Possible Change of Meet

[Betty]

I know I'm probably opening a can of worms here....
.....but I've been thinking about possibly changing the venue of the meets from Feb to somewhere that's a lot easier for everyone to get to. I like the pub we're currently at, it's lively, do good food and they don't seem to mind us rabble turning up every month...(plus I know the waitresses definitely get Nick's vote)

Anyway we're all aware of the problem we have of trying to make the meet centrally to everyone, which is why we've chosen Aylesbury. But Aylesbury is a real arse to get to for most people, since it's stuck right in the middle of nowhere.

...So a few suggestions:

- We keep it where it is and put up with the hour and a half journey for most people.
- We keep it in Aylesbury and put up with the hour and a half journey, but try a new pub.
- We move it somewhere slightly outside the centre but on a major route
- We move venue say every 6 months, so at some point it is closer to each of us.

I know a lot of you like the country roads, I just wonder if more people would turn up if it was on a major route and easier / cheaper to get to. I liked the hungry horse in high wycombe where we held this christmas meal. What did people think of the journey when we used to hold the meets in Marlow, just off the M40? Would be a similar drive to High Wycombe.

Anyway, it's your region so it's up to you, but I would be grateful for some input.
Ta,
Claire

[Beenie]

- We move it somewhere slightly outside the centre but on a major route

I'd go with this one, I'm just gonna check a map I'll get back to you on this in a little while with an idea or two

[Beenie]

here I am with an idea

Watford looks nice and easy for everyone to get to.

do you have that picture of the regions claire?

[Matt N]

I don't mind driving to Aylesbury, not a bad journey from where I am tbh and the roads are quite good for some 'spirited' driving . If it were any further than I go now then I doubt I would make as many meets (especially as the Cav is off the road indefinitely so I'll be in the Nova), as I said to Nick my main reason for not going to the Christmas meal was distance. Anyway, just my 2p's worth.

[nickyboy]

here I am with an idea

Watford looks nice and easy for everyone to get to.

do you have that picture of the regions claire?

Watford is a bitch to get to on Sundays, the M25 is always packed from experience.

The Marlow place was great but was usually busy and took ages to get food etc.

The best place would be a nice pub in one of the surrounding villages off the A41 etc, food is usually well priced and carparks tend to be quite big.

There is a good one in Stone but sadly it was burnt down last year

[Beenie]

well thats that idea out the window.

whats the biggest main road near everyone?
IE: M1, M25, M40, A roads etc

[Colonel K]

I like the current location.

20mins of back road blasting and Im there

[the_fbi]

Hm... if the xmas meal has happened, what was Johns new car/project? He was due to bring it afaik?

If "most" people have a 1hour+ drive to Aylesbury, where are they coming from?

Bicester would be easier for the Northern people, as its only 30mins from the M1 (A43 with the new dual which pretty much takes you from M1 to M40)

Bicester is also easy for the Southern people, A34 (Oxford, Newbury, Swindon (although Swindon seems to be south central)), or London'ish via the M40 and off at J9 or J10. J9 is A41, J10 is A43.

As for places in Bicester, there is The Acorn which is by Bicester Village Outlet Centre (which would also be an attraction for people, www.bicester-village.co.uk) although the carpark is quite small and on a sunday would be packed with "families". Only been there once or twice, but may actually be perfect as its not a town centre pub full of complete ****ers. Grub is top notch though.

The other option which is more suited to "northern" members. The Green Man, which is on the A43 about 3 miles south of Silverstone. Its also got a premier lodge (http://www.travelinn.co.uk/TI/index.jsp?page=inn&id=454) attached for people who wanted to make a weekend, perhaps taking in a race at Silverstone too.
Large carpark, nice food and doesn't seem to mind groups. Been there a few times with work before/after karting events at Silverstone.
Seems the Aston Martin owners club meets there too.

Current, Bicester, and Silverstone are all marked below.

[nickyboy]

I was thinking about Silverstone a while back as its almost in the centre and on a main route thru the region. The Green Man, is that the one on the duel carraigeway near the speed cameras? I know thay have a big car park, theres always groups of car enthusiasts there so they obviously dont mind them.

[Beenie]

from the looks of this map milton keynes looks good, easy to get to, loads of round abouts to have fun on.

[the_fbi]

I was thinking about Silverstone a while back as its almost in the centre and on a main route thru the region. The Green Man, is that the one on the duel carraigeway near the speed cameras? I know thay have a big car park, theres always groups of car enthusiasts there so they obviously dont mind them.

Thats exactly the one.

Seems Lotus Clubs have meets there too.

[Betty]

If you take a look at the map Aylesbury is currently the centre of our region...we have members coming from Oxford to Stevenage, and Bracknell to Northampton. Personally for me Silverstone is going to be a nightmare to get to. Obviously we could hold a meet up there one month, but for a regular meeting place, it just won't be fair on others coming from the south of the region.

Milton Keynes is a possibility, Maybe we could alternate 6 months in Milton Keynes, so just north of the centre of the region, and 6 months say in High Wycombe, just south of Aylesbury?? That would probably be the fairest way of doing it.

[Colonel K]

How far south does our region go?

Cos at the mo Biscester does look good, esp as many northern peeps dont turn up any more due to travel times.

[Mike007]

I like Aylesbury. I work there so am fairly used to the journey!!

To be honest, I'm not too fussed. Bicester is good because then I get to arrive and go home along the B4011 (slight detour, but well worth it!!).

Mike

[Matt N]

Silverstone is a pain in the butt for me to get to and I'm probably closer than pretty much everyone else!!! Bicester would be ok but as I said before I don't think there's much wrong with the current location.

[the_fbi]

Well I wasn't pushing Bicester, just mentioning it as an option. I've not even been to a meet so listening to me is probably a bad idea anyway.
Now I am a member I hope, when I know the car is reliable (which it does appear to be although I'm only 20 miles into it), I'll come meet you guys/gals at the monthly meets.

Aylesbury is no bother for me at all, neither is MK, both are 20-25mins.
Silverstone would also be 20-25 with a choice of cross country hacking or main roads too.

Is it worthwhile us all pinpointing our homes on a map, by postcode, just to see where we all live? I'm sure Autoroute can handle pushpins for this kind of thing still. If there are a clump of people in one area, surely it would be best to move the meet closer to them, to at least get the numbers up. Although possibly at the expense of longer term members. Tough decision.

Perhaps its worth asking if "we" need to change meet location. Would a change of location get more people coming, or less. Surely its about getting more numbers there not necessarily makeing it more convenient, although logic would dictate the two should go hand in hand.

[Mike007]

If I was provided a list of postcodes/adresses I could run off a map at work with everyones locations marked.

Mike

[the_fbi]

If I was provided a list of postcodes/adresses I could run off a map at work with everyones locations marked.

Mike

Done via PM.

[Mike007]

Cheers mate, but only really worth it if Claire is willing to give me the complete list.

Mike

[Beenie]

only problem with that is she's hardly ever online.

ask nickyboy he might have it

[nickyboy]

Mike, nick003__uk@hotmail.com

the list is 6 months or so old, we dont get an updated one very often

80% of the members arent active in the region so we tend to base the meets on where the active members are

[Mike007]

E-mail sent Nick.

Mike

[Betty]

The region covers all of Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Beds, Bucks and Northants but to try and entice people to come we've had to choose somewhere central.

I know that silverstone is closer to some of you but as it is I drive and hour an a half cross country to get to the meets. Obviously I wouldn't mind if it was alternated for 6 months between there and somewhere south of Aylesbury just to make it fair on the southern members.

To be honest I think this is going to be the only other fair option, unless we just keep the meets in Aylesbury.

I know we don't have many active people in Berkshire, but hopefully in the new year that should change and we want to make sure the meets aren't too far for them to get to. I'm also aware of the lack of northern members attending meets, and I think the only way we're going to change it is if we alternate meeting places.

[the_fbi]

This is quite an interesting point really.

I know the SC people were talking about moving the meet location, C are talking about it, perhaps the whole thing needs reviewing as clearly what appears to be correct on paper, really isn't working in reality.

Is it perhaps worthwhile asking all the members
a) would you go to a meet if it was closer to you.
b) how far would you be prepared to drive to a meet to be in regular attendance.

Armed with this info it would be possible to look at restructing the counties and their respective meets. Looking at the info so far, I'd say C should pick up Wiltshire and drop Berkshire to SC.

Perhaps counties isn't the best way of doing it anyway as there are some pretty screwed up county shapes around which means some people are being dragged to the wrong meet.

Perhaps it's not even a case of drawing a circle on a map and thats your area, but actually chosing a meet location, the drawing the area covered by 90mins drive (or whatever) taking in to account A roads and motorways get you there faster, so you end up with an area which covers those roads further. (I can visualise this in my head, probable explaining it badly)

I'm not trying to be critical of the way it is setup currently and clearly no more people may turn up, i'm just offering ideas based on the fact that it may not be working currently.

[Betty]

No, I'm grateful for the input.

Members are allowed to attend whichever meet they wish, a lot of people do this anyway, regardless of which region they happen to be in...The only time regions really come into affect is at shows etc.

South Central is fairly large as it is, without adding Berkshire to it...the idea would be to make the regions smaller so more people attend meets.

Plus I think you'll find that they won't want another coordinator in their region! lmao