September Events

[Rubber_Man]

As we enter Autumn events in the Region are slowing down, and some are ceasing until Spring 2023.
On Sunday 4^th September we had been invited to Longridge Vehicle Extravaganza by Porsche Centre Preston who are the sponsors. Pre-booking was essential through the Eventbrite booking website.

This is organised as a charity event organised by the local Rotary Club with voluntary donations

It has been suggested that I stop mentioning in my newsletters Cars & Coffee Events which run in the North and South of the Region, as well as the Fylde area. We have good numbers of existing members attending these events as well as them being a good opportunity to recruit new R18 members, which we have done over the years. If you would like to be kept informed about these events please e-mail me direct at R18@porscheclubgb.com, or look at the individual websites for Charity Farm, Wrightington, Farm Yard Ales, Cockerham and Bridge House Tea Rooms, Wray where we have a room available her on Thursday 15^th September. This IS NOT an additional Monthly meeting night, simply somewhere to meet up, rather than sharing space in the marquee , which used for preparing and serving food. There is no speaker and no Agenda for the night.

We are unable to use Garstang Golf Club facilities for our September Monthly Meeting as the venue is taken over for the whole week by The Womens’ Institute, as it has been for a god number of years.. I have looked at 75+ venues in the whole Region over the last few months for an alternative venue, with room hire costs up to £600/night, poor car parks, or not central for most R18 members to get to after work. As a one-off we will be going to Pleasington Golf Club, Blackburn on our normal meeting date of 21^st September. As several members have asked that we start meetings a little earlier this meeting will start at 19.15. Of course the facility is open all day. We will be returning to Garstang Golf Club for the October Monthly meeting and we will be staying there for the foreseeable future.

On Sunday 25th September we have been invited to Jasmine Porschalink for one of it’s Cars & Coffee mornings. Check out it’s website for more information. At 11.00 Alan Ridehalgh has arranged a half day drive after this event to finish for lunch at Huntley’s, Samlesbury at 13.15/13.30 See www.huntleys.co.uk for details If you want to take part in the tour and/or lunch please contact Alan Ridehalgh direct on alan.ridehalgh1952@gmail.com who is making the arrangements.

I am collecting potential speakers and venues to visit for 2023. If you have any suggestions please let me know.

 

[vitesse]

So all of a sudden,the usual meeting times have to be altered to suit some members !-mention of other than Fylde area potential meetings mustn't be mentioned to suit some members !
Is this civil unrest by new(ish) members who want to re-invent the wheel?

 

[rob.kellock]

Colin, the Club is all about creating friendships. Your attitude towards new(ish) members in your post is not exactly welcoming... Had you been at the relevant regional meeting recently (not a criticism by the way, I have missed a couple myself), you would have seen David carry out a quick straw poll to gauge members' views on the best start time of our regular meetings. There was a general consensus that a little earlier would be preferable.

The R18 geographical area plays host to a large number of monthly static car related events. These include regular monthly events at Wray, Liverpool, Wrightington, Cottam and Cockerham along with additional meetings at venues such as Longridge and Colne. None of them are R18 events, they are organised and promoted by third parties.

Members are perhaps overwhelmed with choice, with only a very small percentage of our 386 members attending each one. There is rarely (if ever) a pre-arranged meeting point, a plan, communal parking areas or formal Club presence. It is fantastic that these events are popular with local car enthusiasts, are on our doorstep, and that some members like to attend many of them. I have been to several of these events myself over the years; what is less clear to me is why PCGB media should be used to routinely promote them?

What has been suggested is that we make a proper effort to attend some of these events officially, as a region, as an official event, and encourage greater member participation. Let's all go to Wray in May, let's all go to Cockerham in June, let's all go to Liverpool in September (or whenever). Potentially, we could drive there together and all park together etc. If members enjoy themselves so much that they want to go to these types of events more frequently, they can be encouraged to do so, to use the region's social media and this forum to promote their plans, encourage participation and share pictures with us all afterwards for all to enjoy.

There is a distinction (in my opinion) between a PCGB regional event and a regional event that some PCGB members might like to go to.

So far as the September meeting is concerned, as David has made clear, this is a one off arrangement due to our regular venue being unavailable. Members (especially our dozen new members from August) are asked please not to attend Best Western Garstang Country Hotel but are very much encouraged to attend Pleasington Golf Club instead. The journey should be about 15 minutes quicker for you. []

R18 is a broad church. David and Judy have worked tirelessly for many years and have created opportunities for us to attend track days, rallies, drives out, concours competitions, static events, monthly social meetings, talks, visits to Porsche Centres, joint events with other regions and car clubs, weekends away, the list is almost endless. Some of these types of events are more popular with some members than others. With the benefit of our years of collective experience though, some elements of our region's events calendar, communications and planning could be refined a little.

There has always been plenty of enthusiastic support within the region and offers of assistance which, to me, should always be embraced.

 

[Peter_Bull]

Rob, You have more time in your hands than I have to put all this together that’s for sure.

David and Judy do there best for us all. People can come and go as they please.

 

[vitesse]

Rob,dear friend,
Methinks thou doth protesteth too much!
My post was just a simple reaction to the tone of David's post.
As a long standing member with some contribution to our region events,I have always had to travel to Garstang & like to have my evening meal with Irene before I go.

Earlier start times ( because some members want it ) therefore doesn't suit me & to be honest may result in my non attendance because I have Parish Council meetings usually on the same day.
It just seems to me that relatively new members are those wanting to adjust everything to suit them so I said so.

 

[mattsmo818]

I think the agreed time was 19.30 rather than 19.45, which is hardly any different. And if I remember correctly not many, if any of the new members actually voted for the earlier start.

 

[Rubber_Man]

It was actually a new member and his friends from the Fylde area that wanted an earlier start time - 19.00 even, and not just for the one-off at Pleasington.

Of course venues are open from probably 8.00 am so memebrs can go at whetever time they want. It had even been suggested that a round of golf could be booked in the afternoons at Pleasington, and Garstang GC also. Perhaps someone would like to arrange these if there is any demand