Biggest turnout at the Nats

[Aussy Edo]

I am only about 4 hrs drive away and have every intention of going but as much as i would like to, i can't commit due to my work situation.I might be a "stones throw" away come june next year or i might be working in Darwin , hopefully i can come down from Gladdy for a few days and meet some of you fine upstanding individuals .
Edo

[rosco]

Edo,
fair way off yet, but - if you are still "local" by then - you'll undoubtedly see cars running through most areas on their way to HB.
The show'n'shine will be on the Sunday - it runs for quite some time whilst peer judging is done...
If you can't enter because of work commitments and will be in the district - pop into the show'n'shine and meet up with everyone...

frats,
Rosco

[WayneXG95]

Upstanding individuals..
Gee by the end of Sunday night none of us are standing let alone upstanding..

[Blacky]

Upstanding individuals..
Gee by the end of Sunday night none of us are standing let alone upstanding..

We were still standing at 4am on Monday morning at Cowra but weren't too flash at 9am when we met Beersy for the drive to Sydney

[Sputzwagon]

I'll just say this, for all the Nat's I've missed over the years, I wanted to go to 'em aII!!
But working in retail I unfortunately can't make many as we have a thing called 'Blackout period' where under no circumstances how much you want to take annual leave you are simply not allowed, point in case the June long weekend. Sure I could go but I'de be unemployed when I got back!

So it's not the distance that stops me going, in fact I love the 'road trip' just getting to & from the Nationals. Just wish my company and probably most folk who work in retail also wish they could be more flexible with leave. Remember there are some of us that hav'nt had a Christmas/Easter or June long weekend break in years!

Scotty.

[igor]

Yep Scotty
Know where you are coming from. Many years ago when our kids were little Roger worked in the "water industry", pumps and windmills. There was absolutely NO leave/time off....(always pumps and windmills breaking down) allowed from beginning of October to end of April, and as we all know bringing up a family is not cheap so we could not venture too far.
Then owning a business for a number of years being self employed no holidays there. Now we are making up for lost time
cheers
Lesley

[Mick]

Scotty you shouldn't need to ask for time off because you shouldn't have a boss a man of yor talents should be earning a living from his art

i'de realy hate to have to depend on a job more than once when i was a summernats addict when putting in for hollidays i informed them OHH NO i'm not asking for time off, i'm telling you i won't be here

[Trev]

Scotty, I know exactly what your talking about, retail sucks when Xmas, Easter, public holidays ( long weekends) and alot of people having a great time on holidays and your worried about getting to work, it puts me in an anti social state of mind where I say "why bother", it's depressing.

[rosco]

Scotty and Trev,
yes - the "citizen" population sometimes forget that the services they depend on to furnish their "between holidays" breaks are manned by those who are a lot more disciplined in leisure time...
I spent some 40 years watching others take great breaks over the "festive season" whilst I toiled away at the coal-face... and fully appreciate that you get the feeling you are a bit of an outcast...

However, the great bonus was that we could take leave when hardly anyone else was out and about... and had some great breaks away to coastal places with the place almost to ourselves..... quite a contrast to that of the same locations at Christmas/Easter etc., etc., ...

We now find, although now retired - that the nats is a bit of a squeeze for us again - because we now like to travel north for the winter duration... not so bad when they are reasonably local - as we can simply zip back and hook up the van to get away from the cold July/August frozen months down here... but, when they are nationally distant - like HB, we do a lot of traveling up and back before we start on our migration north......

I do very much appreciate that my thoughts are extremely self-centred and may appear to many as unappreciative... but we love to travel... it's just the long distance for a very short break knowing full well that we could have the van in tow and stay up there.... downside - we wouldn't have the old bus... it can't tow 2 1/2 tonnes.... well, it can - but not legally....

frats,
Rosco