- Location
- Forfar,Angus,Scotland
Yes that's the one.
Highland show tickets, online.
- Thread starter Greythundercloudys
- Start date
Have a friend who has a stall in the craft tent. Said they won't be back again unless significant changes to encourage them back. Said all the stand holders around her say the same.
- Location
- Dumfries & Galloway
Was there all day yesterday...
Noticeably quieter than in the past - I always stay in the city centre and use the tram to get out. I've never seen it so quiet on a Show Saturday morning! Almost nobody standing and there were seats to spare. Walked straight in at the South gate - woman tried scanning my phone screen but it didn't bleep to confirm the scan... she just told me to go on in anyway!
Machinery lines felt very quiet as others have said. But i can't think I've seen the shearing shed as busy, all day, like it was yesterday... maybe that had more to do with Cammy ?
Stock lines I felt were a very good turnout of stock. Wasn't in the crafts or food hall so no idea what they were like. Felt a good atmosphere all over and it was good to be back.
Prices are eyewatering though. I don't grudge £7 or £8 for food if the food was worthy of that price but most of it (what I had!) wasn't - but it kept me going... pints at £7.50, halves at £5.75 - doubles £10.75.
Saw hardly anyone I know all day, which was the big thing, as you used to not could go very far without bumping into friends or acquaintances
Noticeably quieter than in the past - I always stay in the city centre and use the tram to get out. I've never seen it so quiet on a Show Saturday morning! Almost nobody standing and there were seats to spare. Walked straight in at the South gate - woman tried scanning my phone screen but it didn't bleep to confirm the scan... she just told me to go on in anyway!
Machinery lines felt very quiet as others have said. But i can't think I've seen the shearing shed as busy, all day, like it was yesterday... maybe that had more to do with Cammy ?
Stock lines I felt were a very good turnout of stock. Wasn't in the crafts or food hall so no idea what they were like. Felt a good atmosphere all over and it was good to be back.
Prices are eyewatering though. I don't grudge £7 or £8 for food if the food was worthy of that price but most of it (what I had!) wasn't - but it kept me going... pints at £7.50, halves at £5.75 - doubles £10.75.
Saw hardly anyone I know all day, which was the big thing, as you used to not could go very far without bumping into friends or acquaintances
glasshouse
Member
- Location
- lothians
Just back myself , another good day out, but noticeably quieter than usual.
I hope the no ticket no entry message hasnt put the public off for good.
I hope the no ticket no entry message hasnt put the public off for good.
glasshouse
Member
- Location
- lothians
What changes?
Always wandering
Member
When do you get new trailer ?
Don't really know. I assume lower stand prices or something to give confidence of higher foot fall.
- Location
- SW Scotland
Got back last night from 3 days at the Show.
Good points -
Great to be out and about amongst folk again.
Weather was kind - not too hot and generally dry.
Huge choice of stands - made some enquiries on the machinery lines but have done a lot more business in the past, maxxed the credit card on the retail stands (-memo to self "give the wife the wrong dates for the next Show and go alone"), tried to empty the Food Hall all by myself but couldn't carry anymore.
All the stock are champions - what a turnout.
Bad points -
Hate crowds.
Hate giving fees to Ticketmaster.
Made the mistake of meeting friends in town for dinner ( Show prices are not bad, believe me - £50/head for dinner will take some paying back
)
And the rest -
My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed the break. We did our own thing around the Showfield, met up when we needed to and saw lots of friends. The social side is every bit as important as the business side and I thought the new pavilion was great - had lunch, supper and a snack there on various days. Food was good in there but less so around the showfield (- it is the same mix of caterers that you see at other events (so the quality probably doesn't vary and they adjust their prices for every venue - I'd imagine their plots cost more at Ingliston but where else will they get 200,000 people?).
Always love the mix of young farmers and old farts, the well-dressed and the scruffs, the well-behaved and those further on with their enjoyment - the front lawn is always busy.
We plan to be there, we plan to go home broke and we enjoy it.
Was it all good? - no.
Personally I had no need of any machinery this year and I'm worried about where my business is going at the moment so I was no good to any standholder - but I will be back and I was looking. I'm surprised at how many exhibitors were there - those present have survived through Covid (obviously) without any shows and didn't need to come back. Good on them for turning up. The empty stands represented those that have failed or had no need to return - who knows. I hate exhibitors that won't make an effort - same as everybody else here.
Too expensive? - I'm a life member and I pay for my wife. Entry prices keep creeping up and the car parking charges are galling. I choose to pay parking even although I know I can get a bus or a train - the car holds all the weather gear that a serious showgoer needs and is somewhere to dump the shopping.
I imagine the business model is a combination of money from exhibitors, visitors and anything else they can charge for. That income will have to pay for maintaining the showfield and running the Show. I dread to think of how many hi-vis jackets are worn by staff, security, cleaners and others that are needed to keep us all safe whilst we are there - or, more likely, cover the Show's liability if anything goes wrong. They have all to be paid and RHASS raises money to pay for RHET as well. (Boils my blood to have paid fees to Ticketmaster though - I really don't like that and I can't see the benefit for anybody in RHASS or Scottish agriculture. I hope they can find a digital platform with more flexibility (- swapping tickets on wet/dry days for example?).)
I get my head around the expense by thinking that I am helping a charity to educate youngsters about the countryside and where their food comes from and that we all need each other.
How many people have taken the trouble to voice their dislike or concerns - quite a lot? Behind that 50,000/day have just got on with it.
I think we are starting to see the start of the recession, spare money from Covid has been spent and the public are skint - I don't think it is entirely the Highland Show's fault for a lack of trade. Bad timing?
Am I a preachy smart-arse? I hope not - my family have exhibited at Highland Shows for well over a 100 years and it is in my blood. I hope RHASS are reading all this social media stuff and I hope they adapt. It ain't broke yet but they need to keep fixin it too.
Good points -
Great to be out and about amongst folk again.
Weather was kind - not too hot and generally dry.
Huge choice of stands - made some enquiries on the machinery lines but have done a lot more business in the past, maxxed the credit card on the retail stands (-memo to self "give the wife the wrong dates for the next Show and go alone"), tried to empty the Food Hall all by myself but couldn't carry anymore.
All the stock are champions - what a turnout.
Bad points -
Hate crowds.
Hate giving fees to Ticketmaster.
Made the mistake of meeting friends in town for dinner ( Show prices are not bad, believe me - £50/head for dinner will take some paying back
)And the rest -
My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed the break. We did our own thing around the Showfield, met up when we needed to and saw lots of friends. The social side is every bit as important as the business side and I thought the new pavilion was great - had lunch, supper and a snack there on various days. Food was good in there but less so around the showfield (- it is the same mix of caterers that you see at other events (so the quality probably doesn't vary and they adjust their prices for every venue - I'd imagine their plots cost more at Ingliston but where else will they get 200,000 people?).
Always love the mix of young farmers and old farts, the well-dressed and the scruffs, the well-behaved and those further on with their enjoyment - the front lawn is always busy.
We plan to be there, we plan to go home broke and we enjoy it.
Was it all good? - no.
Personally I had no need of any machinery this year and I'm worried about where my business is going at the moment so I was no good to any standholder - but I will be back and I was looking. I'm surprised at how many exhibitors were there - those present have survived through Covid (obviously) without any shows and didn't need to come back. Good on them for turning up. The empty stands represented those that have failed or had no need to return - who knows. I hate exhibitors that won't make an effort - same as everybody else here.
Too expensive? - I'm a life member and I pay for my wife. Entry prices keep creeping up and the car parking charges are galling. I choose to pay parking even although I know I can get a bus or a train - the car holds all the weather gear that a serious showgoer needs and is somewhere to dump the shopping.
I imagine the business model is a combination of money from exhibitors, visitors and anything else they can charge for. That income will have to pay for maintaining the showfield and running the Show. I dread to think of how many hi-vis jackets are worn by staff, security, cleaners and others that are needed to keep us all safe whilst we are there - or, more likely, cover the Show's liability if anything goes wrong. They have all to be paid and RHASS raises money to pay for RHET as well. (Boils my blood to have paid fees to Ticketmaster though - I really don't like that and I can't see the benefit for anybody in RHASS or Scottish agriculture. I hope they can find a digital platform with more flexibility (- swapping tickets on wet/dry days for example?).)
I get my head around the expense by thinking that I am helping a charity to educate youngsters about the countryside and where their food comes from and that we all need each other.
How many people have taken the trouble to voice their dislike or concerns - quite a lot? Behind that 50,000/day have just got on with it.
I think we are starting to see the start of the recession, spare money from Covid has been spent and the public are skint - I don't think it is entirely the Highland Show's fault for a lack of trade. Bad timing?
Am I a preachy smart-arse? I hope not - my family have exhibited at Highland Shows for well over a 100 years and it is in my blood. I hope RHASS are reading all this social media stuff and I hope they adapt. It ain't broke yet but they need to keep fixin it too.
- Location
- North of Perth
So who all put some money in to win the Stewart trailer?
Chae1
Member
- Location
- Aberdeenshire
I did.
Was very generous of the Stewart family to donate a trailer to charity.
I hope they get the recognition they deserve.
- Location
- Scotland
Got back last night from 3 days at the Show.
Good points -
Great to be out and about amongst folk again.
Weather was kind - not too hot and generally dry.
Huge choice of stands - made some enquiries on the machinery lines but have done a lot more business in the past, maxxed the credit card on the retail stands (-memo to self "give the wife the wrong dates for the next Show and go alone"), tried to empty the Food Hall all by myself but couldn't carry anymore.
All the stock are champions - what a turnout.
Bad points -
Hate crowds.
Hate giving fees to Ticketmaster.
Made the mistake of meeting friends in town for dinner ( Show prices are not bad, believe me - £50/head for dinner will take some paying back
And the rest -
My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed the break. We did our own thing around the Showfield, met up when we needed to and saw lots of friends. The social side is every bit as important as the business side and I thought the new pavilion was great - had lunch, supper and a snack there on various days. Food was good in there but less so around the showfield (- it is the same mix of caterers that you see at other events (so the quality probably doesn't vary and they adjust their prices for every venue - I'd imagine their plots cost more at Ingliston but where else will they get 200,000 people?).
Always love the mix of young farmers and old farts, the well-dressed and the scruffs, the well-behaved and those further on with their enjoyment - the front lawn is always busy.
We plan to be there, we plan to go home broke and we enjoy it.
Was it all good? - no.
Personally I had no need of any machinery this year and I'm worried about where my business is going at the moment so I was no good to any standholder - but I will be back and I was looking. I'm surprised at how many exhibitors were there - those present have survived through Covid (obviously) without any shows and didn't need to come back. Good on them for turning up. The empty stands represented those that have failed or had no need to return - who knows. I hate exhibitors that won't make an effort - same as everybody else here.
Too expensive? - I'm a life member and I pay for my wife. Entry prices keep creeping up and the car parking charges are galling. I choose to pay parking even although I know I can get a bus or a train - the car holds all the weather gear that a serious showgoer needs and is somewhere to dump the shopping.
I imagine the business model is a combination of money from exhibitors, visitors and anything else they can charge for. That income will have to pay for maintaining the showfield and running the Show. I dread to think of how many hi-vis jackets are worn by staff, security, cleaners and others that are needed to keep us all safe whilst we are there - or, more likely, cover the Show's liability if anything goes wrong. They have all to be paid and RHASS raises money to pay for RHET as well. (Boils my blood to have paid fees to Ticketmaster though - I really don't like that and I can't see the benefit for anybody in RHASS or Scottish agriculture. I hope they can find a digital platform with more flexibility (- swapping tickets on wet/dry days for example?).)
I get my head around the expense by thinking that I am helping a charity to educate youngsters about the countryside and where their food comes from and that we all need each other.
How many people have taken the trouble to voice their dislike or concerns - quite a lot? Behind that 50,000/day have just got on with it.
I think we are starting to see the start of the recession, spare money from Covid has been spent and the public are skint - I don't think it is entirely the Highland Show's fault for a lack of trade. Bad timing?
Am I a preachy smart-arse? I hope not - my family have exhibited at Highland Shows for well over a 100 years and it is in my blood. I hope RHASS are reading all this social media stuff and I hope they adapt. It ain't broke yet but they need to keep fixin it too.
Some excellent points.
The worst thing the show could do would be to scare off any more machinery and motor manufacturers.
Noticible that a large stand area among the car section was given to a second hand car dealer...
glasshouse
Member
- Location
- lothians
Which one?
bobajob
Member
- Location
- Sw Scotland
We decided to go yesterday, more for the day out than to see anything in particular / or do any business.
(We figured half the year is gone and we had hardly been off the farm!)
Just what others have said the machinery lines were quiet, but I think they had been busier on the Thursday and Friday.
The food hall was a bit of a disappointment, without exaggeration there must have been a dozen gin makers there all flogging their wares.
Its Hardly showcasing Scotlands finest home grown food.!
(We figured half the year is gone and we had hardly been off the farm!)
Just what others have said the machinery lines were quiet, but I think they had been busier on the Thursday and Friday.
The food hall was a bit of a disappointment, without exaggeration there must have been a dozen gin makers there all flogging their wares.
Its Hardly showcasing Scotlands finest home grown food.!
My wife and I were in the food hall on Thursday, and I said the same.
Nugent trailer guy had said he was very quiet, but had a good craic with him. Was on the SIP stand also good, might even have a mower coming on demo.
Motor area thing probably not the shows fault.
Dealers haven’t been able to get new cars for months now.
Half the number of pick up truck brands on the market as their used to be.
- Location
- Scot Borders
And let’s be honest, The car/ machinery market has not suffered 1 bit from the show not being held for 2 years. With the cost of getting kit and staff on site you have to wonder how long many will still do it
M-J-G
Member
Their stuff certainly looks well built!
glasshouse
Member
- Location
- lothians
If they cant get new cars or tractors, it cant be good for business
I thought the landcruiser looked a bargain till the rep pointed out it was 4 yr old
They cant get new vehicles to put on stand, so put on what they have.
I have said for years that used kit should be at the show to cater for the grass roots farmers like me
Willie adie
Member
- Location
- Aberdeenshire
The RHAS will always get the die hards who will turn up every year , no matter the cost, number of stands, inconvenience etc, and they know that, but they need to tread that fine line of making a profit and greed, and too many businesses and companies these days have blurred those lines