London Boat Show

oldbilbo

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Hands up those who won't be going....


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I'll be going. Even a smaller show is better than nothing at all, and have always found plenty to interest me.

It would be a shame if people talking it down put others off from going to see it. Its questionable future becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.
 
Still thinking about it but the £10 entry and cheaper parking deal is now over I think. I can get the special show deals I want (GPS etc) direct through the companies anyway...

Will be going to the Ardingly boat jumble instead :rolleyes: Lots to get :D
 
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I'll be going on the principle that it is either use it or loose it. The only way to turn it around will be to increase the numbers of people attending. Actually the responsibility of the organisation which is running it but I suspect that they don't care.
 
I used to go to Earls Court and later on to SIBS or LIBS most years. I was able to visit relatives but most have moved away from London so I have stayed in a hotel in recent years.

Missed SIBS this year as out of the UK so did think about London even though last year wasn't great.

A quick look at the exhibitors showed that Oyster had 1 def. and one poss. boat whilst Northshore had 3. There were 2 Dehler, 2 Hanse, 1 Gunfleet and a few other possibles. That seemed to be it apart from Cornish crabbers and others brought in by trailer. I also noticed that a few companies were listed 2-3 times, making the number of exhibitors look larger. I know that UK & International companies might be sep. but they are sharing the same stand. If I spotted a few of these as soon as I looked at the list I imagine that they weren't unique.

I've decided not to bother and will book 2-3 days in a hotel on one of the Scottish Islands instead of spending the money on a trip to LIBS.
 
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Since both London and Düsseldorf require a flight from here, and since I was disappointed in London in 2010 (2011 was better) and I hear Düsseldorf is much better with more boats (surely the main point of a boat show?), and since the flight to Düsseldorf is much cheaper (and I can do a day trip)... I'm going to Düsseldorf ;)

I remember the Earls Court boat shows I attended as a teenager very fondly, even if they were hot and heaving, real shame the last two I went to at the Excel had so few boats
 
My dad took me to Earls Court every year as a small child so I blame him for my current penury! However, after a break of ten years or so, I went to Excel last year and I was sorely disappointed. Won't be going back anytime soon.
 
I'll be going on the principle that it is either use it or loose it. The only way to turn it around will be to increase the numbers of people attending. Actually the responsibility of the organisation which is running it but I suspect that they don't care.

Actually, they are trying hard to bring boats in this year. All boat charges have dropped hugely, and they are offering extremely cheap deals for smaller boats in particular. We decided to use it to try to avoid losing it.

If it doesn't lift over the next 2 - 3 years, I 'm sure it will come to an end... Which would be a shame. SIBS is a great event, but has a different tone. I personally think we need both.
 
Went this year and it was a complete waste of time and money. Too few boats, especially at the cheaper end of the market and expensive parking to boot. If the parking charges were halved and they could attract back a reaonable showing in the AWB end of the sailing boat market, I might reconsider. But not this year - Christmas in Dublin and 'tis not worth a flight to UK for such a mediocre show.
 
After the disappointment of 2011 I told myself that I wouln't go to the 2012 event.

It's a long way from Manchester so I need significant motivation to get there. Post Christmas blues, mid winter season, it's a great time to have a boast show.

I hence put the bad memory behind me decided to go. The 2012 show was a complete waste of time and money and I'm defintely not planning to go in January.

The irony is I'm considering buying a new, slightly larger AWB. :mad:
 
I'm going. I have a shopping list.


I'm glad you miserable lot think it's rubbish these days. Leaves more room (and haggling) for the rest of us. :)
 
I wouldn't go to the diabolical shed that is Excel again if you paid me.

Actually the last time I went there- a few years ago so God knows what it's like now - I was paid, and I still found both the 'show' and the endurance test to get there hateful.

Like others I look back on good old 'sordid' Earls Court with fondness, remember the likes of the OM Watts stand ?!
 
I'm going. Those Jacuzzis interest me and so do the Cotswold Wool Spinners new line of jumpers and also those time share flats in Bongo Bongo...Anyone know if the Relief-a-Back posture chair folk are there again this year?...:D :D
 
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