Comments on: Oxted and Edenbridge Show – Rip Off

By: Natalie

Natalie — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 08:57:56 +0000

Just in my point of view (a local) – The exhibitor complaining about the prices (which you pay in order to get such a large audience to pitch your goods at), you pay the price you do for a reason, if you are unhappy about it – don’t pay it! If you wish to spend more time with your family, then put them first rather than your job?!

I too am a huge fan of the South of England Show, which I think is fantastic value for money. But I too steer clear of the Oxted & Edenbridge Show purely down to the cost, so I can not comment on the value once inside.

I am in the events industry and have worked across many exhibitions and shows – and I do agree that the organisers have become very greedy (so much so, that I decided to change te industry I worked for). The real reason for these shows should be to educate and entertain the families that attend, to give the exhibitors the audience they have paid for, to give the participants in the show the competition they have entered and whilst making money they are also fulfilling their role – although in a lot of instances this is no longer the case.

I take my family to South of England Show on a yearly basis, and it’s a great day out for us all (from my 2yr old daughter right up to my 74yr old Nan)

By: chris

chris — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 21:22:07 +0000

Yes my grammar was appallingly bad, in fact I wish I had previewed prior to hitting the submit button, but was as usual in a rush off to another show.
Yes it sounds like I was moaning about how hard our lot is but that was not my intention (blame above sentence).
However the underlying argument of this board was actually the greed of the fairground prices but as usual we all seem to have gone off on a different tangent.
Having re-read what I wrote I wish I could retract it all but unfortunately that is not possible, so I hereby offer an apology to all for my inept rant.
Grammar and spelling correct as education taught me.

By: OP

OP — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 10:21:14 +0000

So, it’s OK for you to whinge about your hard lot is it? The topic was about the greed of the organisers – something that you seem to be whingeing about too! Who is the moron?!

Moron’s some of us who commented on here may be but I don’t see such poor spelling or grammar on anyone else’s comments – is this how county shows have educated you?

By: Chris

Chris — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 08:32:22 +0000

Hmm…. Firstly may i point out that Tillingham is a 1 day Flower/Country Show. Edenbridge & Oxted is a County Show on for 2 days.
there is a big difference between a 1 day show & a 2 day show.
To those of you who have nothing better to do than whinge about Fairground rides I have one thing to say. GET A LIFE…
Honestly what a load of nonsense is said on this forum.
I am an exhibitor and travel across the UK attending these shows.
Do you complaining morons have any idea what it costs us the exhibitor to attend ? I bet not….
E&O show cost me Â£1000 last year to attend, I am in the foodhall and its such a shame that the originator of this forum does`nt understand that the point of County Shows is to educate people especially children.
My children dont want to go on a B****Y fairground ride they want to go and learn about farming and food and all the other stuff at a County Show.
As for the Lucy who decided to attend with only 90mins remaining and only lives just down the road how tight fisted you must be to only spare 90 mins for your niece at a local show.
Of course the fairground was packing up as do we all after an exhausting show, where some of us start at 6am in the morning.
Have you any idea why why they started packing up ? I bet not in fact i bet it never even crossed you ” pea ” sized brain that thry were probably heading off to set up the next County Show, namely Chatsworth, a mere 6 hour drive from Edenbridge and thats after the 10 hours it takes for them to pack up.
You whigers need to understand how it works for those of us who do the show circuit, we are on the road pretty much all the time from April – Dec, we only get a day or 2 to see our family before we are off again.
I agree with Sarah, its an agricultural show and negative Townie twits should stay away.
Pat is right though, we dont need Fairgrounds at these shows and I wish a lot of Organisers would try and think what to offer the punters and look outside of the box.
Country Shows are great fun and those of you cant see that or cant see past a fairground ride or those of you who cant say NO to your children should stay away.

By: Pat Thornton

Pat Thornton — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 07:38:18 +0000

I have been to this show in the past not bad but a lot of money for what you get unless you are participating in competitions etc. Are village show in Tillingham has no addmision fee.As a keen all round country pursuits person i attend all the big shows.But what i like abought the Tillingham show is, it has traditional country events like bowling for a pig, or splat the rat donky rides tug o war.Edenbridge need a few more traditional events for the general public to have a go at. A true country show dosent need a fair to entice peaple in, normaly the 2 bob & a green apple brigade turn up head for the fair ground & miss the whole country experiance.

Pat Thornton

By: OP

OP — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 08:37:24 +0000

Hi Lucy, Alan, Catherine,

This was my feelings exactly. I think that if you paid Â£2.50 and your niece had a nice long time and enjoyed herself that you wouldn’t have minded at all. However, you pay top whack for sub-standard attractions run by surly staff (well, some of them were nice in fairness!). Mind you, to charge full admission at 3:30 is plain and unjustifiably wrong.

My gripe to the organisers was that if the fairground has to be there, please, at least make sure that it’s good quality. But it’s not and this just shows the overall greed involved in my opinion.

Your situation with the horse classes is typical of the greed and arrogance displayed too.

By: lucy horswill

lucy horswill — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 08:05:37 +0000

I arrived there with my Niece at 3.30pm on the last day and was charged the full admission price. By 5pm everyone was packing up. My Niece WENT into an adventure playground for Â£2.50 and she was told her time was up before she’d even got her shoes off.
I live just up the road from the show but I shall not go again. Its a rip off. Its just an upmarket Car Boot sale.
I went to the Royal Cornwall show earlier in the year and it was fantastic and far more welcoming with showing going on until 9pm.

By: Alan

Alan — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 09:57:54 +0000

I attended the show for many years free because I was taking part in the entertainments – there are many good things about the Edenbridge & Oxted show – but as a ‘country person’ I think the organisers have become too greedy.

That greed permeates right down to the cost of fairground rides. In my opinion, the organisers need to re-think what they’re trying to achieve because the gripes this person raises are nowhere near isolated – locally I’ve heard similar over and over again.

By: catherine

catherine — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 14:02:35 +0000

i feel the same, i took 2 horses to the show and because there was too many horses in the classes we couldnt do our show and the judge didnt let everyone have a chance to talk to her , we pay good money to enter our horses and dont get a look in because there isnt enought time to judge us all ,

By: Sally

Sally — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 18:53:49 +0000

Oh my goodness…you clearly have way too much time on your hands, to make a web page just to inform the world of how pissed off you where, towards a show that cost money to get into and then cost you more money once inside… FYI that’s how it works!!!

May I suggest that you don’t go again, and stay away from fair ground attractions. You grumpy old git!