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Silverstone could be fun


Luke
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I was there in 2000 and arrived at 2am and go a perfect spot, those that arrived later had significant problems to put it lightly.

If anyone is going, I highly recommend leaving now if you want to park there and enjoy the day. We even slept in the car one year, I didn't have seated ticket I kept getting given free three day tickets from Shell if I remember correctly.

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I had to reverse out to get onto the hardcore surface a few feet behind me, however I was going nowhere even trying to use some hay. But had a weapon in the form of a stunning blonde that I'd taken with me.

When we realised we couldn't move she jumped out and tried to push, but then a group of blokes went past. She asked if they could help and they tried to ignore her, that was until she said the words "What's up aren't you man enough to help"; seconds later I had 6 sets of hands pushing the car backwards and onto the road. :grin:

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BBC 1 News has just reported that the organisers of Silverstone are still asking those (approx. 20k) visitors due to watch quail's today to stay away. There main reason seemed to be that they wanted to clear the waterlogged car park.

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You couldn't make it up Jon. No hard standing parking for up 350,000 visitors over 3 days. Oh and a ticket for 3 days is over £300!

I hope the racing (goes ahead for a start), cheers the many disgruntled visitors up and makes up for the calamity.

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You couldn't make it up Jon. No hard standing parking for up 350,000 visitors over 3 days. Oh and a ticket for 3 days is over £300!

And that's not quite true is it. They invested a huge amount in expanding the hard standing car parks but not enough for the full 120,000 people that would just be a false economy.

They are trying to reduce the numbers today to ensure they can meet the demands of Sunday where 40,000 more fans attend.

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And that's not quite true is it. They invested a huge amount in expanding the hard standing car parks but not enough for the full 120,000 people that would just be a false economy.

They are trying to reduce the numbers today to ensure they can meet the demands of Sunday where 40,000 more fans attend.

CarMad, sometimes your posts come over very patronising. Saying that 'it's not quite true, is it' is a strange way to reply to someone's post.

I have been Silverstone every year for the past 20 years, give or take one or two. I go to the motogp there and some of the GT races. The place is still a dump. The walk areas are terrible, it floods, it's muddy, it's like Bernie says a summer fair. There aren't enough staff and the ones that are there are paid peanuts so don't want to get involved. The race track and the atmosphere are fantastic and you make the event what you want it to be. But yesterday was a disaster. No park and ride on Friday, why? 80,000 people? The camping and parking would have been a disaster zone long before yesterday's rain. Why didn't they advise people not to come yesterday instead of letting them sit in traffic for up to 5 hours and still not get in. Crisis management, when it goes wrong then react. It's not good enough in my view+++

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You said there was no hard standing car parks there is. I'm not defending how bad it can be I've been there when it's at it's best and it's worse as well.

I think it's hard to invest for only one race, I think they always hope the weather is great which is why the race returned to the summer months after the problems when it moved.

As for Bernie he shouldn't complain it's the huge fee that stops them investing more on the circuit will little or no government funding unlike many other circuits.

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The really frustrating thing is, it would only have cost Silverstone £3-4M more to do the job properly. For a start, what's the point of turning the A43 into a dual carriageway, and then having a poxy little junction off it as if it's just for any little village?

I've only been to the circuit on relatively quiet days since the work has been completed. The new tarmac carparks near the main entrance look quite big when they're empty - it's difficult to envisage that on GP weekend they are full before your ordinary punters get a look in.

And there's the issue. Millions spent, and only a tiny proportion of it to improve the experience for ordinary spectators.

I've been to F1 at two of the oldest circuits in Europe, Spa and the Nurburgring. They're both hidden far away in rural locations, they both have their own logistical problems to handle, and they both manage to do it far better than Silverstone ever has.

The organisation this year has been absolutely appalling. It's all very well Richard Phillips saying "It's almost made me cry." He should walk after this. I'm afraid a month's worth of rain is a poor excuse when it was clearly forecast throughout and absolutely no, repeat NO, contingency measures were put in place. As I've already said, if you think the punters have got it bad ask a marshal how they're getting on - it's a good job they get to stay the whole weekend... because they couldn't get out if they tried.

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Interesting post by Thorney on Silverstone FB page

I thought I'd share a little bit of information as regards this weekends issues. First off let me start by saying I have no connection with Silverstone, am not a member of the brdc but I am involved with Motorsport, build and race cars and are trying to make progress in our first season of the Btcc. More importantly (or of more relevance to this post) is that I live 2 miles from the track just off the A43.

I can't comment on the marshalling or sign posting but what I can say is that as regards the weather I am amazed that any car parks or campsites are open at all. Over the last 3 weeks I cannot recall a single day where we haven't had at least some rain and in the last week we have had heavy rain daily and for prolonged periods. Where I live I have a little land of similar type to the land around the circuit (understandably I guess) and to say it is water logged is an understatement, we have had standing water stretching 10 acres for days as the volume of rain we have had is simply unable to drain off. To compound this on Wednesday night we had rain of such proportions that I've never seen in this country before. For those who have perhaps travelled to Asia, imagine the sort of monsoon rain you get late afternoon for 2-3 mins per day (in KL it was 4pm, you could set your watch by it) it's the sort of rain that is nothing short of a waterfall albeit for very short periods.on Wednesday we had this for 45mins straight, I know this because I was caught in the fields unwilling to get back to the house. In part intrigued of what I was seeing I spent the period watching my fields turn into swimming pools (literally a whole field, 10 acres in size look like a lido) the rainwater coming off the back of our race workshop was such that a 4" drain pipe was shooting water 3m into the air at full blast. I put a pint glass out and it was full by the time the rain had stopped. It was pretty awe inspiring.

That's what the campsites and car parks have had around Silverstone.

Now I'm sure there are issues with all other kinds of things going wrong and I neither know nor profess knowledge about these but I thought a first hand view of what they have had to deal with might at least give people some background.

I'm going to the race tomorrow, nothing fancy just a gen access ticket but I'll be walking there and back I think.

I hope everyone enjoys the weekend.

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It would be unreasonable to ask Silverstone to defy the elements. It would have been reasonable to ask them to have thought about the impact of the elements sometime before Wednesday night/Thursday morning. These conditions were forecast up to two weeks beforehand. Time enough to do something about enabling priority access to useable campsites for marshals, and time enough to contact marshals and spectators alike a week beforehand to give details of contingency plans and advice on when/where to arrive and what to take.

The impression is that despite assurances to the contrary no pre-emptive contingency plans were put in place and instead the organisers have reacted to problems after the event entirely on the hoof.

There would still have been problems with the kind of freak weather we have seen, but the lack of planning has made them ten times worse.

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The vibe I get is that if you are a VIP you are fine, everyone else fend for yourself, so the real fan isn't catered for very well.

However if this is a once in 12 year event more or less I'm still not sure that they could have done that much more, especially given the stance of the private campsites making their problem the circuits.

Let's not forget they might only get a fraction of the number of people to most other events making investment in for a one off all the more difficult to justify.

Anyway let's hope the race makes the trip worthwhile for all those fans that make it in.

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Well we left Hitchin at 6 and arrived at MrSK's house at 6:45. Cycled into Silvertone in 20 mins and rode straight in to the circuit. Rode from Beckets to Farm Curve and padlocked the bikes up. Having a bike in the circuit is a fantastic idea. Saves so much time and sore feet. Had a great view and the weather was a real bonus. No rain at all and slight sunburn on the neck! The race was rather dull due to no Brits in the hunt but Webber was a popular winner.

As for the campsites. Well holy Jesus, absolute quagmire. Mud like you've never seen. Main car parks the same. They parked a lot of the cars on hard standing but had to do it bumper to bumper. It looked a bloody nightmare on the way out. The actual footpaths inside were ok. Just really glad I didn't go for 3 days it would have been hell. Took one pic of general viewing. If its doesn't come out I'll repost tomorrow.

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