Chatsworth

Bob Roberts · May 23, 2005

Did anyone visit the Chatsworth Angling Fair at the weekend?

Is it me or has the show visibly shrunk in the past few years?

I recall brass bands, cooking demonstrations, loads of food, clothing and garden stands in the past.

This time it appeared to me like yet another Tacklemania job where you pay ?8 to shop for dubious bargains in a field.

Lots of rods for under ?20, everything in this bag for a quid and so on.

Same old faces on the river demonstrations doing the same old tricks. Fly tying tent looked decidedly bare.

We turned up at 11am and were away by noon. Didn't seem to be many people around the show at that time either.

Is this the beginning of the end or am I being a bit jaundiced about the whole thing?

GrahamM · May 23, 2005

Chatsworth Angling Fair 2005

davestocker · May 23, 2005

I couldn't agree more, Bob, and was going to post something similar, but was waiting for a form of words to come to me that that didn't sound negative, and wouldn't p**s the organisers off.

The joy of Chatsworth for me - and I've done many - was always the opportunity to meet people you haven't seen in ages, and to have the opportunity to speak with some of the sports alleged movers & shakers. How many fishing periodicals are there in the UK, and how many were represented at the event? Angling Star was there but Jim Baxter had gone walkies when I dropped in, and Fly fishing & Fly Tying was there but without the editor. EMAP & DHP and IPC titles had no presence, nor did many of the smaller mags. The EA didn't seem to have a presence, and the so-called governing bodies of our sport didn't seem to have anyone there formally. Nor was the Countryside Alliance's new campaigns director present. If those who are involved with the direction in which our sport is heading don't think it's worth their while attending, then it speaks volumes as to how Chatsworth is perceived. But this is Fishing Magic. Let's be positive. Let's ask others who've been how could Chatsworth could be revived. It really seems to need it.

ED (The ORIGINAL and REAL one) · May 23, 2005

To be honest I'm beginning to ask myself if it's worth the annual trek from Liverpool to Chatsworth, but having said that it does give me a chance to meet up with some old, and new, friends ...

There was one tent auctioning new tackle off at some ridiculously cheap prices i.e. Carp Rods for a tenner, and 2 man bivvies for ?45 not to mention the 'stalker brollies' for ?5

(By the way Graham it couldn't have been me sneaking in the back of the 'Stolen Tools Company'tent with hub-caps--you said he was an ELDERLY gentleman, so definitely not me !!)

MarT · May 23, 2005

Yeah, he's no gentleman!

GrahamM · May 23, 2005

What I meant Ed was that he looked elderly. Did you send Ron?

Bob Roberts · May 23, 2005

I've a better picture of the Stolen Tackle tent if you want it - two uniformed coppers talking to the owner beneath the sign. What they're saying would make a cracking caption competition!

Dave, you make several valid points so I'm glad it wasn't just me feeling a bit jaundiced on the day. I really think the show owners need to take stock of what they had/have and whether they think a glorified car boot sale is sufficient to last another 25 years.

The 'entertainment' on offer has stagnated. Compare that with the NEC. It's in need of a huge make-over, but what do visitors want to see.

Bearing in mind the Chatsworth bash is much more of a country fair than other shows I've been to and attended by lots of families who are just out for a day in the country with their dogs or parading in their tweeds I'd happily see more country sports represented. After all, how many cheap rods and brollies does a man need?

Oh, and a few topless slappers for Ron. He needs some aerobic excersize and that would raise his pulse rate...

chavender · May 23, 2005

i didn't get to go this year,its the first time i've missed it in ages,over the last
few years it has been getting smaller and i
think it maybe in the need of a better ad
campaign perhaps a few TV adverts or maybe
merge with the country fair and be held in
the school summer holidays say july.

Ron 'The Hat' Clay · May 23, 2005

Topless Slappers for me Bob.

I'll tell The Monk.

What might be an idea over two days is to have an angling quiz hosted by someone like Jeremy Paxman on a similar lines to University Challenge.

Say four teams and a knock out final - first prize to be taught how to use the long pole by Bob Nudd.....

)

ED (The ORIGINAL and REAL one) · May 23, 2005

"Oh, and a few topless slappers for Ron. He needs some aerobic excersize and that would raise his pulse rate..."

I did try to get Ron on the bouncy castle --but he wouldn't have a go.....

That was it Graham --I sent Ron !!!

Bob
I thought the NEC show was crap too ...(not as good as in the past) and I've been to quite a few of them --both visiting AND manning a stand --It was alright if you wanted to buy boilies,boilies and more boilies......

matt thomas · May 23, 2005

i went on sunday and this is the fourth year i have been,i can honestly say that it was quiet on the sunday as well,graham was right about it being better underfoot,two years ago i went in trainers this year i was in my lunkers -talk about get it wrong!!
i feel that most of the stalls were poor and i had a job to spend 20 quid as most of the stuff you can get at the same price in shops,roger of used tackle seemed to be doing well-his tent was packed ,not my cup of tea though. the upside was listening to barry,john and frank in the forum .
i dont know how much a stand would have been but i would liked to have seen more of the societies and groups represented as this would have made the day worthwhile

GrahamM · May 24, 2005

Bob, I'll have that picture please. I can see some of the captions now........

Peter Waller · May 24, 2005

The weather was the final decider for me. First show that I have missed for a few years, and I missed going too. But last year was just a repeat of the year before, only slightly smaller, and that was slightly smaller than the year before. They have stuck to the same formula, and it has become tired. Great shame because Chatsworth was as much a social gathering as anything, but being sociable doesn't make money for the exhibitors. Perhaps if important clubs, excluding the CA, were invited to exhibit for free it would bring back the old magic. A few years ago you needed the whole weekend, not now.

Ron 'The Hat' Clay · May 24, 2005

I bought two nice Tattersall shirts for ?13.

Tried to get Ed to buy a decent sports hacking jacket, deer stalker and breeks.

Topped off by a monacle

He wouldn't hear of it. He doesn't really want to look like a gent in Scouserland.

Mind you Ed, I've made an appointment for you in Rotherham with my tailors for that Holland and Sherry sports jacket.

Ged · May 24, 2005

Made out a list of tackle and bits to buy.
Only got new pellet pump with pellets and a load of fly hooks (Partridge).
Came away with Shimano barble classic rod, a new fix spool reel, 11.5 ft fly rod for lock style fishing and a fly reel with large arbur and three spools.
Plus I ordered vsome new water proofs.
Never joined any associsiations or bought any books. Watched some demos which I haven't seen in previous years. Everything else was pritty much the same as always. Only quiet, smaller and less people (which made it pleasant).

Bob Roberts · May 25, 2005

Sounds to me like you support my concerns.

Plenty of cheap stuff that you can buy at any of the many tacklefests up and down the country.

Less stands, less people and no real incentive to travel very far. Methinks the crowds will dwindle further if the owners don't wake up and smell the coffee. When that happens it becomes unecconomic for the stall holders, thus we encounter a downward spiral.

Shame really. Chatsworth used to be a day out for the whole family but it's rapidly degenerating into a car boot sale for anglers looking for a bargain.

swordsy · May 25, 2005

knock the carparking and entrance fees on the head, pass part of those onto the stall holders they will make their money back on the increased revenue from far higher attendences.

Only been once about 6 years ago got "bummed" for carparking and entrance never went back.

davestocker · May 25, 2005

Before they do anything, the organisers need to do some market research regarding what the punters want and what the stall holders expect to get for their money. They should have had people with questionnaires or whatever at the exit point sounding out the visitors. Should the Chatsworth people wish to use these forums to assist in reviving what used to be a special event, I'm sure we'll oblige.

Bob Roberts · May 25, 2005

Hear, hear, Dave. I'm not knocking the Chatsworth show and I'd hate to see it go downhill any further as It's a pleasant place for a day out in the closed season.

Lee: Re - car parking, it's free at Chatsworth. The ticket money presumably pays for the hire of the venue and the entertainment on offer. This in turn is subsidised by the fees charged to stall holders. A friend attended three years ago and it cost him ?3K to be there. Presumably this included staff costs and transport but it's a hefty whack and you need a lot of customers to skim that off the meagre profits to be had from basement bargains.

Flying in experts from the USA so they can show us how to tie flies doesn't wash with me and judging by how few folk were in the fly tying tent it didn't hold great appeal to anyone else either.

swordsy · May 25, 2005

I was in a car of four and before we got in the place we had done a fair wedge in but as i said that was maybe 6 years ago and as a younger bloke with less money to spend most of my spending had been done on the gate.

?3000 to attend your not wrong it would take some getting back, thats why i go for the American sales pitch of stack it high and sell it cheap rather than ours which is more like flog as few as possible for as much as possible.

If by all accounts Chatsworth is knackered a total rethink is needed because the owners would be better off with 5% of a lot than 50% of nothing

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