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Post by Brendan69 on Nov 24, 2019 19:08:12 GMT
Another point is that this forum contributors probably do not reflect the club membership as whole? As to the ages of owners I remain unconvinced this is the reason. The Nationals 20 odd years ago were very well attended indeed and spread out over England and we went to most of them. I was of course 20 odd years younger but there did seem many more older and retired owners there most of whom have dropped off their perches by now or are no longer owners. My slowly deteriorating condition impacts on everthing I do now and I just cannot contemplate a 1 or 2 day event that far away although we do hope to go to Roverfest 2020 in August which is centrally situated in England. The P4 Drivers Guild can still seem to attract a very good attendance (no idea why) at their Nationals however although few P5s attend. The lack of P5s seems to be par for the local rallies round here - sometimes there are none at all. Local to me is under 75 miles if the weather is good. I do wish David well and the rally a success - organising one is something I could not contemplate under any circumstances as I still do far too much of that in my work life - only 2 months left of it though. Many points well made the cost is more of a problem these days and I think it's more older people that do own the Rovers as the younger people are more focused on cars from their own generation. The Rover is for me as I'm in my 60s now and remember from my youth. I also think that the P5 and especially the P5B does appeal less these days because although they are a reminder of an opulent age they do tend to use a bit of fuel. I do think it is time to rethink the way the club does things,and yes it does require a more pro active approach from more of the membership as it is unreasonable to expect the same people to do everything. If thinks are left to there own devices there will be no club left. I think more local activities within the club would generate a better response to national events I tend to agree with you David albeit i was 50 when i finally got my P5B saloon and will soon be 51 and nearly 1 year of ownership. Took me 25 years to find the right car. Yes they are seldom seen at mixed shows as you and Phil mentioned but they do IMHOP form a crowd when seen on a show ground by lets just say the more mature gentlemen of this world. I must be one of the youngest club members/owners now or maybe not. Maybe we should have a poll to find out. LOL. I would also be very interested to know how many lady owners of these car we have if any???
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Post by lagain on Nov 24, 2019 20:55:56 GMT
Not sure about lady owners now, but back in 1971 an unmarried lady who was a member of our church bought a new Admiralty Blue saloon. I looked forward to seeing it each Sunday and hearing that lovely burble. It had an East Sussex registration of DPN 25K on a reflective plate The lady was a farmer as was her father who was the tenant of a downland farm to the north of Brighton, in those pre EU days farmers made a good living providing food for the country (better not start on that topic...) When her father died she had to leave the farm as at that time a female was not allowed to take on the tennancy - at least some things have changed for the better !
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Post by Chuck Berry on Nov 25, 2019 8:37:42 GMT
This one has my vote David, Particularly if it is during the season! There are great crowds gathering in that area for all sorts of motoring meets. When I was running a film business in the '80s & 90's we recorded the annual sand dune races and the place was packed.
It is a shame that lethargy seems to have set in with club members, Perhaps inviting some other Rover groups may stimulate some (attendance) competition!
If Mary is well enough we will hope to attend, as she has improved lately with the now improved medication and treatments. I know the camp sites mentioned, they are good, and it may be worth commenting that the area is littered with other camping grounds, and all sorts of B&B's to suite all pockets and tastes.
As the saying goes " you can please some of the people some of the time …."
I for one hope it works well.
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Post by Brendan69 on Nov 25, 2019 10:14:03 GMT
Us " on the day " attendies are starting to catch up. LOL
Maybe we should change the colours as it looks like Tories, Labour and Lib dem race chart!! LOL
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Post by David on Nov 25, 2019 10:49:18 GMT
An email was sent to everyone on this forum (2,200+) yet we only have received 30 replies, which seems to graphically show the level of lethargy.
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Post by dhb5610 on Nov 25, 2019 10:54:26 GMT
It's funny how one thing leads to another but the two things are so connected. The question of the national rally started this whole debate and it is becoming clear that the age of the owners of P5s is now part of the debate.
It would interesting to find out just when people did first buy their P5 or P5B, I would suspect that unless like a few owners I have spoken to who have had Rover P5 or P5Bs most of their lives and in some cases that I know of where the car has been handed down through the family, most people like me are buying them later in life as it is then that they can afford one and have enough money spare to either restore or run one. There is no doubt they are loved by a lot of people, every time I take mine out someone always has something to say or I get a wave or a pip of a car horn.
It's a pity that more aren't seen out and about as they are much loved and appreciated more so than a lot of classic cars in my opinion.
This leads me onto another question which is perhaps for another day but it is simply this. What happens to our beloved Rovers when we can't look after them anymore, do we try to find a good home for them or are they stored somewhere never to be seen again.
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Post by Steed on Nov 25, 2019 11:09:46 GMT
I wonder what % number of the 2000+ 'emailees' ever respond or take part in the verbal interplay on the forum?
I rarely see a comment or thread response from 'new' contributors just usually it's us same 'old' guys!
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Post by dhb5610 on Nov 25, 2019 11:20:55 GMT
An email was sent to everyone on this forum (2,200+) yet we only have received 30 replies, which seems to graphically show the level of lethargy. It does show exactly that unless people aren't wanting to commit until after the festive season which could be a factor the National should be a well attended annual event, which it wasn't this year although I have to say those of us who did attend found that our efforts were rewarded. This does then prompt the argument that as a club we should investigate other ways to get members involved in social events and to interact with each other
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Post by dhb5610 on Nov 25, 2019 11:36:37 GMT
I wonder what % number of the 2000+ 'emailees' ever respond or take part in the verbal interplay on the forum? I rarely see a comment or thread response from 'new' contributors just usually it's us same 'old' guys! Good point and my thoughts entirely I think there is a core of members that interact on the forum for whatever reason usually for help and advice on how to solve a problem or where to find something and a lot of people seem to be quite happy just being a member for no other reason than that.
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Post by Steed on Nov 25, 2019 11:58:07 GMT
.....yep, and that's a shame....
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Post by Brendan69 on Nov 25, 2019 19:36:35 GMT
I wonder what % number of the 2000+ 'emailees' ever respond or take part in the verbal interplay on the forum? I rarely see a comment or thread response from 'new' contributors just usually it's us same 'old' guys! You speak for yourself Steed, LOL, i am only nearly 51 so a young pup in this club. LOL. I agree though with what you say and Dave too and for me its not just about owning a very nice car its also about belonging to a group of like minded folk too. Yes we dont have to meet up all the time but forums are a great place to make new friends and learn more new things about your car from the senior guys who have owned them for many years. That IMHOP is very very valuable asset to any club or forum. I cannot say the same though for the AMOC ( Aston Martin Owners Club ) though of which i no longer belong. It seems my non willingness to join a wife swapping and black tie dinner club did not go down that well. If only i had a wife eh, things could have been a lot different. LOL. I still love and enjoy owning my DB7-vv-GTA-V12-6.0-TT ( they do like to be specific in that club ) LOL, so all is not lost.
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Post by stirlingmg on Nov 25, 2019 20:06:30 GMT
You speak for yourself Steed, LOL, i am only nearly 51 so a young pup in this club. LOL. Step aside grandad😝
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Post by Steed on Nov 25, 2019 23:11:43 GMT
OK......! I'm 57 myself, and a relative 'newby' in the P5 scheme of things....
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Post by JohnC on Nov 27, 2019 7:33:56 GMT
Hi David, great location and close to me. I would attend health permitting.
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Post by Welsh Warlock on Nov 28, 2019 23:55:12 GMT
I often miss the national as it usually falls when I am away on Holiday. For 15 years we (me, the Mrs and the pooch) travelled from the Midlands up to Scotland for the Scottish All Rover Rally which moved around Scotland, changing venue every two years. It was a two day event (Drive out/treasure hunt and evening meal Saturday and kicking tyres in a field on a Sunday), which we always made a four or five day (occasionally 10 day) trip in the Rover. It's what these cars were built for; driving. We enjoyed them all, met some great people and made some good friends and we still travel to Scotland most years on the same late May Bank Holiday weekend even though the Rally is no longer held and we don't always go in the Rover as we now live in South Wales. I speak from experience as a serial rally attender and an organiser (2013 Deene Park Northants) when I say that it's impossible to please everyone so compromises have to be made. But, what you will find is that making the effort and spending a few pounds making an event of it will build camaraderie, friendship and a wide network of fellow Rover fans. I have Rover Friends in the UK as far apart as Cornwall and Dundee. Not through the internet but through travelling and meeting people. I even made a good friend in France who we have visited twice in the last 2 years. Anyone who sits at home and says I'm not going, it's too far can easily remedy the situation for the following year. Just volunteer to organise the event locally to you. I recognise that as we get older, driving great distances can become tiring and not very practical so the only alternatives are stump up for hotels en route (we stayed over in the Yorkshire dales a couple of times on the way to/from Scotland), make lots of friends around the country who you can stay with (I've stayed with fellow members for events in Devon, Scotland X2, the Midlands and France) or stay at home and regret missing out on the event. Of course we all have to make choices but we can't blame the person who volunteers to organise the event for where its held. The club moves the event around as much as possible to try and accommodate as many as possible but many factors will affect the attendance. I went to one of the most central events in the UK near Wigan some years ago and only about 6 cars turned up even though 70+ were booked in. Why? Because the weather was appalling. Some poor person had spent months organising a National event for only half a dozen cars to turn up. My heart went out to him and his team (Geoff- we shall not forget your efforts). So, please, before you moan and groan about an event not being "near you" or "not where you'd like it" just remember that somebody has volunteered to spend months planning, organising and given up their whole weekend so that you can decide whether or not to attend their event. Sorry for the ramble but I think sometimes people just think only of how inconvenient it is for THEM.
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Post by tarnowl on Nov 29, 2019 14:37:51 GMT
I fully agree with every word! It's a thankless task organising something like this. People should think themselves lucky that they live in the same country. There are others who live far away who would dearly love to go and may not be able to. I would hope that I could get my P5B in good enough shape to be confident to drive it from France. I don't see why not next year. It will always depend on other commitments at the time. However, if I can I shall go next year, so how about some support? If arrangements suit one, they won't suit all, so come on guys and gals. Tarnowl.
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Post by Steed on Nov 29, 2019 15:52:27 GMT
Hear, hear, to Welsh Warlock and Tarnowl!
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Post by stirlingmg on Nov 29, 2019 19:26:22 GMT
Quite agree with those 2 as well, just what I was trying to say but I’m not so good at getting my point across as them
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Post by reddragon121 on Dec 8, 2019 18:48:15 GMT
Yes, I will be attending the 2020 National Rally at the helicopter museum, probably for the weekend. Nice to see it nearer to home!
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Post by David on Dec 9, 2019 9:18:18 GMT
Sorry to inform you all, but based on feedback (or lack of it) I have received, next years National at the Helicopter Museum will not be going ahead.
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Post by dhb5610 on Dec 9, 2019 9:25:55 GMT
Sorry to inform you all, but based on feedback (or lack of it) I have received, next years National at the Helicopter Museum will not be going ahead. Is that feedback from members or the museum, I suspect it's the members
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Post by dhb5610 on Dec 9, 2019 10:18:21 GMT
Sad news that next year's national is not going ahead which is a great shame, but this may be the time to reflect on what to do next. The idea of having no event is not a good thought. The poll that was held was a clear indication of the feeling of the membership, albeit small in number. Although the majority said no I wonder if that was a combination of the event being too far away and therefore incurring too much time and cost in other words members don't want to pay for accommodation and the fuel costs. This was a concern for me as it would have been a room at least 2nights and 2 tanks of petrol at least, not that I and others can't afford it but it is something that if I don't have to inccure I won't however a 1day event like this year's at Newby Hall was great.
I think that if the event was no more than 3 to 4 hours travelling from home and was at a nice central location with other attractions as well members would review their opinions. Gaydon would be an ideal place and a good setting for us, image lots of Rovers outside the museum it would be good I think.
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Post by Brendan69 on Dec 9, 2019 11:36:54 GMT
Having been to Gaydon many times over this last 2 years it was why i suggested it and the fact no one has to plan anything. I think the most it would take would be a phone call to the museum manager to say a few of us would be coming along on a particular day and would they cone off an area of the car park for us all. That i cannot see being a problem at all as they would be making a fair bit of money that day on admission price which is £12 i paid 2 weeks ago and with gift aid that allows me as many visit back in a 12 month period.
Facilities there are excellent and the cafe is good too and i am also pretty sure they would actually bring Harold Wilson/Maggie Thatchers and the Queens back up P5B's out in the open area for us to look over closely on the day. Plenty of other stuff to do around the area too as its just literally off the M40.
Regards,
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Post by Eric R on Dec 9, 2019 13:35:15 GMT
I think I replied to this previously - The club has experience of Gaydon having held the annual there in August 2017. If the helicopter seems to have little support I think the Roverfest is the next best option.
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Post by dhb5610 on Dec 9, 2019 17:49:37 GMT
What needs to sorted out is why there is such apathy amongst the membership of a club with so many members, I know that some are from other countries ie not the UK but never the less there a lot that live here in the UK. I was in contact with David (admin) recently and he said the Saab club had a very active membership who were ready to take part in club activities. Is the Rover club just a talking shop for online advice and only to be used by the same people all the time because that's the way it would appear to be at the moment.
As for Gaydon I only used it as an example there are other places of equal merit and interest I'm sure.
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