Outdoor show

[Lurch]

"Come to Trumptonshire"

Next year at That London will be pretty much all that by accounts.
There was more bushy stuff there than ever before I thought, though there were an awful lot of schools.
I wear 'outdoors stuff' all the time and had just come from Rough Close so I certainly wasn't going to dress like a townie for some crummy show thank you very much.

 

[rik_uk3]

I went on Friday, and was a little disappointed that the Orford stand was not yet open for business...

I think the last time I went to the NEC was for an outdoors show, may or may not have been THE outdoors show, but pistols were still legal, on show and for sale. There was 'have a go' field archery and clay shooting in the outdoors, on the way to the halls.

Maybe there's scope for a Bushcraft Show somewhere..... I don't necessarily mean in the same vein as Bushmoot etc, but a place to showcase the makers, traders and artisans that inhabit the world of Bushcraft.

As for the Outdoors Show, I suppose the term 'Outdoors' is somewhat vague and all encompassing, but I had really hoped to find some nuggets of wisdom and craft demos, such as knife making.

I've never been but it has a good rep

http://www.wildernessgathering.co.uk/

 

[Rychard]

just walked in from THAT show glad i got a comp ticket of windward would have been very upset to pay for it very poor

 

[Chinook220]

Really gutted paid full price for two tickets, Dragged the other half up there thinking there would be plenty to see and maybe even a few bits worth buying?

Is there a Bushcraft only show?

 

[K_FLEET]

Drove for 2 and a half hours. Paid 8 pound to park the car. 29 pound for me and my brother to get in. Was very dissapointed. I shall not be going again.

 

[echoes]

The outdoor show over the last couple of years has become a great disappointment, I took the day off work Friday hoping for a great day out only to feel cheated, and Ripped off, even the guys on some of the stalls had very little knowledge of their products, such as memory Maps.
I've given feedback on the shows website in the vein hope that they will at least attempt a better show next year, if not I will never go again.

 

[Ryecroft]

Just got back after getting free tickets from St Basils (our company do some charity work with them every year) which was nice. I would have been disappointed had I paid full price though.

Thought the climbers were awesome.

'Show Offers' are never as good as I think they will be, I would think that more discounts would be applied at the shows but I suppose greedy NEC charge huge amounts for the stands and it wouldnt pay to give too much away.

I rarely buy stuff there due to on-line shopping which I always find cheaper.

Nice day out but wont go too far to see the show again.

 

[Kerne]

Really gutted paid full price for two tickets, Dragged the other half up there thinking there would be plenty to see and maybe even a few bits worth buying?

Is there a Bushcraft only show?

There's the Widerness Gathering, although I've never been able to go due to having to go on holiday with SWMBO. Might manage a day there this year.

However, even as a "walker" I didn't feel the show offered much in the way of bargains or variety. I always go to the "Focus on Imaging" show in Feb (I get free tickets - so why not?) and I cannot imagine it without Nikon, Canon, Olympus, Epson etc - the BIG names in photography. Yet, the Outdoors show (which must have an equally big market) cannot attract TNF, Berghaus, Rab, etc.

Any ideas why not?

 

[alecf]

I went today, and I'll admit that its nothing like it used to be, but it was still a good day out. Picked up a couple of krabs from the DMM stand for a fiver, a firesteel from springfields for £4, and a coolmax buff for £10 after asking the man if the £14 he quoted me was better than the normal price.

The fire-by-friction guy was good too, one of my friends I was with joined in for one demonstration.

 

[kawasemi]

I went Friday - took my students along (research for an exam module on using rural landscapes so the 'Trumptonshire' groups were useful). Disappointed with the bushcraft area. It didn't seem as lively as last year - really missed the GB stand. Did pick up a couple of bargains - axes and a snowsled jacket for a VERY good price from the 'bushcraft bargains' stall. I would go again with my students as for them it is a very useful fact finding mission...but definitely NOT if I have to drive them down to London, Yorkshire to B'ham is bad enough in a minibus limited to 64!! Next year they can use the links on the webpage and do 'virtual' visit from the IT suite. London kills it for me - I won't be going again.

Very, VERY disappointed to find stalls closed - If you travel down and have paid your dues it should all be open - I was looking forward to seeing Ben Orford's stall and of course on Friday...didn't. Not many bargains either - 'special show price' for quite a few companies seems to mean 'round UP the normal price to the nearest tenner'.

 

[Lurch]

Very, VERY disappointed to find stalls closed - If you travel down and have paid your dues it should all be open

Umm.
The guys on the stalls don't get money from the ticket price, they pay dollar to have the stall.

 

[kawasemi]

Umm.
The guys on the stalls don't get money from the ticket price, they pay dollar to have the stall.

...which seems all the more odd not to be open. It is nationally advertised that they will be there. They pay for the stall, visitors come in good faith based on the advertisements to (potentially) purchase from someone who is (possibly) making a living from their goods...and they are closed/absent.

Perhaps a bit more communication between organisers and stallholders would be appropriate. I had never been on a week day before so I rang the show info line a day or so before to ask if every advertised stall would be open or should I wait until Saturday. I was assured everything was open...hence my disappointment.

...and there may well be genuine, unforeseen reasons that anyone would not wish on anyone else or can sympathise with, but that doesn't necessarily alter the (naturally human) feeling of disappointment after being prepared for an event - as some of the posts on this thread are evidence to.

(....I must add though - Check out 'MountainJunky'. I got one of their beanies - olive, cotton and BAMBOO. Really comfortable to wear and I got a genuine 'show discount' of 20%. It's been on my head since, Sooooooooo comfortable)

 

[sandbag47]

I took the family on sunday we already had the tickets so it was a planned family day out. To put it in short there wasn't as much as last year as already well stated !!!!!
Only problem was evey time i saw something shiny the bank manager (Aka the wife)said NO! Even when it was seriously marked down.And when i did talk her round the stuff i wanted and went to buy it they didn't have any left ....I'm not taking her next time!!!!!!
On the good side my kids made the most of it doing the girl guides stuff and over things orgernised for the kids i did to meet some of the boys who turned up from the meet up at Rough close and i got to meet Dave from Ronnie sunshines. Always good to put a name with a face,always good for group buys.

 

[Fizzlebang]

I got free tickets to go and had to go to brum that weekend so wasn't an effort to go. i am glad I got there early on saturday as it got very busy. I bought a few things ( swmbo even let me get a nice shiny axe ) and left around 2. I'd say ot was ok due to the fact I had free tickets but would have been cheesed off to pay for it.

 

[olliethedog]

What a bloody waste of time and cash that was !!!

Realy disapointed with it first and last time I attend that show

If thats the best we have to offer here in the UK god help us there was more bushcraft stuff at the british shooting show in newark the month before didnt see anything worth buying apart from some nice chillie sauce and a game pie could of got that at tescos

ollie