Game Fair Dates 2008

[poddle]

AS a result of my last topic posted, when I was bitching about the rising cost of ammo, I then pronounced that I was going to the game fairs and stock up on components.

UHHH Doh, does anyone have any dates for any events, it my help me in my quest
None released in Sporting Rifle yet as far as I know

Poddle

 

[poddle]

15th of March, West Country Gamefair, Shepton Mallet Showground

There's the first

 

[tika.308]

yes poodle cla is on the 25th 26th 27th july at blenhiem palace oxfordshire.booked the days of today mate.changed it now i jumped a month

 

[tika.308]

sorry make that july im getting excited

 

[poddle]

Thanks, but do we attend the CLA this year after they shafted everyone so badly last year?.Mmmm. Gonna have to think about this one,

I'm trying to have a conscience.

 

[sikamalc]

Poddle, cant see how anyone was shafted by the CLA last year. I was all booked to go along with a great many friends for two days. I recieved a full refund back for my tickets and the cost of the pitch for my caravan, so I was treated very fairly.

Under the weather conditions which prevailed, the organisers had little option but to cancel. I admit I was very dissapointed, along with yourself and many others, but the organisers had little option open to them, and they lost a huge amount of money.

I hope this coming year will be a repeat of the weather in 2006 in Hampshire, which was great. I sincerely hope we can all meet up, and put a face to the names and all enjoy a beer and maybe a BBQ.

Perhaps Rob can organise an area for us to get togther one evening and have a social event? just a thought. Anyway lets hope this summer is a good one, including the Roe stalking.

 

[steyr.308]

Hello all,

I will be attending the CLA this year, I have phoned a number of caravan and camping sites and at this early stage they are fully booked up. I have managed to get a place at a good site some four miles from the game fair. They still have vacancies. If you want the details please PM me and I will gladly send them on.

Regards

 

[poddle]

SikaMalc

I great many traders were well and truly shafted, The CLA failed to return the money that was paid to them in advance.
Nearly bankrupted a small company that I deal with. It cost them thousands, and they certainly won't be attending ever again

Sporting Rifle did a write up on the whole scenario.

 

[sikamalc]

Poddle, Ahhh that does thow a different light on the whole affair. I would have thought they would pay back the site fees at least, that does seem rather harsh, and not good business sense. Having never traded at the CLA one has to ask did they not offer insurance in case of cancelation?

I also run a small business, and have every sympathy for those who have suffered, lets hope the coming year is a better one for everybody, although its looking like a recession is on the way to me

 

[poddle]

I thought it was common knowledge Sikamalc.
It really hurt the small traders

so I really must consider if I will attend. It's great show and a great gathering for the fieldsports community, and a show of strength of course so I feel duty bound

 

[stone]

sikamalc you are indeed blessed, to get a full refund you did well,
yes there were many store holders who only got a percentage of their deposits back and as poddle pointed out some not many that i know off got nothing at all
the organisers spent many months preparing and spent a lot of money in that preparation which was lost as a result , many store holders spent time and money buying and preparing stock just for this show, for it not to happen ,people like catering can,t cancell thousands of pounds of stock 2 days before as they have already had it delivered
traders who hired vehicles,tents,caravans and hotel rooms just to find out the show was cancelled the day before staff working overtime the list could go on
the royal show and the royal welsh show went on not for all the days but atleast they tried as it was cheaper to open than it was to cancell and look at the misery and backlash that caused(thats another story)
we are supposed to be country folk this is a country show we had a bad year some more than others,with flooding ,foot and mouth and so on
i sympathize with the organizers, the traders and people who's whole life revolve around these shows ,i hope it does not put to many small traders off as this and other shows are the only way that people like me know that they exist the CLA is a fantastic show which i go to every year
i am only a visitor to this show and would hate to see it end

 

[tika.308]

i agree with you all its really bad what happened to the traders and hopefully they would have had insurance and they turn up this year.there is nothing like the cla i know there are some cracking game fairs up and down but i think we need to stick with it or it will be something else gone.i only live half an hour from caton park where they have held the gamekeepers fair the last 2 years and the first time i didnt think alot of it but went again last year and it had improved alot so hopefully i will be there again in april its not huge but a day out after these dark days.and i think it would be great to meet up at the cla.

 

[Beowulf]

A group BBQ would be a very good idea. If the CLA campsite is full how about a block booking somewhere close? Come on ladies and gentlemen lets get something sorted out! Between us we could get the thing off the ground surely!

 

[Beowulf]

How about this campsite, one hundred and twenty five pitches, an off licence, a skittle alley and farm yard animals, they even have 'DONKEYS!'

www.cotswoldview.co.uk

 

[ssgpiv]

That looks good actually.

 

[Fester]

Ill be at Catton park without a doubt. Its that close to me i can spit on it from my house. Like Tikka308 said its not massive but ive been to every one so far & its getting better. How about meeting up in the beer tent

 

[tika.308]

sounds good to me steyr.i also think your right beowulf that site looks tidy.i wonder if any one has got the stalking rights on there?

 

[stone]

i am up for that but can only do one day so lets get that day sorted so we can all meet up faces to names ,names to faces getting excited already

 

[geoshot]

Site looks good and a weekend with like-minded folks sounds like a blast!
I'm up for it, and the boss is easier to persuade this far in advance.
Are we organising or what?
Geoshot