NEC Classic Show

Went there years ago (OK, decades ago) and had a similar experience. It involved yomping through a lot of mud at that time because some genius hadn't thought that people might have to walk to their cars and there were no footpaths. I haven't been back since simply because the venue is lousy. I'd rather wait and go to one of the local shows or to London if I must. Bad as they are, Olympia, the Busigness Design Centre and Excel are all better than the NEC.

%steve%@malloc.co.uk (Steve Firth) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

They're all subject to the same problem as killed the Ally Pally classic car show, though - a lot of the traders who pay handsomely for stands (and so subsidise the show for the punters) use older trucks to shift their stuff about. Trucks that are old enough that they'll get slapped with a ton a day for the LEZ...

The rates charged for a stand are also amusing. In five years of having a stand at the Business Design Centre my wife was unable to make a profit despite turning over 10 times per day the amount that she made in sales from her shop. Nor, chatting to other business owners, did anyone else make a profit other than the man who sold stale bread and cakes at inflated prices. And I think he was telling pork pies.

One trader once said that his dream was to win the lottery and to continue to do the shows until the money ran out.

At least that bits OK now. Car parks are tarmac and paths paved. If only there were bay or row numbers. And the car parks clearly numbered all around - although the ticket did give the correct one. But of course many will buy their ticket before they leave, rather than on arrival, if there's a queue.

It would only take half a day with a stranger to sort out the signposting round the NEC site. They were obviously specified by the architect on a bonus to save money. Bit like just having only one sign on the A1 out of London saying 'To Scotland'.

50 years ago it was almost that bad. Occasional signs all saying something like 'to the north' but however far north on the A1 you went they still carried on saying the same. Even at Edinburgh there wasn't a sign saying 'you have now arrived at the north'. ;-)

Of course not - Edinburgh's in the south!

"Hatfield and The North".

I'm still anoyed that when I got to Scotch Corner nobody was wearing a kilt or talking Scotchish.

The first time I drove to The North, I discovered that the first shop I went into having crossed the border was manned by someone with a broad Somerset accent.

Jim

The first time I went to the north was by accident. I fell asleep on a train. The same thing caused my first visit to Wales.

Only to about 5% of the population of GB.

And it is as far north as the A1 goes.

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember %steve%@malloc.co.uk (Steve Firth) saying something like:

Crap band.

If someone gang raping your arse whilst you was asleep on a train was the first time you went hard you need help