on both the "About the rally" page and "The Society" pages (in the column on the right hand side). I can't remember if it was also shown on the "Buy Tickets" page as that has now expired and doesn't bring up anything.

Here it is on the right hand side: "Gates Open - 9.15am":

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3919/...21edde63cc.jpg


The website even has a copy of the arena timetable to view as well, so visitors can plan when they want to arrive/depart based on arena activities:

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3907/...975a4d908c.jpg

The "Where's the rally" page gives a text description of how to get to it, a SatNav postcode location for it, and the obligitory Google Maps map pin view as well.




When I go looking for an event website the only points I'm interested in are

• What date is it?
• Where is the showground located?
• What time does the gate open?
• How much is admission?

All of those key points of information can be found on the Onslow website, if not on the front page then just one click away, and when the site only has 5 pages none of which are nested, it shouldn't take many seconds to tour the whole thing.

Unfortunately there are some events who fail to say when the gate opens or how much the admission is, then have seemingly thousands of pages to wade through before you can say for certain that this key information ain't there!




Personally I have no idea about those details, but I can't see it being a particularly popular suggestion to make the Saturday a rally day as well. The current situation allows exhibitors chance to arrive on site and set up without necessarily needing to book annual holiday entitlement from work, or rush around on the Friday night - especially important if they're coming some distance. The traffic situation into Mid-Wales isn't good all weekend, so adding an extra day wouldn't avoid that. The queues on the A458 further along at Newtown were already backing up a couple of miles at lunch time on Bank Holiday Friday.

The toilet quality is pretty good IMHO, and for those prepared to walk, there are proper flushing toilet blocks located near the beer tent. Although I didn't spot them this year, there is usually a shower facility in that area as well.

They were just going round emptying the elsan disposal points in the campsite areas when I left the site shortly before 6pm on Tuesday, by then there weren't any caravans/tents left in the camping areas, so there are still facilities for emptying 'the bucket' until late on to save taking it home.

There was a shower facility our lot were using them

I'm slightly surprised by this comment, the website was totally redone at the end of July and although I accept the point that the Tanner Reunion wasn't mentioned (at the point I was involved in giving feedback on it I wasn't aware of the reunion myself - a bit of a vicious circle that one I suppose! lol). However, rally opening times were readily available on there.

The front home page only gives the rally dates, the gate opening time is shown on both the "About the rally" page and "The Society" pages (in the column on the right hand side). I can't remember if it was also shown on the "Buy Tickets" page as that has now expired and doesn't bring up anything.

Here it is on the right hand side: "Gates Open - 9.15am":

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3919/...21edde63cc.jpg

Apologies for this, a classic case of not seeing what is in front of me. Either that or I assumed that where there was a 'drop down' menu which appeared when the mouse hovered over the top item, clicking the top would not produce a new page.

And as I said before, including a note about the exit arrangements would have been a very good idea. Last year we went on both days, on the second day we did a huge circuit of the back (south) of the car park away from the main road and coming along the west fence to get into the Welshpool Lane. That worked well. We saw the writing on the wall this year and made sure we left just after 14.30 because it's a long drive to and fro as we live in deepest Gloucestershire.

Wasn't impressed with £12.00 entry and really wasn't impressed with the woman shouting and balling at the paying public to get in line outside the payboxs. This was on Saturday. It gave a very poor impression, the more she shouted the more people ignored her.

I left the site at about 7pm on Monday, and drove straight out, no queues, roads towards Chester were fine. the extra couple of hours wait was well worth it.

Left with a tidy van, and a clean engine. Only dissapointment was the awning was wet... but that's rallies!

Ian

Now, come on.

Given that all the punters who entered the car park will have come in through the same gate that they were heading for to get out, they will have known that on he way out they will have been confronted with the choice of turning left or turning right.

Now given that it is conventional in all known parts of the world with any form of traffic rules that to turn right you go in the right lane, to turn left you go in the left, It seems that your arguing that the punters were too stupid to work that out for themselves. If so I fail to see how signs will help. You cannot argue with ignorance.

What you are really saying is that there were a load of pricks in the wrong lane, either because they were to stupid, or because they thought they would overtake everyone and push to the front. Sadly thats life ;).

I guess if it was possible to add the "gates open 9:15" in small letters under the date on the front page then it might make things even clearer, but then if you get too carried away with adding such details then all you end up with is a very cluttered and distracting page.


I guess better signage in the car park (perhaps by the pedestrian exit back into the car park?) might be the answer rather than adding something to the programme - not everyone buys one of those, and even those that do don't necessary read it all.

If the traffic is starting the back up on the main road towards Shrewsbury then I'd personally always turn left out of the gate and cut round. Any of the left hand turns in Ford (village just down the hill from the showground) will get you across to the B4386, or else you could follow the more official alternative and carry on the 6 miles to Halfway House before turning left to Westbury and join the B4386 there, then turn left and return to Shrewsbury at the next traffic island along on the dual carriageway. It might well be further distance, but I dare say it'll be quicker than shuffling in a queue along the A458.


I guess different people have differing views about what constitutes value for money. If there has been an admission increase for Onslow this year, then it certainly isn't as much as the gate increase for 'Dorset this year.

(...but if visitors were already starting to queue to get in on Saturday, then no wonder tempers were wearing thin and the queue was huge by the time the gate opened on Sunday)


With tact and diplomacy like that I'm sure you could go far with a job in the Foreign Office... :)

Much has been said, but I hope I might add a few words as a fair-paying punter:

The ticketting might be improved for having a look at it. I know there are (in theory) advance tickets, but assume such website funtionality is removed by common anti-spyware script blockers. Maybe a low tech solution to the website might improve advance ticket sales. Alternatively, a simple form that can be printed by post would work if it had to.

When there are very large queues outside, there is a need for more stewards there than inside. If that means nothing can move for an hour or so, I don't see a problem if it improves the welcoming face of the show. Given them money belts and they can at least sell programmes in advance. If the punters have something to fiddle with it's better than nothing.

The current system of paper tickets to walk 30 feet on entry slows the queues too much. Could there also be preferencial treatment for 'exact fares' to reduce the time fiddling with money and tickets?

We had a real emergency on the Monday, though thankfully not a serious one. The toilet door lock failed and the missus was left stuck in there whilst I called for assistance. Given that there was a risk of an expensive bill if a crow bar was applied to the aluminium doorframe, I wanted some official approval before breaking down the door. In addition to calming the missus, I had to keep a pair of autistic kids calm too. There is a real need for a clearer steward's uniform as it took a disconcerting amount of time to find a 'suitable someone' in a yellow jacket. Enginemen had them. Fairground folk had them. It seemed everyone had one. Something distinctive that can been seen from a few feet away would help reduce the confusion in a greater emergency than ours.

The problem with the exit gate lanes isn't signage. It's the application of said signage As we drove out on Monday, I saw a pile of yellow signs in the corner of the field. If they had been nailed to the posts the one-off visitors would have a fighting chance with interpreting the 3 lanes as having changed from 2-in and 1-out in the morning to 2-out and 1-in later in the day.

Finally, despite battling the Birmingham traffic on the M1 & M6, the Shrewsbury traffic, ticket queues, the loo issue and damp weather on Monday, we'll be back. It's a highlight of the year and we're looking forward to coming back in 2015 already.

Simon.

The rally office is the big white trailer positioned at the side of the arena alongside the commentator's booth - that's permanently manned during the rally open hours and someone there would have been able to call for assitance and arrange help. Alternatively if you're looking out for a roving steward then the best bet would have been one of those in a jacket with their name and rally job written on the back - they're likely to be carrying radios to be able to summon assistance. With one or two exceptions any other 'marshall' you might encounter would probably have to either direct you to one of the first two sources, or else have to volunteer to go themselves seeing as they don't all carry radios or toolkits to release locks.

Hopefully despite the problems of tracking down the right person, the problem got sorted and you were all reunited again before too long. :)

We had no real problem, but it got me thinking about the number of official-looking non-officials on site. I headed towards the office and found folk before too long but was surprised how many hi-vis jackets I passed. I hadn't seen anything like as many at other rallies.

The lock needed more than just 'releasing' - there was a fair sized chunk missing from the door frame when the door opened...

Simon.

All the ticket set up needs is a walk through ticket tent with 4 lanes. The present system is a complete balls up. 4 widows at the end of long queues. Tell me this, where do you expect the people who have paid in the inner two rows to go, just vanish into thin air ?. No they have to fight there way out in front of the people who are trying to pay, result big delays and a total grid lock. Compound this with a rather over enthusiastic steward hounding people into 4 lanes at the top of her voice then getting mad when the queues don't move ( well they wont if they cant get out when they have paid ). Come on this is simple stuff done at other rallies with very little fuss stop trying to reinvent the wheel.

Really enjoyed the event.

I left with the engine just after 6.00pm on the Monday and got straight out... :)

As regards to the High Vis patrol. I went home on the Sunday (as the family came that day) to return on the Monday (wearing my writs band) to be told I could not take the car on the field (as I could not produce my caravan pass). After a short (friendly) discussion I was allowed on.

The only thing I did find strange was that nobody was allowed in the beer tent without a wristband????????????

Cheers,

Brian

I believe that this may be to do with the licencing conditions, to protect local pubs.