Donington? Now Malvern 2010 - General discussion

[Nige]

I've had a letter from Club Lotus thanking us for our participation at Donington 2009 (standard letter). The letter goes on to provide some information about the possibilties next year. As you know the development of Donington Park for the British GP 2010 means that the exhibition centre will be demolished later this year so the future location of the Club Lotus Show remains uncertain. I quote the letter in full below and will provide updates as and when I hear anything new.

With much uncertainty surrounding the future of Donington we're already investigating alternative venues for 2010. It's impossible to predict what will happen with the circuit and, although ideally we'd like to stay at Donington, the most important thing is to make an early decision so that the venue for the 2010 show is assured. We will of course keep you up to date with any developments.

[Rambo]

Nige - I was speaking to Alan Morgan (CL chairman) yesterday at The Jim Clark remembrance w/e at Duns/Chirnside.

We discussed what you have described above and AM was hoping that if things go belly up at Donington, Silverstone may be an option ?? Only 1 problem though - they only have a collection of sheds to date and would need to build a large exhibition hall to house all the internal stuff. He was very excited at the prospect of track options at Silverstone, particularly to the north of the circuit IIRC, compared to those at Donington Park

[Specky]

Silverstone would be ideal...

Loads and loads of Tarmac parking in the centre of the track...

Southern circuit is my fav and it's got the pits, saying that the nortern circuit has got the school so more people could be familiar with driving it...

and it's just up the road

On the flip side Donny sounds like it's going bust, who knows what will happen...

ooh descissions...descissions...

Just thought you could use the Garages to display the stands,cars etc

TTFN

[Nige]

Talking with Alan Morgan at Castle Combe the other weekend and he indicated that Silverstone is unlikely (but not yet ruled out) for 2010 and this was still a good option given the track. For 2010 the Telford Exhibition centre was a serious contender and having been there several times I agree with him. It's far exceed Donington in exhibition facilities but does not have a track or a first rate racing car museum. I will be sad to see the event move from Donington but there are other options and I do remember attending the same event when it was at Stoneleigh.

[ektrolleyboy]

Do we have approxiamate dates yet?
I need to book my holiday soon!

[Nige]

Usually the middle of March but this year the middle of April. Venue and dates not yet confirmed by CL. I suspect venue first and then availability will determine the dates. As soon as I (or anyone else) knows it will be posted here.

[lotos]

It's on our "wouldn't THAT be a nice time to finally visit the UK" list right now.... so I'm keeping tuned into the 2010 dates and info keenly

[Nige]

Still no details of dates or venue from CL, I'll see what I can find out.

[muley]

At the H+C last night we thought we might do Donington in 2010 without the exhibition bit - you know, travelodge , colour procession to who knows where curry and Navigation Inn and just do a spin instead - we were only half joking.

[Nige]

Latest views from Alan Morgan gleaned whilst at Malvern. The Donington Exhibition Centre is due to be demolished this month to make way for the new pits. A new exhibition centre is supposed to be built over Winter 2010/2011. I can see a scenario where the current centre is demolished, Donington doesn't get the Grand Prix and the new exhibition centre doesn't get built. Not demolishing the current exhibition centre would mean that the future proposed track changes for the Grand Prix are not going to happen.

Alan was certainly thinking about using the 3 Counties Showground at Malvern as a potential alternative venue if Donington is not possible. As far as location goes I think it would be a good call as being just off the M5 it was closer than I imnagined it would be. Not ideal for everone but is Donington? The facilities are OK (just) and the 3 large halls adjacent to the single Hall we were in yesterday could easily accomodate a Donington Sized show. I'll try to establish what is actually going to happen but it's clear that Club Lotus don't yet know themselves.

[Specky]

I think it's an idealistic location, but there are a few draw backs

The big one first....No Track...

And a personal one...

The lighting in those sheds is just weird... it manges to highlight every minor imperfection that your car has....

TTFN

[markv]

...A new exhibition centre is supposed to be built over Winter 2010/2011. I can see a scenario where the current centre is demolished, Donington doesn't get the Grand Prix and the new exhibition centre doesn't get built. Not demolishing the current exhibition centre would mean that the future proposed track changes for the Grand Prix are not going to happen....

By Monday, we should know whether there's going to be a Grand Prix at Donington. If not, they probably won't demolish the current centre.

[Ade]

So its now official, Malvern it is 17th-18th April .

Ade

[theelanman]

So its now official, Malvern it is 17th-18th April .

Ade

yep...its in the CL mag

[Nige]

Not yet on the CL website and if my CL mag is at home then I haven't read it yet!

[theelanman]

yep...not on the site yet...but deffo in your mag....
erm.....we need to get our act together a bit sooner then I reckon......
Im not sure about the curry and the accomodation so I think we need 'local' knowledge.....

[Rambo]

See page 23 for full details.

Didn't you just have a trial run in early October ? I'm sure I remembered reading that there was an LEC member actually based in Malvern. Andy L from memory ??? And I think it's also Sy's stomping ground - or maybe was ? They should be well up on pubs/curry houses/camping etc...

PS CL have really hiked their prices up this year. It's £7 per day for club members rather than for a full w/e ticket. That's about 100% inflation but I suppose it's still good value

[theelanman]

I think the trial run may have been related to the site only.....
dont think there were 50+people for a curry n piss up the night before...
also that there wasnt a hotel with 100 elans parked outside.....
just needs some local knowledge to see where we can be accomodated......

do you think that the donny pubs n restaurants will miss us?.....

its just gonna be a pain getting past brum on a friday late afternoon....M6 and M5.....well for us 'northerners'

[Nige]

Got home and found my Mag with it in. Not suprised as it was fairly clear it was heading this way when at the parts fair last month. It's Ok as a venue (from someone who remembers it being at Stoneleigh before Donington ).

The change of venue will mean more planning than just dusting off the Donington routine that we are accustomed to. I'm just off to the Southern area meet where I'm sure we'll discuss it but I'll set up a section to get this going in the next few days (bit busy this weekend as it's remembrance). The recce and info we gathered whilst at the parts fair will be valuable, my initial rthoughts are that we transfer the Donington format (curry on Friday, convoy on saturday and something social on Saturday night onto Malvern.

[theelanman]

my initial rthoughts are that we transfer the Donington format......curry on Friday, convoy on saturday and something social on Saturday night....onto Malvern.

yep.....I agree......