Is someone a lesser enthusiast because they are not a time-served mechanic? I'm pretty hopeless with a spanner (and generally spend more cash sorting out my messes than I would just going to a garage), but I don't feel any less of a Land Rover enthusiast for it. I'm fortunate to be able to afford (albeit only just) to have someone else do the mechanicals for me.
I guess everyone gets something different out of their passion - for me I enjoy owning and driving, for others it's more about the project itself. I doubt very many people went through more grief than I did to get to Billing (finally arriving 16 hours after I set off on a 2 hour drive because I refused to accept the bleeding obvious - the 101 wasn't up to it).
A 'proper' enthusiast might have been able to fix it, probably at the roadside on route - I couldn't, but that could just be because I'm a database engineer. Incidentally, I'm quite good at databases, but they don't interest me very much.
I generally come away from shows feeling enthused and with a new impetus to enjoy my Land Rovers. Actually, the biggest relief recently has been finding a top class guy to do my mechanical work, 'cos I don't have the time or skills. As a result 2 of my 3 Land Rovers are now road-worthy, and the third will be sorted just as soon as funds allow. I think the shows have a good balance of the high-cost show cars and the really honest project vehicles with great innovation. I took away some cracking ideas from Billing - most of all the 101 on the RPI stand with the fantastic rear door / dining table / spare wheel carrier / rear step arrangement.
OTOH, Billing is just too big to be a real 'community' event. The camping is way too cramped and I found Saturday just too busy to be really fun. Friday and Sunday were much better. Eastnor Castle and Peterborough seem a bit less commercial to my eye.
Tim Hobbs
'58 Series 2 '77 101FC Ambulance '95 Discovery V8i
formatting link