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Cla gamefair?


cocker boy
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£60 entry....a couple of quid in fuel getting there, bite to eat - £15?

 

Still far less than a good night out.

 

I'm off with the other half and planning on having a damned good relaxing day. (once we get through the traffic anyway) Far too many people get hung on costs without putting it into perspective. A good night out for the wife and I can easily push to £150+ with a bite to eat for a few hours and then a headache the following day. Get's both of us out of the house for the day and to spend some quality time together. A chance to stock up on anything I fancy whilst there too.

 

Must remember to turn the flash off on my phone prior to taking sneaky pics of skimpily clad ladies.

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Been today got there at 8am, the traffic was slow for about a mile before but not bad. Parked up and it was a good walk from the carpark to get in to the show and by the time we left most areas had dried up. The show today didn't seem to be busy at all at lot of traders were moaning.

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Guest Wilksy

I was planning a big day on the freshly cut osr tomorrow, but a text off the farmer to say it's still to wet to cut,and he's going to the cla have swung it for me, I was umming and arrrring about it, was it too expensive?could I be bothered to drive? Yep begger it! It will be a good day I reckon!

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Just as I expected grossly over priced ,it was noticeable that there were not as many visitors today as normal .Luckily I got a free ticket and very pleased that I didn't pay £35 to get in it would not have been worth it . The Internet has ruined these shows lots of exhibitors didn't come as they think there is no one wanting to spend money up north ( well that's what two stall holders told me ) .

 

Did I have a good day ?

 

Yes it was alright but not £35 worth of alright .

 

In my opinion the cla must change the format and reduce the ticket price

 

Why in the hell would there be a stand with super cars on it what has this got to do with the country side I think I will go to the Motor show and take a stand full of guns ! ( don't think that would happen

 

Deershooter

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I have just returned from the CLA and I enjoyed it I managed a couple of bargains and watched the fox hounds display and also the British lumberjack competition on the Stihl stand amongst many others, worth £35? well yes I was there for 7 hours and worth the travel also I enjoy the diversity like the cars and machinery if you want almost 100% guns go to the shooting show at Stoneleigh.

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The thing is you need to make it "A day out" Take a BBQ a Picnic, a little camping stove, something to cook some sausage and bacon on when you arrive if you like.

That way you wont go round the show feeling the need to give a burger stand £5 for a dog burger because your starving, I think some folk have forgot how to make there own enjoyment these days.

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The thing is you need to make it "A day out" Take a BBQ a Picnic, a little camping stove, something to cook some sausage and bacon on when you arrive if you like.

That way you wont go round the show feeling the need to give a burger stand £5 for a dog burger because your starving, I think some folk have forgot how to make there own enjoyment these days.

 

Just what we will be doing tomorrow,will be there for 8 and will probably stay all or most of the day.pre purchased my tickets at £25 .

So for £50 two of us can spend all day looking at things we enjoy ,that said we have a goodies list so will probably come home a lot poorer.

Hope those who have been have enjoyed it

Fielddweller

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Guest Wilksy

Got back 4 hrs ago, took the wife and kids, bought a program/brochure so £66 in the hole before you've even smelt a expensive burger! That said we all had a great day despite the rain, loads to see and do,well organised, on a massive scale! All set in the beautiful suroundings of Harewoods grounds, had a shooting lesson with kelvin on the basc stand ( great bloke) met terry,( baker boy) true gent! My 9yr old daughter had a go on the clays, turns out she's not that keen but FairPlay to her for trying,so if your umming and arrrring about going tomorrow do it!

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Guest Wilksy

Looking forward to going in morning. Anyone had a go at shooting there?

Shooting looked great, crackling away all day, wish I'd done more but my youngest wasn't happy with all the noise!

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Guest Wilksy

Taking the gun so going to give it a go. We left the kids with the grandparents so looking forward to a day out with the Mrs

Good work! Weather doesn't look too bad for you, showers in the morning then cloudy for the rest of the day, not sure we saw even three quarters of it, Holland and Holland tent was an eye opener!

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Well we went today. Got there for 9.15 and was straight in with no traffic to queue in.

 

Ground was muddy from yesterdays rain but with the right footwear it wasn't a problem. Plenty to see and do if you wasn't rushing round. Yes food was a bit steep with a beef bap costing £6.20 and it was a bit poor truth be told. Youngest one loved it as she got involved with allsorts. Begged for a tweed waistcoat to blend in and pulled her best 'puppy dog eyes till she got one. Bought a few new jackets (I have a thing for jackets) decoys, U caller, some whiskey, chilli spices, gun slip, a BB pistol and target catcher for the youngest, boots etc. List goes on. So yes spent a fair bit but a bit of haggling soon saw prices drop right down. The Stihl sports show was good and the staff kept walking round giving freebies away. They also dropped all leisure clothing down to £5 an item at lunchtime so they didn't have surplus stocks left so more clothing was bought.

 

Some of the falconry stuff was impressive with some scarily large BOF. Never been that close up to them but wow they were a decent size. Daughter had a go on the air rifle shooting and for a first timer with a rifle that was way too big for her she managed a very respectable card! Now she wants to come out shooting with me and her own rifle so another bonus!

 

Saw the new L200 barby and warrior and have to say, I'm sold. Liked it a lot!

 

Too much totty in skirts and lycra which almost saw me caught out as I walked into a stand of jackets as my eyes were busy enjoying the view.....

 

We've been to the Yorkshire show and have to say, the CLA was far more enjoyable!

 

We will definately go again. £60 entry for two adults? Yeah it was worth it to us as we've had a cracking day.

 

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Have to say my review is almost exclusively concerning Gunmakers Row as we didn't get to see much else!

A mate picked me up just after 6am and we got straight in there with no delays around 8ish. No queues to pay either so had a light breakfast consisting of a bacon cheeseburger and a brew then went in search of guns. Got lost but found it eventually and started at MGR Guns, of whom I'd never heard.

They had something for everyone including a well worn No4 complete with spike bayonet for those particularly low birds, and a BRNO of which I've grown fond of, with the ported barrels in very good condition for 195 quid, and one of the sales persons was a big 101 fan who showed us a particularly nice Pigeon Grade. Funnily enough, I hadn't seen a treble barrelled o/u sxs until Old Farrier posted pics on here last week, but these boys had two on display and had already sold another two. Must admit for such a unwieldily looking gun these come up very nicely and are nice to handle and weigh no more than my old Diamond Grade at just over 8lbs.

They also had an exquisite single barrelled Holland and Holland .410 in and a Baikel 12/.22 combination gun. Tempted at that, must admit.

Swillington Shooting Supplies was next, from where I bought my GE at Lowther last year. They had some nice high grade Brownings in and a B2000 Trap model I'd never seen before, and one or two nicely priced older Mirokus.

Ladds Guns turned up another 101 fan who couldn't wait to unpack several he had in including an ultra rare 30" XTR Trap gun. I've never seen another and he said he'd only seen one, and this one may turn out to be a keeper, for him. He also had a nice Nikko Indy and a very nice Classic Doubles Trap.

They also had in what looked to be a gorgeously stocked Remington 700BDL in .17 Remington CF for 195 quid, which I couldn't believe, but closer inspection revealed the lockwork and breech had been badly neglected. Criminal.

Pantiles Guns were only interested in my 'Smoot' as part-ex' for something else, and although there were some nice old pistols in there I'm not after another, just the cash for the one I have, so no joy unfortunately, but a nice bloke all the same.

Cadged some free magazines from various publications where mate made a light-hearted complaint that eh has been subscribing to Sporting Gun for over 20 years and has never been offered a free multi-tool or even a pair of ear plugs in all that time, but new subscribers are. Anyhow, we came away with some VIP badges to allow us into their 'hospitality' suite, which we never used. :|

Longthorne Guns seemed to be doing a good trade and we played about with a few high grade Perazzis and a F3's in another stall which I think was Premier Guns as I got to handle a Perazzi with custom stock I'd seen online, before going into the GMK stall. Didn't think there was much of interest for me in there but then spotted some unusual looking shotguns on the back wall. It was the very new Benelli 828U o/u shotguns, and at first I couldn't decide whether they were ugly or beautiful, but quite liked the plain 28" black-actioned version. One of the staff unlocked it for us and to handle it was sublime. Lovely piece of kit to swing about. Apparently only 200 are available for sale in this country until supplies become more available. I think another mate of mine has ordered one from what I've heard. I think these could turn out to be a best seller; sorely tempted myself.

Before anyone rights them off due to their looks, handle one and see what you think. Positively beautiful compared to a Kemen. :whistling:

Many more older Mirokus at very good prices, some nice Remington 1100 autos and a couple of very nice Wingmasters. If anyone was looking for a very good reputable first shotgun then this was the place to be; spoilt for choice.

Sportsman Gun Centre had 100's of guns on display, and mate found a very nice 6500 and another mate we'd bumped into dragged us off to see a beautiful 20 bore Ceasar Guirini.

Dropped in at Malmo Guns for a chat with Andy and his wife, perused some very nice damascus blades and some plug ugly knives which wouldn't have looked out of place in the Lord of the Rings, then in at Bradshaws Guns for a chat with Marcus where another mate ( the one I usually mean when referring to 'mate' on here, who was there for the weekend with his OH ) had called me to say he had ordered a thermal spotting 'scope and traded in his Sako .308 to fund it.

Peter Swales(?) Big Game Hunting had a Red deer head outside his stall the likes of which I'd never seen before, and for some reason it never occurred to me to talk pic's, which he said came form Canada where they are farmed for the velvet on their antlers. They harvest about 3 ton a year which they sell to China as an aphrodisiac and chuckled away when I told him it would take more than 3 ton to get my OH interested. He reckons it must be working for the Chinese as there's 'millions of 'em'. Anyhow, at 12 years old they are released onto the quarry list where trophy hunters pay to shoot them. ( the deer, not the chinese) Nice fellah and good craic.

Gilsan Sports didn't have much in for me but mate knew all the staff so called in for the craic and then found a gorgeous Grand European for 1295, and well worth it. Anyone wanting one should contact the Cheshire Gun Room. It really is worth it.

Holts had a lovely Brough Superior on their stand and a very nice Perazzi plus a well pitted Colt Dragoon for 3 to 4 grand which personally I wouldn't have given 400 quid for, as much as I would like one and the E J Churchill stand had to be seen to be believed; more like a F1Team motor home complete with chef.

Browning seemed to be busy with the requisite wealthy buyer resplendent in tweed jacket, yellow cravat and pink cords ( are these compulsory for the elder millionaire?) in the cordoned off area (what's that all about?) who want a bespoke gun.

Bumped into nephew who wanted our opinions on a 32" Rizzini he'd spotted at MGR Guns so trailed back down there. I tried out the black-actioned 30" barrelled 12 bore version which was very nice. He bought it this morning before setting off back. Lovely gun.

Called in at Brown Trout, a shop mate often calls in at on his numerous visits to Harrogate, where we had good craic with the proprietor who showed us a really nice Miroku 800 20 bore and a Winchester 23. I spotted another Remington 700 BDL .17 CF in the rack, this one immaculate, and then told us if we're rifle shooters we should see the Norwegian bloke demonstrating a sling on the Viking Arms stall next door, so we did, and both promptly bought one. Will take a bit of practice but is a fabulous bit of kit, and for anyone interested it is the 3HGR system sling, made in Finland and available through any stockist who deals with Viking Arms. Apparently in Norway they shoot birds in trees with CF rifles.

Amongst many other visions of beauty were many women in jodhpurs and other very tight items of clothing, many of which were used to lure blokes into stalls, some impressive raptors (more so than the numerous Kites circling overhead) some lovely dogs, some McClaren and Lambo' super cars (don't do much for me I'm afraid) and even the weather didn't spoil it for us as we simply nipped into the nearest stall for shelter like everyone else. My only regret was I didn't get to see any artwork.

Andy at Malmo said he was selling more in the shop back home than he was at the show, and for the CLA I would have expected it to be busier but have nothing to compare it to, and overheard one gunshop owner telling a customer he was helping out a mate and wouldn't entertain a stall there as it was too expensive.

A relative of mine who had a small stall there said it was costing him 1800 quid for the 3 days, so you've got to be raking it in to make a profit I would think; especially on the larger stalls. Some complained about some of the stalls being on a slope, which wasn't much fun when the downpour started.

I asked a sales person in one stall why the external chokes in shotguns were cable tied and she said people have in the past unscrewed them and pocketed them! Scandalous; it would never have occurred to me to do such a thing. She said even bolts from rifle actions had sometimes gone missing!

Anyhow, there was a huge traffic queue when we decided to call it a day so had something to eat thinking it would ease while we dined. It did, and we left after 7 with no waiting whatsoever. Grand.

Fabulous day out, though I can perfectly understand how those with young family could find prices prohibitive.

Edited by Scully
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