David_LLAMA4x4

I admit that I am now well past the halfway point of my life - I am getting old. However I am not trying to stand in the way of change - I think I might have written that I am not against the extreme stuff. there is also potential for more sales from this side of the business - I already supply 'johnny' style joints to many Xtreme companies and individuals and have always sold hoses that go beyond what even the top flight of UK competitors need, want or afford. All I am saying is that there are pitfalls to only promoting this side of offroading: It will deter people from entering the sport in a more normal, affordable vehicle which is only going to be bad for longevity of the entire industry ( even down to spare parts for normal road 4x4s ) if no new blood joins. It has also sprung up a whole level of copycat , trying to be extreme 4x4's that are built on a shoestring and are quite honestly horrible!!! A boring old ALRC 80" trialler is far more capable and lasts for more than 40 minutes of an event. I am all in favour of the extreme events ( I am actually a sponsor of KOV again this year! Marshall's vets bear the Llama 4x4 logo. This year the Marshalls packed lunches are being paid for by me!" I love the extreme and support it - even if I am an old git. BUT some of that age might just have brought some experiences with it that can see the problems in only promoting one field of the sport. I do not fear progress - I embrace it. I do fear change for the hell of it that has no overall benefit... David ( AKA the old git up the corner who might just have a point if the kids of today were forward thinking enough to listen )

More than a valid point - any ammunition you could need to fight against greenlining is handed to the enemy on a weekly basis by our own side!!! Responsible use of lanes has in my 29 years of greenlaing in Shropshire has never been hard to defend and any possible confrontation from other user groups or landowners has always ended amicably BUT to put it bluntly there are a lot of 4x4 drivers who lane and drive on the paved roads like knobs! they get us all a bad name as it is all too easy to tar everyone with the same brush. If you took your 4x4 head off and replaced it with a neutral one you would probably want it banning too. Green laning is the best form of offroading I have ever enjoyed ( home & abroad ) but it is the easiest one for mindless offroaders to get banned or closed down... I fear the real potential for lane closure lies within our own ranks and not in the hands of some busy body with a bee in their bonnet! the state of the land around some byways where offroaders have left the lane and enjoyed a trash around proves this. David

Hello Agree with the Extreme stuff - remember to spell it wrong as well, must be with an Xtreme rather than an Extreme. I am not sure that extreme stuff has had any actual benefit to the wider 4x4 appeal and has I am sure actually been detrimental to any new people taking up the hobby - go and watch a load of 4x4's dangling on a piece of string and smashing themselves up and it would put anyone off using their own 4x4 at any kind of offroad event... I am not saying we should not have the Xtreme but it should be made clear that this is a minority of 4x4 use and not the only option as so many magazines and forums suggest.... David

Valid points - and I admit I only have arguments against some of them.... Donington must stay donington. But I think Ican do an outside show in the summer that might just be different enough to justify a day out.... All the bits missing from Donington - autojumble, clubs, displays - but with a few quirks. Not so much a unique selling point but a range of points offering enough that cumulatively they are enough to add another show to the calendar. Si & Nigel, give me a call when you get 5 mins - I would like an opinion on some of my dreams!! David

Don't worry, Donington is, and within my control, will stay just like Donington should be !! What I am on about is an extra day out, not an instead of... See you in Feb!!! David

Please take a couple of minutes to fill in this online survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/C6B9ZXL Th Donington 4x4 Show 2015 is set for feb 15th but I have had an idea for a new day out in June Many thanks David

Less than a month to go now!! See http://www.donington4x4show.co.uk for up to date list of exhibitors and times / directions... Buy you advance tickets at the same address!!1 Hope to see a lot of you there David

I'm with Si and the others on this one - so many Travel Lodge, Premier Inn, Holiday Inn, Days Inn places within a 5 minute drive that I think it would be very rude not to use their facilities! David

Mike - give me a call on 01952.825732 about getting HA there. I live in Newport so HA are my neighbours! Public Entrance Price - £10 for adults. U16's FREE and free car parking. That should just about make us the most reasonably priced of all the LR shows and having to bring the kids is not going to make it an expensive day out. Nige - have sent a PM, give ma acall and we can sort out a nice stand for you ( be quick though as almost entire floorplan is now sold! ) David

Hello As public it seems a way off but as organiser I can assure you it is almost done: http://www.donington4x4show.co.uk Back to the show world after a break of a few years ( aprt from the Overland & 4x4 Travel Show ) and having seen the ( probable ) demise of my old show that I sold to Total OffRoad magazine I have decided the time is now right. So the new show ( albeit back in the original building I used in 2002 ) will be aimed at being a 'real 4x4 show' as opposed to the Sunday markets that the mainstream shows have become. Look at the list of exhibitors already booked in and you will see that it is 4x4 related - no hats, no candy floss, no bubble blowing machines - just offroading stuff - be it for challenge trucks, racing laning or verlanding Hope to see a number of you there. David

I wish you every success with your venture.... It is simply through lack of time due to normal llama 4x4 work and moving house / work / kids' schools etc that I have been unable to organise the original Show for February of 2012. 2 months is simply not long enough to organise a trade show ( the old Indoor 4x4 Show used to take 10 months to organise!! ) so rathe than running a halg hearted event I chose to postpone it ... Good luck with your new show David

This thread seems to be getting silly! I too make joses for £100k+ racing cars on a weekly basis. Last MkII Escort I did cost the bloke £1850 just for his oil / fuel / brake hoses. Last week was a few fuel hoses on a Group N Suburu ( only a £90k car ) Does this mean I am too good to sell to Land Rover owners?? Not as I see it! Some jobs might take priority over a set of LR hoses but only as a business decision not one of 'below my talents'. The big money job is done first and then the rest is done as soon as poss so as not to let any customer down. Email me / PM me or call 01938.850382 / 07969.458958 and I will gladly give you a quote David

As Orgaoniser of the show all the above comments are very interesting and useful to consider when organising next year's event.... I am very pleased to see that the general overview is one of satisfaction. I think this was evident on the day by the lovely, friendly atmosphere in the building. The food in the restairant was far better than any other exhibition centre I have been to and speaking to people there I think the food will actually become part of the visitors pland- looking over the show from the balcony whilst having a meal with friends or family - again adding to the atmosphere. The comments about the toilets has left me a little puzzled! I have actually received emails from trade and public alike saying how nice it was to use a venue with proper facilities!! Perhaps having the cleaner on duty all day meant that any mess was cleaned quickly and so did not affect too many people. The cleaners reported nothing out of the ordinary on the day so perhaps the above incident was no more than at any other gathering of public and not unique to LR owners! Fortunately as I have said the cleaner was on standby all da\y and I think ( unless reports prove me wrong ) kept the facilities in a good state for use all day. The quality of individual products and there application to an individuals needs is always going to be one of opinion.. there were 4 makes of trailer in the hall. There was alos ( at least ) 2 different breather kits at different specs and prices on display ( Mantec and Gwyn Lewis ) The effort put in by some exhibitors will always be limited by their choices, Some stands were simply superb in their layout and effort and some were rushed efforts without too much commitment. I think you will see ( as I did with the previous show I organised ) that now the Show has been widely accepted as a success the 'don't want to risk too much' traders will come with more effort and vigour to the next one. Just a footnote now to say a big thankyou to all the trade and public who supported me in this event and hope you will all enjoy coming to next years show!!! Many thanks to you all David

Just calculated that the trade stand space is now 98.65% sold out.. Should be a full hall of goodies for the customers to look at and hopefully purchase from the exhibitors David www.4x4travelshow.co.uk