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Demise of The Midlands GF


Dougy
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Well, not long got back from the Gamefair.

Did really well parking, right at the front, so only about 200yds from the pay office. 1st we had a walk down to our right, passed a few stalls showing their products, a few shooting related stalls,magazines stalls,hearing protection, 2 with a load of shotguns the usual boot cleaner begging for your trade. Then we got to the end, looking up I read the overhead banner,

 

"GUNMAKERS ROW" I thought brill we'll have a look down here.

What I didn't realise we had actually just come out of it !!!

 

After speaking to quite a few of the old timers who have had stalls at the show for years, they all say the same. It's a shadow of what it used to be. Starting from 1983 it grew into what was the best show for the country sport enthusiast and gamekeeper in the UK. I've been going for every year bar 5 years and seen it getting poorer and poorer with regards to the country sport side of the show.

Burger bars and all the other food stalls are plentiful, but then their profits give a higher return. I even get stopped to be asked if I would like to get some advice in making a will.

 

Maybe they have the idea I'm giving up on life, I pay £20 to go to the Gamefair, I may as well have had free entry to the local market.

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It must have been a good ten years since I went to the Midland G F , it took about 5hrs to get there from Norfolk and we ended up sleeping in the motor just inside the grounds , when we got up in the morning we were only a short distance from where you paid for entry ,the show itself was brilliant and bargains galore , far better than the C L A .

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Unlucky mate hopefully you can avoid Reggie next year.

Lol . I stood behind them looking the other way. Every time they went to walk past I blocked them looking the other way. They didn't realise :)

It was funny 😂

Forgot my bloomin frying pan so went without the venison burgers. Never mind had one when I got in.

Maybe make that will before your dementia kicks in ;)

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I wanted to look at axes. Only one shop. I was really disappointed. But glad I went camping with friends.

 

The others have probably already been chopped. I am sorry to say that the Midland has run it's course, none of the big names seem prepared to pay the excessive standholders charges. Having said that, if you turned up at your local Retail Park and were asked to pay £20 to enter, to BUY things, would you ??

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Unfortunately I believe country shows have now run their course. I remember going to the Game Fair at Weston Park ...long time ago...1959-60 ...I'll stand corrected. I had an Intrepid reel and they had a stand their. Great people. I had a new part almost by return, free gratis. I have since visited many at various locations, actually been on stands at quite a few and witnessed the slow decline to Saturday Market standards. I did go to the Shooting Show at Stoneleigh this year as a friend invited me to go with him and must say, that was a good event and very entertaining.

We used to look forward to the one show a year back in the 60s/70s and then they started to pop up everywhere like toadstools and about as attractive.

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