Day Visitor

Once again we will be returning to Stourport on Severn for our annual rally.

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Bob
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Re: Day Visitor

Post by Bob » Tue Jun 24, 2014 12:53 am

It will be minuted that particular welcome was made to all or friends from the Vee Dub world.

I certainly made a point of chatting to VW owners and making sure they had all they needed.

It would be fair to say comments were positve.

We also acknowledged everyone we passed, made great friends with all camped around us, made new friends if we walked to the loo... Caught up with old friends, all made through this Club.

I think the first comments are correct, our new member can't have been on the right site.
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Re: Day Visitor

Post by mikeWalsall » Tue Jun 24, 2014 10:51 am

Maybe talking to ourselves any way ... FrustratedofTW ...

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Re: Day Visitor

Post by Bob » Tue Jun 24, 2014 12:07 pm

I suspect you're right, Mike.
Take a torch, toilet roll, and tea bags.

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sledge
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Re: Day Visitor

Post by sledge » Tue Jun 24, 2014 12:19 pm

Hi

My family and I were 'day visitors' on Friday. We only travelled from Wolverley which is about 7 or 8 miles from the campsite in Stourport, but felt we would also like to comment on this thread.

Both my wife and myself met some lovely people but we did intentionally walk around the camp site on numerous occasions and introduced ourselves. We spoke to a couple from Swansea with a similar Bongo to ours. In fact a few seconds earlier I may have got more than I bargained for as the very nice lady was getting dressed and I surprised her when I popped my head around their awning, luckily her dignity and my embarrassment was kept and no harm was done :oops:

A very friendly gentlemen walked passed our van named Nigel, I don't think he is on the forum but we spoke at length about our Bongo and the wedding industry. I also spoke to a Northern couple with a face lift black vehicle, again I introduced myself. I also spoke to a gentlemen with a face lift Silver Bongo with RX8 wheels and we chew the cud on his anti-roll bar problem.

But there is a but...

I'm a pretty confident chappy when meeting people for the first time, you get used to it in my job, some would call me a little cocky even, (that's not intentional). Both my wife and myself did comment that there did seem to be some reticence in approaching us. I'm fully aware that in any club it takes time to build friendships and relationships, that's just the way it is, but if I had not introduced ourselves to people including Ian (I know he was a busy man, nice hat!) we would have only have spoken to Nigel.

Now i'm no fool and know too well that's it's in the evening when bridges are built and people can come and talk to you, especially when there's a few drinks flowing and everybody is in a party mood, with that in mind and work permitting, both my family and myself will be booking for next year's bash and to hopefully make new friends.
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Re: Day Visitor

Post by boyfrombrasil » Tue Jun 24, 2014 2:50 pm

sledge wrote:My family and I were 'day visitors' on Friday.
Pm me when you are going to attend your first weekend meet so that I can make sure we are introduced....
sledge wrote:Both my wife and myself did comment that there did seem to be some reticence in approaching us.


There would have been at least 350 people camping at the bash this weekend. I personally know more than 100 of them to talk to and some of those are very good friends (at least 20 of them came on my honeymoon with me :shock: :wink: ). If I manage to spend (only) 10 minutes talking to each of those 100 people that would equate to more than 16 hours of my weekend. I could ignore them all but I won't. At a rough guess there would have been around 100 new people camping at this meet. If I spent 10 minutes talking to each of those then that would have added another 16 hours to my weekend... Just saying hello to everyone at the bash would probably add another 2 hours. I also spent a few hours helping new members diagnose various problems with their vans/awnings/tents so it's a good job I spent 4 nights there as I needed some time to myself so that I could have a drink or two....

I'm hoping the above highlights some of the problems here?

About half of the attendies arrive on Friday meaning that Friday is a very busy day. Similarly, Sunday is the busiest as around 90% of attendees leave. Although you are very welcome to come anytime I would suggest Sunday would be the worst choice. If I kept stopping my packing up everytime someone passed my van then I would still be there today.

The Friday arrivals who number about half of the people attending actually spend less than 24 waking hours on site during these weekends so most of them simply just don't have the time to make sure that others are well cared for and made welcome.

I don't see how anyone can identify who is a day visitor, or a Bongo Bash newbie, etc, unless that visitor carries a clearly marked sign above their heads. They walk past my very welcoming (bunting, event shelter, flags, spare chairs, etc) spot and I simply cannot identify their needs unless they approach me. I just don't have the time, or indeed neither do I have mind-reading skills. I could probably, at a push, identify a Martian if he walked by.... :roll:

I have also noted that any day visitors who have posted on here have not claimed to have met or spoken to other day visitors while visiting the Bongo Bash. I wonder why that is?
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Re: Day Visitor

Post by francophile1947 » Tue Jun 24, 2014 3:15 pm

Well I was certainly at the shop between 10.00 and 12.00, although I may have been inside the tent as it was quite busy :? I directed somebody to the day visiting spot, but I didn't bother to get any day visitor's names :shock: Mary was also there up until the AGM - we figured one person could cope with the last half hour 8) Carol was also very close at hand on many occasions, but she was not full-time as we decided that her time would be better spent with her packing up, as she had to load some of the shop contents in her Bongo, to get them back to Bongo HQ :D
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Re: Day Visitor

Post by helen&tony » Tue Jun 24, 2014 3:25 pm

Hi
Quote: I could probably, at a push, identify a Martian if he walked by.... :roll:

If I was there I could positively say that suitably supplied with apple-y neck oil I wouldn't recognise a martian if he sat next to me.......but I'd probably speak the same language....ba'deee- ba'-dah - ba'dee - ba'dah....
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Re: Day Visitor

Post by sledge » Tue Jun 24, 2014 3:30 pm

I may have introduced myself and my wife to a day visitor, to be honest I didn't enquire if they were day visitors or newbies or regulars. I did introduce myself to a guy with a white face lift Bongo and bike rack, he did tell me it was his first Bash, friendly guy...
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Re: Day Visitor

Post by stuc » Tue Jun 24, 2014 4:09 pm

I did put my forum name on my window hoping to meet up with a few forum regulars but no one mentioned it, I did see a few names but not many. It would help anyone who doesn't go to many meets but does go on the forum a lot if they could see forum names on vehicles, this would help to break the ice if you have had any discussions online. If I had seen more names I might of been more likely to start a conversation without feeling as if you are intruding.
This is just my observations and I spent most of my time talking anyway but thoroughly enjoyed it.
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Re: Day Visitor

Post by umbongocat » Tue Jun 24, 2014 4:24 pm

stuc wrote:I did put my forum name on my window hoping to meet up with a few forum regulars but no one mentioned it, I did see a few names but not many. It would help anyone who doesn't go to many meets but does go on the forum a lot if they could see forum names on vehicles, this would help to break the ice if you have had any discussions online. If I had seen more names I might of been more likely to start a conversation without feeling as if you are intruding.
This is just my observations and I spent most of my time talking anyway but thoroughly enjoyed it.

Have to agree, I've spoken to you on here but didn't get to meet you. It's always a difficult one the big bash. I can see how it can be quite difficult for newbies to strike up conversations especially if they've been on the forum but then can't find the forum names. I have to say, I didn't put mine up this year, I forgot but previous years I have and it has made the difference in terms of people coming over and saying "oh.. I spoke to you about... such and such"

A good reminder for next year to try and get peeps on here to put up their forum names.
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Re: Day Visitor

Post by mikeWalsall » Tue Jun 24, 2014 6:09 pm

Why not get some cheap clip on lapel name tags from WH Smiths .. Staples .. Viking office supplies etc:

Easy to write your real / forum name on them .. even .. VISITOR .. membership number .. pitch number .. or what have you ..
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Re: Day Visitor

Post by Ian » Tue Jun 24, 2014 6:41 pm

mikeWalsall wrote:Why not get some cheap clip on lapel name tags from WH Smiths .. Staples .. Viking office supplies etc:

Easy to write your real / forum name on them .. even .. VISITOR .. membership number .. pitch number .. or what have you ..
A few years ago at the Bash I bought 200 blank badges that you could write your name on, handed them out to everyone on arrival, only to find nobody wore them at all.
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Re: Day Visitor

Post by umbongocat » Tue Jun 24, 2014 6:57 pm

Ian wrote:
mikeWalsall wrote:Why not get some cheap clip on lapel name tags from WH Smiths .. Staples .. Viking office supplies etc:

Easy to write your real / forum name on them .. even .. VISITOR .. membership number .. pitch number .. or what have you ..
A few years ago at the Bash I bought 200 blank badges that you could write your name on, handed them out to everyone on arrival, only to find nobody wore them at all.
I can see why people wouldn't want to wear name badges. At school we voted out name badges when we had inductions for new staff. A forum name or name on the vehicle is a good way forward, but that's down to each individual to do unless you can give out A5 size paper and ask people to put their names or forum names on the vehicles?
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Re: Day Visitor

Post by alant54 » Tue Jun 24, 2014 7:08 pm

The (unpaid) volunteers were amazing....as were the regulars...you know who you are... :lol: .....who gave up so much of their weekend to make sure that every one who attended enjoyed the experience........ =D>

This is what we are used to among our fraternity but still needs recognition... =D>

Why are so many Bongoless people still members and taking part...... :idea: .....once a Bongonaut....always a Bongonaut...... =D>

It is not just about the vehicle.....it is about the people.... :D

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Re: Day Visitor

Post by stuc » Tue Jun 24, 2014 7:10 pm

What about some pieces of white vinyl Ian cut into rectangles and when people book in just write the forum name on (permanent marker) if they want to of course and stick it on the screen. Vinyl and is cheap,and there are a few graphics people on here who I am sure would oblige with the vinyl (at a cost of course). I wouldnt mind giving an extra £1 on the fee to cover something like that, not sure what anyone else thinks?
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