What Kills Rallies?

[Triton]

Originally Posted by 4040

I have the misfortune to know a few of these type of people, i call them 'The keyboard warriors' The funniest thing is that in the real world there isn't one of them that would say boo to a goose

It's a shame they don't put some real world effort in to help out, they might actually find they enjoy it

If I had a choice between operating a computer all day and restoring an engine / helping out with organising an event I know what I would do and that would be not using the computer! Computers are useful for sorting photos, writing articles for magazines and designing and printing publicity material for rallies.

With regard to organising events, I organised the Heritage Open Days at the Robey Trust in 2012, Anyway, most of the volunteers were at the Works on a Saturday and the event was a Saturday and Sunday two dayer. I was told by one of the Directors that we did not have sufficient volunteers for the two days. So, I just typed up a list of things that needed to be done on the two days such as crews for certain engines etc. I asked everyone to look at the list and to decide which days they wanted to help and to decide between themselves what they wanted to do, and I left them to it.

When I turned up on the day, the place was buzzing, a compressor had been hired by one of the Directors who paid for it out of his own pocket and everything that could work did work!

We had a fantastic couple of days and I received a considerable amount of feedback afterwards to say how much the volunteers had enjoyed themselves and there was no shortage of them over the two day event.

The reason why the event was so successful was that I had not rostered the volunteers to specific duties and they all enjoyed the jobs which they were doing. The moral of the story is that if you have a happy crew you will also have a successful event!

[staffordshirechina]

So far, I have only been showing my engine as 'work in progress' but I have found that an info board does help to start conversations. Mine also had some parts bolted on for the kids to feel. The big gear seemed to fascinate them!
Very basic and easily movable, an old sh*t house door and the trusty Workmate.

[fourceedee]

One big problem with the smaller rallys, monoplies. A well known rally up north with two breweries in the town, a local man has a train shaped woodfired pizza oven which does great value and tasting pizzas, even has a whistle!
As far as I am informed he wanted to go to said rally but was told couldnt be near the beer tent as the guy who does the bar has two catering vans serving in my view substandard rubbish. The pizza man was then told he could park up in the middle of nowhere and miss most of the evening trade due to his alloted location.
Small local rallies are being ruined by monopolies eiter in the trade side or the committe side with the 'click' running the show.

I only make a point of going to one rally uphere, Hunton a great rally that has stuck to its tradition isnt ruined by tat and has some movement they even had a time trail couse in the main ring for the classic car boys to bash at even some steamers had a go!
Proper rally with a sat night run to the pub.

[plateman]

Originally Posted by fourceedee

One big problem with the smaller rallys, monoplies. A well known rally up north with two breweries in the town, a local man has a train shaped woodfired pizza oven which does great value and tasting pizzas, even has a whistle!
As far as I am informed he wanted to go to said rally but was told couldnt be near the beer tent as the guy who does the bar has two catering vans serving in my view substandard rubbish. The pizza man was then told he could park up in the middle of nowhere and miss most of the evening trade due to his alloted location.
Small local rallies are being ruined by monopolies eiter in the trade side or the committe side with the 'click' running the show.

I only make a point of going to one rally uphere, Hunton a great rally that has stuck to its tradition isnt ruined by tat and has some movement they even had a time trail couse in the main ring for the classic car boys to bash at even some steamers had a go!
Proper rally with a sat night run to the pub.

I'm not defending the situation but if the rally organisers have extracted a few thousand pounds from a caterer then he is going to want to ensure that he is given a fair chance to recoup those thousands plus a wage for himself and his employees. I'm sure that all those on here will have their own ideas about the rights and wrongs of this system!

[Steam Extravaganza]

Originally Posted by fourceedee

Small local rallies are being ruined by monopolies eiter in the trade side or the committe side with the 'click' running the show.

Buy that man a drink.

[Timothy Hackworth Jr]

Originally Posted by Steam Extravaganza

Buy that man a drink.

I did, about 2 hours ago...

[fourceedee]

Originally Posted by Timothy Hackworth Jr

I did, about 2 hours ago...

Indeed you did, flying scotsman, one more question why was it so late before the showmans engines were allowed near the real ale tent on sat night?

[Flying Scotsman]

Originally Posted by fourceedee

Indeed you did, flying scotsman, one more question why was it so late before the showmans engines were allowed near the real ale tent on sat night?

There's no time to be allowed or disallowed near the beer tent. We hope engines will turn up,and are delighted when they do. Not everyone wants to. A good number of us are still policing the road run and parking, at that time, as if we don't park correctly on the square we get it in the neck from locals too. The last two years it's been a bit unruly due to exhibitors leaving the field too early, and parking badly, (not engines), and we don't want it cancelling especially for the 50th. If someone has instructed a late appearance, I would like to know who.

[Flying Scotsman]

[QUOTE=fourceedee;310900]One big problem with the smaller rallys, monoplies. A well known rally up north with two breweries in the town, a local man has a train shaped woodfired pizza oven which does great value and tasting pizzas, even has a whistle!
As far as I am informed he wanted to go to said rally but was told couldnt be near the beer tent as the guy who does the bar has two catering vans serving in my view substandard rubbish. The pizza man was then told he could park up in the middle of nowhere and miss most of the evening trade due to his alloted location.
Small local rallies are being ruined by monopolies eiter in the trade side or the committe side with the 'click' running the show.

Not quite true. Not as easy running rallies as you think. Small local rallies need to balance the books in order to keep going, and we know that as much as most. A few wet years can soon see you off and we have nearly been there. Our committee is not a 'click', but a hard working group of unpaid volunteers young and old, and ever growing, thank goodness. We do our best and its never good enough for some. Nobody is told to park in the middle of nowhere, but not everyone can park on the same spot and the Pizza man never said he wanted to open at night.
We're all looking forward to celebrating our 50th next year and are already making great plans. Hope we can get some of them right.
PS Barman has no catering vans, caterers are separate. if pizza man applies early enough he may be more
lucky.

[fourceedee]

[QUOTE=Flying Scotsman;310984]

Originally Posted by fourceedee

One big problem with the smaller rallys, monoplies. A well known rally up north with two breweries in the town, a local man has a train shaped woodfired pizza oven which does great value and tasting pizzas, even has a whistle!
As far as I am informed he wanted to go to said rally but was told couldnt be near the beer tent as the guy who does the bar has two catering vans serving in my view substandard rubbish. The pizza man was then told he could park up in the middle of nowhere and miss most of the evening trade due to his alloted location.
Small local rallies are being ruined by monopolies eiter in the trade side or the committe side with the 'click' running the show.

Not quite true. Not as easy running rallies as you think. Small local rallies need to balance the books in order to keep going, and we know that as much as most. A few wet years can soon see you off and we have nearly been there. Our committee is not a 'click', but a hard working group of unpaid volunteers young and old, and ever growing, thank goodness. We do our best and its never good enough for some. Nobody is told to park in the middle of nowhere, but not everyone can park on the same spot and the Pizza man never said he wanted to open at night.
We're all looking forward to celebrating our 50th next year and are already making great plans. Hope we can get some of them right.
PS Barman has no catering vans, caterers are separate. if pizza man applies early enough he may be more
lucky.

P.s note the word's as far as I am informed.