London Boat Show, or Not

[Sheppy]

I went to the Southampton Boat Show earlier this year and very much enjoyed it. I’m now thinking of going to the London Boat Show in January but am wondering if it's worth the effort after the Southampton one.
Any thoughts from people that have gone to the London show before would be appreciated?

 

[rbcoomer]

Not!

If it was still possible to fly direct from Exeter to London City Airport, I would take my son for the experience as LIBS is very close to the airport, but sadly there are no direct flights anymore. Travel by car is a pain to that part of London from the SW and rail fare is the cost of a small boat!

Thus I'll wait for Southampton 2012, having really enjoyed 2011's show!

 

[maby]

We'll go, but on the other hand we are fairly local. Ths LBS is smaller than Southampton - interesting provided it is not too difficult to get to, but probably not worth a long or expensive journey.

 

[scubaman]

We'll go, but on the other hand we are fairly local. Ths LBS is smaller than Southampton - interesting provided it is not too difficult to get to, but probably not worth a long or expensive journey.

I flew over just for the show last year and thought it was worth it.

But I was enjoying a break from looking after the kids on my sabbatical, so I wasn't too picky about the show . Not that there was anything wrong with it, quite the contrary.

 

[Croc]

I have always found the London Boat Show enjoyable....I like Southampton too.
Excel has good parking, fine exhibtion halls and half decent food....good transport links and the centre of London, our fantastic capital, a few minutes away.... what more do you want for a day out?

 

[Solitaire]

I went to the Southampton Boat Show earlier this year and very much enjoyed it. I’m now thinking of going to the London Boat Show in January but am wondering if it's worth the effort after the Southampton one.
Any thoughts from people that have gone to the London show before would be appreciated?

Worth the effort just to come and see me surely? Will be on stand D421 sharing with Commodore Yachting, my sailing partners.

 

[jimmy_the_builder]

rail fare is the cost of a small boat

Must be a very small boat then ... according to the national rail website you can get an adult return exeter-london bridge for £34 arriving at Lbg about 2pm-ish. Could this work if you go on the late night (Thursday?) when the show is open until 9pm iirc?

Cheers
Jimmy

 

[rafiki_]

I missed SIBS unfortunately, so will need a fix at LIBS.

 

[jfm]

IMHO it's a good show and worth it, though I am fairly local. Lots will disagree though!

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

If you only want to see mobos from the big 4 UK manufacturers, LIBS is OK but the number of foreign manufacturers represented at LIBS has been steadily reducing over the years and the variety of boats on show is less than Southampton. Its not even as if you can easily combine a night out in London with LIBS because it now takes place in an anonymous shed in East London owned by a bunch of Arabs. If you're going to get on a plane to go to a boatshow you might as well go to a proper one like Dusseldorf which is a couple of weeks after LIBS and way bigger and better

 

[rafiki_]

If you only want to see mobos from the big 4 UK manufacturers, LIBS is OK but the number of foreign manufacturers represented at LIBS has been steadily reducing over the years and the variety of boats on show is less than Southampton. Its not even as if you can easily combine a night out in London with LIBS because it now takes place in an anonymous shed in East London owned by a bunch of Arabs. If you're going to get on a plane to go to a boatshow you might as well go to a proper one like Dusseldorf which is a couple of weeks after LIBS and way bigger and better

Mike, your comment on the postion of XL is not really fair IMHO, it is only 20 or so minutes into the heart of London on the tube.

 

[Kawasaki]

Worth the effort just to come and see me surely? Will be on stand D421 sharing with Commodore Yachting, my sailing partners.

Put the kettle on or shall we dally fer a Guiness?
Pain in the a*rse to get to from here
Checked Manchester and Liverpool airports to London City but no service anymore
Last time (few years back) stayed on the old cruise ship just by the front door
But thats gone now, it was dead handy
Looks like a driving job
But where to stay for a night peeps?
See ya thers Soli
Dunno what day yet though

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Mike, your comment on the postion of XL is not really fair IMHO, it is only 20 or so minutes into the heart of London on the tube.

By helicopter maybe. Excel to say, Oxford Circus on the train is 45mins

 

[rbcoomer]

Must be a very small boat then ... according to the national rail website you can get an adult return exeter-london bridge for £34 arriving at Lbg about 2pm-ish. Could this work if you go on the late night (Thursday?) when the show is open until 9pm iirc?

Cheers
Jimmy

I have to confess that I hadn't even looked this year at trains, but did last year and it was around £130 for a single adult return if you wanted to get there before noon. I could go later, but then getting back is a pain and the day a rush. A few years ago I looked at Flybe as they did non-peak flights for about £48 IIRC - could be there for 10am and leave around 4pm - much better value than the train!

I used to be a regular visitor to the city and always made a trip around Christmas time, but haven't been now since the late 90's apart from a couple of business trips - cost being the major obstacle. Shame really as my son's now 7 and never been. I will put it on my to-do list for 2012 - perhaps in the spring, before the Olympic lunacy starts!

 

[SolentPhill]

I guess it's a question of what else will you be doing? It's sort of half way through winter, after winter its spring which is the start of boating. Whilst I use my boat most of the year Londons a good place to buy new toys for the boat.

 

[Solitaire]

Put the kettle on or shall we dally fer a Guiness?
Pain in the a*rse to get to from here
Checked Manchester and Liverpool airports to London City but no service anymore
Last time (few years back) stayed on the old cruise ship just by the front door
But thats gone now, it was dead handy
Looks like a driving job
But where to stay for a night peeps?
See ya thers Soli
Dunno what day yet though

CU there M8

 

[ACE]

Definetly wouldn't miss it to be honest ..... (and I travel from Aberdeen)

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

I guess it's a question of what else will you be doing?

I don't want to sound like a stuck record because I've said this before but the other big problem with LIBS is it's timing. Years ago when LIBS was at Earls Court, it used to open on New Years Day so there were always a few days before the UK drifted back to work and the show was teeming as a result. Now the show has been shifted to 1 week later and starts in the week that everybody returns to work and the schools go back. Given that and the fact that bad weather is often a factor, its no wonder that attendances have been decreasing year on year.
I'm sure that some will say that this ensures that only committed boaters will go to LIBS but the fact is that boating is failing to attract newcomers into the sport and that's bad

 

[MapisM]

boating is failing to attract newcomers into the sport and that's bad

Sport? LOL, I must point that out to swmbo, when she complains that I should do more sport...

 

[Croc]

Although a fan of the London Boat Show I am not sure that Deleted User has not got a good point....I prefered the show a week earlier and can remember some happy New Year parties at the show or with marine trade friends over the NY period.....or is it just nostalgia and approaching senility?