Triple rally loss of date

J

jimmy2spanners

Membership Secretary.
Hi all important notice regarding the Triple Rally

Couple weeks after this years rally I had a phone call from the manager of Langney sports club. He regrettably had to inform me that the new owner of the club cannot accommodate the riders club there anytime after 1st July for next year and any further years. So we have lost our traditional date of mid July. This came as a half hearted surprise as in a way gut feeling told me I was expecting a call like this especially when a new owner has invested in Eastbourne borough football club (Langney sports ) and wants the site solely for football , training etc . The new owner still would like to host our rally but not anytime after July 1st.

We looked at alternative dates but were either too early in year or was too close to two other rallys like Inbetween next years international and new forest. We felt it was unfair to be a week before NF rally so at the moment we have a provisional booking of 28th -30th June. I’ve discussed this with region 18 and 20 committee and both regions reps and we have recently sounded it out to our region members. We’ve had mixed feedback so now is the time to put to the wider membership.

Some feedback and ideas included cancelling for next year or totally ending it. Continue with new date but look for somewhere else for 2025 etc

We’ve been fortunate for many years of having free storage and logistics with the rally gear but as most now know BNM Mike has retired meaning this year we moved the gear to new storage site that we now have to pay for out of rally funds.

The triple is very much a well established rally in the clubs calendar and together with having to pay for storage it was felt cancelling the triple is viably not an option.

The best we can do for next year is go with the offered date of 28th-30th June 2024 which is only three weeks earlier than our traditional date. It’s a week after NF rally and a week before the lakes.

Once we, the regional committee of 18 and 20 have had a discussion and a decision made then we can confirm the outcome at the reps meeting in October if no sooner.

Thanks for listening

Jim region 18 rep

Mike region 20 rep
 
Very difficult situation, unless there is an alternative site, my gut feeling for what it's worth is to take the earlier date available. Better that and give members the opportunity to attend than shut down a well established rally. It's a shame it's so close to the popular New Forest rally, but doubt it will be effected by the Lakes - with the exception of a few, it's traditionally our International that brings North & South together in large numbers.
 
Its very sad when you lose or have your rally location pulled out fro under you we had problems at kirkby lonsdale ,sadly for us we didn;t just have the rug pulled out from under us we were the sacrificial lamb that was thrown to the wolves ie the council,i wouldn;t of minded but we never had a rally the year the rugby club had probs with their neighbours.
I hope things work out for you Jim
 
My opinion would be to keep rally going, at the new dates, and possibly explore a new venue if the new dates causes problems. Personally I like the location and present dates but a lot of us have had these issues in recent years..
 
How about Eastbourne Rugby club.

Its 4 miles from Priory lane.

Obviously they would have to be contacted and talked to.

Their address is :
Park Avenue
Eastbourne
East Sussex
BN22 9QN.

If you look on Google Earth.
From the Polegate Services it's almost a straight line down to the rugby club.
 
Last edited:
BaZa® said:
Yes agree take the new date and look for new site for 2025. (y)
Click to expand...

Or have a year out and give yourselves more time to find and plan the new site.

There's no club rule that says there HAS to be a Triple rally every year; many regions, notably the New Forest in recent years, have taken a break for various reasons. I'd suggest there are several advantages, not the least of which is that the people who have planned and worked the rally for so many years get a well deserved rest. It's not as if there aren't plenty of other rallies and events we can go to; and how many of us have wanted to do other stuff but forsaken it because it always clashed with something else?

There is also the possibility that the new owners might realise that they've chucked the baby out with the bathwater and re-think their position. Money talks.

The only people who will moan will be the badge collectors, most of whom I suspect do eff all to help with the rally anyway.
 
I have several concerns about going back to the same venue. I don’t think we have been treated at all fairly by the new owners, & quite frankly im fearful that they’d pull the new date from us at the drop of a hat. That could be fatal to the triple rally.

For the moment let’s “agree” to the new dates but throw everything at finding a new venue ASAP

It is also a great opportunity to look at what sort of rally we want. Maybe a completely fresh start, fresh ideas would be a winner for everyone in HDRCGB
 
When you consider that you can still have the venue provided you change the date, you have fared better than other regions have in the past. This is when Reps need to network with their colleagues, to see if dates can be switched around by mutual consent; it could well be that another region might find this advantageous, particularly those who use rugby clubs as venues where there's little or no activity in high summer.

I don't think you can complain about being treated unfairly though; it's an undeniable fact that pretty much every rally has a certain shelf life and with the best will in the world, it's far too easy for one or both sides to take the other for granted and get complacent. You've had a very good run at Langley and at least the door is still open for you.

I do agree with you regarding the fresh ideas. I've done the Triple twice myself and it's a good rally, but with the utmost respect no different in formula to all the others.
 
With Kev - yep, never forever - other rallies have changed venue - (Lakes, P&P), been completely abandoned - (Scotland, E. Mids, C. Cream) or even risen phoenix like, after many years away - (Offshore).

There is an element of the unknown here. The new owner has July next year plans for the site, but this does entail obtaining local council permissions. I feel that the local residents will have a lot to say about this!
This will take time and my opinion is to take these revised dates, for now. We then have until 2025 to possibly find a new site.

Not ideal for the Triple to follow the NF the very next week. But it depends which rallies one does; we all have our favourites!
This year I found myself trekking down from London on the A303 for the Devon rally and the following week found me traversing the same road for the Wobbler!

As Jim said, keep watching this space.
 
If things are really difficult the three regions could maybe put in for a international rally , which would take the pressure of them to find a rally site quickly plus it would help the club.
 
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