Was invited, as the 'New Boy', to spend 2 days at the above. Drive down Saturday, attend the show, hotel overnight, return to the show on Sunday and back home Sunday evening. 4 of us went.
We drove South into Storm Hannah and it continued to rain and blow through to Sunday. Whilst there are large halls at the venue there are still large open area displays and marquees, which in the rain is not pleasant and you cannot help but feel sorry for all those who have displays and stands outside when its banging it down.
Saturday night it was suggested that we go to the pictures, as they had done in previous years. I thought this was not a blokey thing to do but as I was the New Boy who was I to argue. We subsequently ended up in a 'Spoons' which had previously been a cinema. Quite ornate too. I'd been had. The look of disdain on my face at the suggestion of going to the pictures had not gone unnoticed but I passed initiation by not grumbling :)
Sunday started a bit grey but improved considerably. There is nothing you cant buy at these type of events. But I was mightily impressed by vendors selling all manner of those little bits and pieces that you would normally have difficulty sourcing. My Achilles heel is tools. Tools that are made specifically for jobs that are not on your list but they could be. Its not until you start foraging through these tools that you realise how empty your tool box really is :)
I managed, for the most part to resist but came back with some proper angled tweezers, the wife's plucking tweezers don't cut it and some locking scissors (well they were 2 for a £5). Cant see a use for them. A scribe which is like a dentist pick but good for cleaning small places. £1.50. A special fused and wired connector to connect accessories direct to a motorbike battery as the factory loom hasn't the capacity - £5. And my main purchase which involved some chin stroking which was a Nielsen 1/2" drive brushless battery powered impact driver at £80. Ive been promising myself one of these, very handy but they are not inexpensive. Ideal for wheelnuts. The pricing of this one was the attraction. I do have a compressor and all the tools but they are so yesterday and have to be all set up and pipes dragged out. Vehicles to be moved within reach. So we will see how it goes at that money it would not be the end of the world if it didn't last that long.
Tools are very well priced compared to your normal high street outlets and the quality looks reasonable. Nielsen seems a very common brand of tool.
So if you love browsing at motoring stuff and maybe some nostalgia looking at classic motors or you I can highly recommend such an event. But take a good supply of readies, for some reason the card machines seemed to struggle everywhere.
Last edited by: VxFan on Mon 29 Apr 19 at 13:28
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Never been, I may need to visit the autojumble they have there for bikes - C90 may need some bits !
Nice write up.
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Stafford Bike Show - Report - R.P.
