Cotswold Rally 2017

[Suffolk944]

I spotted on the main site that the Cotswold Rally has been resurrected this year for May 14th. Anyone planning on going ? Its always been an excellent event though I am uncertain whether its being organised by Geoff Ives as per many a year or someone else this time.

 

[geoff Ives]

The original team are not organising it this year despite offering to do so.

Geoff Ives.
Cotswold Rally Organiser 1999-2015

 

[Suffolk944]

That's a shame - the new team certainly have alot to live up to in that case..

 

[John Sims]

I find it all very sad.

Geoff, assisted by his merry band of event hardened helpers, offered to do the event but the offer was rejected.

The Cotswold Rally/St George Rally and Front Runners Rallies (together with those run for Gaydon Motor Heritage Centre) must total 20 or more. All run successfully (even with Geoff in hospital for one event).

It had become something of a Club institution. I appreciate that things move on but there might have been greater consideration to the members involved and more diplomacy in its transition. It might have been more honest to call it something different to "The Cotswold Rally" for a start.

Regrettably it seems like another example of "If it ain't broke, fix it 'till it is." walking roughshod over the legacy of the hard work invested by members in the past.

Due to the bad feelings caused neither Geoff nor any of his primary team are involved in this new event so they have thrown out the best part of 20 years experience and are starting from scratch. Some of the call to arms in the Cotswold region forum straight away demonstrate a grave misunderstanding of the mechanics of the event.

It would be hypocritical of me to wish them well in their endeavours as I, as others pleased to have assisted Geoff in the past, feel somewhat insulted by the way this has been moved forward.

 

[geoff Ives]

All posts on this matter both from me and John Sims are being deleted from the R31 Forum thread.
We have not contrevend forum rules and will not do so. With that in mind any post on the subject will be put on this thread and if this is unsuccessful we will go over to the Pistonheads forum.

Geoff Ives

 

[John Sims]

Having been publicly chastised by our Chairman for proffering an opinion contrary to the party line in the R31 thread, and having had my replies to this public wrist slapping deleted, I find myself further disappointed by the current state of affairs.

The forum Admins have fought hard for many years to maintain this forum as a good and fair place where members can air their opinions. I know how difficult it can be, having sat both sides of the fence, as it were. It was through this concern that we reviewed and redrafted the forum rules (back in the day) to protect both the members and The Club while still maintaining a level of freedom of speech where possible.

Forum post deletions have been few and far between in the past and, when ever possible, not without the courtesy of dialogue with the person who's post was deleted. In these instances the posts are always suspended for reference and allowing re-posting if successfully appealed.

To have two posts summarily deleted without such courtesy is, quite frankly, deeply insulting.

And I am still none the wiser as to why Geoff's offer to run the event again was rejected.