Lower Section Finals - New Venue
- Thread starter YRBBC
- Start date
ilovespheres
Member
Looks good and better than Harrogate, and hopefully nicer to play in, but I wouldn't like to qualify in Scotland and have to travel so far! I think we should have some sort of a cycle each year moving around from different areas. So, for example it's only fair that one year the event is held in the Scottish area, in cities such as Aberdeen, Glasgow and Edinburgh and maybe the following year in Wales, Cardiff, Swansea, Wrexham or Llandudno and then the year after in the North West, Manchester, Liverpool so that's every area of the so called 'Great Britain' could be responsible to host this 'National' contest. The same could go to the Championship section and other contest such as the British Open. The Nationals and the British Open is held within England, so some sort of cycle would be fairer to those living in different areas of ‘Great Britain’.
StellaJohnson
Active Member
Its a horrible journey for the Scots where ever it is, unless of course its in Scotland!! There are only a few bands it would benefit if one year in was held in Scotland and it isn't a big area. I think there would be more withdrawals from bands who cannot afford the trip up to scotland. I seem to remember that was the case when it was in Dundee a few years ago.
I feel you have please the majority and Harrogate was a good location for midland, yorkshire, north west bands and north of england bands. Unfortunately you cannot please everyone, but I feel the majority should pervail.
I feel you have please the majority and Harrogate was a good location for midland, yorkshire, north west bands and north of england bands. Unfortunately you cannot please everyone, but I feel the majority should pervail.
Owen S
Member
They did cycle around different places for a while after the lower section finals left London. When we qualified for the second section finals in 1999, it was in Nottingham. There were a lot of complaints the year it was in Torquay and finished incrediblely late on the Sunday. It didn't make sense to hold it there, and it certainly wouldn't make sense to hold it in Aberdeen.
MoominDave
Well-Known Member
I think there's a pleasing sense of fairness to the idea of each region hosting the finals in rotation, but both Dundee and Torquay (to pick two venues that have hosted the lower section finals in recent years) were slightly overambitious ideas that involved too much travelling for some. Better to aim to make no band ever travel further than a certain distance, I think - say 500 miles each way. That would make Newcastle or Dumfries about as far North as would fit and Bristol or London about as far South. Plenty of scope in an area that size, and you could might just about be able to find venues in both the Scottish and West of England areas that fitted into it.
As far as I see it, Cheltenham is better for South West, Wales, L&SC and Midlands bands, NW bands it's relatively neutral, Scotland it's a long way wherever it is, and Yorkshire and North bands lose out.
Can't please everyone, but this does seem to please more overall to me.
YRBBC
Member
Not that I am aware of but remember you only qualify for an invitation to the finals. If you didn't attend, without a good reason, you may not get invited on any future occasion.
I would assume in normal circumstances if a band is unable to attend then the next band down in their section would be invited but I may be wrong.
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davethehorny
Member
I believe that is correct that the next place band may be offered an invitation if a qualifying band turns down their invitation. Can't remember it happening though.
Google Maps has obviously never driven that stretch of road......the M6 is awful from J34 (Lancaster) southwards to Brum and the M6/M5 junction is an absolute nightmare at the best of times. Add to that people who have no conception of "stopping distance" which leads to many accidents (the whole of Cheshire and Staffordshire on the M6, for example), and no idea of how to join or leave a motorway (leads to slowdowns/stopping when there's no reason, near to junctions).
I'd rather drive the A59 any day of the week.
Hopefully there's a lot more to do for people with kids in the surrounding area......not all of us can stop in the pub all day!
MoominDave
Well-Known Member
Ahem... Could I just point out that you're talking to someone in Oxford whose girlfriend lives in Edinburgh... Your description of the M6 sounds a bit off-kilter to me.
I promise you that the M5/M6 junction, while a nightmare at peak and near-peak times, is absolutely fine late on a Sunday evening. I've been there then a number of times. Have you?
I promise you that the M5/M6 junction, while a nightmare at peak and near-peak times, is absolutely fine late on a Sunday evening. I've been there then a number of times. Have you?
floppymute
Member
Not off-kilter at all.
As someone who worked as a freelance courier based in the NW for a few years I think I can speak with more authority than most about the M6....it's the worst motorway in the UK (and statistically the 2nd busiest after the A4 in the Netherlands).
The M6/M5 junction is unpredictable at best. I've been stuck there at 4.30 in the morning before now.
And as for whether the Cheshire /Staffordshire stretch is dangerous..just try counting the central reservation barrier repairs next time you drive along it. They're easy to spot as the unrusted new bits. You'll quickly lose count/track of them there's so many!
Yes - but usually at holiday times and (unfortunately) rush-hours.....I'm sure it's fine late on a Sunday!
Owen S
Member
One of the L&SC bands definitely withdrew a couple of years ago and was replaced, I think in the first section. I can't remember more details than that though.
... apparently there's a Fun Fair on at the Racecourse the same weekend if that counts!
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MoominDave
Well-Known Member
Well fair enough, then. Thank you for rescuing me from being a bit self-righteous. It's certainly a blessed relief to leave the "North" behind to see open road stretching for 200 miles ahead...
But should the prospect of travelling that segment of the motorway late on a Sunday
night on one occasion really be discouraging to bands from the NW? Seems a bit bizarre to me, I must admit.
Laserbeam bass
Active Member
As it will now be at Cheltenham, why don't we get Kapitol to swap the areas and finals, so that those of us who qualify and are interested can go to the Cheltenham Festival from the Tuesday to the Friday, and then have the National finals on the normal last week of the area.
Obviuosly I would be in a minority, but at least it would get me out of the last week of rehearsals, where we to be fortunate enough to qualify again :biggrin:
Obviuosly I would be in a minority, but at least it would get me out of the last week of rehearsals, where we to be fortunate enough to qualify again :biggrin:
Paddy Flower
Active Member
It would be a very appropriate venue for Paddy to arrive in full splendour and start taking real be£s... :biggrin:
I'll give Kapitol a call :wink: