Oswestry 2008; your comments please.

[the_monster]

Originally Posted by BaZa ®

1. Dare I agree with some others 'Change the date!!!'.... Don't compete with 700 + attendees at Shipley over the August Bank Holiday, they have the monopoly now after all the 23 plus years we were there building up a good reputation.

the question should be why do more people go to Shipley rather than Os?

changing the date will have no effect whatsoever, afterall we started Shipley and in those days it was the must do HD event and that was despite the ride up that track with a guaranteed weekend of piss poor weather!!! Os just doesn't cut it and judging by this thread, it is in serious trouble.

[Baff]

'Lo

Sorry for the length of this post. It's over 20 years since the last bike rally I attended, and maybe things have changed a lot in that time, or my memories have faded somewhat, but Os wasn't what I was expecting, and it disappointed me.

Before I go into the why, I'd still like to offer my thanks to all those that organised it or helped during the weekend. Without you, there'd be nothing for me to whinge about, or to give thanks for, so THANK YOU all.

I've just dug out the questionaire I got when I arrived.

Booking in. Great, easy, piece of piss, I thought the security was good all weekend (and especially entertaining between 8 & 10 Saturday night). 10/10

Showers/toilets - Didn't get to the showers (dirty old sod that I am) and the toilets? - okay, so 8/10

Bar/prices/service - Fair to good, 9/10

Food/prices/service - The food supplied on site was very limited. Luckily, it didn't seem hugely expensive, but there's not a lot of other pluses I can think of. Standing for over an hour in a queue of only ten people for a coffee on Saturday morning was a BIG minus point. This probably won't be everyone's idea of heaven, but at the rallies I was involved in in the past, or just where I went to party, the clubs running them produced the food themselves. The camaraderie, shite-loads of laughs, extra income and just the general craic helped made the weekend for the organisers and the rallygoers both. Knowing there was a brew waiting, or a sausage bap available almost anytime over a weekend was a major incentive to stay onsite. 2/10

Bands - I was in the hall Friday and quite liked Tantrum. Saturday I was chilling, so didn't really get to hear the other two. I too would've liked a bit more variety, but the music isn't my reason for starting to rally again anyway. 7/10

Hospitality - Sorry, sadly lacking. I only saw a committee member or rally organiser, in a rally capacity, once during the weekend. If I saw another, I didn't know it. 1/10

Rideout/games - The rideout was too early. I like the idea of multiple rideouts too. Staggered times would mean anyone would be capable of joining, no matter how late or hard they'd partied the previous night. There were games? I saw no games. This was a 3-night weekend rally. I know I'm older than shite now, but I'd still like to watch some pole-mounted pillow fighting, a bike obstacle course/race, beat the crap out of a scooter/jap bike for a quid, tug-o-war, etc. This could possibly keep rallygoers onsite to produce more cash and more importantly, a little life during the day. There's nothing like a little competition, yelling and laughter to get people involved and talking to each other. It'd give us all somewhere to congregate and talk before drinking ourselves silly again later. I'd also read on the website that someone was hoping to organise a 'treasure/points' hunt. Seemed like a great idea to me, but I heard squat all about it at the rally. 1/10

Location - Good, I liked the site, and enjoyed a ride around the area on Saturday, even venturing into foreign parts for a bit. It also satisfied one criteria I have for rallies - it was a few miles away, enough that I knew I'd actually ridden TO somewhere. 10/10

Value for money - poor to middling. 3/10

Traders - I wouldn't care two hoots if there were no trade stands for me to shell out dosh to. Someone from our region suggested that having an onsite operation offering oil-changes might be a good idea. I agree with that wholeheartedly. How about a mobile dyno operator too? No score.

How I heard about the rally - Regional meets & the Quin.

Other comments -

Let the smokers partake inside, or give them somewhere covered. Either works for me, as long as they're near the bar.

Having paid for my entrance, I then had to pay for a badge? WTF? The cost of producing and giving a badge and/or bar should surely be built into the entry fee, especially one as high as this weekend.

For me, Os was good, but mostly because of the people I rode up with, camped with, drank & toked with, and rode home with. If I'd attended solo, or in a small group, there'd have been very little to entice me back again next year.

It was mentioned during the weekend (just remembered it was Tony) that it would've been nice for the award winners to have ridden their bikes in to collect their trophies. I suppose it would also have proved that the engines have components in them, and given those of us who hadn't seen them previously to match the winning bikes to their trophies.

Would I go again? So soon after returning home, I can't honestly say, which in itself means it wasn't as good as I thought/hoped it would be, and which I was sure I would've answered in the affirmative before arriving on the Friday afternoon.

Baff

[Tony Cross]

Didn't attend anything this weekend but in the past I have done Os and Shipley. Shipley is IMHO the better of the two by a small margin. Not so isolated from town and plenty going on. Now bring into the equation The Glens with a rare chance to attend a Harley event in the North. A change of date is needed. Other issues have been well covered by Mo, Rodbod and others but please change the date.


PS. how many did attend?.

[Cybertec™]

O.K. - non attendee this year (saddlebags for the Buell haven't arrived), however did attend the first two and have to say the comments on here fit with what I remember......

Food stands - as a regular 'festival' attendee, can only say how well I eat at them..Singapore Noodles....theres this Pie stall called PIE! (from Maidstone) mmmmmm....Mexican, Indian and the usual piss poor 'burgern'botulism' stand is not to be seen....

Trade Stands.....hmmmm, yeah like them, but i'm unlikely to buy a new tank, fenders, engine etc.... specially as I will have to arrange to get them home.....

Bands/Entertainment....seldom anything I want to see, i'm 51 seen enough bands doing covers of AC/DC and dreary 12 bar.....how about 'themed' nights...Reggae/Island? fiddly diddly? Comedy/cabaret?

Toilets.....again as a regular festival goer i've seen the worst and these aren't them, but could be a whole lot better.

Entertainment during the day.......now most people want to be 'out and about' (incidentally love the idea of multiple and smaller rideouts), however something to draw folk bakc to the 'arena' late afternoon?

One of the HOG rallies I went to in the olden days had a sort of compere for the whole weekend (and PA feed to all the public/arena areas) with music playing/requests etc and a running commentary on what was happening).

Gald those who went had a good time, I missed hanging with the Coasters.....

[the_monster]

Don't forget the Wozwolf do as well - 800 + thru the gate including a number of the HDRCGB.

[steve_marples]

Hi all
I am sorry to say although i am an area rep i went to Shipley this year.
I personally think Oswestry is the wrong venue for our national rally, after talking to several riders club members at Shipley, i am not on my own. The national rally cannot compete with Shipley and if we continue putting the rally on at the same date we are going to loose more members, i do not know exact figures for both rallies but HEARD there was 400 at Oswestry and over 700 at Shipley, a lot of those being HDRCGB members.
there is no atmosphere at Oswestry, it is to far for most people to walk into town, there is a lack of things to do in the daytime, poor selection of trade stalls and food stalls. I understand that traders aren't going to go to rallies that they don't make a profit at but i think these points need to be addressed it seems that each year there is less and less going to Oswestry and surely this must be saying something.
On a positive note i heard the bands were good

[kiwidave]

Is Shipley Harleys-only these days Steve, or all-makes bikes?

From a long-distance vantage point, i was just disappointed that there could be no bike show in Oswestry town centre this year. That would really involve the locals, which is half the fun on both sides.

[boogiefool]

Non-attendee this year, but, unlike Cybie, through choice not circumstance.

What is this, the fourth one in Oswestry?

Aren't the comments/criticisms starting to sound familiar to the committee by now?

The Shipley ride out alone is worth the effort.

Another perfectly marshalled one this weekend, and it gave some of us the chance to practice slipping and sliding their bike across the grass at Harewood House.

[BaZa ®]

Originally Posted by kiwidave

Is Shipley Harleys-only these days Steve, or all-makes bikes?

From a long-distance vantage point, i was just disappointed that there could be no bike show in Oswestry town centre this year. That would really involve the locals, which is half the fun on both sides.

ALL makes of bike Dave.

If you read my points Dave the bike show was like an overspill from a parking lot outside the entrance.

A golden opportunely to of had the public come and look around. A couple did but not as it could have been.

[Steppenwulf]

I'm in agreement with a lot of the suggestions already noted,
Lizzie and I were planning on leaving on Sunday but when I saw the mass exodus on the Sunday I didn't have the heart to leave with them, it felt like rats leaving a sinking ship.

I've never been to Shipley so don't know what they offer that entices so many away from our International. The first time the International was held at Os I believe it was a last minute booking and under the circumstances it proved an adequate stopgap. In the intervening years very little has changed in it's layout, setup, facilities, events etc.

My main observation is that the site is too large and spread out. We are a friendly, intimate club but we get spread out around the site because the main show area in the centre of the site is fenced off. I know Kev is well aware of this problem but it desperatley needs addressing.

We also need more banners better sited around the site to identify the rally as 'THE' HDRCGB International. I agree that the banners in the bar area need to be placed behind the bands but we also need some at the entrance gate and on the outside of the buildings. Perhaps some sounds could be piped outside during the day, for those milling around in a stupor. Something chilled out please. Which leads me onto my main complaint-

I'm glad a number of posters on here liked the music but it did my head in.
OK, we ride Harleys and we like rock but I overdosed this weekend. Two bands doing Deep Purple on consecutive nights, the DJ then getting on the decks and pumping out more Heavy Metal at a volume more suited to a stadium. The ladies in our party were well and truly hacked off that they were unable to dance and boogie like they have in the past

A tented area outside for smokers is a must, it's feckin' miserable going outside for a fag in the rain. I got a bit pissed so just skinned up and smoked at the bar Saturday. Fair play no one pulled me up and I'd have gone outside straight away if anyone had complained but we have to cater for the smokers now the rules have turned us into lepers.

The bogs and showers were fine by me, fair play to the people who kept the facilities running clean.

I like the idea of the club running some food, perhaps a Hog roast included in the price of the ticket for one night could be arranged. I know when this has been mentioned before the main concern is not upsetting the other caterers but the rally is organised for our benefit and not theirs.

There was a good turnout for the rideout which goes to show some of us can party hard and still ride early the next day but this year I had to stay put- I'd have been a liability the way I was feeling. But it made me think that we have two events the rideout and the Bike Show running at the same time. Can we not have one on the Saturday?

For next year, since it'll be the 60th can we have some more events laid on. My favourite idea that someone has already mentioned on this thread is a Tug of War. Some kind of region knockout competition perhaps, we certainly have the room on site for it and a lot of members built for it

I started a thread in the members section about organising a Rally navigating event for next year. Mrs Mog said that people had told her during the weekend it was something they thought was a good idea. Perhaps we can lay it on, I've already created the map template all I need is someone from the committee to tell me it's what they want and I can finish it off by the end of this Summer.

All in all we need to address why numbers are falling year on year. The 60th really has to be the time we turn it around. The committee have my full support in trying to achieve this turn around and fair play to Kev for posting a thread that is inviting constructive criticism. I hope that we can all get behind them because the amount of effort a few people put in to achieve the International is quite awesome.