Deerstalking Fair, Newark Showground, 29th & 30th November, 2014

[jimmy milnes]

Not getting into it George, wasn't slating the efforts of anyone involved in putting on the event or as stated in my first post the event itself, just gave my opinion sorry.
Regards
Jimmy

 

[6pointer]

I might make this one will need to get my passport through in time. Hopefully the wall will not be finished.

 

[jimmy milnes]

I'll have a word with border control Davie you'll be fine mate, but don't want ya staying over and claiming asylum! !!!
Regards
Jimmy

 

[norma 308]

I'll be going on the Sunday I'm sure I'll find some boots knives or coats to add to the collection !
Norma

 

[sikamalc]

Well I was planning on going but as a self employed deer stalker I cant afford to turn down clients, and I have 6 clients booked in over the 2 days. However Alex (csl) will be there ..............thank you Alex and assisted I believe by Senior Guide.............thank you Andy.

Have a good time everyone.

ATB

Sikamalc

 

[6pointer]

Jimmy I have been told Brian will let the Scottish chaps in for free but you need to prove it.. Malc I was making the effort so I could meet you.

 

[8x57]

Jimmy I have been told Brian will let the Scottish chaps in for free but you need to prove it.

How is that to be done?
Will they have to be wearing kilts as a true Scot does ( commando style) and prove it.

 

[6pointer]

I think Brian will set up a questionnaire like this.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/hilarywardle/how-scottish-are-you-aplm#28sxta8

 

[8x57]

Perhaps they will have to ban dogs from the event, after all you don't want to go scaring any.

 

[jimmy milnes]

Jimmy I have been told Brian will let the Scottish chaps in for free but you need to prove it.. Malc I was making the effort so I could meet you.

what davie, a scotsman not wanting to pay !!!!! Lol
Regards
Jimmy

 

[bogtrotter]

I know that its not the organizers intention but my one fear is that due to the bigger size and the potentially larger attendance of the Newark fair is that it signals the death knell for Kelso.

Will stall holders still be prepared to come to Kelso knowing that it will be largely the same crowd as they have dealt with at Newark?

Will stalkers from the south travel to Kelso when it easier for them just to go to Newark? could not see myself travelling to
Newark , wonder how many others would feel the same about travelling the distance to Kelso especially now that they have a fair closer to hand.

Will attendances at Kelso be large enough for it to be viable without the lads from the south coming?

Hope I am wrong but it does have me slightly worried.

 

[SimpleSimon]

I think there are probably enough in the south who wouldn't travel to Kelso, and enough up north who wouldn't travel south to keep both alive. I would have loved to go to Kelso last year, but factoring in 2 days annual leave, accommodation, fuel, eating up there plus the cost of anything I fancied buying and it turned too expensive to bother with. But I will definitely do Newark. I think people will just naturally gravitate towards the closest, maybe some will even do both, but as they're apparently growing in popularity anywat I don't imagine one Will kill off the other.

 

[Biathlonjimmy]

This is great news, only 30 mins from me. I might lack commitment to the cause but I doubt I'd travel to Kelso for the fair if it was the only one in the uk. (Newark might be the only one in the UK next year but I really hope not....)

 

[blunderbust]

Dates are in the Diary and as it is my birthday I am sure I can milk it to get a nice pressy or two from the missus.

 

[tomstalker]

Thanks guys for the opinions in respect of my earlier post. Will think it over but I'm leaning toward waiting to see what growth the change of venue will bring. Maybe next year, eh?

 

[jamross65]

I know that its not the organizers intention but my one fear is that due to the bigger size and the potentially larger attendance of the Newark fair is that it signals the death knell for Kelso.

Will stall holders still be prepared to come to Kelso knowing that it will be largely the same crowd as they have dealt with at Newark?

Will stalkers from the south travel to Kelso when it easier for them just to go to Newark? could not see myself travelling to
Newark , wonder how many others would feel the same about travelling the distance to Kelso especially now that they have a fair closer to hand.

Will attendances at Kelso be large enough for it to be viable without the lads from the south coming?

Hope I am wrong but it does have me slightly worried.

Good point Jim and something we had considered.

Time will tell but we hope that as its a 5hr drive between the venues, the draw for those attending hopefully won't effect either fair too much, allowing a Scottish and English one to run for years to come. It may mean tweaking the dates slightly to keep enough space between them but Kelso being the last weekend of March, just before the bucks start up here and probably after most have finished on does, seemed a logical date with a new season on us and stalkers feeling the urge for more kit. The English fair we have been told is a perfect time (according to traders), as it extends the fair calander by a good month, its weekend payday for many and a good chance for worthwhile Xmas shopping!

While several attending Kelso came from far off they may well look to Newark as being closer however, we're also aware that the crowd should still grow for Kelso as the fair itself grows and Scottish stalkers who didn't make it last two years begin to attend. Although its a good crowd under 2000 through the door is in no way indicative of the number of stalkers in Scotland.....

At the end of the day the event is unique and it will remain an un-diluted stalking fair. As long as the stalkers in the country feel its worth attending, it will keep running and hopefully expand each year.

Plus, as you know Jim, there is a superb social side to the event and us Scots know how to have a party! You and your good lady will have to book a room for next year to make the most of that!

(In the process of finalising dates for Scottish Fair next spring already.....)

 

[bogtrotter]

Good point Jim and something we had considered.

Time will tell but we hope that as its a 5hr drive between the venues, the draw for those attending hopefully won't effect either fair too much, allowing a Scottish and English one to run for years to come. It may mean tweaking the dates slightly to keep enough space between them but Kelso being the last weekend of March, just before the bucks start up here and probably after most have finished on does, seemed a logical date with a new season on us and stalkers feeling the urge for more kit. The English fair we have been told is a perfect time (according to traders), as it extends the fair calander by a good month, its weekend payday for many and a good chance for worthwhile Xmas shopping!

While several attending Kelso came from far off they may well look to Newark as being closer however, we're also aware that the crowd should still grow for Kelso as the fair itself grows and Scottish stalkers who didn't make it last two years begin to attend. Although its a good crowd under 2000 through the door is in no way indicative of the number of stalkers in Scotland.....

At the end of the day the event is unique and it will remain an un-diluted stalking fair. As long as the stalkers in the country feel its worth attending, it will keep running and hopefully expand each year.

Plus, as you know Jim, there is a superb social side to the event and us Scots know how to have a party! You and your good lady will have to book a room for next year to make the most of that!

(In the process of finalising dates for Scottish Fair next spring already.....)

 

[jamross65]

So your booking a room next to us? Braw!

 

[jamross65]

Well, with less than a month to go the organisation is now getting manic. That's a good thing I guess as it means we are busy with an extensive list of exhibitors and traders to sort out.

There is several new exhibitors attending including Viking Arms, Third Eye Tactical, Javelin Bi-pods to name but a few, as well as an African outfitter offering sport abroad. There is even a retailer offering off the shelf smart tweed stalking and shooting attire. As we've said before if you are even remotely interested in deerstalking, this is the event you want to attend. It must be good if Jayb is travelling all the way from his home in the highlands to the lowlands of Englandshire!

On top of the prizes offered by our sponsors Zeiss, there will be several other free to enter prize draws running over the weekend, including one likely to be for a brand new rifle! Details have yet to be confirmed on that so keep an eye on here, the FB page and the fairs own website for updates and how to enter. These competitions are only available to folk attending the fair nd cannot be entered online. Prizewinners will be announced at the end of each day at the fair.

We are still putting together our short seminars/demonstrations that will run over the weekend, but they will likely include dogs for deer/tracking, a taxidermy demonstration and hopefully another on Best Practice and Rifle Shooting Accuracy.

So, for the relatively inexpensive entry fee of £10, you can learn something, maybe win something and buy something from the diverse and extensive traders exhibiting and generally rub shoulders with like minded stalking folk from around the country. If the last two fairs at Kelso were anything to go by, this is a fantastically sociable event, with friends from all over the country meeting up over the weekend for a catch up and a beer in the evenings.

If you still have trophies to be measured the CIC will have their experts on hand offering that service over the two days.

A recent announcement from Zeiss is that their new scope, the V8 will be available for demonstration there and indeed perhaps for sale if at all possible from some of our retailers.

As we have promised before, if its not in some way related to or of interest to stalkers and deerstalking, it won't be at this fair.

And lastly, remember its payday weekend before Xmas so start dropping hints about a worthwhile prezzie this year to those that matter...

 

[6pointer]

Hope it goes as well as the Scottish Fair Brian or better, sadly I will not be there family problems that need my attention but I hope all that go make these two events the ones to go two.