FoTU 2024 - Completed it, M9

[captain_70s]

The fact they mad a big deal of having 1,000 odd cars in the Unexceptional car park but charge them the same as a punter in a modern is a bit nuts.

At this point the Unexceptional car park is the show. Otherwise it's £40 to look at 20 cars in the concours. 

I know you could conceivably fill a car with 5 folk and get in for £8 a head, but most car people have car people friends who'll be bringing their own cars. The Scotoshite contingent brought 5 cars this year but no more than 2 to a car and that includes long suffering other halves who probably shouldn't be billed...

Then again I may just be bitter as when I first got my Dolomite it was free to display a car at most shows and if you had to pay you usually at least got a rosette or a mug...

[PicantoJon]

11 hours ago, AnnoyingPentium said:

This one is my first time going, so stumped up the price of a ticket. Don't think I'll be doing it again though. Planning on taking the Vectra, and happy to entertain passengers with my crap singing and sense of direction (or lack thereof), if @PicantoJon hasn't put people off wanting to be in a car with me...

As long as you don't go anywhere near Welsh bloody single track roads, not outside the realm of possibility I'll add... 

 

[beko1987]

Feels as if I've just walked into the wrong room but my dad messaged me about this a short while ago, wanting to go! 

It'll be my first fotu so I can't join with the grumbling about cost as I've never paid the cheap price. 

What's the disabled parking like is my question? (does it fill up mega fast or CAN I wait until payday next month to buy a modern ticket with disabled add-on? Or do I need to hit buy now or it'll sell out?) 

Club stand this year? 

[catsinthewelder]

I got VALU for my £28 by staying till half ten at night this year (with 4 in the car).

Realistically if it is going to be on later next year I'll need to book overnight accommodation nearby so an extra £10 on the ticket price is going to make very little difference to overall costs.  

[sheffcortinacentre]

On 15/12/2023 at 11:37, wesacosa said:

Date confirmed and tickets now on sale, although now a few quid short or £40 once fees applied 😳

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/festival-of-the-unexceptional-10th-anniversary-tickets-694786624497

If no one turns up there's no show.

So as said I do all the work, provide the exhibits & have to pay them £40 for the privilege 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[catsinthewelder]

On 15/12/2023 at 16:10, Talbot said:

Given that the queues will still not be fixed properly.

They might be, just bought my ticket and it's open 7.30am-7.30pm.  Not many people will arrive at 7.30am (and those that do might leave early) but it's surely going to be better than the gates opening at 10am.

[JakeT]

Agreed. £40 is a farce. That said I’ve booked it. I’ve gone to a few with a friend, and we don’t really do many shows nowadays, but we both enjoy FOTU, and don’t bother the wives by asking them to go. I have some friends locally to stop in and see, so it’s not a trip for one thing. Either way, £40 is a little eye watering. I’d like a food coupon for that price!

[beko1987]

Ticket booked! My first fotu 

[brownnova]

Hmmm… it is pricey, but I promised myself I would go this year after missing he last few… 

That said it is on my wedding anniversary… what better present than a trip to a car show for my good lady wife! 

[HMC]

Maybe the price hike will bring with it sorting the arrivals more professionally? if it means old cars not boiling over in a queue id be ok with that, if i was driving something the show is about.

[Schaefft]

I never found the queuing excessive, you are surrounded by some pretty cool cars at all times after all. I've never been on my own in the car though and usually don't have to worry about breaking down waiting to get in😂

[hairnet]

can i ROFL at the fact

1. the motorcycle ticket

2. if you use a bike ticket for a car theyll charge you a tenner for trying but its still cheaper than the standard car ticket

[juular]

£40 is a bit sore. After all if you're nursing a temperamental heap of shit from the other end of the country you're putting the effort and cost in to provide their exhibits, because let's be honest, nobody gives a flying fuck about the concours.

Still, I might grit my teeth, complain and pay it. We make it a holiday out of it and usually spend a significant amount making it something nice. An extra tenner and a bit on top of that seems not enough to complain about in the wider picture.

Still, feels greedy of them and I reserve the right to yell at a cloud about it.

[andyberg]

I may need to rethink going to this now since I have an unexceptional Safrane now. I'm off the weekend its on. Will it be worth a 7 hour round trip and £40 to get in???

[Schaefft]

1 minute ago, andyberg said:

I may need to rethink going to this now since I have an unexceptional Safrane now. I'm off the weekend it on. Will it be worth a 7 hour round trip and £40 to get in???

Yes as I'd queue up to sit in one again!

[wesacosa]

1 minute ago, andyberg said:

I may need to rethink going to this now since I have an unexceptional Safrane now. I'm off the weekend it on. Will it be worth a 7 hour round trip and £40 to get in???

yes, id day so. especially if you haven't been before. Even better if you bring a friend then its only £20 in.  

[hairnet]

1 hour ago, Schaefft said:

Yes as I'd queue up to sit in one again!

andy needs to come up to you cos itll be cheaper than fotu

[captain_70s]

Despite the price hike I have reluctantly coughed up. I'm obliged to keep going until the Doloshite actually makes it...

Given it's a 700 mile round trip at 30mpg and features two nights in a hotel + meals for two it's not exactly a budget trip anyway...

[wesacosa]

https://www.facebook.com/video.php/?video_id=665709732405338

concourse cars now been announced.  Some stunners 

[Talbot]

Decided to give this a miss this year.  £40 per car means that between two of us we'd be spending £80 on event entry alone, which is excessive.  I'll be interested to hear how the traffic management is this year (not expecting it to be any better) and I really can't be doing with being shooed out of the way again for someone to have five cameras and two sound guys on him while he talks bollocks.

Be interesting to see what the numbers are this year.  I assume they'll just keep ramping the price up every year until the numbers tail off a bit, at which point they've found their optimum.  Stuff that.

[wesacosa]

I don't think it sold out yet which it had this time last year so that maybe says something 

I am expecting/hoping the traffic to be better as its now open 7.30 instead of 9.30 and there are multiple gates rather than just one

 

[wesacosa]

for those that are going this is the itinerary for the day. I suspect I will give most of the non car shit a miss 

Timetable for the day

7:30am Gates Open

8am: FOTU Birthday Surprise

9am: Stage Opens – Wayne Scott welcomes you to the 2024 Festival of the Unexceptional

10am: Smith and Sniff Present: Wheeltrim of Misfortune

11am: Smith and Sniff open the Superchod Swap Shop

11:30am: FOTU Flashback with Jeff Ruggles, Chris Pollitt and Wayne Scott  

12pm: Smith and Sniff, Podcast LIVE

1pm: Superchod Swap Shop Update!

1:15pm: Live Music, courtesy of RIOT

2pm: Smith and Sniff Present: Wheeltrim of Misfortune 2

3pm: Superchod Swap Shop Update!

3:15pm: Live Music, courtesy of RIOT

4:00pm: Paul Cowland’s Completely Unexceptional Pub Quiz

5:00pm: 2024 Festival of the Unexceptional Awards

5:30pm: FOTU Photos – A chance to snap your car in front of the iconic Vanbrugh Hall

5:30pm: The Disco of the Unexceptional

7:00pm: Close of Show

[beko1987]

Nothing in there strikes me as anything I want to see, we just going to form an unofficial group and wander around? 

I'll be in a modern and in the disabled parking with my dad though so will have to find people

[captain_70s]

3 minutes ago, beko1987 said:

Nothing in there strikes me as anything I want to see, we just going to form an unofficial group and wander around? 

I think this is pretty much always the plan. I've always found the stage stuff entirely ignorable.

I'd not noticed it was a 7:30am opening. I can't imagine many people arriving that early, especially if they're having breakfast at a hotel or whatever first. I also noted that the field started noticeably clearing out from 3pm onwards and I can't see people sticking around for a disco...

Really hoping the Dolly makes it so I can draw a line under it. I think Rustival seems a better bet.

[beko1987]

No we won't be there before 10 I doubt, even though I'm coming from not very far away at all

[wesacosa]

Its an hour and a half earlier than previous years so even if a number of cars are spread over that time it will surely help rather than everyone turning up at between 9 and 10 as they did last year.  Hopefully the second entrance for moderns will be a big help too

[Ghosty]

I've never noticed anyone that goes to FOTU giving a slightest toss about the entertainment*. No offence to Smith and Sniff like, but it's not why people go to FOTU, it's more the Flickr tat spotters' AGM (and I mean this kindly!).

I won't be paying the £40 for a few reasons, some of them are personal,  some are on principle, some I'll go into and some I won't. For one there's the fact I'm literally penniless, and the fact my current cars fit there about as well as my face fit at my last job - I can't be arsed with the comments they'd generate for not being standard.
I've no faith in Hagerty to listen to the attendees and make the event what it should be, they've proven that year on year by hiking the price. I'd argue it's been getting steadily worse from when it was a free event. You can argue 'but people pay it', well, yes, but frankly that's because Hagerty have that corner of the market over a barrel.
The same venue yet again, and a price that's almost doubled with no justification and little to no effort to acknowledge shortcomings - it just doesn't appeal. Are they trying to price out the cars that people whinge shouldn't be in there?

They should try having an application process for general parking - if other shows can and do manage to scout venues, and charge under £20 a car for a much more enjoyable day out with a curated section of cars that ensures nobody asks 'why is that in here?', there's no reason for Hagerty to charge the prices they do. And if people do want to explore further than the curated section, they can, and often do go for a mooch around the public car park!

Granted, to a point I'm talking about the modified scene that I've been getting into of late, but it's the same principle, and these guys are mostly privateers, they don't have flippin insurance companies backing them (quite the opposite, it tends to be detailing companies and budget tyre brands... and in one case, Henderson's Relish), but still have enough clout for shows at venues like the British Motor Museum etc, and a lot more passion.

I feel like Hagerty are more bothered about PR, media/YT coverage and money grabbing than the people that make the event (how many car shows need an entertainment schedule? The car show is the entertainment) - they seem to be in a bubble. It can cause utter chaos on the surrounding roads, but it's outside the event, so they'll just pretend it's not happening, even if potential attendees' cars are breaking down trying to get into the event.

£40 is about the price of a day ticket to the NEC show ffs, and FOTU definitely doesn't offer equal value for money to the NEC.

On a tangent, they've moved Radwood this year from Bicester Heritage to Chatham Historic Dockyard - I'm interested to see how well attended that is or isn't, as it's a PITA for pretty much everyone outside Kent to get to, and seems an utterly daft location for a car show geographically. I certainly won't be schlepping there - 5 hours each way and the Dartford Crossing. I wouldn't have called last year's event at Bicester 'well attended', it took about half an hour to see everything. Granted, fuck the North etc, but who's going to go to that without a bloody good incentive?
 

[danthecapriman]

5 hours ago, wesacosa said:

for those that are going this is the itinerary for the day. I suspect I will give most of the non car shit a miss 

Timetable for the day

7:30am Gates Open

8am: FOTU Birthday Surprise

9am: Stage Opens – Wayne Scott welcomes you to the 2024 Festival of the Unexceptional

10am: Smith and Sniff Present: Wheeltrim of Misfortune

11am: Smith and Sniff open the Superchod Swap Shop

11:30am: FOTU Flashback with Jeff Ruggles, Chris Pollitt and Wayne Scott  

12pm: Smith and Sniff, Podcast LIVE

1pm: Superchod Swap Shop Update!

1:15pm: Live Music, courtesy of RIOT

2pm: Smith and Sniff Present: Wheeltrim of Misfortune 2

3pm: Superchod Swap Shop Update!

3:15pm: Live Music, courtesy of RIOT

4:00pm: Paul Cowland’s Completely Unexceptional Pub Quiz

5:00pm: 2024 Festival of the Unexceptional Awards

5:30pm: FOTU Photos – A chance to snap your car in front of the iconic Vanbrugh Hall

5:30pm: The Disco of the Unexceptional

7:00pm: Close of Show

Is it just me wondering who the hell are all those people!? I’ve never heard of any of them!

 

[wesacosa]

25 minutes ago, danthecapriman said:

Is it just me wondering who the hell are all those people!? I’ve never heard of any of them!

 

Smith and Sniff are 5th gear presenter Jonny Smith and Richard Porter from sniff petrol/Top Gear script editor

Paul Cowland does classic car salvage hunters program and part owns manor park classic auction house I think 

don't know the others, assume they are YouTubers 

 

[catsinthewelder]

I bought a ticket when they were released and was really pleased to hear S+S were going to be there as I really enjoy the podcast (much more than most of JS's solo work).

I think the gates opening earlier is a great idea that should solve the biggest problem the show has.  Vehicle wise, the field is generally full of top grade tat and the fact that the odd modern ends up parked in the wrong place doesn't upset me.

Edited as I've realised I can make it so need my ticket.  Will have spare passenger seats from the West Midlands.