Sad consequence of rising costs

Went to a gala day in Hereford yesterday, usually an excellent event. though still enjoyable it mas markedly less well supported by the usual array of vehicles etc for the show ring. The sparse showing of just 3 small military vehicles was disspointing but as explained by the commentator, vehicles doing 7 miles to the gallon just aren't viable for their owners pockets to attend such events (where they don't get an attendance fee). The working display of traction engines was good, but again, the commentator explained how the shortage / ever increasing cost of coal was a major headache, and incidently seriously affecting the heritage railways also.

I'm sure ther are many members here that own/run the affected engines / vehicles and are all too aware of my comments, but as a non-owner I hadn't given this any consideration until this was described at the event, but certainly set me thinking - Is there going to come a time when working displays of this sort are no longer viable? Sad day that would be, but what is the alternative?

Bit depressing really. All the best. Mike

People are already fitting EV batteries and electric motors into classic cars. I had wondered why they would do that. But maybe this would be one reason.

The other factor affecting such events right now is a lot of the owners are older folks who are still avoiding crowded public places due to the remaining risk of Covid 19. Seems to be a factor with several groups I am involved with.

I doubt it will affect just working displays. Static displayed items still need to be transported to an event and back home which is where the cost is likely to be as you won't cover many miles at a rally.

It is also likely to affect smaller ME shows, all the ones I have shown at you don't get paid, free entry is usually all you get. As it often means two trips one to drop off the model and another to collect or one trip and an overnight stay there will be less that can afford that and may only make a single day trip to attend as a punter not an exhibitor.

My wife and I we’re going to attend the Midlands show and had booked an overnight stay , but have cancelled as the cost from Northumberland has risen to more than our pensions allow.

I suspect that we will not be alone in this unfortunately.

Welcome to the reset - isn't it great

A friend of mine was in that dilemma with her kit car, a Marlin Berlinetta similar to the one in my Avatar.
She lives in the proposed new London low emission zone, so will be charged whenever it leaves her drive, until exempt due to the 40 year historic vehicle rule when it ages by a couple more years.

Enquiries with several firms for an electric conversion all came out north of £30K

Not sure about her current plans, but I don't think electric features in them.

Bill

Dropped a family friend off at Heathrow T2 last weekend - and they now charge you a fiver for the privelege.

Maybe it's been like that for a while (I don't know) - it's the first time I've been up to H/R since well before Covid. Took about 3 minutes to open the boot, get her suitcase out and say a quick "Goodbye and have a safe trip home" - and that was it - cough up £5 online within 24 hours or else...

It seems that motorists are not that popular these days but they don't mind taking your money of course...

IanT

Much the same in many hospital car parks, so take money if anyone is given a lift to A&E. To add insult to injury, you pay at a machine that puts stressed drivers through a difficult intellgence test! Don't fail to read the instructions carefully: if paying by card and the receipt contains the word 'VOID', you have to start again!

Recently the government withdrew an attempt to rein in car park overcharging after being threatened by the industry with a shower of legal challenges. A full-blown Act of Parliament is needed, which probably means it won't happen

Dave

This one down to covid or so the seller maintains needed a small part for a fishing reel found one shop stocking it £1.99 couldn't grumble at that but £4.50 for something no bigger than a 5p and made out of pressed card. So I phone the shop asking if it really was £4.50 yes said the voice on the other end of the phone I asked why so much gotta go in a jiffy bag but it that small and light why cant you pop it in a envelope cant gotta be a jiffy bag and you got covid to blame for that !!! Needless to say I didn't purchase the part

H

As I've said before I restore and show Stationary Engines and this year I curtailed a couple of rally's that I would normally attend because of the cost of fuel, I'm the only driver in our house and I own two vehicles, one is an adapted Renault Kangoo which carries my wife's mobility scooter and I have a Subaru Forester which is used for distance work and towing my trailer to carry my engine(s), my mobility scooter and camping equipment etc. I'm now sticking to small local rally's as Newby hall this year cost over £120 in diesel and I cant justify that every time I go to a rally. Before the cost of fuel took off I'd already made the decision to not show at the Great Dorset Steam Fair anymore, if I hadn't then at the current cost I'd have been looking at £160+ in diesel for that.

Martin P

It’s horrendous and it’s only getting worse.I know friends who’ve attended shows for cars etc and said the numbers are reduced massively both by attending and showing.Very sad indeed.

This thread has got me thinking. I was really looking forward to the Lincoln rally and the Midlands show after previous cancellations due to the virus. With the points raised I am now conflicted by the thought that they may not be well attended by exhibitors and traders because of the points raised. My dilemma, and I am almost certain that I will not be alone, is do I still go and risk disappointment or not go and jeopardise possible future events by contributing to a lower attendance? I will still probably make the effort this time because I really do want to support shows such as these, but if my disappointment is overwhelming it will probably curtail future visits which will obviously contribute to the demise of like events, which is sad and doesn't make me feel very comfortable having these things now to consider.

Edited By Chris Crew on 27/06/2022 00:00:13

I was planning to go to the midlands exhibition this year but as diesel is now about £9.00 per gallon it will cost me around £75 to get there and back plus entry and something to eat I have reluctantly decided to give it a miss and mail order any materials etc that I need and put the cost of travelling towards postage.

We have just reached 2 pounds a litre for diesel in North Devon, 9 pounds a gallon, its scary and really makes you think before going anywhere in the car.

Fear of disappointment creates a self-fulfilling prophesy, and exhibitions will go the way of the Dodo if enough people choose not to take the risk. But, I suggest anyone who thinks exhibitions are important to the hobby should make the effort, not only by going but also by spending money at them. More the better: exhibitions are done for as soon as they don't pay their way.

Nothing new here other than prospective patrons suddenly noticing prices are rising rapidly and the UK economy as a whole is struggling, which will effect far more than our hobby. However, exhibitors were reducing their presence at Model Engineering exhibitions well before COVID struck. Running a stand for 2 or 3 days is expensive, especially if no-one buys anything! As a way of buying and selling the internet is much more effective.

Dave

re the fitting of electric motors to classic cars. Makes sense in many ways, but would you feel at all inclined to pay money to see a collection of cars / bikes silently wafting around a field like oversized Scalextric? To me the sound / smells are an intrinsic part of such events. Perhaps I'm just getting old / too nostalgic ?

On coal (as a fuel for heritage railways etc), am I being thick - is there a law saying you cannot mine coal anymore? If not - there is a demand, import costs are high - we've still got plenty, so why aren't entrepeneurs looking at modest mining again? With modern technology and methods I would have though a limited small-scale 'industry' would be viable. With the amount of use we are talking about, the amount of CO2 etc would still be minute compared to everything else being belched out. I fully endorse the efforts to reduce such pollution but still think that we are talking about such a tiny, insignificant amount in this context.

I can't attribute this quote, to any particular source as it'll be seen as political.

"...'no point' in giving workers pay rises because price spiral would cancel out benefit".

So I'm not expecting much in the way of help for what's coming our way.

The 'Heat or eat?' way of thinking is gradually becoming the new normal, as is queueing at food banks.

Martin.

Yup. Agree. Sense of proportion needed.

The media and Westminster bubble will be saying we have abandoned net zero when/if we start mining coal in Cumbria. Who will have the balls to biff them round the ear and tell them to shut up - we would be keeping our world going whilst moving towards net zero without crippling ourselves in the short term?

I'm afraid most of the fete's and classic car shows that I take my car to have started charging a fiver to display the car. Sadly that isn't going to happen, I was chatting with a friend yesterday (at a free to attend car meet) who went to one of the paid for fete car shows at the week end and he'd noticed a drop in entries since they introduced the charge this year, he said that would be the last one.

One of the bigger local shows at Tewkesbury were going to charge £15 to take the car and driver and passenger but it was cancelled!

With petrol at £9 a gallon I will be very selective what we go to this year. We still intend to try and make most of the car runs planned as they are so much more enjoyable than sitting in a field fending kids and their careless parents off for the afternoon

Classic cars and bikes have not been selling for months. Prices will soon be falling to try to encourage the market. Those who bought for investment will be burnt. This inflation has brought a malaise to all and I cannot see an end in sight. It is just like the 1970s and early 80s. I suppose this is the economic cycle aggravated by pestilence and war. I am stocking up with bits for the future before prices increase further.

I am about to buy tickets for the Midland Show however I do not expect very much from it. It would not surprise me if it is cancelled.

As Blowlamp says, it is reset time.

JA