GreyDJ2

This thread is now locked as it has been overtaken by the others on the subject.

Please use this thread for general discussion and memories/pictures of the event. Plus any comments on this year's show and suggestions for next year's.

This is the main information thread on the Show. As before please do not use it for general comments, if you do they will be removed. Please add your name to the sign up thread if you are planning to come.

Just a quick update to say that the VBOA 2017 event will be at the Market Harborough Showground on the weekend of the 8th/9th July. Charges will be as Billing this year. More details to follow later today.

We have an extraordinary VBOA meeting on the 20th Nov. There will be an update after that.

The Spares day event this weekend has been cancelled by VBOA due to unforeseen circumstances. Pass the word.

Mmmmm, interesting, a pop-up meet! There is a group from a Club I am in here who do just that. I will ask this evening what their arrangements are. The answer may be delayed as I leave on holiday 04.30 in the morning!

Is that the + 'Follow this thread' button? Count me in.

Just a reminder of the date of this year's event The Connexion Conference Centre, Leamington Road, Ryton-on-Dunsmore, Coventry, CV8 3FL http://vboa.org.uk/9-events/19-vboa-parts-day-and-autojumble-30th-october

Thread now locked.

There was a VBOA reps meeting at Luton this morning. All car clubs using Billing were told last Tuesday that there would be no car based events there from now on, so, after 34 years at Billing the journey has ended. Having been told that, with 29 of the 31 VBOA clubs represented, the meeting turned into a little like herding cats! As you can imagine there were many different views. However, after an hour or so going round in circles a compromise was found and decisions taken. The VBOA committee are now starting on checking out alternatives. The first thing to take on board is that there is no Billing equivalent out there. Compromises are going to have to be made. One of the biggest to us operationally as a Club is that we are going to have to predict attendance more accurately (for pitch size) and almost certainly collect ticket money ourselves. The sites that will be checked out, against an agreed set of requirements, are, in no particular order, Peterborough Show Ground, Luton Hoo, Bicester Heritage, West Midlands Show Ground Shrewsbury, Newark Show Ground. Availability being checked for the first two weekends in July. Us reps will be consulted but a decision should be reached by the Committee this month and I will update this post as soon as I know anything. Feel free to make comments. John

I'll be there.

We are too laid back and its a bit soon to do that.

Look forward to seeing you again.

Ken, atm we don't know what will happen in the future. The new management at Billing seem to want to cut off all car club weekends, it is not just us. They have already started building static caravan pitches in areas that have been used by the clubs. They seem to be going for that market but we cannot understand how they will make up the huge revenue/profit generated by the car clubs. We may know more after the September VBOA meeting. VBOA have made the point that this show must go off really smoothly to give Billing no reason the eject us.

This is what now applies - For non pre-booked camping arrivals the normal park camping rate of £23 per vehicle per 24 hour period for non electric pitches and £29 with electric hook-up will apply. - Day visitors will be charged £10 per day per vehicle and up to four people and do not have to pre-book.

Valid till 4 July and for two nights minimum. One night at full rate.

Two options, buy a day entry pass on your way in or get an overnight pass by phone or online, not sure if you can get the latter on the door. The discount deal is closed now.

Good move. Early Calibres have the same rot problems as early Cavaliers (MK3). Something seems to have changed with GM's paint primers in the summer shutdown in 1992 that seriously improved the car's corrosion resistance from then on. Plus of course, once Cavalier production stopped in Russelheim and its IRS platform moved to Finland in 1995 to continue Calibre production, it then benefited from the part galvanisation already in use there for Boxter convertibles. That is why facelifted versions of both Cavaliers and Calibres in their different ways last much better. Nothing better than having a beyond economic repair car as a donor. Had a few of them in my time

What a pair of pre facelift Calibras? Has the black one got a Redtop in it?

OK folks its only 3 weeks to go. Don't forget the discounted booking stop soon. It seems more success is had by booking by phone. The booking process is a bit of a farce depending on who you speak to or if you book online. The best efforts of the VBOA Organisers seem to come up against a brick wall with this and we really wish we could enact some change, but sadly it isn't happening it seems. Sorry if you are coming up against some difficulty with this.

If you are coming for one day then yes, buy the £10 day ticket. Then you drive round to our pitch and drive onto it and say hello!

It is the small operators that will be missing. As I understand it those with companies, VAT numbers etc will still be there. I agree with Ivan. The amount of Mk2 stuff available there has dropped dramatically over the years. Contacts here and Ebay being much better sources. The only real advantage at Billing is the reduced transport costs of large items, oh and a bit of impulse buying

My thoughts as well but VBOA want to handle this themselves, possibly with the other clubs affected, especially the real biggie, Land Rover, who have many more than us attending.

It would appear that it is not just us but all the car shows are facing these problems. We won't know until later in the year what the plan is. The VBOA has sufficient funds to carry on with a smaller autojumble, but we don't know what impact that might have. It seems there is a new manager onsite who is trying to make is mark. Whether Head Office agree that a loss of perhaps £250k in revenue can be made up or exceeded is unknown. Hopefully they will see sense.