Stoneleigh 2017 - Feedback and ideas thread.

[Rory's Dad]

I've passed this on to Andy to respond...

https://m.facebook.com/groups/128498247234680?view=permalink&id=1333268163424343

Needs nipping in the bud IMO.

[Trevor Little (Trevturtle) - Treasurer]

9 minutes ago, Rory's Dad said:

I've passed this on to Andy to respond...

https://m.facebook.com/groups/128498247234680?view=permalink&id=1333268163424343

Needs nipping in the bud IMO.

 

We'll check with the Stoneleigh organisers where the general kit car parking (If there is one) and tintop parking is located next year and add a sign to direct people.

We intend to add a roped/signed barrier at the bottom end of the pitch next year.

.

 

 

 

[CraigHew]

FB comment seems a bit harsh but I suppose that was their reality.  Trrouble is if one or two cars are allowed then it becomes a public car park, where do you draw the line.  I'd say that we need to retain the WSCC area for our cars, especially with the numbers there on Sunday.

 

[Andy - a15cro]

Lots of sour grapes going on in that Facebook Post! Just for some balance and not to get tied up in their nonsense, Ive added a few pics on my thread of the vast numbers of Westies taking up ALL of the space on our football field sized area! 

[KugaWestie]

I thought the ability to take money on behalf of a seller on the autojumble worked well. I did not hear of any problems surrounding that?
Maybe one to add into the procedure for future years?

 

[Andy - a15cro]

1 minute ago, Gary (KugaWestie) - North Oxfordshire AO said:

I thought the ability to take money on behalf of a seller on the autojumble worked well. I did not hear of any problems surrounding that?
Maybe one to add into the procedure for future years?

 

 I think in principal it works great, the flaw is when the sellers don't answer their phones and the buyer becomes a bit impatient. If they were committed to buying I put it behind the table for 30 mins until they responded.

[Onliest Smeg David]

Auto jumble is a great facility and well used, however from an 'aesthetics' view point it was by far the least 'attractive image' in the marque.

How's this - put our small marque as was against the big un but placed to suit an opening to access between the two for the 'auto jumble annex'. Then use the extra space inside to create 1) 2018 'Live Upgrade' (cordoned off with explanatory signage) and possibly 2) a small seated area near the 'cafe'

The TV would have been better away from membership and much higher for viewing. And a sturdy support would help, as fragility for potentially being knocked over was why it was placed behind.

[KugaWestie]

11 minutes ago, Gary (KugaWestie) - North Oxfordshire AO said:

I thought the ability to take money on behalf of a seller on the autojumble worked well. I did not hear of any problems surrounding that?
Maybe one to add into the procedure for future years?

 

 

8 minutes ago, a15cro said:

 I think in principal it works great, the flaw is when the sellers don't answer their phones and the buyer becomes a bit impatient. If they were committed to buying I put it behind the table for 30 mins until they responded.

Agreed, that is why I said why dont we just take the money and keep it safe.

If the buyer wants to haggle, they have to wait for the seller to appear. If they are happy to pay the asking price, just take the money, record it on a list and let them take the item.

If the seller does not collect his money - give it to charity

[Andy - a15cro]

Sorry, misread that!

[Yanto]

37 minutes ago, Dave (OnliestSmeg) - Joint Manchester AO said:

Yet when I was asked to undertake the task later in morning, as there was not anyone there to issue them with Mark busy on memberships, they were in a mess! Lots of sections out of order and some upside down  It was a bit of a stressful job from then onwards and grateful for further help from young Banksy and others .  Spreading them all out to try and re-order them was the only way forward at that stage. Even those that were in order, as cards were issued it got to the stage where there were part pages and individual unissued cards that were difficult to manage.

BUT perhaps we should revisit issue, as many members didn't wear their badges. It is good when they do though as I can never remember names  and it is good to know who your talking to.

 

I believe blame/responsibility for spreading them over the table falls fair and square onto me, but in mitigation I was grabbed by Trevor to lend a hand with people 3 deep wanting badges or should I say tool rolls, the pile of labels was that; a pile, with a fair bit of mixing between A, B, C etc and lots of floating single or two's/threes of names.  The problem was that with 2 or 3 of us trying to deal with a person each looking through a single pile was a nightmare, in a quite moment I sorted them into neat piles, A, B's etc 3 piles wide on the table and placed the floating names on the top of each respective pile, I thought this worked better as 2 /3 of us had less chance of looking in the same pile, I left it like that so have no idea if it then became jumbled up again.

However, what took more time was having to tear each name tag off with less than perfect perforations, then fiddling about putting them in the holders only to see the majority go into peoples bags/ pockets, it struck me as a bit of a waste, the flip side was that I heard one person say it was great that people were wearing them, and on more than one occasion the descrete look was noticed when people struggle to remember who they were talking to, so I think overall the badges are a good thing, it's the process of issuing that is difficult.

[KugaWestie]

Another thing to consider is the first shift of the day needs to start earlier. I think the rota had it for 10am start, but people were getting into the show earlier than that.

I jumped on the autojumble not long after 9am to help out for an hour or so as there were lots of people appearing wanting to place things on the table. I know there are a lot of us around that have been there since set up day that can dive in to help, but maybe double up people earlier in the day on certain areas?

 

 

[DamperMan]

Shows are hard to measure in terms of success.   Gaining more members is obviously a goal to make the club viable for the future.   But it does give an opportunity for members to come along and chat, look at each others cars etc, and feel part of the club.  The club is  friendly and welcoming to all....    

From my own experience of working trying to sell stuff at these sort of show a lot of the general pubic have come to look and touch only... Chatting is limited to a small number for people.  People will want to see stuff but the moment a person approaches to chat they quickly go.   There are invisible barriers also... Often people with stand at the edge of the show stand and reach in rather than step onto the carpet or under the shell scheme, it's funny to watch but very very common.    Although the club is not selling in the same sort of way the same principles apply.

Basically as a club where needs to be more visual communication / signage.....    At this sort of show writing on chalk boards is enough.   No need to have signs made unless the same stuff will be happening every year.

I don''t know people knew what was happening with the EFI install or why people where lined up for name badges. or even what was in the marque.    Another nice  would be for members with there cars on display to fill in a standardized forms with car details to display on their cars.      IE  1994, SEWi, 2.0l Zetec, Omex bits,  otherwise it can be a bit like walking around a car park.     

    

[Simon Marks - North Oxfordshire AO]

Hi,

I had one approach at the weekend from a couple who simply said "Why should we join the WSCC".  I quickly established they had a Westfield so ran through a few of the benefits - magazine (was able to hand them a copy from a new members' pack), knowledge and support from the forum, enjoyable monthly local group meetings - and established that their local group met twenty minutes from their home.  I was honestly able to say that WSCC was about the best one make club that I am in (and I am in six such clubs) and I think that we all would paint a similarly rosy picture.  They said on that basis they really ought to join - I hope they did.

As said above, some people will never commit to a Club.  I have learned this from nearly 40 years' membership of Oxford Motor Club and know a good few people in my home area who know about the club, come along to a few of the things that are put on yet have never been members - and that is a club with only a £15 membership fee.  The Historic Rally Car Register has a good number of members who are there almost solely for the magazine (of which there are 12 issues per year).  Westfield World is a very similar standard to OldStager (albeit quarterly, of course) and the HRCR annual subscription is £33 and their membership levels are a few hundred more than us (which allows them to afford a full time Club Secretary and the extra magazines).  The RS Owners' Club is £40 per year, with a good monthly magazine and local meets. Their membership is over 4,000!  It took me a couple of years to find the good people in my local group - my initial approaches were brushed off because I wasn't gushing about the Ford Focus RSs that the Group's elder statesmen were admiring at the time I tried to speak to them!

With me being at Stoneleigh speaking for a lot of the time to Westfield Eleven builders or prospective builders, I found that most folk were already dialed in to the benefit of the forum.  Our build guide is antiquated and was written by an American customer some ten years ago, rather than by the factory.  The questions raised on the build threads of the forum (and the answers given) are as much a part of their build planning as the build guide.  This is a USP for WSCC that I get to push whenever I speak to a fellow Eleven builder.

People will inspire like minded other people to join the Club.  We can all do that then, hopefully, make them feel so welcome at meets that they stay and build the size of the "family".

As a thought, perhaps we should ask Westfield Sports Cars if they would be prepared to put a small WSCC Introductory envelope in one of the boxes of parts when a kit is collected?  Most customers will, I am sure, already be members but we may find more with such a targeted placement.

Following on from the other notes about badges and giveaways, we really ought to have had a large sign to ensure that everyone was aware as to what they were entitled, and the collection point.  I only got my tool roll at 4pm on Monday - thanks Stu!  A perennial incentive that seems ever popular with the HRCR is a free rally bag when a new member signs on at a show / event.  The tool roll would be an ideal such item, I would suggest.

Simon

[Andy_R]

Firstly excellent work from everyone who volunteered ... my Dad & I visited and, despite only being a member for less than a year, we were made to feel very welcome.

So many, many, many thanks from the both of us.

Only issue for us were the floor mats. These were a trip hazard for my Dad (who has only recently recovered from a stroke and cancer) and he very nearly tripped onto two of the vehicles. This would have been a disaster for all concerned. Don't know how you would go about stopping this from happening other than not having them at all.

We also noticed that some vehicles became 'hidden' down one side. One of these was Julie's lovely Green machine ... which was a pity as it's a show stopper IMHO. 

 

[Ali and Gail]

When Gail and I where on the Auto jumble once we had taken the money we called the seller and said come grab your cash as long as they had their ticket.

People are used to paying and taking. It's got to be easier than phone calls between seller and buyer and arranging to meet. A small float would also help for change may be as some didn't have the correct money and its maybe lost a sale.

I know the items are members and not the clubs but if it's in the tent it represents the club.