Gresham Posted April 26, 2016 Report Share Posted April 26, 2016 Reading the thread 'Alarmingly low crowds' got me thinking about my own 'local' tracks and the catchment area they have to work with. My nearest two tracks are both 40 and 42 miles away...both can be reached by motorway, and take an on average an hour to drive to. The former can take up to two hours some Fridays as the motorway is often congested with holiday traffic. Someone posted about Berwick's crowds being slightly up and that the promotors had been pro active. I don't think anyone would know Speedway still exists within an hour of where I live...have never seen it advertised or promoted. How far do you travel, and how far away do promotors advertise and expect people to travel from? It's never really crossed my mind before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 30, 2016 Report Share Posted April 30, 2016 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 30, 2016 Report Share Posted April 30, 2016 (edited) From where I live in South London, the nearest track would be Rye House - but it would take about two hours to get there using public transport. And the return journey late at night would be horrendous. Edited April 30, 2016 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 30, 2016 Report Share Posted April 30, 2016 (edited) The farthest I have travelled for a meeting was from my home in south London to Oldenburg, West Germany. And while there, on following day I also saw another German meeting at Bremen. Reading the thread 'Alarmingly low crowds' got me thinking about my own 'local' tracks and the catchment area they have to work with. My nearest two tracks are both 40 and 42 miles away...both can be reached by motorway, and take an on average an hour to drive to. The former can take up to two hours some Fridays as the motorway is often congested with holiday traffic. Someone posted about Berwick's crowds being slightly up and that the promotors had been pro active. I don't think anyone would know Speedway still exists within an hour of where I live...have never seen it advertised or promoted. How far do you travel, and how far away do promotors advertise and expect people to travel from? It's never really crossed my mind before. A good question Gresham but not one there's likely to be a specific answer to. At a guess I would say track promoters target a 20 mile radius to attract potential visitors to their meetings. Edited April 30, 2016 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 1, 2016 Report Share Posted May 1, 2016 I don't think anyone would know Speedway still exists within an hour of where I live...have never seen it advertised or promoted. I look at websites for stock car racing, and also go in vicinity of the stadiums they use. And what impresses me is their use of poster advertising - something that appears to be completely foreign to speedway promoters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 1, 2016 Report Share Posted May 1, 2016 (edited) The nearest I have lived to a speedway was New Cross in the 1946 and 1947 seasons. We could clearly hear the magical sound of the bikes and the cheering fans. Later that year, we moved further away from that area although I could still get near to visiting New Cross speedway on a 35 tram! Edited May 1, 2016 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 1, 2016 Report Share Posted May 1, 2016 I thought about going to Kent Kings (weather permitting) tomorrow Bank Holiday Monday. But after checking my train times via Penge East to Bromley, then make a change for Sittingbourne, it would take one hour 45 minutes. So I won't be going there. With return journey and match times it would mean an overall time factor of about six and half hours! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sommelier Posted May 1, 2016 Report Share Posted May 1, 2016 I thought about going to Kent Kings (weather permitting) tomorrow Bank Holiday Monday. But after checking my train times via Penge East to Bromley, then make a change for Sittingbourne, it would take one hour 45 minutes. So I won't be going there. With return journey and match times it would mean an overall time factor of about six and half hours! In 2006 to 2008 I lived in Tain about 30 miles north of Inverness & hardly missed a Somerset meeting! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 1, 2016 Report Share Posted May 1, 2016 In 2006 to 2008 I lived in Tain about 30 miles north of Inverness & hardly missed a Somerset meeting! That's good.Maybe you don't have to also contend with "old age" and a health problem? How many hours, how many miles and what was an average cost for your journies. Why did you do this journey rather than adopt either of the Scottish tracks - Glasgow and Edinburgh - or Berwick? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sommelier Posted May 1, 2016 Report Share Posted May 1, 2016 That's good.Maybe you don't have to also contend with "old age" and a health problem? How many hours, how many miles and what was an average cost for your journies. Why did you do this journey rather than adopt either of the Scottish tracks - Glasgow and Edinburgh - or Berwick? Would also visit the tracks you mentioned, Somerset is a track I enjoy particularly like. I didn't drive I always flew to Bristol. Regarding age, i'm no youngster! I still do minimum 4 meetings a week. ie last Thursday Ipswich 430 miles, Friday Somerset 80 miles, tomorrow Wolves 180 miles, Wednesday Poole 190 miles, Thursday Swindon 90 miles Friday day off, Saturday Kings Lynne 400 miles. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 1, 2016 Report Share Posted May 1, 2016 Would also visit the tracks you mentioned, Somerset is a track I enjoy particularly like. I didn't drive I always flew to Bristol. Regarding age, i'm no youngster! I still do minimum 4 meetings a week. ie last Thursday Ipswich 430 miles, Friday Somerset 80 miles, tomorrow Wolves 180 miles, Wednesday Poole 190 miles, Thursday Swindon 90 miles Friday day off, Saturday Kings Lynne 400 miles. That's incredible travelling! And the cost must be prohibitive? Good luck to you for your travels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sommelier Posted May 1, 2016 Report Share Posted May 1, 2016 That's incredible travelling! And the cost must be prohibitive? Good luck to you for your travels.Got my tickets for the Watermill on the 21st, so see you there ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 2, 2016 Report Share Posted May 2, 2016 Got my tickets for the Watermill on the 21st, so see you there ? I have enjoyed our debate sommelier but am at a loss here: what is the Watermill? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
salty Posted May 2, 2016 Report Share Posted May 2, 2016 I have enjoyed our debate sommelier but am at a loss here: what is the Watermill? Come on Gustix!! It's at Merton Abbey Mills and is the venue for the Dons Reunion & Memorial get together in a few weeks time. Check it out on Facebook....https://www.facebook.com/events/1569608146701756/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 2, 2016 Report Share Posted May 2, 2016 Got my tickets for the Watermill on the 21st, so see you there ? I have enjoyed our debate sommelier but am at a loss here: what is the Watermill? Come on Gustix!! It's at Merton Abbey Mills and is the venue for the Dons Reunion & Memorial get together in a few weeks time. Check it out on Facebook....https://www.facebook.com/events/1569608146701756/ Too far from Penge for me! But I hope that the reunion event proves a success. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sommelier Posted May 2, 2016 Report Share Posted May 2, 2016 I have enjoyed our debate sommelier but am at a loss here: what is the Watermill?Dons reunion Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xmas Posted May 3, 2016 Report Share Posted May 3, 2016 6000 Miles each way I live in Thailand but I popped back to the UK last week for a couple of meetings and I hired a car and drove to wolverhamton Speedway last Monday and that's the first Speedway I've seen live for a couple of years but to me the trill and exitment has gone, before when I lived in the UK I used to go to 3/4 meetings a week, the way it is going I will be amazed if we still have professional Speedway in a few years time in the UK 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hackett Posted May 3, 2016 Report Share Posted May 3, 2016 Live in Wallington, Surrey - So 75 min drive to Arlington each fortnight weather permitting. Lakeside is probably closest but Fri night on M25 and working in Central London that is never going to happen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 3, 2016 Report Share Posted May 3, 2016 6000 Miles each way I live in Thailand but I popped back to the UK last week for a couple of meetings and I hired a car and drove to wolverhamton Speedway last Monday and that's the first Speedway I've seen live for a couple of years but to me the trill and exitment has gone, before when I lived in the UK I used to go to 3/4 meetings a week, the way it is going I will be amazed if we still have professional Speedway in a few years time in the UK That's a profound comment xmas and one which, sadly, I tend to agree with. We are now seeing signs of what has happened in past years in once flourishing speedway nations which were complete with league set-ups - but no more. I mean New Zealand, Holland and South Africa on the league front, while Australia is no longer the speedway nation it once was with car formulas now dominating there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hagonshocker Posted May 7, 2016 Report Share Posted May 7, 2016 I usually have a drink and a chat/debate with Sommelier along with old Sidney on a thursday at Swindon and he does amaze us with his talk of his travels! Used to travel thousands of miles years ago mainly 80's early 90's but just home meetings mostly these days apart from Cardiff and odd Poole meetings when in Dorset on bizzo 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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