FoTU 2025 thread - show wrap up

[egg]

Thought it was time to get this started. Hope to come this year myself, first time since 2019.

https://www.hagerty.co.uk/official-events/hagerty-festival-of-the-unexceptional/

26th July Grimsthorpe Castle

 

[lesapandre]

I looked on the website. They don't say how much tickets are. 

We've just been discussing this on here - relative ticket costs in the classic car world.

Seems also a complex process where you give them personal information upfront and then wait to hear.

Cars parked in a field with 'celebrities' and punters and a band...I'm much too miserable to tolerate that shenanigans 😂

But may be fun for others.

[Soundwave]

Didn't go last year due to reasons, and honestly I didn't really miss it - partly thanks to the introduction of Rustival, which encapsulated much of the same spirit but without the spittle-flecked rantings on social media about what counts as "unexceptional", and how anything with metallic paint or front electric windows is too upmarket. I think the show lost something when it started taking itself too seriously, I can't quite put my finger on it.

So, most likely not.

[wesacosa]

22 minutes ago, lesapandre said:

I looked on the website. They don't say how much tickets are. 

We've just been discussing this on here - relative ticket costs in the classic car world.

Seems also a complex process where you give them personal information upfront and then wait to hear.

Cars parked in a field with 'celebrities' and punters and a band...I'm much too miserable to tolerate that shenanigans 😂

But may be fun for others.

the giving up front info and waiting to hear is only for concourse applications. Normal entry is as per any car show

Agree its expensive but it's enjoyable if you haven't been before and you can spend the whole day looking at cars and not even seeing the band or "celebrities"

That said I'm 50/50 this year as I've been last 4 years, its a bit of a trek for me and its also the day before the Bromley Pageant 

 

[alcyonecorporation]

I might go, it's fairly local. 
If there's a commission in it, I'll definitely go. 

[N19]

I've not been the last couple of years, but will probably go this year. 

It's a bit of a drive but it's doable in a day for me, although whether I'd go every year is another matter. 

[Rocket88]

Last year it was £35 a car😳

[juular]

I'm getting less interested in static car shows and more interested in drives and social gatherings.  FOTU was always a social thing for us and we made it a bit of a holiday, but after last year's 859345 breakdowns culminating in being rescued up the road, we might give it a miss.  The cost of FOTU might be the final nail in the coffin for me. I'd rather drive 7 hours to meet a group of shiters for a drive around the countryside.

[grogee]

41 minutes ago, juular said:

I'm getting less interested in static car shows and more interested in drives and social gatherings.  FOTU was always a social thing for us and we made it a bit of a holiday, but after last year's 859345 breakdowns culminating in being rescued up the road, we might give it a miss.  The cost of FOTU might be the final nail in the coffin for me. I'd rather drive 7 hours to meet a group of shiters for a drive around the countryside.

+1

This. Shitefest was loads better and £35 buys a lot of 'corners' and beer, with maybe enough left to cover my fuel to/from Warks as well. 

Well maybe not but the point is Shitefest is a lot more 'focussed' and arguably inclusive (Master Grogee loved it last year). 

I think most of all it's the 'celeb' bollocks that puts me off. I spend most of my life trying to avoid this shit: Love Island on Ice, Graham Norton, Michael Macintyre's Wheel of Boredom, pop music, tabloid newspapers, adverts, local radio, Other People, VW Scenesters, car enthusiasts generally and soap operas. 

Fucked if I'm paying £35 and six hours drive for people to tell me I'm using the wrong screenwash in my MG Maestro. 

[Pieman]

I'll most likely be at Zandvoort that weekend so I'm out.

[hairnet]

12 minutes ago, Pieman said:

I'll most likely be at Zandvoort that weekend so I'm out.

lekker (did reims spa zolder last three days )

[hairnet]

grogees last sentence.

 

[Talbot]

Didn't go last year and didn't miss it.  The traffic management was still crap as far as I can tell, and it's gotten way too big for it's boots at £40 entry.  Other events are far more worthwhile.

Mind you, the last time I went, absolutely everyone ignored the merc.  I assume it was just too generic and uninteresting.  Does that mean I've completed FotU?

[juular]

20 minutes ago, grogee said:

I think most of all it's the 'celeb' bollocks that puts me off. I spend most of my life trying to avoid this shit: Love Island on Ice, Graham Norton, Michael Macintyre's Wheel of Boredom, pop music, tabloid newspapers, adverts, local radio, Other People, VW Scenesters, car enthusiasts generally and soap operas. 

There is also a point where I wonder about my sanity, having paid for the fuel to drag an ungrateful heap of shit 400 miles across the country, then paid for an entry to a field where everyone else seems to be making money from me, having provided one of the exhibits.

[wesacosa]

1 minute ago, Talbot said:

Didn't go last year and didn't miss it.  The traffic management was still crap as far as I can tell, and it's gotten way too big for it's boots at £40 entry.  Other events are far more worthwhile.

Mind you, the last time I went, absolutely everyone ignored the merc.  I assume it was just too generic and uninteresting.  Does that mean I've completed FotU?

Last year they opened the gates at 7.30 instead of 9 and had separate gates for display cars versus non display cars and certainly for the display cars I didn't hear of any traffic issues this year

[wesacosa]

29 minutes ago, grogee said:

+1

This. Shitefest was loads better and £35 buys a lot of 'corners' and beer, with maybe enough left to cover my fuel to/from Warks as well. 

Well maybe not but the point is Shitefest is a lot more 'focussed' and arguably inclusive (Master Grogee loved it last year). 

I think most of all it's the 'celeb' bollocks that puts me off. I spend most of my life trying to avoid this shit: Love Island on Ice, Graham Norton, Michael Macintyre's Wheel of Boredom, pop music, tabloid newspapers, adverts, local radio, Other People, VW Scenesters, car enthusiasts generally and soap operas. 

Fucked if I'm paying £35 and six hours drive for people to tell me I'm using the wrong screenwash in my MG Maestro. 

To be fair the only "debate" over what is and isn't appropriate seems to come from the Facebook group chats mainly from people who don't go.  Atmosphere on the day is pretty good.   The "celebrity" element is a small stage in the corner which you can sit in front of if that's your bag, otherwise there's about 1000 classic cars to look at if its not

To me the only shitty bit is the price now they've sorted the traffic as best they can.  The rest is a decent day out with a huge number of cars to see 

Ive taken my XM for 3 years and not had any negative comments, although to be fair there's so many cars to see I'm barely sat with my own 

[catsinthewelder]

I really enjoyed it last year.  Was parked in the dull modern carpark within 10 minutes of getting through the gate.  Had an enjoyable stroll round with @beko1987 then went to the stage for the first time as I listen to the Smith + Sniff podcast, it's quite well aligned to FotU/Autoshite so felt right at home there.  Then I spent a few hours hanging out with the rest of you. The only downside was having to leave earlyish because I had something else on that evening.  I could quite happily have spent 12 hours on site.  

It is getting more expensive but when it started off free that is inevitable.  I wonder if it will turn into a full weekend event in time with camping etc?  Personally I would like that as it's a long way to drive for one day.  Comparing it with Shitefest is tricky as that is effectively a private party, overheads are so much lower although the big draw is the same, I get to hang round with you lot, surrounded by shit old cars in a field. 

[Saabnut]

I won't be going. I have a policy that if a show is charging people to look at the exhibits, I will not pay to exhibit. It is definitely not the money, it is the principle. If the NEC can give me spaces for 5 cars FOC then I am not paying for a bit of field. The NEC costs me about a grand for thw weekend, so as said it is not the money. All shows used to be free to exhibit and the good ones gave you lunch and tea tickets to get you there, after all without the cars, nobody would pay admission to a field.

Come to International Shitefest instead, there is no admission charge and it is closer than Scottish Shitefest was a couple of year ago for many  

[hairnet]

1 hour ago, juular said:

There is also a point where I wonder about my sanity, having paid for the fuel to drag an ungrateful heap of shit 400 miles across the country, then paid for an entry to a field where everyone else seems to be making money from me, having provided one of the exhibits.

scottish. eloquent. correct.

[egg]

Interesting thoughts all. Thanks. I'll muse on them.

[wesacosa]

12 minutes ago, egg said:

Interesting thoughts all. Thanks. I'll muse on them.

if you are tempted it might be worth sticking in an application for the concourse section with your Mondeo as it would seem to be a suitable candidate

[egg]

50 minutes ago, wesacosa said:

if you are tempted it might be worth sticking in an application for the concourse section with your Mondeo as it would seem to be a suitable candidate

It's not good enough I don't think, and I'd have to unpack my precious 'last remaining set in the world' of NOS base wheel trims!

[wesacosa]

26 minutes ago, egg said:

It's not good enough I don't think, and I'd have to unpack my precious 'last remaining set in the world' of NOS base wheel trims!

Concourse is a bit of an oversell really,it ideally needs to be rare, original, in presentable nick and preferably have a good story or something to make it stand out. Some of the cars are concourse for sure but most are not

plus if you put in and are not successful you get a discount on the tickets to purchase for the normal section , or at least you did in previous years 

 

[grogee]

Everybody has a pet hate, this is mine:

Concourse:

Concours:

 

[motorpunk]

What @Saabnut and @grogee said. A pity as it’s a great drive over from my place but, well, yeah. No.

Rustival was fantastic. Will deffo do that again.

[Sunny Jim]

I'll be favouring Rustival over FoTU too this year. Don't let all the negativity put you off @egg, I agree with everyone's comments but most of those who won't be going have done it for the last few years on the trot - read into that what you will!

Sounds like quite a few Shiters will be going to Rustival which I'd thoroughly recommend - great variety of cars and certainly less of a try-hard/influencer vibe than FoTU.

[Schaefft]

It certainly isn't cheap but I need to continue my streak of bringing cars that nobody has ever heard of before. The variety of interesting cars there is still unbeatable. Unless something better comes along that isn't even further South from here.

[lesapandre]

1 hour ago, grogee said:

Everybody has a pet hate, this is mine:

Concourse:

Concours:

 

Also - concourse not just an internal or external space - a crowd or assembly of people  - "a vast concourse of onlookers"😅

Also Concourse is a neighborhood in the southwestern section of the New York borough of the Bronx - not a lot of people know that...

[Gompo]

I intend to go again, it's probably the only show I get to catch up with a few 'spotters' and members from here way back. However if they're skipping it I may do too. It does help it's around an hour from me; whereas the other big shows of its ilk are further. I've enjoyed every year even if it is rather busy and I couldn't care less about Johnny Smith and JayEmm (I don't mind  Porter) - They didn't spoil it in any way and probably get some of the nobs away from walking around the show.  Not sure if I will try to display, didn't last year and had numerous people tell me I'd gone the wrong way.

[brownnova]

Haven’t made it for the past few, but hoping to this year. We’re often away on holiday around this date so it depends what we book! 

However Rustival is the priority. I’ll definitely be there.