Hall verses Country Shows

[Matty Day]

i wish the southern would cancel the north somerset show and move it to a hotel confrence hall i know in the middle bristol or if not there plenty of church halss in bristol :x

[Bourne Valley Hams]

i wish the southern would cancel the north somerset show and move it to a hotel confrence hall i know in the middle bristol or if not there plenty of church halss in bristol :x

The trouble is the country shows are free venues and conference halls and church halls are very expensive!!

[I_am_plankton]

Off topic but Country Shows are fun also, you get to see other bits going on throughout the day and meet more public than in a hall so therefore the club sells more things and makes more money :)

[Matty Day]

well the trouble with country shows is there hard to get there paticularly if you cant drive. to we need more in bigger place's in my opinoin as more mpeople would come as they would be easeir to ge to :x

[I_am_plankton]

Shows and venues, displays etc are all situated within easy reach of main roads for most people :) For example most people wouldn't want to drive to the middle of Bristol for a show since the M32 is a nightmare to negotiate.

[Mollz]

Shows and venues, displays etc are all situated within easy reach of main roads for most people :) For example most people wouldn't want to drive to the middle of Bristol for a show since the M32 is a nightmare to negotiate.

Yeah, I know alot of people wouldn't want to drive into the middle of towns/cities (especially the larger ones). Also, I enjoy the larger country shows as you get to meet more members of the public etc. (and it actually gave me my first chance to give advice on how to sex a hamster as well at the weekend :shock: I was very impressed with myself :D )

[souffle]

I love the big country shows too. Emly is great and so is Rotherham. It is very busy and you get to meet loads of people. I like seeing all the other events and also entering some of the competitions like photography and craft. Its nice to have a mix. Halls are so expensive and getting more so matty it just would not be possible to hire one every month I don't think.

[Bunsey]

i quite like the country ones, too, although it can be a nightmare in bad weather, like getting stuck in the parking field and freezing your bum off :lol:

i was a little scared at rotherham with so many people. i wouldn't have liked my show pen to be on the front. anyone could have stolen a ham :shock:

i really liked the one that the BHA did at the stafford county show last year as i liked seeing all the mice and guinea pigs etc. just like bradford really. a nice dry indoor venue with it's own resturant on solid ground. i lookd for it on the website of the venue, but i can't see anything mentioning the small animal show. i was gonna go even without hams as it's so close to me. :?

[Bourne Valley Hams]

i was a little scared at rotherham with so many people. i wouldn't have liked my show pen to be on the front. anyone could have stolen a ham :shock:



This is why the Midland and Southern shows now rope off an area round the tables a couple of feet away from the table. (I think Mollz posted some photos on the Monmouth thread showing it.)It just keeps the public back a little from the pens and discourages them from poking the hammies etc.

[nooboo]

thats the problem at the rotherham show, there isnt room for that, there is about of foot of space between the tables and the canvas side!

somehow i get the impression they dont feel hamsters need much space :P

[Bunsey]

perhaps the hams could be arranged facing inwards towards the centre of the circle rather than outwards

[souffle]

It would not be so interesting for the public if they could not see the hams as they were facing in I don't think and these big shows really are a major publicity opportunity for the clubs and hamsters. We did think of having plastic barriers made so they could be seen and not poked but the cost and logistics og getting them to the shows was huge. We need a bigger tent so we can rope them off really :?

[Bourne Valley Hams]

It is a problem if you are short of space.
We are lucky with the Midland and Southern as most of the open shows we do are organised by Living Heritage. The organisers recognise what a draw the hamsters are to their shows and make sure that we are well looked after. At the country shows we share a big tent with rabbits and cavies but at the craft shows we are the only ones there and usually have quite a big tent all to ourselves.

[Bunsey]

i get that the public would want to see the hams, but i do worry about the safety of the hams, too. it wasn't just crowded last year it was horrific. i felt claustrophobic. every time i stopped to talk to someone, i was in the way of the flow of the scrum and people were shoving me this way and that. they really need to give us a bigger tent. I'm planning on selling some babbas at this show and it would be better if they weren't handled in a crush and you could hear yourself think to advise people. maybe it's just me because i'm crowd phobic :oops:

[internet_nobody]

I like the country shows, partly because there's other stuff to do but I also quite like talking to the public.

[I_am_plankton]

Also there's some seriously yummy food at the outdoor shows :D I'm in favour of Cinnamon nuts, frozen yogurt, chocolate cups (which I believe Disney Hams also loves from the amount of chocolate she wears after eating them lol), pancakes and cheese!

I also like the social side of it being able to talk to the public, making them aware etc. We had one girl in last Sunday at Monmouth who was told by a petshop that you can never play with WW's or Campbell's as they hate humans!

[BVMARK]

Also there's some seriously yummy food at the outdoor shows :D I'm in favour of Cinnamon nuts, frozen yogurt, chocolate cups (which I believe Disney Hams also loves from the amount of chocolate she wears after eating them lol), pancakes and cheese!

I also like the social side of it being able to talk to the public, making them aware etc. We had one girl in last Sunday at Monmouth who was told by a petshop that you can never play with WW's or Campbell's as they hate humans!

Was that hate humans or EAT humans in some case's of campbells :lol:

[Moosley]

I think it was a typo, definately it is EAT humans, i accidentally put my hand in the cage whilst daring to offer a treat and nearly lost a finger with a campbell attatched to either side of it. Ok it was possibly my fault as I wasn't paying attention and they were sleepy and grumpy... as usual... but my syrians wouldn't bite me like that!

I need to handle some Campbells at a show as I am *really* starting to dislike them, I can handle them without getting bitten but thats usually because I scruff them before they get the chance! Though I was brave at Thame and stuck my hand in a whole tankfull of Argentes and grabbed one to show how nice they were (I had no idea really, was praying I didn't get bitten!!).

Back on topic, I think it depends on weather but its so hard to know in advance! I don't think I'll take my hamsters to a show like Thame again, it was so cold and I still don't know why I lost two of my show syrians and the third was looking decidedly dodgy for a week or so afterwards... They come out to talks and schools and get poked and prodded by 5 year olds and get to sit in carry cages for a couple of hours no problem so I doubt it was stress, I worry it was more the shock of cold weather which nothing can be done about really.

Excluding the weather, I definately prefer the Country Fairs and craft shows like Blenheim and Thame. I love the London Champs but those halls get absolutely stifling hot, or it has the last two years when I went, maybe I felt it more because I panic when I feel crowded in (oh joy to look forward to that again :( )

It would be nice to see a lot more hamster shows, it's just a shame its so much hassle and work to sort it, I wish I could be more reliable in getting to shows to do more to help.

One day I want to win the lottery! I could do so much!! :lol: :roll:

[internet_nobody]

Moo next time we're going to the same show get me to bring Vande and Graaff for you to have a poke, they're the most laid back campbells I've met! I don't think I'm going to get a pair again because other campbells eat me :P

[BVMARK]

I need to handle some Campbells at a show as I am *really* starting to dislike them, i can handle them without getting bitten but thats usually because i scruff them before they get the chance! Though i was brave at Thame and stuck my hand in a whole tank full of Argentes and grabbed one to show how nice they were (i had no idea really, was praying i didnt get bitten!!).

I have some argente's you can play with that are very tame and do display work :)

:roll:

[internet_nobody]

Any dwarf with red eyes has red eyes for a reason, it reflects their bloodlust :P

[nooboo]

does that count for syrians, if so have you met my doves? red eyed blood lust...hmmm I don't think so!

though I will agree some argente campbells are the devil's own, and could do guard duty! they will attack anything!

still as you know my campbells on the whole were nice and tame, as V&G show, maybe I should get a breeding pair of them soon....then again WW have more instant cuteness!


back on track anyway I love the country shows, especially doing sales at them. I had a great time last year selling to the public keeping them informed, then getting nice food, then again I do like the indoors world of seats, dry and even ground!

[Moosley]

One day I will hassel you Mark for a breedable pair of NICE Campbells, we have had nice campbells before, its just the evil ones that stand out and now we only have an ancient pair left because they just became bad tempered so easily! They were both lovely as babies!! They were out of the most superb beautifull argente that PJ let us have because she was evil so it was our fault really, she only had the one litter and it was only the ones we kept that went mean :roll: which is typical!

I do have to say, since getting my Robos, i have fallen in love with dwarfies again :roll:

I have waited ages for some BV hamsters! I just dont happen to show up at the right time :roll:

[Holly]

I also like the social side of it being able to talk to the public, making them aware etc. We had one girl in last Sunday at Monmouth who was told by a petshop that you can never play with WW's or Campbell's as they hate humans!

This really illustrates how important it is to be out there amongst the public and outdoor shows fill that need wonderfully. There will only ever be a fraction of the people learning about hamsters at village shows as there are at the big county fair types.

I'm looking forward to Gatcombe tomorrow :)

[Bourne Valley Hams]

(which I believe Disney Hams also loves from the amount of chocolate she wears after eating them lol),

Tell me about it!!! That stuff doesn't wash out easily!! :roll:

[Bourne Valley Hams]

well I am pretty sure that none of the display hams I am bringing to Gatcombe will bite so you should be safe there!
I am bringing a young black girl who is still a bit hoppity so I need her to get some intensive handling from anyone who has a spare minute or two! :D

[I_am_plankton]

I am happy to take on that job, BVH! No hamster is too jumpy for me *you will stay still little hamster :P* haha

I am hoping there will be plenty of jobs tomorrow for us all to pitch in but still have a wander around the show :)

[Bourne Valley Hams]

I hope there are plenty of helpers as I am feeling proper poorly today (bad cold) so might just sit in a corner all day feeling sorry for myself. :cry:

[Mollz]

I hope there are plenty of helpers as I am feeling proper poorly today (bad cold) so might just sit in a corner all day feeling sorry for myself. :cry:

Me and mum will both be there to help, although she's feeling ill too and has an ear and chest infection (so you can both sit in a corner feeling sorry for yourselves together!). Bit worried that she may want to go home half way through and we won't be able to though :? although I am hoping that we can make the whole day and help out :D Hope you feel better soon BVH :)

[Mollz Mum]

I have really enjoyed both types of shows (hall and large show). They offer different things......like warmth and a solid (not quick mud) floor - LOL!
Seriously though, large shows are very busy with lots going on and we've just been unlucky with the weather so far this year.
Hall shows are very intimate and give more chance to sit around chatting with people you know.
Certainly enjoy attending both!
Hope you didn't catch the cold from me BVH - we can sympathise with each other tomorrow!

[BVMARK]

Hope you didn't catch the cold from me BVH - we can sympathise with each other tomorrow!

Don't worry mollz mum, I had that pleasure :oops:

[Mollz Mum]

My brain is definately fuzzy - I've only just worked out who you are (with a little help from Mollz).

Now, do you mean passing the cold on to BVH, catching the cold from me (I don't remember that cuddle LOL :oops:- mind you, I don't remember cuddling with BVH either :lol: :lol: ) or with sympathising with BVH (just had my hands slapped - typed the real name in - I will get used to this - hopefully when head not full of cotton wool).

[BVMARK]

I have been off work for 4 days this week :( . Don't remember giving you a coudle, but hey, I have been to sleep since last week :wink: