Stourport 2009

You can all sleep soundly in your beds knowing that the annual SOC picnic will take place (again) at Coney Green Farm Stourport-on-Seven over the bank holliday weekend 28th, 29th, 30th, 31st August. The actual cost is yet to be confirmed and the farmer has bought a couple of portaloos which can be hired instead of us hireing them from our usual provider. Nettie is on the case and will let you all know in due course. An auto trial has been suggested, we have had them in the past in the camping field but the farmer got upset cos it ruins the grass that his sheep eat and it also attracted unwanted attention from Joe public who wanted to come and play. So if those that want to participate in a trial you will have to organize it up in the field below the trig point.

Nettie did a sterling job last year (with others) but we do hope that our successors (to be democratically elected at our Newark AGM) will be on hand to run the event, take the money, keep out unwanted persons / vehicles, hand out the trophy's, pay the farmer and tidy up after everyone has left.

Fantastic! Well done both. Just as a point.. the trials would take place in the woods...far, far away from public gaze... and would use "sections" of the already existing tracks..so no damage to the farmers property... Think "hill climbing" ..in mud... with no speed involved.. if that makes sense? Bit like motorcycle trials..not motocross...

Secondly, I'm sure there will be enough "volunteers" to run the weekend.

Did you just "volunteer" then

Well done you two.


You know I'll help out and as Jono said no worries about volunteers for the weekend.

I'll volunteer to get drunk.

Elaine.

Yes, I volunteer Jono too!

I'm happy to help out.......

muttley wrote:I'm happy to help out.......

You're always pist!

Elaine.

Mud Jono,you need rain for that.

Do you get rain in the summer months

You're always pist!

Oh that's unfair .....You ask Chaz......I eventually made to the loos........either that or I peed in one caravan wardrobes

Glug Glug

Dave

HI folks
Have just had Pat on the phone from Coney Green Farm with the site cost for this year. Have done my sums and the fee for the weekend this year will be increasing from £15 a car to £20. I stilll think this a good value when you look at what we you are getting. Camping from the Friday to the Monday... Our own private off road site, the annual barbi and toilet facilities.
Nettie

Nettie,

That's really great.....! And still Good Value.

Thanks for your efforts

Dave

Yep, like Double D* says it's still a bargain.

Thanks, and see you all there,


* Drunken Dave

Nettie,

That's fantastic...!

Yes, thanks a bundle, Nettie (no :bouquet smiley so it'll have to be )

Even with the increase, it's still less than the cost of a tankful of petrol, a dozen bottles of ale or one bottle of decent Scotch (oh dear, all these additional expenses...)

Its still a chore to go round and collect the money from everyone and if you have a Scamp and a normal tin box it will cost you 40 pounds don't forget

Martin & Nettie wrote:Its still a chore to go round and collect the money from everyone and if you have a Scamp and a normal tin box it will cost you 40 pounds don't forget

How about we all pay as soon as we arrive then?

Elaine.

So how much is it for the site this year Well total amount?????

Great news that Stourport has been booked again.

I do need to say though, that we find it unfair that we have to pay double because we use a tow vehicle (that only sits there once we arrive). Wouln't it be more fair to charge per 'active' car?

Even if we went in a tent we could not get all we would need into the scamp with 4 of us on board. The club says it wants to encourage families to events, yet if we have to pay twice the cost we don't know if we would be able to go during this difficult financial climate.

Don't get me wrong, still a great weekend. Just had to voice my opinion about paying for a car that doesn't go off roading once it gets us we get there.

Woodstock wrote:
I do need to say though, that we find it unfair that we have to pay double because we use a tow vehicle (that only sits there once we arrive). Wouln't it be more fair to charge per 'active' car?

But what about the large group that don't off road at all?
A fairer way would be to charge X amount per tent/caravan (anyone turning up for a days off roading would be charged the same amount).
From what I can gather some people are having a cheap bank holiday break at the expense of SOC off roaders................

We tried to charge per off-roading vehicle and charged the same amount if you didn't off-road and came along in a normal car. Sadly though the cost of the site has to be spread over the group attending and It's a case of 'best fit' to get the cash in. If off-roading vehicles were the only ones paying for the site the club would have given up years ago.

To be honest, it's often a case of winging it, so everyone pays a fair amount. but even so there are extremes (a few years ago I brought the lightweight, the Pea, the K and the XR. Needless to say it cost me an aweful lot that weekend! when others in have argued about £15 for a weekends camping with off-road Scamp and a barbeque thrown in!)

Hello fellow Scampers,

Its Rick here.
Before I start, this is not to upset anyone but I think that this event should be charged per adult.
Scamps should be free because that is what this event is all about ?
Because some people turn on their own in a Scamp and they are paying the same as 7 people in a big Jeep and a caravan.
So I suggest that this is the fairest way to charge for the event.
What do you think Martin ?
We will chat about it at the Pub Meet in February.
We also need to chat about which Mini event we are attending to promote this club.
What do you lot think ?
Your car does not eat the BBQ.

RICK wrote:I think that this event should be charged per adult.

Yep, that seems fair to me (and I think that's what Reg meant as well, even though he put tent).

Elaine.

Here we go again, we have this every year at Stouport and that is why Nettie and I want a break from the stress of trying to please everyone all the time. To any newbies the picnic has become synonomous with offroading as did our old site at Telford. The site has to be paid for along with toilet facilities that have become the norm for several years now. Whether you go offroading or not is entirely up to the individual and whether you camp in a tent or a winebago is your choice as well. At one point there were so many permutations of who brought what and how many people were in each car etc we gave up. We then looked at how many vehicles have attended the picnic each year and used that as a guide and we made the descision that it would be a set amount for every vehicle that came through the gate, even if it was on a trailer or on a dolly or pushed or pulled onto the site. The weather also plays a part in the final calculation if it rains the offroading is more fun but puts off people camping in their leaky tent that they have had for 15 years. The fewer the vehicles the more it will cost the people who do turn up I'm afraid. If the weather is kind like it was last year the site gets paid for and you all enjoy a cracking barbeque and if there is any money over it goes into clubs funds. So Nettie and I have the costs and we have calculated that if the weather is good and the average number of vehicles turn up its 20 pounds a vehicle we will not have to meet the shortfall from club funds which incidently is your money. If you want to bring all your toys to the picnic you will have to pay to bring them on the site. My successor (whover he or she maybe) can look at it again next year and if need be suggest alternatives to the membership.

I've always liked the idea but crikey, have I had arguements with Scamper over this at Stourport?

Often something along the lines of "it's not fair, theres ten of us and only two of them! AND we don't even have a Scamp!"

You're always as badly bitten as scolded in these situations. You try to whats fair for everyone but it always P!sses someone off.

I think the answer is to choose a method that will collect enough to pay for the site and stick to it, that's what i always did. whatever happens though, we'll be having the same discussion this time next year.