Any CLA reports?

JabaliHunter

Well-Known Member
Any reports from visits to the CLA Game Fair this year?
What was good?
What was bad?
What was your overall impression?
 
Went yesterday with derek.snr. I thought it was a great show. Met up with a few SD members and caught up with all our suppliers and a few customers.

Friday entrance fee of 29 quid is a bit of a pi55 take, but it is what it is. Got in at 0900 and left at 1930. No traffic problems whatsoever but it was very hot, well into 30+ degrees.

Food, as ever, is expensive - £7.00 for a cheeseburger made me smile. We just took our own grub and left our cool bag at the rear of Sportsman Gun Centre stand (Cheers Gary). Make sure you take/drink LOTS of water. :cool:
 
a good day out it helped as i had free tickets;very hot there so take plenty of drink with you as everything is expensive
 
very impressed with the strasser rifles on sportsman stand ,go and have a look ,trigger was excellent,gun was designed by blaser
 
Travelled down on Thursday and stayed on the CLA campsite. Got up Friday and went for a shower at 5:15am to avoid the rush only to find a line of gents waiting for a shower! We were informed that only 2 showers were unlocked and the others would not be opened till 6am.
Pre paid tickets enabled a swift entry and once inside as other years I was not disappointed.
The weather was glorious but as the temperature increased the pace slowed and all shaded areas were heavily populated. i left for home this morning at 9:30am and the traffic entering did not appear too bad, with a cloudy sky it should be a better day for walking round the fair.
Overall another good CLA, spent too much but it's only once a year (weather permitting)
​ATB 243 Stalker.
 
Glad I didn't pay to get in... Bag o ****e, not much to buy that can't be bought cheaper on the Internet, full of gypos, idiots dragging dogs round and people that go just to get tanked up.. I would say save your cash and put it towards a trip to Kelso next year!

regards

Jez
 
​Agree 100% with this! The whole rifle can be totally stripped in a couple of minutes just using the top sling swivel as a tool!


+1. Very good guy on the strasser stand, excellent piece of kit, finally settled for the Mauser MO3 in wood in 6.5 x 55 and 308 as my bucket list top entry. Gotta save up for that piece of kit. Gotta have it.

Overall a very good day, no travel hold ups, no trouble getting in or out 3 hrs each way for me. Good day out had by all, purchased some ammo and some stalking bits at good prices, no complaints good day all round

​Phil
 
great day, fortunately cooler than of late .... loved looking in the Purdey and H and H tents and daydream over some of the fabulous double rifles on display that don't normally see the light of day.
Far too much to see in a day and if you want cheap be miserable and use the internet ... otherwise be about with many like minded individuals and enjoy!
 
went today, much cooler today so nicer walking round, yes a bit pricey to get in. Took the the family they enjoyed the day, kids love the horse displays and amazingly my 5 yr loved watching the clay shooting but more concerning my 6 yr girl wanted to buy a rain deer skin.
As with most shows and event these days i dont find the offeres that great.
atb
simon
 
Smashing day just got in ,nice people didn't see a single pikey only jake pike on NGO stand !
Didnt buy a coat or boots or a knife I must be slipping .nice breeze and treated to pimms in cla members by my mate who was celebrating a gold medal roe well done dunc .i have treated myself to a Westley Richards 600 nitro express double rifle with gold inlay of tiger elephant and samba oopps must have nodded off then as I'm knackered !
cheers
​norma
 
Really good day today very friendly atmosphere was a little disappointed couldn't find a nightmaster 800 or any thermal equiptment but still great day
 
Really good day out. The Game Fair is what you make it. We met up with some new and old friends.
I have been to most Game Fairs since1963 when it was at Burghley House Stamford and have all of the programmes.
Sad hey!!Wf1
 
Went Friday, arrived at 07:00 and drove straight in. Had the traditional fry-up in the car park. In the gate about 08:15 and bought the 6 dog leads we were after at the first stand we visited. Met a few familiar faces, got a muntjac head measured at the BDS stand (made gold) and bought a book just published by a friend. Everything done by lunchtime so left the show ground about 13:00. Drove straight out.

By golly it was hot though!

willie_gunn
 
Went Friday As had a free ticket. For a change no queuing drove straight in but we was there for 7.30. Got a good deal on a new Harkila Pro Hunter coat from Marsh Farm Country supplies. Bought a few odds and sods for the new stalking season ahead and had a good chat with Jan Andrews on the BDS a stand a very interesting lady hopefully going to have a couple of days down there Sika stalking with her soon. Met up with the guys on the BASC stand who were very busy measuring some cracking looking heads. Had Very pleasant day with some very good friends only disappointing bit was to see so many people dragging dogs around in the heat for no apparent reason.

A Big thanks to BASC for the free ticket
 
Generally quite good but I do feel we were financing the CLA members enclosure which was never above half full ,still its a business so I guess they can do what they want for their members ,food and drinks were close to extortionate buts that's to be expected , take your own if it annoys you , parking was easy and toilets were acceptable , seemed smaller than other years ,visitors were a full mixture of classes, I`d give it a 7/10 , I would mark it lower if I`d had to pay for my ticket!!
 
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