Newark Show

[Peter Sefton]

A good turnout today after all the doom and gloom about the weather, loverly sunny afternoon and the light morning snow had melted away. I dry day forecast for tomorrow so should be a steady stream of visitors.

Nice to catch up with a few forum members, one of our customers said it was the best Newark show he had been to so I guess it depends what you are looking for.

Looking forward to seeing a few more members tomorrow.

Cheers

Peter

 

[powertools]

Well for me it was a 208 mile round trip and it was what I expected and I was pleased I went.
I am old enough to remember shows of the past at places like Ally Pally in London and Cressington Barns but I accept that those days have gone and hobby working is now a very small pastime and most people involved in it including myself are well past their prime as could be seen at the show but I do think it is amazing the quality and range of machines now available at affordable prices to those people still involved.

 

[fezman]

I made it today. I nearly passed and went tomorrow as we woke up with 4" of snow.

By the time i got to the A1 at Doncaster it was pretty clear and had a good run down to Newark. I've been a few times and thought it was on a par with other years.

Had a chat with Peter about the supply (or lack of it) of Woodriver. Picked up some very well priced filters for my RP AC400 dust filter. I also picked up a couple of skews - one a tenner from RP / DJ Evans(the handle had the merest of blemishes on it). Another from Ashley Isles, so may give them a try tomorrow if it warms up a bit. Nice to see John from Kinsley Timbers there. Used them a few times for sheet goods and occasionally hardwoods. Anybody in the Yorkshire region should look them up - I've always had good quality from them & they are local to me for delivery too.

 

[Blister]

Well for me it was a 208 mile round trip and it was what I expected and I was pleased I went.
I am old enough to remember shows of the past at places like Ally Pally in London and Cressington Barns but I accept that those days have gone and hobby working is now a very small pastime and most people involved in it including myself are well past their prime as could be seen at the show but I do think it is amazing the quality and range of machines now available at affordable prices to those people still involved.

Is that Cressing Temple barns ?

 

[imageel]

Is that Cressing Temple barns ?

I thought the same - that's just up the road for me at Braintree and I used to enjoy visiting it and meeting up with folks. I was on the cusp to go to the Newark show, but the weather and grim 260m round trip put me off.
Glad the weather has abated and folks got there and that most enjoyed themselves!

 

[bourbon]

does anyone know if card payment is taken for entrance?
@Peter Sefton

 

[Puggers]

@bourbon, yes, cash and card on the gate

 

[Richard_C]

Yes, one counter card, the other cash. Cafe takes card, looks like most retailers do as well. All very 21st Century.

 

[Blister]

I went today , Not overly impressed , Marketed as a woodworkning show ? 90% stall holders selling stuff
Very little actual woodworking being done , A few woodturning lathes . In and out in about 1 hour .

 

[Spectric]

So lets hope the Northern show is better, if people don't turn up to these shows they will decline and you get into a downward spiral so maybe as a woodworking forum perhaps we need to use them as a social meetup and say what we liked, disliked and would like to see or done different.

I think a balance between selling and just displays of peoples work might be interesting where they are willing to discuss their work and how they went about making it.

 

[paulrbarnard]

I went today , Not overly impressed , Marketed as a woodworkning show ? 90% stall holders selling stuff
Very little actual woodworking being done , A few woodturning lathes . In and out in about 1 hour .

Why would you expect people to be doing woodwork? If you go to a car show are people driving the cars around?
In my experience shows are all about selling. Any demonstrations are simply to aid in that selling.

 

[bourbon]

I went today , Not overly impressed , Marketed as a woodworkning show ? 90% stall holders selling stuff
Very little actual woodworking being done , A few woodturning lathes . In and out in about 1 hour .

you must have got lost and been to another show! There were lots of people turning and a few carvers as well. As has been mentioned, it's a selling show, that's the whole point. I took my Partner with me who wasn't keen to start with. She ended up spending more money on small tools than I did!! @Peter Sefton. I saw you, but you were busy.

 

[Terrytpot]

Dragged swmbo along with me today as I’ve been dying to get to one of these for years but have always worked weekend shifts..still am so just booked the day off as its much closer to me than the Harrogate show. Was quite surprised with how congested the building was with punters which made it all a bit too warm for me. All in I’m glad I made the effort to attend and did part with a few shekels whilst there.

 

[Blister]

Why would you expect people to be doing woodwork? If you go to a car show are people driving the cars around?
In my experience shows are all about selling. Any demonstrations are simply to aid in that selling.

Yes the car shows I go to have cars driving , Lots of them,

Maybe call the next show " The woodworking tools and equipment show "

 

[Blister]

you must have got lost and been to another show! There were lots of people turning and a few carvers as well. As has been mentioned, it's a selling show, that's the whole point. I took my Partner with me who wasn't keen to start with. She ended up spending more money on small tools than I did!! @Peter Sefton. I saw you, but you were busy.

Market it as that , see above post.

 

[powertools]

Is that Cressing Temple barns ?

Thats the place I knew that there would be members who remember the shows of the past.
I think that one reason people find the shows less interesting and a reason there are so few shows now is that when I was going to shows 30 or 40 years ago it was because I was looking to buy expensive kit for my workshop and it was the best place to compare all the choices. I don't
think many 30 somethings are doing the same thing these days

 

[Padster]

I have to say I also went today and wasn't there long, it sadly felt like a poor relation to the Harrogate Show which is a shame as it's a lot closer. Less demo's, less stands, hardly any stalls selling timber just less :-(

 

[powertools]

I went today , Not overly impressed , Marketed as a woodworkning show ? 90% stall holders selling stuff
Very little actual woodworking being done , A few woodturning lathes . In and out in about 1 hour .un a proff

Don't understand what you would have expected to have gained from going. From what you have told us in the past you run a professional workshop and offer training courses. You would have been better off having a stand to promote your own business.

 

[Blister]

Don't understand what you would have expected to have gained from going. From what you have told us in the past you run a professional workshop and offer training courses. You would have been better off having a stand to promote your own business.

You must be mixing me up with someone else , I run a monthly woodturning internet competition on this site 10 + years ago sitting in my home , No time for courses as I was a HGV lorry driver .NOTHING professional.

 

[worn thumbs]

I went,partly because I hadn't been to a show for a while,pandemic and all that,and partly to show some support for the idea of a show.I'm another that wasn't hugely impressed,but then I don't need to buy a great deal.I was really happy to see the work from the turners and carvers as an antidote to the pure commercial side of things.I wouldn't have objected to the gangways being a touch wider,or alternatively a few less visitors standing in the middle of them gawping and blocking movement.

The bonus was driving home and finding a couple of filling stations having a mini price war and I relieved them of several litres at 10p/litre less than my local Tesco.The sunshine all day was appreciated.