box hill hill cycling expo...
Pumpkin Positive
Posts: 392
did anyone else camp at the "Box Hill Cycling Expo" over the weekend to watch the olympic road racing? The expo runs until the end of the month, but if you're thinking of camping be wary.
The camping field was convenient for Box Hill with direct access up to Donkey Green and the Smith & Western pub. Unfortunately the facilities on offer at the campsite were shameful particularly at £40 per night. I'd estimate there were 100 or so caravans / motor homes and 300 tents (so I guess a thousand or so people?) and the facilities on offer were hopelessly inadequate for that number of people.
The port-a-loos (of which there were 7, I think) were full by Sunday morning.
There were no chemical toilet disposal points - a legal requirement for any camping ground.
Only one water standpipe
Nowhere to dispose of rubbish
We were only there a couple of nights so we were able to take home our rubbish and chemical toilet waste, but for £40 per night we felt somewhat ripped off.
The camping field was convenient for Box Hill with direct access up to Donkey Green and the Smith & Western pub. Unfortunately the facilities on offer at the campsite were shameful particularly at £40 per night. I'd estimate there were 100 or so caravans / motor homes and 300 tents (so I guess a thousand or so people?) and the facilities on offer were hopelessly inadequate for that number of people.
The port-a-loos (of which there were 7, I think) were full by Sunday morning.
There were no chemical toilet disposal points - a legal requirement for any camping ground.
Only one water standpipe
Nowhere to dispose of rubbish
We were only there a couple of nights so we were able to take home our rubbish and chemical toilet waste, but for £40 per night we felt somewhat ripped off.
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Totally agree, with two small children in tow we called it a day after 1 night, no fire extinguishers, one 'fresh water' standpipe, no organisers to speak of (surprise surprise) and more security guards than toilets???? Just how 'The National Trust' could label the organisers as a professional campsite operator is beyond me! Just who vetted the campsite organisers in the first place? Have also read that the field was recently exposed to raw sewage as a result of the recent heavy rain. Complete ripoff!0
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Emmag22, did you visit the expo? I was expecting a big screen and perhaps a few cycling trade stands but I couldn't see there was much there. I'd hoped to watch the racing on box hill then find a big screen to watch the sprint on the mall.
I spoke to a security guard (and yes they did outnumber the toilets!) who said that the event organiser had buggered off because he'd "cocked it all up"0 -
We were lucky to have tickets to donkey green so could view race events on their big screen, we arrived on friday afternoon and had a quick flick round the 'expo', again a flop as most of the vendors were expecting 'large crowds', I did note from our vantage point on boxhill that the bouncy castle guys had cleared off by mid afternoon on the Saturday so footfall was obviously dire! Have a quick scan on boxhill expos website you'll notice that certain campsite facilities have miraculously disappeared from the list now! I've also read that the campsite was housing Olympic security/games makers (that would explain the minibuses departing from the lower field at 6am). Shall be complaining to Nottingham council (where 'the exchange events' head office is) and Surrey council for granting permission to provide campsite facilities without vetting the operator! I won't get anywhere but it'll make me feel better (lol)0
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Well spotted. The website has been altered in the last 24 hours! I checked yesterday and it was definitely showing a more comprehensive list of services. Yes, I think I'll be alerting the local planning authority too (Mole Valley District Council?) not that I expect any action but it'll make me feel better.Emmag22 wrote:We were lucky to have tickets to donkey green so could view race events on their big screen, we arrived on friday afternoon and had a quick flick round the 'expo', again a flop as most of the vendors were expecting 'large crowds', I did note from our vantage point on boxhill that the bouncy castle guys had cleared off by mid afternoon on the Saturday so footfall was obviously dire! Have a quick scan on boxhill expos website you'll notice that certain campsite facilities have miraculously disappeared from the list now! I've also read that the campsite was housing Olympic security/games makers (that would explain the minibuses departing from the lower field at 6am). Shall be complaining to Nottingham council (where 'the exchange events' head office is) and Surrey council for granting permission to provide campsite facilities without vetting the operator! I won't get anywhere but it'll make me feel better (lol)0 -
Was the expo at he same site as the campsite? We walked past on our way to Donkey Green but couldn't see any stalls.0
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Yes it would have been on the right as you walked up the hill. the campsite was on the leftBeatmaker wrote:Was the expo at he same site as the campsite? We walked past on our way to Donkey Green but couldn't see any stalls.0 -
I paid £15 per day ( via Surrey CC ) to park in that shit-tip
When we left on Sunday afternoon, going over the bridge to the exit was a mudbath- the incompetent shitwits couldnt even put any straw or sand down, there was no big screen
A seedy exercise in shameless money grubbing- the toilets were a health hazard and the "expo" was a disgrace. I think those who paid £40 per night to camp should sue the organizers
Denbigh Wine Festival Cycling Fest had a big screen and was free to enter, also near Box Hill village the Cafe had put up a big screen and proper loos, which they reserved for cafe customers only, which was fair enough0 -
Other sites may have the old details, e.g. https://twitter.com/SwissRetreat/0
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We were approached by the organiser of Box Hill Cycling Expo who variously called himself Seb or Paul Hart.
He promised our newsletter readers a chance to win one of five Team Sky jerseys, a competition we duly ran based on inspirational photos of people out enjoying a ride.
Two of our winners included hand cyclists who were paralyzed by spinal cord injury, one of them completed the London Revolution on his hand bike.
After months of chasing him to deliver the jerseys we've had no luck.
Real shame that the good natured culture of cycling where trust is given rather than earnt has been abused by a scammer.0 -
SwissRetreat wrote:After months of chasing him to deliver the jerseys we've had no luck.
Real shame that the good natured culture of cycling where trust is given rather than earnt has been abused by a scammer.
Why not email Team Sky public relations with your story and see what they can do ? The worse that will happen is they say no can do and you never know...
I'm sure they're not as hard-hearted as many people might think (and there is an ulterior motive in it for them)0 -
Wow... this is the email chain I just had with the guy!
Original Message
From:"Tom Eeles"
To: <sales@boxhillcyclingexpo.co.uk>, <phmedia@yahoo.co.uk>
Cc:
Subj: Team Sky Jerseys comp - winners details
Sent: Oct 10th
Seb or Paul,
Hi - none of the winners of this competition have received jerseys.
You said on September 1st that these had been sent?
If you aren't going to do this please just let me know rather than wasting everyone's time?
Here are all the details for the winners:
(REMOVED FROM EMAIL CHAIN FOR PRIVACY)
Original Message
From:sales@boxhillcyclingexpo.co.uk
To: "Tom Eeles"
Subj: Team Sky Jerseys comp - winners details
Sent: Oct 22 (8 days ago)
They sold them on ebay
Original Message
From: "Tom Eeles"
To: <sales@boxhillcyclingexpo.co.uk>, <phmedia@yahoo.co.uk>
Sent: Oct 22 (8 days ago)
Subject: Team Sky Jerseys comp - winners details
You sold them on ebay? what are you talking about?
Original Message
Re: Re: Team Sky Jerseys comp - winners details
sales@boxhillcyclingexpo.co.uk
3:25 PM (8 minutes ago)
Sold them and kept the money, that's the kind guy I am!!
) 0 -
dsoutar wrote:
Why not email Team Sky public relations with your story and see what they can do ? The worse that will happen is they say no can do and you never know...
I'm sure they're not as hard-hearted as many people might think (and there is an ulterior motive in it for them)
dsoutar - Great idea - done - let's see!0 -
Oh wow, who said the British entrepreneurial spirit was dead? You want to get MacIntyre Undercover after them...0
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SwissRetreat wrote:dsoutar wrote:
Why not email Team Sky public relations with your story and see what they can do ? The worse that will happen is they say no can do and you never know...
I'm sure they're not as hard-hearted as many people might think (and there is an ulterior motive in it for them)
dsoutar - Great idea - done - let's see!
Let us know how you get on.
What an appalling bit of behavior. I'm so staggered by the email exchange above I didn't even swear in this post...0
