West Country (South) Bash '08

[BNM]

Hi Roy welcome to the club , Riders Club runs are generally on a Saturday, middayish , gives just about time to sober up after Friday night.
Those that have travelled some distance are usually packing up and heading home Sunday morning and the majority will have left by lunchtime.
A lot of people will turn up on Friday and try and get 2 nights of it so if you do a lunchtime Saturday run to somewhere where there's food, it will take pressure off the pub only eating facilities. A lot of people like to explore the local area themselves so turnouts for the runs can be low.

Obviously you can't stop anyone using the pub as normal so you'll have to gate the camping area and want sole use. In that particular pub, and I only stuck it in as an example, they don't normally open for breakfasts
... but probably would if there was sufficient requirement , mentioning a burger van that would take away their trade is probably taboo .

I noticed they were charging £4 per night per person for camping, if the pub are happy to get that, and they normally take it over the bar. You'll arrange to take the money at the gate and reimburse the pub yourselves. (Would be well worth providing tea and coffee at the gate tent if the pub is closed at certain times.)
Good part about that is Saturday you could charge less say a £10 instead of £12. £10 - £4 for camping cost= £6 per Saturday arrival towards your other costs.... wristbands, whether you have a goody bag, gate tent, red and white tape etc.
I notice they do put on evening entertainment, you would obviously want to arrange that yourself, but you'll need to check out the facilities before you decide what you're having. If the pubs got character, go along with it.
A good outside area is essential if the pub is going to be packed to the rafters.
One things for sure, you won't be able to get as p!ssed as normal if you're the hosts and somebody will have to be on the gate most of the time .

[CrazyIvan]

We seem to have two themes emerging here. One a simple camp out in a field with beer, the other involving various degrees of organisation and including possible ride outs, laying on of food, wristbands, invitations, guests, toilets(!!) etc. etc.

It's already sounding complicated and although I think Mike's Pewsey idea is great, don't forget that we are lucky enough to have loads of decent places on our doorstep.

Why not do the both. We can easily arrange a piss up in a field but close to a pub in the Spring, and maybe a more couth affair later in the year?

[Robbo]

Some of this has been said before, but here is my humble opinion.

With all due respect, I THINK to organise "A fully blown official RALLY" is, AT THE MOMENT, rather ambitious for the member's of Region 14 who come under the banner of "The Floaters"......Maybe in the future, but at the moment i feel we are still in early day's.


Saying that, i think a one night (lower key) camp/party/get together at say, the type of venue BNM kindley suggested could be a success.

Meet at the venue, throw up the tent's, have some beer, food, etc and camp over, treat it as a party open to all HDRCGB members, advertise it as such in the RCGB community,....might just work.

OF COARSE details might need working out, mainly sercurity etc, and of coarse clashing with other event's would be a problem, that said it raise's another issue.......


Why do we need another "do" in a already crowded event's calendar?, surely there is already enough to keep us going?

Attending other region's event's, paying to go in, taking part and particapating fully will support the HDRCGB and keep it healthy and strong for the future....i don't think we've got to prove anything other than that.

Anyway, that's just MY opinion, and you know i'll support what you guy's, as a club agree, is the direction to go.

.......tell me to f**k off if you think i'm out of line....i'm old enougth not to let that bother me..

[BNM]

don't listen to me ! I just threw a few simple ideas into the bucket .

most rallys kick off as a pub weekend, I just googled pubs with campsite in Wiltshire to come up with a pub .

In that particular pub the facilities are there because of the campsite.
It would be questionable whether the owners of the campsite would be willing to give up a weekends campsite takings for just one night.
One nighters are generally only good for local riders.

If you go for a non campsite pub, bear in mind that you need 24 hr access to toilet facilities so may need portaloos or outside loos.

If you openly invite people, you never know how many will turn up and its best to plan for the max...or do ticket/ invitation only.

Pub weekends are the simplest way to go if you wan't to test the water.

At the end of the day you need to agree between yourselves what you want to do, whether you want to do it, whether everyone is willing to help and who is doing what.

I'm lucky at the farm,

lots of willing Coasters volunteers, Coasters equipment, paid farm staff.
The farm does absorb some losses, but it is also an opportunity to enthusiastically clean up the farm and for the staff to have their annual party as well,

and no major arguements about whose in charge of what because ...it ain't a democracy .
but it does have to be a diplomatic dictatorship .

personally, i would much sooner go to somebody elses do,
it is a lot less stressfull and you can get drunk to your hearts content .

but seeing smiling happy faces and having had something to do with it
as its own reward, thinking of how to make things better next year is stimulating and having friends say they've had a good time gives you a real buzz .

so I ain't going to discourage you

[Robbo]

Hat's off to ya BNMike for picking up on this thread and sharing your wise knowledge and advice you have gained with the experience of giving us such a great event, that is "The Farm Party"

Speaking of which, is already on the list of "will do" event's for the coming year.

Cheer's Mike

Keep on doing what ya doing cause ya doing it right !!!! yeah, ya the man

[Roy]

Cheers Badnamemike

I have to shake off my past, chopper club do's were always a bank holiday when most would stay over to monday so the sunday run idea worked. They were bloody good though - being in a procession of loud bikes, what more could you want?.

Your idea sounds great. Be good to socialise and get drunk (once local duties are done). Will come along to the meeting in Jan if not too shite outside, else feb.

Meanwhile all, have a good one

Cheers, Roy

[snowflake]

HANG ON FELLAS!!

let's not let this run away, as is the norm on this site at times....
The original post (in summary) was looking at:

1. SMALL Local bash - not an Official Club Function.
2. Minimal Costings - free where possible.
3. Floaters only - invitations to outsiders where agreed.
4. Not to clash with Official Club Rallies in the south.

This is very much as a dry run as has been discussed in the two previous Club Meetings; if it is a success then we can Go Global (Official) next year (2009), or if the Doubting Thomas' are to be believed, the year after!!

Starter for 10 is clearly the venue, and Trev is looking into this (aren't you Trev!? ), after that is sorted then we can look at the other issues.

I'll say it again, this is not intended to be an Official HDRCGB function, we will not be looking for authority to hold it, as I don't believe we need to; it's a cosy gathering of mates over a weekend at minimal cost and effort - let's not let it race off into the distance on this forum as the next International!!

Back to the thread, anyway, sorry I've been offline for a few weeks and could have answered a few of these questions earlier.

If we can look into the following:

Venue (incl Bar/Food, Showers, camping and insurance) - Trev (not much mate!!

Music- R Rooster (Digital Disco is the cheapest (FREE!) option, and is no bother).

Lets leave it at that for the moment and worry about the other issues later.

TTFN
SF

[snowflake]

Originally Posted by Roy

Playing devils advocate and appreciate I'm not a known face (at the mo..

However, my question is why bother?

Come on M8! If nobody bothered there would be nothing to do!!

Originally Posted by Roy

We're a riders club, why not just organise a rideout? We are living in a pretty f*kin spectacular part of the country ...

We do this most weeks anyway - feel free to come along....

TVM Roy, Devils Advocating is good.

[Roy]

U do regular ride outs?

Please tell me when the next one is or the relevant thread

BTW: glad you found me playing devils advocate was cool. Look forward to the Bash. WIll pop along to the Feb or Mar club nites to see if I can help out.

Cheers, Roy

[snowflake]

Originally Posted by Roy

U do regular ride outs?

Please tell me when the next one is or the relevant thread

See the "Our Next Spin" Thread...