Who is not attending this year, Congrats to Robspots, and anything else thread

[BigH]

 

If so, I wonder if the ACO will notice the shortfall,

They're doomed I tell you, DOOMED!
Nothing a chilli and poultice and bunsen burner wouldn't put right though.
I haven't had my allocation letter yet, but no doubt I'll have 2 pitches next to a latrine just north of Mare Imbrium. (there'll still be a tw*t in a TVR nearby revving the nuts off it at 3:00am though, I bet)
H

[Bas]

Hate to drag this back on topic, but I wonder if the numbers not attending from CA this year are representative of the whole British contingent? If so, I wonder if the ACO will notice the shortfall, and whether they may put some thought into why people are less keen to go. More likely, they'll just put it down to the credit crunch.

Well to be fair it's probably mostly the credit crunch and the unfavourable exchange rate that is keeping the British contingent away.
The campsites are sold-out and so are most of the grandstands, sure there will be a drop in attendance this year but the French not attending will probably hurt more.

Still so many die-hards from CA staying away makes me wonder how many casual fans will not turn up?

(I'm making a bit of an assumption here, which is that those people who have simply decided that they "aren't going to bother this year" or who have "something else on" would normally have made damn sure that they didn't have something else on at Le Mans time, had we not suffered the continual rogering from the ACO)

Come-on Smokie the whining about campsite allocations, troubles etc is of all years.
Check 2005, 2006, 2007 every year people are complaining and saying they might not attend the next year and they still did.

No I am of the opinion this has nothing to do with the ACO being their usual unhelpfull self and all with the current shitty economic climate.

[Piglet]

Bas, for me the difference is that in previous years it was always possible to get hold of MB tickets, there was always someone on here who had a supply to flog on so there were options other than agencies.  Last year that changed, the majority of the decent sites were clearly sold to the agencies or in the case of MB last year, not sold at all (I accept that a lot of that was probably caution of the part of the ACO about whether the site would be ready).  I had hoped that this year there would be more MB tickets around but that clearly isn't the case.

That changes things for me,  I don't want to pay an agency for overpriced camping tickets, I don't want to buy 2 over priced GA tickets for each tiny camping plot - 5 x 7 is of no use to anyone unless you've got a small car and a 2 man tent.   For the two of us we need two camping spaces so with an agency that means 4 expensive GA tickets, 3 of which I don't need (KK is media).    I don't want to pay a fortune for camping when the facilities are crap, I don't mind crap facilities when it's cheap but I really object to paying a fortune to queue for hours for a shower.   

I notice that the BSJ tickets I've been allocated are 49 euros each - I'm sure they used to be 35 euros? 

[Bas]

Bas, for me the difference is that in previous years it was always possible to get hold of MB tickets, there was always someone on here who had a supply to flog on so there were options other than agencies.  Last year that changed, the majority of the decent sites were clearly sold to the agencies or in the case of MB last year, not sold at all (I accept that a lot of that was probably caution of the part of the ACO about whether the site would be ready).  I had hoped that this year there would be more MB tickets around but that clearly isn't the case.

Thing is Piglet that people should probably forget about MB.
MB was about 800 pitches last year and substantially less this year, so what's the chance of obtaining one of those coveted remaining (maybe) 600 tickets?

That changes things for me,  I don't want to pay an agency for overpriced camping tickets, I don't want to buy 2 over priced GA tickets for each tiny camping plot - 5 x 7 is of no use to anyone unless you've got a small car and a 2 man tent.   For the two of us we need two camping spaces so with an agency that means 4 expensive GA tickets, 3 of which I don't need (KK is media). 

Well I feel for you but we generally need 5 to 8 tickets and in the last decade or so we've always managed to secure camping tickets without the help of an agency.
In fact in 2001 we employed the help of an agency (Tickets &Travel) and the a'holes bailed out on us late May 

So come on, see getting the right tickets as part of the fun/build-up to the Le Mans week, I do and it takes away the stress very much. There are always a couple of pitches to be had via (the help of) this forum or e-bay.
 

I don't want to pay a fortune for camping when the facilities are crap, I don't mind crap facilities when it's cheap but I really object to paying a fortune to queue for hours for a shower.   

I notice that the BSJ tickets I've been allocated are 49 euros each - I'm sure they used to be 35 euros? 

Well facilities are crap anywhere so we just find alternatives and the municipal pool and golf club have proven to be excellent replacements. 

[mgmark]

What he said.  And McD's and Decathlon's loos are fine too.  Plus, if the number of people apparently undecided, or not going is anything to go by here, if the agencies have taken the lion's share of favourite CA' haunts and are "sold out" then I suspect there could well be bundles of tickets being offloaded nearer the time, either by agencies groups or individuals.

MG Mark   

[Piglet]

Well we all make our own decisions don't we?  Smokie asked why people aren't going and I gave my views, you don't agree with them but it doesn't make them less valid and I imagine that others think the same.

I don't want to forget about MB, I'd take BN if that was an option but it isn't.  I'd rather not go than end up in the wilds of BSJ which is where the ACO seem to believe we should all be.  It doesn't work for us with KK going back and fro to the media centre.

I hate being ripped off and the agencies are ripping us off and the ACO allow it to go on.   We have done the same as you and always managed to get tickets for a group through various means, the point I'm making is that this is much more difficult to do now as the allocations to individuals aren't there anymore (as far as I can see anyway).  The introduction of allocated pitches (which is good IMO) makes it virtually impossible to put together a group from odds and sods floating around.  Your logic of what you've done over the past decade doesn't really work at the moment.

Plus the big issue for me is the time and aggravation involved in trying to put a group pitch together which is what we've done in previous years.  It's a nightmare and I can't really be bothered anymore, maybe it was fun once, but it isn't now.   In the past we've had four or six pitches and I can't see how we'd manage that now?  I suppose we're supposed to go to BSJ and be happy using your approach?

Maybe we're different because we go for the motorsport, there is plenty of other motorsport in the world to go and see so we're chosing to use our time to see some different stuff where it's not as much aggro. 

Horses for courses.

Mark, I hope you're right and there are groups of tickets around nearer the time, I just hope they aren't all on ebay as singles to make people more cash.

[knetter]

The biggest reason for me staying away is that I am to busy this year, the credit crunch doesn't bother me that much, with our setup, it is at the most 400 euro per head, so that is not a big enough reason not to attend.

At the moment I am contemplating if it will be worth it to go to MB ever again, the ACO managed to completely kill the atmosphere on that site in a very impressive way. For me the best thing about Le Mans is meeting all our friends and have a laugh and a drink or 20. That can be achieved on any campsite, i've said it last year as well, but most people wanted to be on MB, mostly because of the security of being inside the track, we did carry a lot of expensive equipment, so I can see the point.

The ACO were never easy to deal with, but it feels like it has become an even greater hassle to get good tickets then it has been in the past. I'll just go to Spa this year, where live is still relatively uncomplicated, camping is free and tickets are cheap. The atmosphere is different, but good just the same.

See you all at the 24 hours of Spa

[nopanic - neil]

See you all at the 24 hours of Spa

Went to F1 at Spa last year, what a great circuit - one word Stunning!

Well worth the trip and only 4 hours from that side of the Tunnel.

[Piglet]

See you all at the 24 hours of Spa

Went to F1 at Spa last year, what a great circuit - one word Stunning!

Well worth the trip and only 4 hours from that side of the Tunnel.

You should go to the FIA GT 24 hours, sitting in the trees at Blanchimont in the middle of the night with the race cars underneath you is just fab     

We had to miss Spa last year as I didn't have enough holiday to do everything 

Roy, did you camp at Les Combes last year?   How was it? 

[knetter]

I couldn't make it last year, but camping at Le combes is usually roughing it with no showers or Loo's. But its free and you only need to stay for 2 nights, so not a big problem. There is also a nice youth hostel nearby, which we used before at the LMS races, nice restaurant next door with good food and cheap beers, run by a flemish couple. So no need to speak freeky deeky Wallon!!

Will go this year, but won't be camping, going to sleep in the car for a bit, plan on watching most of the race. Specially in the trees at blanchimont!!!

[mgmark]

Well we all make our own decisions don't we?  Smokie asked why people aren't going and I gave my views
Horses for courses.
Mark, I hope you're right and there are groups of tickets around nearer the time, I just hope they aren't all on ebay as singles to make people more cash.

Anita,

Indeed we all do decide sometimes differently, (and have to sometimes), and all circumstances are different.  I know why MB (or adjacent) is important to you and KK, and if we end up with a spare BN ticket, I'll let you know.  My comment about whether there will be tickets coming up nearer the time is just a feeling in the water - based on the fact that MB was a shambles last year with the site/track changes and weather, with the result that despite being "sold out" from the outset it was half empty, and that if the forum is anything to go by, with many fewer peiople going, there'll be an equally many fewer buying tickets from the agencies.....

All the best

MG Mark   

[Stu]

The rest of The boys will be attending as usual and I am sure that I will miss the trip more than I think.

So why not just come and save yourself the heartache?

[Brian(Liverpool boys)]

Her indoors is treating me to Menorca,  flight and villa booked, but I am sure it will make 2010 even better, see you at the boat show

[mike(liverpool boys)]

[quote see you at the boat show [/quote] Dont change the subject Brian

[Kev_mk3]

See you all at the 24 hours of Spa

Went to F1 at Spa last year, what a great circuit - one word Stunning!

Well worth the trip and only 4 hours from that side of the Tunnel.

going to vist there on the way back from the ring