Why are the club making so much fuss about having a presence at Brands

[malarcy]

i am wondering what all the fuss is about going to Brands to buy coffee and snacks at the Kentagon.

I never rated it as a venue, sure brands is steeped in motorsport history and I worked there trackside for a number of years. But the Kentagon is a soulless cafe ( and has been for 20 years) with zero charm, understaffed at best and at worst staffed by people who view you as inconvenient, bulldogs chewing wasps comes to mind. Last couple night I went to there were about 25 people present and more than half of them were queuing at the bar for the 1 person serving

Moving to west malling was a good days work in my opinion.

Now the club want me to register to attend an evening session to queue for 20 mins for the overworked and disengaged staff to poke a vending machine to make me a coffee. ? Or order luke Warm sausages and frozen chips a week in advance. !!!

am I missing something. ?

 

[Chrishazle]

For summer meets you're definitely missing something - getting there well before 8 to watch whatever track action is happening, and there's always something. Also the venue is more amenable to wandering around interacting with many members (whether outside around the cars, or inside with people), whereas West Malling Golf Club is more sitting at a table with a set group. There are pros and cons to both, but after about 10 years of monthly meets there we miss Brands in certain ways but appreciate WMGC in others.

What we find interesting is that R25 were not offered continuation of what they'd had for many years, yet PCGB can arrange these "coffee and cars" meets on a Wednesday evening. Haven't yet decided if we'll try this month's meet on the 24th, we'll see.

 

[malarcy]

valid points re summer. I joined middle of last year went to all the club nights through to end of year I think.


Yes. There were a couple of good nights , lots of people and some nice cars to look at, but I am kind of hoping that will be the same this year. But (and we are all part of this) there isn't a whole lot of mingling that goes in inside the R25 meets when we are all sat down at tables wherever we meet by the looks - as a newcomer - apart from the "officials" and one or two others (on one night) - nobody ever said "hello - welcome", and whilst thats human nature to a certain extent - I think the venue plays a part in being "cold and distant".

I have also attended the "other porsche club" and their response to a random newcomer was very different but I digress......

Maybe there's something to be said for on track activity (and it seems at least one of the upcoming cars and coffee evenings coincides with a Porsche track Day so makes sense to have a club presence on those nights)

but. And labouring the point a little I felt the region’s "custom” wasn’t wanted by brands and that showed in the limited effort they made. And

I was out there between r25 meeting and happened upon the ford rs owners club. A fair number more people to be fair but much more effort the Kentagon was much better staffed, by people who seemed to want to be there. No 4 deep queues at the bar and the food served looked like someone had cooked it when it was order, rather than microwaving what they had left - more people, more spending, better attention I guess - but on the other side - I think they were actively trying to make us go somewhere else but making the "service" so bad. West malling seem to be able to have enough people behind the bar, in the kitchen and serving food (and walking around) to make it pleasant.

I can't make the april or may club sessions there - but I would have gone along just to see the difference if any.

Brands - potentially good place to have a club night - spoiled by the way Brands choose to "cater" for us I think

 

[Laurence Gibbs]

As a previous RO for Kent I can see from both view points. Personally I like Brands Hatch as a venue but i'd agree fully with Malarcy's observations. When I ran the region I too took the region away from Brands Hatch for much the same reasons Malarcy points out. Plus at the time BH started to ask for a fee for using the Kentagon (a non starter).
As an interested party I went to the BH meeting on the 24th. It was a good turn out. Not the biggest I've seen but pretty good. There were many kent region regulars and a few I hadn't seen for many years ! Also a number from further afield. I spoke to one chap who came down from Cambridge! The queues for the bar were in evidence and there appeared to be only one person serving all night. So no change there. To sum up I like Brands but I do understand the huge difficulty Pearl & Phil must have had in making club night work at BH and fully understand why the region moved away again.

 

[malarcy]

Spoke to some others who attended this and they did comment that there was a good turn out - and the same folks were keen on the next session which coincides with the track evening. I guess more social events is good, but I do hope that Brands up their "welcome" since that's the spoiler for me.

 

[malarcy]

was finally able to make one of these sessions last night - fair number of cars turned up which was nice - but ( in my opinion ) nothing "club" like about it - although the kentagon seemed better staffed and the food (whilst still the same 'cafe' offering was better prepped and presented)

But no PCBG "officials" as far as I could see - nothing to promote the club - there was an open track day on - a number of Porsche's going round - perhaps they were members, perhaps not but some kind of "hey we are the PCGB - here's what we do/are banner" or something?

It beat watching love island that's for sure - but generally, underwhelming in my opinion.

 

[malarcy]

and again this time around - more interest in "on the track" than "at the club" - one notable exception and a good evening because of your company. Highlight was a "my mate has a porsche but i am too tall for it and I have a VM camper but we are going to get one to race" visitor who was an amateur photographer "who gets asked to sell his pictures a lot" - who pronounced that one of the two nearly identical cars was "not worth a second look" whereas the other was "nice but he's asking far too much for it" to a random pair of folks.

Turned out the "not worth a 2nd look car" was mine - which I am perfectly ok with - I didn't buy it to look at it - and it is generic porsche silver - unremarkable in every way except the fun I get from it. The other one was a fantastic colour and a credit it its owner - but Mr. VW photo man didn't agree.

He wasn't offensive, and I respect his opinion - even if neither of us asked for it - but is that it for a "coffee and cars" Porsche meeting..........

There are other options.

 

[clubsport]

We are fortunate that the club has given us the opportunity to go to Brands and a Golf club to meet and talk about Porsche's.
What is the problem, too much choice?
Many of us go there to catch up with like minded Porsche enthusiasts, if I need a barista coffee service or haut cuisine I am unlikely to go to a race track or golf club?.....it's all about the cars and enthusiasts for many of us.

 

[malarcy]

We are fortunate that the club has given us the opportunity to go to Brands and a Golf club to meet and talk about Porsche's.
What is the problem, too much choice?
Many of us go there to catch up with like minded Porsche enthusiasts, if I need a barista coffee service or haut cuisine I am unlikely to go to a race track or golf club?.....it's all about the cars and enthusiasts for many of us.

"What's the problem ?"

My post was "why are the club making a fuss about going to Brands, when the region club had just moved out."

I don't think I suggested that I attend club events for the coffee or the food - I said I thought the services provided were poor, and I still do.

I didn't say there was a problem with the event or with having the choice - I said that I did not understand why the club were making a fuss and I thought that Brands was a poor meeting venue, I thought it was an environment did lend itself to social interaction, and I thought it was poorly staffed, served food that was of poor quality - I neither want (ever) a Barista coffee - nor "haut cuisine" - and there is a big difference between "a reasonable cafe meal" and reheated over cooked sausages and warmed by serving hatch lighting chips and I did not understand why the club was making a big deal out of venue that we moved away from only months earlier.

By a fuss i mean - the club asked you to register in advance, they asked you to pre-order food, and they talked about their "coffee wagon" being there - the couple of times I have been to these I have not even been able to tell if any club officials were there - certainly nothing that would attract others to come find out about the club if they were interested.

I have been along to a couple of these and I remain unimpressed with the level of service Brands provides - it's better than the R25 club nights - but I think because it's an evening when they have other activities on.

Let's turn it around and ask a question - have you found these events to be any different to R25 club nights that were held at Brands? Do you find the Kentagon or Brands a good place to stimulate conversations? Me - I don't, I think it encourages tight groups who don't even get eye contact with other tight groups or individuals. If that's being "all about the cars and the enthusiasts" then perhaps it's a great venue, but that's not how I see it, I would venture however that something like the R20 Out East events fits that description much better.

Perhaps I have it all wrong, have you met many new Porsche Enthusiasts and seen different nice cars you haven't seen before at these events?

Not trying to suggest that the Club shouldn't have other events, just, still questioning - why there?

 

[BoxsterBox]

Agree with all your remarks about Brands and the Kentagon. No doubt the Club wish to maintain their relationship with MSV for future joint events like that held at Brands in September 2018.

 

[malarcy]

Agree with all your remarks about Brands and the Kentagon. No doubt the Club wish to maintain their relationship with MSV for future joint events like that held at Brands in September 2018.

That makes perfect sense - and if that's the underlying reason then I see the value in doing that.

 

[Chase27]

I'm very new to the club, but have been going to Brands since 1983 when Nigel Mansell was driving a Lotus. It is a superior place notwithstanding, or maybe because of, the Kentagon staff.

Now that I have joined the club (2003 Boxster S) what opportunities are there for me to drive my car around the Indy circuit?

I would appreciate it if someone in the know may bring me up to speed on the point.

All the best

Charles

 

[Chrishazle]

The club does a Brands indie circuit track afternoon every year, first hour is 3 x 20 minute sessions divided by previous track experience then 2 hours open pit lane. It should have been in May but that was cancelled and I understand the club is in discussions with MSV about another date later this year (according to the latest Kent R25 newsletter). Suggest you contact R25 RO's (see Kent Region sub-forum on here) to be added to their mailing list.

"28 May Brands Hatch postponed track evening
PCGB is in negotiation with MSV about a possible rescheduled date for the track evening that should have taken place on 28 May at Brands Hatch."

r25@porscheclubgb.com