Traditional Boat Rally Cancelled

boatone

boatone

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www.tmba.org.uk
Reported by River Thames News earlier today.
http://www.riverthamesnews.com/News628.html

Story seems to go deeper than just the flood aftermath problems with comments regarding need for new blood to step forward if it is to continue.
The committee said incurring a loss this year would have ended the rally for good whereas it could be staged in 2015 if a new committee can be found.

Mr Goodhead said: “ A new organising committee needs to be established if the rally is to continue. No one has stepped up to the plate during the past few years of asking, but some of you need to consider taking on the mantle.”
Click to expand...
 
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Story seems to go deeper than just the flood aftermath problems with comments regarding need for new blood to step forward if it is to continue.
Click to expand...

Same old story, without new blood coming in all the time it will wither on the vine and as usual everyone else grumbles and takes a quick step backwards when volunteers are needed.
 
boatone said:
Reported by River Thames News earlier today.
http://www.riverthamesnews.com/News628.html

Story seems to go deeper than just the flood aftermath problems with comments regarding need for new blood to step forward if it is to continue.
Click to expand...

Oh Poo, Damnation and Botheration,
I had earlier tried to attract the interest of hordes of narrowboats that it was an event visit. Some of the members even lurve Stuart Turners...
 
Sadly this has been on the cards since the weather disaster of 2007.alot of outlay coupled with falling gate numbers mean there is never anything to put in the pot for the following year.the committee opened the books to the thames vintage boat club,it was eye opening to say the least.ironically it is always well attended by boat owners,you have to book early,the one time of year woodies can console themselves they are not alone,there are other mad buggers:)
Very sad,I hope it returns.
 
Tony Goodhead (Chairman) & Stuart Wilkinson (President) came and gave a talk to our club (Thames Vintage Boat Club) last month and did warn they would have to make a decision on the ground conditions in May to avoid the financial implications of a late cancellation as per the 2012 Rally. Further though they did explain how difficult it was to get the Rally financially to stack up, always with the biggest income (ie the gate money) largely dependant on the weather. Also they weren't getting new committee members coming forward to take on the necessary positions and responsibilities on the committee.

I was part of the committee which ran the Rally in the late 80's-early 90's, but it exhausted the then committee, such that there wasn't going to be a 1992 Rally, so Fred Bourne (of Chertsey Marine) & myself held a public meeting in 1992 at Windsor Yacht Club; we invited anybody we thought would be interested and there was barely room to stand, and whilst Fred & myself became the Chairman/vice chairman, moved the Rally date from the Festival weekend & set it on a more commercial standing, there were several at the meeting who would have ran it themselves, keeping the original date & a more low key rally of boats/picnic on the riverbank type of Rally it had been in the mid 80's. Some of those people are still around & it wouldn't surprise me if they now came forward & offer to run something in it's place. Perhaps it's too late for this year, but I expect a big consideration would be if the "Fawley Lake" is going to remain as a continuous feature.

Tony & Stuart have worked so hard the last few years & I expect have run the Rally longer than anybody else, I fully understand their decision to stand down.

Further info here

http://www.tradboatrally.com/
 
The TVBC are looking to hold their own rally at the same venue, the same weekend, inviting the other clubs which make up the Rally.

Dear TVBC Member

Unfortunately the forthcoming Thames Traditional Boat Rally has been cancelled. A letter from the Chairman of the Rally is attached, and explains in full the circumstances leading to the cancellation.

However the good news is that your Committee is currently planning to hold our own TVBC rally on the same site (the dry part!) on the same weekend (19th - 20th July) - possibly inviting other clubs along as well. We plan to make this a bumper event and a great weekend. We will be in touch as soon as we have details on this, so do please keep that weekend in your diaries as a "boating occasion" (in spite of the Trad Rally cancellation!).

With best regards
Theresa
Hon. Secretary TVBC
 
In a similar vein, the Maidstone River Festival was once a regular feature during July down here on the Medway.
A collaboration between a few keen private individuals and an increasingly reluctant and cash strapped council it just fizzled out.
The original organisers gradually dropped out and the council did not appear to appreciate just how much revenue was generated by visitors to the event and failed to take up the reins.
It still takes place but is now a minor gathering of like minded boat owners who can be bothered to turn up in Maidstone town centre on the last weekend in July.
 
Steady on guys!! Don't write off the Trad' Rally just yet!
I was the Treasurer up to 2010 and still attend meetings whenever possible.
The facts are:
1. Every year there is a cut-off date at which point the Rally site, river conditions and forecast for the following 2 months are analysed and if necessary the Rally is cancelled. This allows cancellation of supplier contracts with minimal cost to the Rally. Happily this has only been necessary twice inc' 2014. It has no bearing on future Rallies.
2. Tony made it clear some time ago that he would like to stand down as soon as a new Chairman could be found. Sadly no one has come forward yet, as far as I know. I am sure it is hoped that someone will come forward before next year. Both Tony and Stuart have made it clear that they are very happy to assist any new Chairman and the existing volunteers would similarly be available.
3. The finances of the Rally have always been an open book to any supporters who ask and accounts are always placed before the AGM each year. The aim has always been to produce a small surplus each year, so that a poor year (usually due to bad weather over the Rally, putting off visitors through the gate) can be financially subsidised. The current reserves are perfectly adequate to cover this and by cancelling 2014 Rally now, there will still be very adequate reserves carried forward to future Rallies.
It is a wonderful weekend with some fantastic volunteers who work very hard. The boat owners take huge pride in their boats (quite rightly) and I would be very surprised and saddened if the Rally did not continue in some form not dissimilar to current.

So don't be too hasty to come to conclusions that may indeed be detrimental to the future of an event that many hope will continue for many more years yet.
 
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