National Finals Venue . . . .

[Straightmute]

Well isn't that just typical.

They announce that in future the Lower Section Finals are going to be held in Harrogate, at a Hall on the road where I live - ten days after we are promoted to the Championship Section.

After all the hassle and expense of going to Torquay, next year I could walk to the Finals in a couple of minutes...

D

 

[Thegroupies]

From a spectators point of view i trust if the burning of midnight oil is to take place again at the finals, that the venue , wherever it may be!! will be prepared for that. I have yet to go to a competition that does not over-run!!!

After dusk on the Sunday at Torquay there was nowhere to buy anything to drink other than at the bar, and no food left at all.

As our band ended up inthe lower end of the drawer, matchsticks and prozac was required. I had taken my youngest daughter with me to what i had hoped would have been an enjoyable day out, for her to listen to the best of the best. By 11pm no one was at their best, least of all the adjudicators.

 

[WhatSharp?]

Well isn't that just typical.

They announce that in future the Lower Section Finals are going to be held in Harrogate, at a Hall on the road where I live - ten days after we are promoted to the Championship Section.

After all the hassle and expense of going to Torquay, next year I could walk to the Finals in a couple of minutes...

D

Then you'll have no excuse not to come and listen and support the lower sections :wink:

 

[Roger Thorne]

Straightmute wrote:

After all the hassle and expense of going to Torquay, next year I could walk to the Finals in a couple of minutes...

WhatSharp? wrote:

Then you'll have no excuse not to come and listen and support the lower sections

I've Just wrote:

and when the Contest has run 4 hours over time and the Restaurant is shut we can all walk back to your house to get something to eat!

 

[WhatSharp?]

So get on down to Tescos the day before. hmm lets think 18 bands, circa 30 players per band circa 6 cans each = 3240 various cans of alchoholic beverages (oh and a bottle of coke for the drivers), and a couple of thousand packets of crisps.... per night of course!

Can we get a brewery to sponser the nationals!

 

[Straightmute]

Whatsharp? wrote:

Can we get a brewery to sponser the nationals!

Well we got a local brewery to sponsor our last concert...

and Roger wrote:

and when the Contest has run 4 hours over time and the Restaurant is shut we can all walk back to your house to get something to eat!

Great idea! Party time...

Now must dash - I'm working on my 'Bandsmans Guide to Harrogate Pubs'

D

 

[Lannerman]

Nationals venue

Surely, the hardest thing for bands to raise these days is money.

So, wouldn't it be fairer to book an appropriate venue in each area and rotate clockwise around the country. All bands would then be able to budget and fund raise appropriately years in advance.

 

[Straightmute]

Re: Nationals venue

Surely, the hardest thing for bands to raise these days is money.

So, wouldn't it be fairer to book an appropriate venue in each area and rotate clockwise around the country. All bands would then be able to budget and fund raise appropriately years in advance.

Nice idea except that bands only qualify in March, leaving just the late Spring and Summer to raise the money before the Finals in September.

D

 

[satchmo shaz]

Its very hard work too! we raised about £5000 to get to Torquay because we needed new instruments as well!! we applied for lots of little grants, had raffles, lots of concerts and fundraising events! phew!!

 

[picju96]

It costs us £6000 each time we go away - twice a year. Thats a lot of work!

 

[McEuphie]

Finals venue decided!

And the winner is:

For 2004 and beyond it's Harrogate!

If I remeber correctly Harrogate was chosen a few years ago - any comments!

 

[Baldeagle]

Dudee

Has anyone got a Jockineese phrase book :roll:

 

[satchmo shaz]

well at least its fairly central...... still a long way for the cornish bands, or channel islands etc

 

[Brian]

well at least its fairly central...... still a long way for the cornish bands, or channel islands etc

I remember taking Shirebrook to the Finals in Harrogate, only problem we had was the town was shut..absolutely nothing open

 

[satchmo shaz]

bands will have to find their own entertainment . I'm sure shirebrook did....... I remember some of those songs!..........brass banding, across the universe

 

[Brian]

bands will have to find their own entertainment . I'm sure shirebrook did....... I remember some of those songs!..........brass banding, across the universe

I can remember some of the songs too...but not all, of all of them..Heard some new ones over here tho...the one doing the rounds at the moment is " If you're happy and you know it, Bomb Iraq"...got the words sent to me last week...Terrible really...mate of mine teaches in Kuwait, he's now on holiday in Thailand..rings his Head each week to see if the school is open yet..Still we had a good night out last night..

 

[frisp]

Although not the most westerly by location, there are 8 bands in the Isle of Man (population approx 80,000), two of which regularly make the journey to Blackpool to compete in the Areas.

Although it would be nice to pick our venue, we can't have that!!

I'm not heavily into whining about locations for contests because every comp is a big trip for us. Jersey bands (hi picju) have it worse I would imagine.

I think I'm trying to say that wherever the powers that be tell us we're playing, we will. Dundee's horrible to get to for us but we want to be there and we will be.

So for those of you that are whinging cos the bus is coming early or you have to spend a night in a hotel, give a little thought to the people in 'strange' places who add two days to every trip.

Having said that we always have a great time going to contests

 

[picju96]

Well said frisp! Totally agree, I certainly look forward to going away for a long weekend twice a year, although it is a lot of work fundraising etc. Some places are easier to get to than others though, e.g. Dundee would take 2 flights each there and back, therefore costing about £400 per person. Add accomodation for 2/3 nights and coach and it all builds up. Thats a lot of fundraising! The band in Guernsey doesn't compete now coz of the costs I think, so we're the only Channel Island band to do it. I think its good though coz it improves the standard of playing an awful lot and the social side is the best.

Julia