Thames Trad Boat Rally

[miket]

A blatant plug I'm afraid.
www.tradboatrally.com
Seeing earlier posts about lack of Classic Mobo's, the Thames Traditional Boat Rally is on weekend of the 16/17 July, Fawley Meadows, Henley on Thames, Oxfordshire.

Great day out for any self respecting mobo fan (there are one or two sailing craft). Acres of varnish, around 200 craft, and steam and gleaming brass.
Lots of Trade stands and boat jumble to say nothing of the beer tent.

I shall certainly be there.

 

[BrendanS]

I've been previous years, and it's an excellent event, at a lovely location.

 

[castaway]

I have been on two occasions, last time was 2004.

I can't remember exactly what the cost was for myself, my wife and 10yr old youngest son, however I do remember thinking it was was rather expensive for what really amounted to simply a rather charming line up of moored 'classic' boats.

Who gets the cash from the gate receipts? Must be quite a nice little earner for someone.

I like old craft very much and enjoyed the event also. I guess I just think that maybe a fiver was sufficient to charge to the public to have a wander around when presumably the boat owners are being charged also?

All best Nick

 

[castaway]

Further to my previous point, my wife has just reminded me that entry was (we think) £9:00 per adult... also we had infact taken our 2 teenage daughters as well as our 10yr old.

No family ticket was avilable so it cost me £36:00 for us to have a wander along the river bank.....I would have turned around and gone home except we had come a fair distance.

Why are these thing always so bloomin' pricey in the UK ?

 

[miket]

Something to do with the cost of putting them on these days.

In the early days it was just a group of people with old boats who got together on the river bank for the weekend.

Next they found that the owners of the site wanted some money so the old boaters said [no thanks] that, we'll charge people to come and look.
Then one of the punters fell over and wanted to sue someone so they had to take out insurance that increased exponentially.
Then the original enthusiasts got a bit decrepid and couldn't manage to run it all by themselves and they found it very difficult to find new enthusiasts who were prepared to donate their time so they had to pay people.
Next people wanted to bring the kids, which is nice because it makes it a family outing, but the kids were bored so the organisers had to put on entertainment......

I hope you see where this is going?

For info' the organisers are paid nothing and the event does not aim to make a profit. I should know, I'm the Treasurer!!