Westward Ho!

I know a lot of you on here do not read the front page is this is the latest news.

Westward Ho! and the mini have been a great combination over the past years but sadly this may be our last visit. Last year it was estimated that there was 2500 people in Westward Ho! to watch the Minis and Motorbikes leave.

We have never had any problems in Westward Ho! our marshals do a incredible job getting the cars on their way and the spectators who come along to watch are fantastic. No other event of that size would be without a police presence, so we are asking for our police specials back just in case.

The Grand Tour belongs to North Devon it is a community event, here, there and everywhere and it would not be the same if the minis did not travel in a convoy. So we would like help getting across Haywood roundabout. I watched the Lorry convoy go down the A39 with a police escort and saw 8000 motorbike travel down the A38 from Lee Mill into Plymouth.

I have been told that I must apply for a road closure licence to the Highways Authority for the A39, I can see that happening. I don’t think the Motorbikes or Lorries have to. The Police can still use the old Town Police Causes  Act of 1847 section 21 and they still do, when they what to. If they cannot give us help to get out of Westward Ho! then I will move the event away from Westward Ho! to somewhere else and Westward Ho! will be a very quiet place next year.

You are not looking for any special treatment but if they can escort 40 lorries along the A39 and escort 8000 motorbikes along the A38 both of which do not get road closures, why cannot they help as to get across Haywood roundabout.

Should ever the responsibility of so many spectators become so great for one person then I will have no option but to stop it altogether.

Don't do Facebook, I like some privacy but keep in touch what occurs. In the old days..... we had a petition. The shopkeepers of Westward Ho! would be the first to sign.

It would only take a couple of Policemen an hour to sort that roundabout but we're normally at the end of the convoy some 30 minutes later and it is beginning to get tense and there is one hell of a bottleneck. Maybe another start from the Park. Those keen to see the minis will turn up.

It won't be the same and Westward Ho! will begin to feel that quietness this year with the camping and related sales moving. Safety has to be paramount.

We have now limited the event to 250 Minis and we have lost car park B which should make thinks move better.

It would be a shame not to be in Westward Ho!, but, without help at the roundabout I can see the potential for there to be problems. I presume we've asked the Police for assistance, and it's been denied. What if we offered to pay for an hour's overtime? (Not to come out of CHSW coffers, if we helpers all put in a quid each, we'd cover it.) It does seem unfair, especially given the clearly well understood and appreciated help this is to the community.
As has been said, it would be Westward Ho's loss - do you think we should mention it to the Mayor and selected, friendly shopkeepers next Monday, to see if we can get a ground swell of opinion on our side? Oh, and it could be let slip to the press too!

R.

Quoted from richardjackson99

It would be a shame not to be in Westward Ho!, but, without help at the roundabout I can see the potential for there to be problems. I presume we've asked the Police for assistance, and it's been denied. What if we offered to pay for an hour's overtime? (Not to come out of CHSW coffers, if we helpers all put in a quid each, we'd cover it.) It does seem unfair, especially given the clearly well understood and appreciated help this is to the community.
As has been said, it would be Westward Ho's loss - do you think we should mention it to the Mayor and selected, friendly shopkeepers next Monday, to see if we can get a ground swell of opinion on our side? Oh, and it could be let slip to the press too!

R.

I have already written to both Bideford & Barnstaple police and they were not very happy. Bideford is going to ask their special if they would do it but as yet he has had no success. Their is no way anyone will help us get through the roundabout but I already knew that.

I also told them that if we do not get help I will move the event and if the locals traders and people want as back they can sort it out with with their councilors I am staying out of it. I love Westward Ho and it has been involved with the minis for a great many year I would hate to lose it as a start. I have already told them that we could afford the cost of a policeman for a couple of hours but they still would not close the roundabout.

It has already reached the papers and there will be more in next weeks just have to wait and see.

Quoted from Terry

It has already reached the papers

http://www.thisisnorthdevon.co.....-detail/article.html

Hi Terry sorry to hear your problems. Would it not be possible to get past Hayward best we can and regroup on the quiter Instow Road, like we do at Landkey, (I think thats the name). Perhaps exiting onto the A39 in smaller groups initially, as motorists would be more tolerable of letting say 50 minis out and then moving on , rather than 300 in one go. I know it splits the group initially but we are only on the A39 for very short while.

Just a suggestion, its just a shame to spoil things for one roundabout.

This seams crazy.
THe Police help us out by practically closing the road in Bideford when we leave the park.
Is this just because it's a major road?
I would imageine the shop keepers and local council may be able to pull things round - unless they really are a miserable bunch.

Quoted from LazyBones

http://www.thisisnorthdevon.co.....-detail/article.html

I sent them the same as I put on the front page of this web site but it didn't really read the same. Westward Ho has been good to us over the past 16 years and I would hate to desert them. They have already lost Potwolloping I think, the August Bank Holiday is one of the traders best days. Thats what events like this are for Benefit the community and raise money for a fantastic place.

We leave from a field who do we benefit.

I dont think splitting the run up helps. We leave from a public place filled with Children, dogs all sorts and the worse thing you can do is start shutting the minis along the prom, that would seriously effect my H&S

Just to let everyone know I do not have a problem, if I cannot get help to get across haywood roundabout this year I will not use westward ho again. I will leave the problem with the Traders and the Councilors, if they want us back they can do the work, not me I do enough and I hang my head out every time i sign my name  

Even more about it in this weeks Gazette should be a ful page on the minis and the LGT.

Campsite opens Wednesday. Send a delagation into Westward Ho! Test the water maybe.

I have contacted the special I know - Ive also sent him some more photos and scanned in photos from when he visited our school, We shall wait a msg back, but ive asked if he's going to be there

I can tell you the official line is no.

prob not but worth a try

Quoted from Bertie

prob not but worth a try

Of course it is everything is worth a try.

Perhaps the theme for fancy dress should have been "Policemen". We would have had our own Specials.

250 minis done up as police cars and 500 mini owner impersonating police officers we could of stopped the whole of North Devon not just Heywood roundabout.

Quoted from Bumble

Perhaps the theme for fancy dress should have been "Policemen". We would have had our own Specials.

Maybe a theme for future LGT's lol brilliant suggestion

Sorry to be dim but does the 250 limit apply this year? (, I thought you were talking about resolving the issue next year by reducing numbers). If so which is car park B?

Wikipedia says:-
Any person who, not being a constable, wears any article of police uniform in circumstances where it gives him an appearance so nearly resembling that of a member of a police force as to be calculated to deceive shall be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction. The penalty is imprisonment not exceeding six months or a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale (currently £5000) or both.

I'm glad I don't do fancy dress!  

R.

Quoted from neon91

Sorry to be dim but does the 250 limit apply this year? (, I thought you were talking about resolving the issue next year by reducing numbers). If so which is car park B?

Yes we are only going to take out 250 minis but as normal we did book in a few extra because we usually expect about 15% not to turn up for whatever reasons. Carpark B is as we say Mrs Bees it is the right hand side of the prom, which now has the added water feature. One of the other reasons why we are bring the numbers down is so those people who do the work (The Crew Members) might be able to enjoy it again.

No what I said was unless we get help this year there will be no issues next year as we will move the event to somewhere else.

Quoted from richardjackson99

Wikipedia says:-
Any person who, not being a constable, wears any article of police uniform in circumstances where it gives him an appearance so nearly resembling that of a member of a police force as to be calculated to deceive shall be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction. The penalty is imprisonment not exceeding six months or a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale (currently £5000) or both.

I'm glad I don't do fancy dress!  

R.

Reminds me of the Only Fools and horses where Derek mistakes a real policewoman for a stripogram.

If the police can't find an officer or two to look after the Heywood Roundabout they would have trouble arresting the occupants of 250 Minis. And if they did they would have a static roadblock instead of a rolling one.

Good point.

R.

Could this be the answer!

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/POLICE-M.....Vehicles_CarParts_SM

Quoted from Jack Knightmare

Could this be the answer!

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/POLICE-M.....Vehicles_CarParts_SM

Yep, just that at the roundabout should work.

I was at my sisters holiday place they are staying at today and the house's caretaker was there - he said it's the only excitment Westward Ho! gets, and now potwallopping looks over, he said if the mini's didnt come then they would be gutted. He said he always stands by hayward road roundabout with a load of other Northam people, lucky for us he said that the news about the minis no longer being at Westward Ho! has struck a cord with the locals and they have plans to help us. who knows what they have in mind but it seems that local spirit may help us all clear hayward road without any issues, watch this space!

Quoted from Bertie

I was at my sisters holiday place they are staying at today and the house's caretaker was there - he said it's the only excitment Westward Ho! gets, and now potwallopping looks over, he said if the mini's didnt come then they would be gutted. He said he always stands by hayward road roundabout with a load of other Northam people, lucky for us he said that the news about the minis no longer being at Westward Ho! has struck a cord with the locals and they have plans to help us. who knows what they have in mind but it seems that local spirit may help us all clear hayward road without any issues, watch this space!

Lets hope that people power can help us

La la la:

"If the people are united,
They can never be divided."

La la la.


Up the proletariat!


R.  

Quoted from richardjackson99

Up the proletariat!


R.  

Do you go to your Doctor with that?

power to the people

I've just looked at Westward Ho! webcam..... Is it that grim Andrew?

At the moment .....YES....but it's only for today and then it's starting to look up

Yep the weekend forecast is good. Just hope the rain is not too heavy today and damages the campsite.

.....or the Travelodge!

OK - Confession time - it's 10.40 pm - ....... Jane's been reading the forum for the last hour or so, saw the webcam link, got all excited, clicked on the link, looked confused and said '.... it' dark....' !!

Quoted from jane

OK - Confession time - it's 10.40 pm - ....... Jane's been reading the forum for the last hour or so, saw the webcam link, got all excited, clicked on the link, looked confused and said '.... it' dark....' !!

Ah bless try now Jane Westward Ho is bathed in Sunshine !! well its light at least

Quoted from jane

OK - Confession time - it's 10.40 pm - ....... Jane's been reading the forum for the last hour or so, saw the webcam link, got all excited, clicked on the link, looked confused and said '.... it' dark....' !!

Confession time for me too - I've always looked at the still webcam, I didn't realise that there was a video version too until now.

Just had a look at the webcam and it looks lovely on the beach but the picture is jammed at 5:04pm. Maybe it'll still be sunny at 10:40pm!

LOL - your sooo funny!! they've updated their cams used to only be updated when u pressed f5, i use the camera to get joels breakfast ready for when he returned home from a dawny I remember when the camera was being installed much excitment :/

Quoted from Bertie

they've updated their cams used to only be updated when u pressed f5, i use the camera to get joels breakfast ready for when he returned home from a dawny

Yep, the only way I used to get video was by pressing F5.

I'll suggest they put a webcam on our local railway station, then Rita will know when to come and meet me with Domino.

i think it's an awesome idea webcams everywhere!! Northam has one - you can spot if the chinese take away is busy and if there is any space - but there is a time delay which isnt that good

Hi Anyone in Devon to give a local forecast. We are in Somerset and it does not show that far west on our weather reports. BBC says showers on Sunday but Metcheck says dry. Good Monday. Anyone got their fir cones ready?

If you go to BBC Devon you see their local forecast via http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/devon/hi/

Or if you have Sky TV you can see the local southwest bulletins on channel 987 at the same time as your own local news is on BBC1.

Well David Brain the local BBC man said today a very small chance of showers on sunday, but he said 'watch this space' - he's normally very good is our David Brain