Gathering 2018 Update

[IanH]

One week to go and the weather forecast is looking excellent for the day, some further details:

Check the events page for your area for details of any organised run to Braemar, if you’re heading there independently aim to arrive around midday or after.

The Club Events Coordinator spoke with the Braemar show ground team in the last couple of days and everything is good to go. They are happy after the recent run of good weather with the state of the grass and ground and for us to go ahead.

We will be able to bring some cars down on to the main arena, but some care will be needed and there is some building work going on for a new pavilion, but this should not impinge on our day.

The Glenshee catering team are primed also, a call has been made to the Braemar butcher who will be preparing some venison for us this week.

Some of what is in place -

- There will be Moss UK MX-5 vouchers to give away as prizes and will hopefully also have some MX5parts goodies and vouchers coming too also to give away as prizes to Club Members participating in any organised events..

- The Club shop and tent will be present with a range of Club Regalia for members.

- There will be some free gifts for Club Members arranged, come along with your membership card to the desk.

- There will also be a new Membership deal for owners to sign up on the day with a show discounts and a welcome gift.

[Scotty Dugg]

I don't think I've ever had a membership card

Really looking forward to this, especially if the weather plays ball.

I'll be at the Grampian meeting point early doors.

Shame you can't make it Iain, really need to have a look at your ND sometime

[Scotty Dugg]

Great day for a run and the event, really lucky with the weather. I had to leave early so missed the results from the judging but here's some of the photos I took on my phone and my camera:
MX5 NA 05/18 by Scott Reid, on Flickr
MX5 OC Gathering 05/18 by Scott Reid, on Flickr
MX5 OC Gathering 05/18 by Scott Reid, on Flickr
MX5 OC Gathering 05/18 by Scott Reid, on Flickr
MX5 OC Gathering 05/18 by Scott Reid, on Flickr
MX5 OC Gathering 05/18 by Scott Reid, on Flickr
MX5 OC Gathering 05/18 by Scott Reid, on Flickr
MX5 OC Gathering 05/18 by Scott Reid, on Flickr
MX5 OC Gathering 05/18 by Scott Reid, on Flickr
MX5 OC Gathering 05/18 by Scott Reid, on Flickr

Thanks for organising everyone involved

[IanH]

Good pics, thanks for sharing.

[Enjay]

Indeed, good pics, thanks.

It was a good day. Shame the turnout was lower than hoped for but I reckon there was still around 55/56 cars so not bad.

If you left early, you missed the little bit of rain that started just as the judging results were being sorted out. I left immediately after the results and the rain hadn't got too heavy in Braemar but I got caught in a massive downpour in the hills on the way home.

[Scotty Dugg]

Yes must have timed it well, we caught the tail end of a light shower but that was it.

I think there were quite a few other car events that weekend, still a good day out though. Really enjoyed the convoy to the event, sadly no pictures of that.

[IanH]

Indeed, good pics, thanks.

It was a good day. Shame the turnout was lower than hoped for but I reckon there was still around 55/56 cars so not bad.

If you left early, you missed the little bit of rain that started just as the judging results were being sorted out. I left immediately after the results and the rain hadn't got too heavy in Braemar but I got caught in a massive downpour in the hills on the way home.

And there’s the thing, 55 is around 22% of the combined Scottish membership even allowing for the fact that hopefully there were a number of non members there on the day. For Grampian it was a 31% turnout assuming all were members which again I believe not, however currently enjoying the Spanish climate I don’t have accurate numbers. Generally those percentages would be considered a success for most regular events, though in 2016 we did have around double that (numerically) for the whole of Scotland, the Grampian percentage is about the same as then.

If we are going to make this a regular feature of the Scottish calendar which with Club Central support I think is something we should be jumping at the opportunity of supporting then we have to look at how to best engage with people beforehand to encourage them to turn out. All feedback gratefully received.

[Enjay]

Thanks for the statistics. Put like that, (very roughly) somewhere between 1 in 5 to 1 in 3 members turning up is actually fairly decent; especially as, for some, the outing does involve quite a commitment and the weather forecast was a bit mixed too.

For info, I guess I was one of the non-members who turned up. I've been meaning to re-join ever since I got my ND but kept forgetting to do so. I sorted that out in Braemar though.

[liathach Malcolm Lamont]

And while a member, I parked my SLC round the corner!