Eastern & Western days

[Popsjag]

Below is part of an email forwarded to all Forum Co-Ordinators:

Our Eastern (Ickworth House, Bury St. Edmunds) and Western (Bodelwyddan Castle) days will be with us in no time so it’s also time to start planning our Forum displays for these events. For several years, we have displayed a collection of cars representing the Forums so it’s probably time we thought of something a little different which is why the Club needs our help this early in the year.



Let me start with some brilliant news. At Eastern day, one significant change from normal is that we will be able to park some cars by model. Hurray, I hear you shout! At last! This welcome change does come with a serious set of provisos and responsibilities. We will only be able to manage this feat of parking if Forums will be prepared to marshal their own Forum section of the parking. This is important because although Icknield House (Eastern day) has adequate grounds, they are not enormous and certainly couldn’t cope with chaotic parking arrangements. I would like to think we could make a success of this often requested feature and then continue with it at Western Day.



To facilitate parking by Forum, Forum members will have to buy their tickets in advance and advise which model they will bring so their windscreen stickers can be marked accordingly by Bristol HQ staff. That way, when the ground plan is laid down, we will know the size of car park to allocate to each Forum and the appropriate space will be marked out on the day. Since not all volunteer marshals are expert at model identification, the marked stickers will also help identify the correct parking locations on the day. Turning up on the day and asking to park in the Forum area will not be possible without pushing out a pre-booked member and therefore will not be practical.



As you will appreciate, parking by Forum will render the usual Forum display pretty much superfluous. Instead, it’s proposed that we should have an emphasis on technical matters in our separate Forum area. That emphasis could well involve basing technical experts alongside Forum Coordinators. There might also be specific Q & A sessions run during the day by the technical experts. Supporting that theme, it would be great if we could have two or three examples of different Forum cars on display alongside the Coordinators/ technical experts. These cars could be used to show typical problem areas by fixing bright yellow arrows (non damaging) on them to highlight typical rust areas or mechanical weaknesses (NB dark coloured cars would work best for these display cars). We need early volunteers to provide these cars to allow time to decide on and prepare accompanying banners listing the fault areas. Perhaps, you know someone with a part restored car willing to bring it along which would better illustrate issues you know should be highlighted? If so, gaining their commitment early on would be a great help towards making this year’s events a little different and dare I say it, even more interesting for members and non-members alike.

I don't mind committing myself to being at both events, but would like think that you, my fellow enthusiasts, will also like to participate and possibly show your pride and joy off to everyone else.

Eastern Day is on Sunday, May 17th 2015 and Western Day is on Sunday September 27th 2015.

I have no excuse to miss the Western day - it's only 20 odd miles from my doorstep!!

[Brakebuster]

i too will be at the Western day , and am about to book my room ( i hope )

and with luck will be bringing the XJS along , and if room , would like to put it on the forum stand

i don't mind standing by the car and in around the forum stand for Q&A's for most of the day.......


maybe the ' forum members ' displaying cars or assisting could wear an appropriate ' ask me about the XJS ' badge ? or such like ??

this could go for all the forums ?



BB

[ptjs1]

Good news about "Model Parking"!

Not wishing to contradict Mike, but just to avoid confusion for any of you XJ40 / X300 owners, there are no "Forum Members" in the club. We are all just members of the JEC.

So, don't start worry yourself by asking if you are a "Forum Member" of the XJ40/X300 Forum. Just apply for your ticket and state which model you're bringing.

Paul

[thejpster]

How do I book for this event? The PDF flyer says I can book online, but I can't see anything on the home page?

Anyway, put me down for the Eastern Day. I don't mind yellow arrows pointing at all the rusty bits either...

[naki]

i should be attending the Eastern day.
hopefully see you all there.

[Popsjag]

If any members of the JEC would like to display their cars in an X300 Forum area on Eastern Day, please don't forget to book your ticket (form inside the latest magazine) - and let me know, so I can request an area that will be big (or small) enough for us all!

Thank you

[ptjs1]

Steve,

As you will have seen, the booking form in this months magazine doesnt clearly indicate this option for model-specific parking and how members need to request this. This is very disappointing after all the lobbying that has gone on to try and persuade the club to offer it.

Paul

[raysearles]

All

It does indeed on the face of it look like we have shot ourselves in the foot and not altered the standard booking form in accordance with this initiative by the Forum co-ordinators.

I have raised it with Graham and James at "Thrush" Control, and we will post an answer once I have one.

Apologies for any confusion, we are still learning this stuff even after 30 years.....

[ptjs1]

Ray,

Tks for the reply, the candidness is much appreciated. Perhaps the club could:

- Publicise the opportunity now through the "Club Comment" and each model section of the BB
- Really raise the profile of this opportunity in next months magazine
- Contact anyone who applies with this months form, to ask them if they then wish to take the opportunity to park in the model groups and update their booking details

As with any new initiative, I'm sure it could take some years to really take off, so some teething issues are only to be expected.

Cheers

Paul

[raysearles]

Paul

I have already seen this "initiative" promoted through many of these online Forums, the problem is those that are inactive.

Promoting it in the magazine is going to be helpful but bear in mind we are already past the deadline for submission for April, so it will go in May's only. Contacting people who have applied is not practical IMHO. The office is still struggling to get the website and pages back up to where they need to be following the recent problems and upgrades that were forced on the club. As such there is little scope in terms of resources to be able to chase people to find out whether we need to issue them with tickets.

It would be better to publish on the web and the magazine that if they do want Forum tickets they should contact HQ themselves.

In terms of years to take off, I hope not - we should get it bedded in by Western Day its a re-design of the form thats needed and I will oversee that and ensure we have it right by then.

Cheers

[robgx300xjr]

I plan to bring P500 along to Eastern Day, still negotiating Western day with HQ! At villa park on the 26th watching South Africa v Samoa, then western day, on HQ's birthday weekend. Steve will keep you posted. Cheers

[TOJI]

Hi I will be going to Eastern day ive just booked it, now I have to decide which car to take the xj40 or the xj8 decisions,decisions.

[thejpster]

I'm really confused about this event. I'm booked in but I hear there are model forum stands, and region stands, and general parking. Is there any room left on the X300 forum stand?

[Popsjag]

There will be an X300 area, but it will be on a 'first come' basis due to space restrictions in each allocated area.
I surmise (my own opinion) that some people want to go on the model forum areas whilst others will want to go on their regional areas.

Obviously Eastern Day is the 'guinea pig' for trying out the model forum areas and I'm sure that the event organisers are doing their level best to please everyone.

Steve.

[Popsjag]

Just a little update for everyone going to Eastern Day.

When you arrive and get directed down the last 'bit of road', there is a purple National Trust gazebo with an opening in the fence to the left of it. If you proceed through this opening, the X300 Forum is sharing an area with the XJ40's and X308's. We are the fifth area on the left.

I have put up a gazebo with a banner on it stating X300 Forum to make the area more noticeable (I was not aware, when I had the banner done, that we were sharing an area, so apologises to the XJ40's & X308's!).

If you wish to chill under the gazebo, please bring your own chairs/tables.

Hopefully it will be a another great JEC day!

Steve.