Meet discussion

[Norretal]

Oh bother........been on here 5 minutes and I've caused a domestic.......

Sorry.

[briang9]

Originally Posted by Architex_mA8tey

Well if you had all told me that you wanted to organise a seperate scottish meet before I spent time setting it all up then I'd have arranged it further south!
The whole point if locating it in stoke was to be as central to the UK as possible to get everyone together!!
Meh!!

Its always going to be tricky finding a venue that suits all Neil, so please dont take it personally, Stoke is still around a four to five hour drive for us, (I used to frequent Burton on Trent regularly) somewhere around the Manchester area is I think more equidistant for a lot of members. It is also reasonably expensive at a time that is already heavy on the wallets, and roads are busy with unpredictable weather. Most of the members from up here are pretty supportive of events. Like Jim when I saw Norretal's post it triggered similar thoughts of a mini meet but I was aware it had potential to cause a slight rift, and I am sure none of us want that.

[PsYcHe]

< hides behind sofa from wrath of Neil

[Dezzy]

Wow I know you guys want independence up there but…..

I think it's easy to forget the time that goes into organising meets. As the owners club went pretty quiet more events were happening through the forum and therefore to a bigger audience with the attitude that everyone is welcome to pop along and meet people with similar interests i.e. 8’s

I can totally understand how you guys are thinking because I’m in the same position as you but the other end of the country but I wouldn’t be organising a mini meet around the same time as a national as anyone local or closer would probably drop out.

Stoke is 4 hours for me in Bideford and 4 hours from Glasgow and as such I won’t be able to attend this one, but if you have no intentions in going then maybe it could have been in a location closer for me to come.

The other thing to think about is the kick in the balls it is to the organisers of meets who I hope won’t just say bollox to it then and not bother in the future if they can’t get enough interest from us to support them. I’d hate to see the social side of this 8 community dwindle like the owners club did.

Just my 2 pennith worth

[sarg]

Anyone fancy a Porsche mini-meet in the Midlands

[David's8]

All the points you make Dezzy are extremely valid and I dont want to pour petrol on the fire with endless debate but in explanation (as I see it) the suggestion of a mini meet only arose because someone who was not going to the main meet was offered a hand with a job by someone else who wasnt. Others, who had already decided not to go the main meet then decided, on the spur of the moment, that it might be good to join up for a few hours one day.

When talking about support for events I believe 4 of the group who were thinking of the mini meet had been to the Summer meet so its not like the North of the Border members are thinking of breaking away or not contibuting. The fact that Neil chose Stoke as somewhere central for all is unfortunate if those to the north chose not to come (for whatever reasons, cost, time of year etc) which then means that those to the south are travelling north for no good reason. But I think that the time of year/cost/family "meets (not so much fun as gazing at audi aluminium) have all played a part here.

The work that Neil and Mike have done in organising meets is appreciated very much indeed and is, and will be, supported wholeheartedly.

[Architex_mA8tey]

Originally Posted by briang9

Its always going to be tricky finding a venue that suits all Neil, so please dont take it personally, Stoke is still around a four to five hour drive for us, (I used to frequent Burton on Trent regularly) somewhere around the Manchester area is I think more equidistant for a lot of members. It is also reasonably expensive at a time that is already heavy on the wallets, and roads are busy with unpredictable weather. Most of the members from up here are pretty supportive of events. Like Jim when I saw Norretal's post it triggered similar thoughts of a mini meet but I was aware it had potential to cause a slight rift, and I am sure none of us want that.

I do take it a tad personally when I've spent a large amount of time arranging meets as I'm asked to by people and then others suggest a meet on or around the same timing that could take a number of attendees away from the main meet in question!

I chose Stoke as it was equidistant from Glasgow/Edinburgh area where most scottish members are based, and from Places like Plymouth, Devon and Kent in the extremes of the South West and South East where other members are based.

Its an expensive time for all of us Brian. I have personally been made redundant from one job this year as some of you know, and am in the throws of trying to find another Job that I want to do rather than the one I was given that I no longer wish to, but I have still tried to attend as many meets as I can and even spent time and money reccy-ing meets for everyone else.

The Annual Meet was in The Lake District - so a long way from members down south but hopefully much nearer for Scottish members, and the A8 Parts open day was up in Yorkshire and I've tried to be as fair as possible in arranging the xmas date as centrally to everyone as possible to get all to attend. I've even booked myself in at the hotel for 2 nights rather than one so as to be sociable to people coming from further that might want to stay either night!

I understand that every one of us has different circumstances, and of course nobody is forcing anybody to come to any meeting, but if we want a "club" type feel and to socialise as a group then there has to be regular support from all involved for the time and effort that people like Mike and Myself and Darren etc try to put into organising these things.

By all means have a Scottish meet, heck I've been to one myself earlier this year and would try to get to any meet I can including Scotland, but my disappointment would be that one would be scheduled to "clash" with or near to the date of the xmas meet that has already been researched and organised and therefore draw potential attendees away from coming to the xmas meet.

We only have 2 meets a year where everyone tries to get there that can, and apart from the Annual Meet, the Xmas one was supposed to be the other. If we dont get enough people that want to come to the xmas meet then we clearly dont need to hold it next time but I for one thoroughly enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere of last years

[Dave McB]

Hey guys. Not been about of late - mega busy 24/7 atm

Count me in for a mini meet. any excuse to get the S8 out a drive these days

Richierich37 - im local to you. What colour is ur car & il keep a lookout for u

[Conan_the_Librarian]

I think I see the Hand of Salmond (Tolkin reference) behind this! Divide and conquer, maybe his lairdship has been offered a Scottish title by King Alex in Waiting!

[Richierich37]

Originally Posted by Dave McB

Hey guys. Not been about of late - mega busy 24/7 atm

Count me in for a mini meet. any excuse to get the S8 out a drive these days

Richierich37 - im local to you. What colour is ur car & il keep a lookout for u

Hey fella, it's a Ming blue D2, reg. M9 XVW!