The Annual Gathering Improvement Thread

That would help Matt I'll stick it on the list. Issue is power but we could get round that 

Live band is  great shout. If they did a set in between say 7 and 9, then most people have had a bbq / dinner and we could sit / stand, watch live band whilst having a few drinks and finish the night with the disco.

If you can get the Wurzles I am there, GURT LUSH up the Southwest Region lol

PMR a MUST for next year.

Again, I don't have much experience of staying the entire weekend, but a quiz and charity fundraiser could be easy and cheap to run on the Friday night if there is a void to fill there?..

Personally I love the location at the racecourse - the town is within easy walk, plenty of other options re B&B's / Hotels, Tesco and fuel are within easy reach, good choice for food etc. I have never camped or took part in the fancy dress but I love the weekend as a whole package.

I might try the camping next year… time will tell.  

Friday eve/night is a great time to meet and greet and chat Mk1's. I like the idea of a live band on the Saturday eve it could create a nice carnival festival atmosphere.  

Regards the drive out and maps. We were issued with directions and a map on entry Saturday. The directions worked perfectly with Mrs Early coping well despite the police closing one of the turns as we approached! I

Others were clearly following the directions indicating left/right as they approached a junction and then ignoring what they knew was the correct way to follow the car in front going the wrong way…… herd instinct.

I do realise that a solo driver without a navigator would have to follow the car in front and hope for the best.

Hi
The weekend was awesome Stanford hall used to be my favourite show but this has topped it by miles.
The racecourse is a great venue plenty of space but i can see the event out growing it in years to come.
My suggestions for future is to reduce the cruise to ten miles and on return instead of all seperating a hog roast or bbq is organised so we can all get together and mingle more before getting ready for the evening.. just a thought but a fine weekend guys and gals thankyous xx

Very good suggestions…..

Mine….
1. Bring back the karaoke 
2. CB's for the committee on the drive out, iv already got one, ade, Dave and jelly have too if I remember right from the Germany trip
3. Best regional trophy should change from best display to best region of the weekend…. Ie…. Best camp, car displays, drive out numbers, etc etc etc
4. Walt needs to come onto the committee with suggestions he has made!
5. We find Walt a dub chick….. Lol

Ans4r

I need a dub chick too as my old one gave me the red card  

This was my debut AGM,  I certainly had the time of my life during the whole weekend.
Massive big-up the Committee and Midlands crew making this a fun weekend  !

Some thoughts below, apologies if these have been addressed ….

- Have a polite notice on the loos/toilets to leave them as they found them- in layman terms.
- On arrival-,  Hand Out with quick ground rules,  Map of area showing camp site showing main toilets, auto jumble sales, main event, nearby shops…etc.
- Lighting around the camping area, would be good for families with children, also helps find campsite after a few beers - Onsite, Car wash/vac (charge a fee)
- Club Merchandise- have a kids/toddler range, felt guilty not taking anything back home,  Kids want to look smart wearing MK1 hoody/t-shirt  

4th or 5th agm for me now and great as ever, Mostly things that have been raised already from me…

1) More toilets

2) Drive out directions - can we not hand these out to drivers as they enter/pay for tickets on the gate?

3)Signs on the drive out, i know there were a few A4 sized direction signs this year but ideally you need to put up huge poster sized direction signs on each junction to save people getting lost.

4)suggestion of live band is would be really good, could also do this on friday night to encourage more people to come up on the friday?

5) i didnt like the catering this year, the food van previous years was much better

scott

Cheers for all the feedback guys please keep it coming I'll gather all the info and start looking at improving things  for next year

There seem to be a lot of complaints about catering.. What are the site rules on bringing along a BBQ?.. If enough people were bringing a decent BBQ, surely with a bit of coordination, we could cater for ourselves. Nobody would be selling anything, so not competing directly with on site catering financially. If they didn't allow that, they might as well ban everyone from bringing freezer boxes and sandwiches?!.. I believe we allow a support vehicle free of charge so I'm sure there are plenty of people could bring BBQ's and let everyone throw a couple of burgers on.. All we would need is a designated BBQ area with a gazebo over it and maybe a plastic fold away table, a few people to bring along gas BBQ's and the problem is solved.. When I did Edition 38 years ago, we took a gas BBQ in our support vehicle, gazebo and chairs and it wasn't that big a deal. So although it relies on a few people making an effort, it is totally achievable and would make an awesome social area too. I can see the Saturday evening starting with a BBQ and beer before going inside for the fancy dress..

This year the catering was dealt with by the racecourse, it was the vain of my life all weekend. I've raised this with the racecourse and await there reply

Previous years the only complaint was the fact our normal lady was to busy.

Most campers cater for themselves during the weekend and use the burger van to snack from.

This will be sorted for next year

walt said

There seem to be a lot of complaints about catering.. What are the site rules on bringing along a BBQ?.. If enough people were bringing a decent BBQ, surely with a bit of coordination, we could cater for ourselves. Nobody would be selling anything, so not competing directly with on site catering financially. If they didn't allow that, they might as well ban everyone from bringing freezer boxes and sandwiches?!.. I believe we allow a support vehicle free of charge so I'm sure there are plenty of people could bring BBQ's and let everyone throw a couple of burgers on.. All we would need is a designated BBQ area with a gazebo over it and maybe a plastic fold away table, a few people to bring along gas BBQ's and the problem is solved.. When I did Edition 38 years ago, we took a gas BBQ in our support vehicle, gazebo and chairs and it wasn't that big a deal. So although it relies on a few people making an effort, it is totally achievable and would make an awesome social area too. I can see the Saturday evening starting with a BBQ and beer before going inside for the fancy dress..

The issue here Walt is liability if someone becomes ill. It is the fine line between doing a good thing for your mates (which happens all the time over the weekend) and then expanding it to anyone who attends the event. It also adds extra pressure onto a committee member to oversee it.
The catering van worked very well for several years and I cannot see why it cannot again - dedicated people, full liability , great food and great prices.

Well… If you cook your own burger and make yourself ill, then that is something you have to accept responsibility for yourself.. My suggestion was an area where people could BBQ their own stuff.. It was just a suggestion. I was trying to get around the issue of competition financially for the racecourse catering. A BBQ is the same as someone bringing their own sandwiches, just a lot better..

Or we can have a disclaimer that says..

I…. The undersigned, hereby accept full responsibility for the sausage / burger / kebab / chicken portion / corn on the cob etc etc (delete as applicable) which I am about to cook for myself. Should I make myself ill as a result of it, I accept that I am an adult and poisoned myself and the mk1 golf owners club are in no way to blame in any way shape or form for allowing me to be so stupid as to undercook my meat and eat it partially raw as to upset my tummy and or get food poisoning / salmonella / bochelism etc etc (delete as applicable) Nor are they responsible for my hangover and should I trip over my shoe laces…

Signed…..

Sorry Walt my mistake I thought you ment it was a bbq and chef not just a bbq point.

No need to apologise.. I am just throwing suggestions your way.. I admit some if not all are flawed, but that's what brainstorming is all about.. Maybe I didn't make my idea of a communal BBQ point clear enough in my first post.. I was just being silly with the disclaimer .. Obviously..

That's alright mate it's an idea we have looked into a commual area before but never done anything with it so maybe an thought for the future

jellybelly do you know roughly how many mk1's was at the show?