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CougarFest 2011 details/attendance list

Relliott6879 said:
Perhaps if the costing figures were published, together with a "Guys, we need 'x' amount of people coming to make this viable or unfortunately it can't go ahead" post might be The Way Forward for next year?
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The actual figures weren't released but the cars needed was, after last years fest, there was talk of it being the last, there was some passion shown by attendees, myself included, it was decided that we'll give it a go for this year. I suggested that maybe we should all pay a deposit or the full amount long in advance of the show to facillitate the planning of the show, there was some agreement regarding this but nothing ever happened.
There has never been what I would call a 'good attendance' in terms of numbers for any of my 6 prior fests, so generally, apathy has been the norm, to see the numbers dwindle to this level can only mean the death of cougarfest as we know it, that will be a shame.
In terms of cost, we are not awash with money but make the effort to help make the weekend what it always is, and it is exactly what you want it to be based on how much effort you put into enjoying yourself. For us with two cougars, food, drink and associated sundries and the cake that I have made, we are looking at around £400.00, think that if things continue as they are and cougarfest is on next year, we may have to consider only bringing one, but then we may have to sell one too, but for now, we're bringing both and going to have a good time as usual.
 
Last years fest was the first one I`d missed since the first one in 2005, The job I was working at was constant nightshift and I couldn`t get the time off, I won`t be at this years as my back and hip won`t stand up to the rigours of camping, Had there been a Travelodge or similar close by, as there is at Billing I would have been there, nearest accomodation is a few miles away and I won`t drive with even 1 drink in me.. and as we all know you can`t go to fest and not have a drink.
It is a slog getting people to attend, if money is putting people off then perhaps not hiring a marquee and fridge and bbq may help, I`m sure there are gazebos or 3 amongst members that could be stood together as a communal point, we didn`t have bbq`s at Le Mans over 5 days, so people could make their own adaptation there, and fridges.. cool boxes, its only a couple of days.
The usual chestnut is .. its too far for me, so no chance of Matts idea of Germany, and up north is as far away as down south, Northampton was chosen as its the middle of the country, Jamie came down from Aberdeen ... is that too far .. so makes some people look pathetic with that excuse.
Perhaps after fest we could start something like a christmas club, instead a fest club, members pay in a fiver each month and save up for fest, £60 would pay for the camping and sundries and a few beer tokens... or a tenner each month and lots of beer tokens.. or petrol tokens, if you miss a tenner a month you are driving the wrong car .. try a gee wizz.
 
phil robbo said:
Perhaps after fest we could start something like a christmas club, instead a fest club, members pay in a fiver each month and save up for fest, £60 would pay for the camping and sundries and a few beer tokens... or a tenner each month and lots of beer tokens.. or petrol tokens, if you miss a tenner a month you are driving the wrong car .. try a gee wizz.
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That's a damn good idea (y) :beer:
 
Let's get something straight right now as I am getting pretty pissed off.

Dates were 99% certain by February then confirmed two months ish ago and when people asked how sure I was of which weekend I stated the one that it is now going ahead on so notice was way longer than last years.

Money, yes it's a few quid but as Phil states if it's that tight driving a V6 isn't the smartest thing you could be doing.

Distance, over the years I have been from Yeovil to harewood to that one in Leeds on a car park, if I am free I will make it and I am gutted to have had to pull out of supercar Sunday which is a close one for me.

Juggling time, do I even want to go here?, I work six days a week a minimum of 6am to 5pm two evenings in the last two weeks my day has been 6am to just before midnight in addition to that I do audio jobs and see my daughter every week which involves me travelling from Birmingham to Manchester.

Now lots of people have a opinion but being brutally honest unless you had your name down or an intention of coming I don't much care for your opinion, if you don't have an intention of coming there is no need for you to involve yourself in the discussion every year people have a discussion on what would increase numbers blah blah blah but it is also the same core group who turn up with a few more adding to that core one year but not turning up the next for what ever reason if it's not someone's thing that's fine.

If anyone thinks I'm being an arse I'm fine with that.

JJ
 
ADVANCE WARNING!!

A Force Read is going to be put in place over the next 24 hours to give fest one last chance! It will detail the following :

If you are attending fest and as yet have not paid, the deadline is now THIS Friday, the 24th June at midnight. Any payments not processed by then will see you off the list. The exception to this will be IF you are unable to make this deadline but are 100% on attending, YOU MUST pm myself or Jason directly stating a definite date that you are able to complete your payment along with your name and passenger details. This is to allow for pay day at the end of this month for those that absolutely need it!

This is OFFICIALLY the last call for fest. Jason and I will be in talks on Saturday to see what we can manage aside from the marquee IF anything.

You have been warned people, so I don't want to see a single complaint about the force read not applying to you etc, it's for reasons like this that we have the facility. If you still feel the need to complain, please pm ME directly (y)


Thanks for reading,

Kully​
 
JJ said:
Juggling time, do I even want to go here?, I work six days a week a minimum of 6am to 5pm two evenings in the last two weeks my day has been 6am to just before midnight in addition to that I do audio jobs and see my daughter every week which involves me travelling from Birmingham to Manchester.

Now lots of people have a opinion but being brutally honest unless you had your name down or an intention of coming I don't much care for your opinion, if you don't have an intention of coming there is no need for you to involve yourself in the discussion every year people have a discussion on what would increase numbers blah blah blah but it is also the same core group who turn up with a few more adding to that core one year but not turning up the next for what ever reason if it's not someone's thing that's fine.

If anyone thinks I'm being an arse I'm fine with that.

JJ
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How to make friends and influence people 101. Have you ever considered that maybe, just maybe, it's not actually a case of juggling time to get to Cougarfest no matter what? Nobody who joined this Ford Cougar Owners' Club signed a declaration that they would attend Cougarfest on pain of death, forgoing all other commitments and interests.

Some of us are working and no amount of prior notice would change that, sometimes if your boss says you're working a certain day and it's non negotiable then, well, that's that.

Some of us have family commitments like holidays, birthdays or even child access. As much as we in the club like/love Ford Cougars, not all of our families share that view or see it as a priority. Yes, some of us have partners who like to attend Cougar events (Ria B springs readily to mind), some us have partners who attend the odd meet because they recognise their other half's hobby and support them in that (I'd class Joanne in this category, along with Vonny Pid) but I'm sure there are plenty of us with families and friends who see UKC as an irrelevance and won't just move other things around it's meets. Are we then to choose whether our loyalties lie with our families or our cars?

As for opinions not being valid unless you're coming, well isn't that constructive? As I've already said, I'd like to come but this year I can't. Simple as. If threads are published, openly berating people for a lack of commitment because they're not going to Cougarfest, how is it fair not to allow those people a right to reply, explaining why they're not going? It's hardly going to encourage first time attendees is it?

I know I've gone off on one here, but you've really wound me up. I like being a member of this club and all that goes with it, but I really don't appreciate being slated as part of a collective because I dared not to go a particular meet and then told that my opinion as a paying member of a forum is irrelevant and unwelcome.
 
I wouldn`t think for one minute that Jason intended to insinuate that people should put the club, forum, meets, shows or anything else before family, I have been events co-ordinator and believe me it does get very frustrating when you are trying to organise something that is available to everyone and it is greeted with a certain amount of apathy, nobody twists anyones arm to attend anything but whats the worst thing that can happen ... you might enjoy yourself, sometimes putting yourself out a little bit makes for a good time.
 
I think the main thing that's pissed Jason off (and me) is that so many people put their names down to attend but only half that number actually pay up.
If you're not serious about coming then don't put your name down.
It gives Jason and Kully a false impression of the numbers they have to arrange facilities for.
They do a brilliant job organising this every year but I'm sure they could do without the headache caused by non payers.

Maybe we should begin next years arrangements with a non-refundable deposit?
If you don't pay the deposit your name doesn't go on the list.
 
Relliott6879 said:
How to make friends and influence people 101. Have you ever considered that maybe, just maybe, it's not actually a case of juggling time to get to Cougarfest no matter what? Nobody who joined this Ford Cougar Owners' Club signed a declaration that they would attend Cougarfest on pain of death, forgoing all other commitments and interests.

Some of us are working and no amount of prior notice would change that, sometimes if your boss says you're working a certain day and it's non negotiable then, well, that's that.

Some of us have family commitments like holidays, birthdays or even child access. As much as we in the club like/love Ford Cougars, not all of our families share that view or see it as a priority. Yes, some of us have partners who like to attend Cougar events (Ria B springs readily to mind), some us have partners who attend the odd meet because they recognise their other half's hobby and support them in that (I'd class Joanne in this category, along with Vonny Pid) but I'm sure there are plenty of us with families and friends who see UKC as an irrelevance and won't just move other things around it's meets. Are we then to choose whether our loyalties lie with our families or our cars?

As for opinions not being valid unless you're coming, well isn't that constructive? As I've already said, I'd like to come but this year I can't. Simple as. If threads are published, openly berating people for a lack of commitment because they're not going to Cougarfest, how is it fair not to allow those people a right to reply, explaining why they're not going? It's hardly going to encourage first time attendees is it?

I know I've gone off on one here, but you've really wound me up. I like being a member of this club and all that goes with it, but I really don't appreciate being slated as part of a collective because I dared not to go a particular meet and then told that my opinion as a paying member of a forum is irrelevant and unwelcome.
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Nowhere is any of the hostility you clearly see insinuated in any way. Nor is anything directed at you individually. The aim of the relevant threads and posts is at those who have said they'd attend, some as far back as last years fest, and then watching a provisional list of 50 odd cars drop to just 16 paid!! By all means if you think you can do a better job then you're bloody welcome to it!

As far as I'm concerned, anyone not going and never had any intention of going, be that for WHATEVER reason, really has no place in the discussions on the event, it's organisation or lack of. Simply because unless you're a spam king, of which we have a few, in any specific thread rather than a banter one or OT, O18's etc peoples input tends to be for the whole part positive to the topic, no? You wouldn't post "don't really care as mine still works" in someone's break down thread etc would you?

It is counter productive being bitchy when you're not even attending nor were you. It's hard enough keeping a track on things as it is, and dealing with forum things whilst online and off. If you really feel the need to over exert your keyboard for an event/subject which really doesn't concern you, go to OT or pm. That's nothing personal, just how it is. The dedicated threads to the event and it's attendees are exactly that, no-one is making you read them or take part.
 
V6SINGH said:
The dedicated threads to the event and it's attendees are exactly that, no-one is making you read them or take part.
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Apart from when they're force-read for the entire forum that is...

Anyhoo, I didn't take JJ's thread as a direct attack on me, I know damn well it wasn't. What it did seem to be, and certainly read as, was a swipe at a whole lot of people in general, I feel myself to be included in that collective. I looked at the Cougarfest thread because a) it interests me and I'd like to go someday when circumstances permit and b) because I look at all the posts that come up when I click the 'New Posts' tab. I really don't think my post was 'bitchy', certainly no more so than the one it referenced, at any rate. Now that I've calmed down from my initial reaction, let me try and word it more placidly.

Some people would dearly like to go to Cougarfest, but they just can't. It doesn't necessarily mean we're apathetic, sometimes things just aren't feasible. The bit that got my goat was the comment about not caring for people's opinions if they're not coming. There's sometimes a good reason for things and not affording people the opportunity to voice that isn't really fair. If I have offended anyone, then I apologise.
 
It was not aimed at any one person but you are right it was aimed generally at the forum, the main point I was trying to make is every year people "have their say" in reality this changes nothing with regards the event and who turns up.

I've had a shit few days and maybe should have proof read before posting in temper if anyone took it as directly aimed at them it was not.

JJ
 
Relliott6879 said:
Apart from when they're force-read for the entire forum that is...


Some people would dearly like to go to Cougarfest, but they just can't. It doesn't necessarily mean we're apathetic, sometimes things just aren't feasible. The bit that got my goat was the comment about not caring for people's opinions if they're not coming. There's sometimes a good reason for things and not affording people the opportunity to voice that isn't really fair.
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There is that, but in itself it breeds counter productivity which inevitably ends up on one of our pms etc with "so and so said xxxxxx". The force read was issued with warning for that very reason!! It's times like this that the facility is available for and I said as much clearly!

Being on Admin and Mods, we are forever damned if we do and damned if we don't. Situations like this there is no pleasing anyone because if fault isn't picked with one thing it's something else! What we actually have here is a situation arisen from someone that isn't going, never was and slight digs at that and things that were implemented with warning and promotion (in what ever form) of the event not being attended!! That in itself for me, is like smashing my skull off a brick wall!!

On a side note, I'd like to someday own a Jag XFR, whilst I may still maintain interest in one by watching/reading reviews etc, I'm never actually going to step into a showroom until I have the cash to do so. Call me old fashioned or purely logical, that's just how it is!

If as in your case, I were interested in fest as a possible, I'd keep my reading/watching for the pics and after thoughts etc as that's where the truth of the event will lie and it's those things that would capture my attention and fuel my urge to attend!
 
JJ said:
I've had a **** few days and maybe should have proof read before posting in temper if anyone took it as directly aimed at them it was not.

JJ
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And perhaps I should have been a bit thicker skinned. I've had a pretty arse time at work just lately too as it happens and in hindsight I could have been less hastey in my response.

:love: Friends?
 
Relliott6879 said:
And perhaps I should have been a bit thicker skinned. I've had a pretty arse time at work just lately too as it happens and in hindsight I could have been less hastey in my response.

:love: Friends?
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Of course I don't hold grudges, not against many people anyway ;)

JJ
 
Pid_16V said:
Post #73; we have 26 in the attendance list.

So far we have a "PAID List" of 16, in RichB's PAID LIST
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Cheers for that Alan :) I did point out that a lot of people have to wait till pay day (end of this month) before they can pay-up (they have said so themselves) that would account for it being such a low turn out at this time, I've had the same problem this year (as last) with a long list of attendees on the Ford Fair thread, but only a fraction of the numbers when the payment was due (or for other comitments) it happens, people do have other lives outside the forum and they forget or something else comes up and they just cant do. Maybe they should factor all this into the equasion before they put their names down on a list....


Anyway cheer up you old buggers its nearly Christmas :) http://youtu.be/WlBiLNN1NhQ
 
Ginja, there's your second punch in the face if the first one now doesn't kill you!! Mention the C word again before December and I'll drive to Soly'ull to do it!! :evil:
 
The problem at the moment is that there may not be another Cougarfest after this one so those that can't make it now might never attend one (as we know it) in the future. There was a wave of euphoria swept through the club last year in the aftermath of Cougarfest 2010, I suggested the idea about people paying in instalments or a non-refundable deposit back then, there were people saying that after having such a good time, it couldn't possibly be the last one, well we are here and as committed now as we were then, I wonder where all of those people are?
We have always been careful about keeping July free around the time that Cougarfest is held, that isn't about juggling our lives around the club, it's about ensuring that we can attend an event that we both have had the good fortune to enjoy over the years. I was on the events organising team for a while, I wouldn't do it again because it was frustrating, I know that we all enjoy different things in life, we all come from different backgrounds, but I have never known anybody go to cougarfest who hasn't enjoyed the weekend.
It must be a pain to organise this each year because of the unknown number of attendees, but as I said at the start, it's quite possible that it'll be easier next year when the event is cancelled due to lack of interest.
We all read comments from people about how great the club is when they've just got that piece of information that's enabled them to fix their car or avoid a hefty bill from a dodgy garage, or the club members have ferried a part across the country for nothing or even club members have banded together to fix their broken car, don't these people want to support the club that they so revere by attending fest?
 
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