LRUK Forum at the Newark Show
I’m sure there are more than a few on our forum, who didn’t really think it was going to work. There
might even be a few who, for whatever reason, didn’t want it to work. To be sure, the success of an
LRUK Forum stand at the Land Rover Monthly show in Newark, is much like the oft quoted dog standing
on two legs. The surprise is not so much it was done well, but that it was done at all.
First of all there was the issue of; do we try and have ‘a presence’ at the Land Rover show – traditionally
at Billing? This was soon overtaken by the question of which show should we support, if there were to
be a presence? The second question was more or less decided, democratically by forum poll, before
the first had been answered. There was still doubt, even after a more or less overwhelming decision to
support the Newark presentation. However the wheels ground slow they did, eventually, grind exceed-
ing small and a stand appeared at what may well have been the largest Land Rover show of the year.
Of course it didn’t simply appear on the day, fully equipped and with a staff of experienced ‘networkers’.
It had to grow, from ideas batted back and forth on the green screen and volunteers offering this and
that and what they could, which all added to the sum total of forum effort. It did appear, with a lot of
representative displays, tea and coffee for a nominal cost and a team of slightly bewildered, but enthu-
siastic forumeers to meet and greet.
The weather has been an issue at the Land Rover show
for a few years now. In 2007 it was notable for torrential
rain and glutinous mud, while 2008 is remembered for
the biting cold on Saturday evening. 2009 was no dif-
ferent. Thursday and Friday were universally pants, with
very heavy rain and no small amount of wind. Many if
not most of the forumeers attending had thus to put up
tents in the rain, or even the dark. As usual, the Manx
contingent; Weedy and P00dle at al, along with ACH and
family, had arrived at the beginning of the week and
spent much time helping later arrivals to pitch and park.
Originally allocated 20 metres of stand ‘frontage’, Landysteve1975 negotiated more or less double that
and then the area occupied by LRUK forum members, like Topsy just grew, until it was almost double
that. There was LandySteve1975, LandyV8 and Landytom, Weedy, P00dle, ACH, Discosarah, Wyvern,
Dave-H, Mazzyjane, Conkers and me, all awaiting the late arrival of exiled Scotsman Saltireblue from
Norway. A somewhat restrained numbers of beers were being consumed in the posh bar/ballroom, a
place not normally filled with bearded men in boots and Rogue hats, when news of Malcom’s arrival
was received. It being well past 10:00, the gates were closed and the heavy gentlemen in Hi-Vis jackets
were impervious to Norwegian Scotsmen pleading Ryanair. This necessitated a rescue party to get
him over the wire. Who and how and where was not made clear. Malcom, conkers, Dave-H and myself
were made welcome in chez Landytom, which included excellent chilli con carne al la Lianne – Mrs
Landytom.
Saturday was definitely brighter and so the Mess Tent belonging to my Scout Troop was erected, making
a more secure and wind proof ‘stand’ on which to display our somewhat esoteric wares. And then they
came. Suddenly forum members were meeting forum members from all over the place. Mrs & Mrs
Sniff My Diff – Mark and Jo - arrived to more or less take up residence, with the added interest of choco-
late cake and chocolate brownies provided by Jo.
Dave and Lindsay Rumbold – Dave78 and MrsDave ‘just popped in’ and spent the very largest part of
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