Kent VW Festival - An Utter Shambles

First off apologies at the length of this post but I thought it fair to write everything as was and not to abbreviate.

Secondly I know it was the first show on their own and in the new venue and that there were going to be teething problems, however it is ow those problems are handled that makes a difference. I am not usually one to complain at this length on a forum however we tried to raise these issues with the organisers and all we got were varying excuses and them stating it was our fault (by 'our fault' they mean us and the hundreds of other campers that were in the field as you enter off the A20)

We were really looking forward to this show, we were going as a group of 4, us in the van and another couple in the beetle. The flyers promised good things, there were a few concerns floating around cyber space about the state of the site after the War and Peace revival but the KVWF posted pica and assurances on facebook that the site was good, it wasn't churned up and that any areas that were would be sectioned off and that we would not be driving on mud.

On arrival we came from the other end of the A20 so we had no queue, and in we went to the camping entry - straight into a field full of deeply churned earth with massive peaks and troughs making it hard to driver over, we also noticed at this point the 1 portaloo cubicle in the one very large field. We approached the Gazebo and got our wrist bands and they said were would you like to camp, we said anywhere and can we go over there (pointing round the corner to the row of bushes at the bottom of the field) the lady said yes that is fine. So off we went, how we got there is beyond me as at one point there were tracks so deep that when we later walked back over and I stood in it, it came halfway up my calf!

So we parked up next to a tank that was left and we starting setting out our awning and the couple we were with starting putting up their tent, halfway through setting up a organiser came over and said we couldn't camp there and we had to move, he said we just had to be the other side of the tank and on the other side of the dirt track, so we had to take the tent down again and move a few metres over to the other side of the track, a further 3 groups also experienced the same when they later tried to pitch there as it remained unobvious you could not camp there (it was the same field??)

I later approached an organiser to ask about the lack of toilets and if anymore were being added (by this time there were hundreds of people all about to share that one cubicle, all I was a long lecture about how no-one was meant to be camping in that field and we all weren't meant to be there and how we should all have been camped further down (there is NO WAY all the people in that field would fit closer to the show) despite the fact that we had all been told that was where we should be camping, and that the one portaloo that was there wasn't theirs and was due to be picked up (It was still there and was later fixed and working when we left, by sat afternoon more portaloos were put out, but these were all in the same area and walking across the churned up ground to get to them was quite an effort) We then went for a walk into the show area itself. Here we found the show reception and again asked about toilets (we were asking politely and again all we got was a lecture about how we shouldn't be camping there and we weren't meant to be in that field and (going over to a map) the fun fair was meant to be here but they went here which moved everything else round, and how he was going to get his balls chewed off because of us (again by us he means the hundreds of us that were now in that field) So did no-one guide the fun fair in? Why were they not moved? if they knew the funfair was there and that everyone else needed to move round why did they not add more loo's? I am not sure where he thought all the hundreds of us were going to go? There was no more room nearer the show?

 

The club pitches were on very even ground right next to the front entrance and the tarmac roads, there were brick built buildings all within this man area and these housed 3 seperate blocks of flushing toilets, the closest of which to the main camping area were not working as they were blocked by war and peace and were being fixed that day. There was also 1 water point at this area (This area is a good 30 min round trip walking from where we were camped. We also found the portaloo style shower cabin which housed a total of 6 showers for the 2500 plus people camping there, this itself didn't bother us as we don't expect showers at these things. The one cubicle in our field was also broken.

On returning back to our pitch, new arrivals were being guided and told to pitch in the exact spot next to the tank we and several others were moved from and some were even being put in the field further away than us. Why were they being guided if we weren't meant to be camped there? Why were we made to move a few meters from this spot?


Then the fun started at night. The details said the show entertainment would be lasting until 2am and the show rules stated that no music would be allowed after 12am. I expect to be up late at these things but we were pitched with lots of familys with young children. We were then awake until 4am with one group playing extremely loud music all night, they were still going when I got up at 6am. The organisers however were very nicely camped in the quiet right next to the showers and the 3 proper toilet blocks with the rest of the VW world that mattered (clubs, the judges and the traders) why the rest of us plebs that made up the bulk of the ticket sales were left in a churned up field with no toilets or water being kept awake all night.

The next day we went to scooter show and shine, a grand total of 9 scooters were it for the entire show (none in the general camping areas either) Unsure where the advertised indoor auto jumble was held? We couldn't find it?

We then decided we would walk up the road to the Airport cafe for lunch (which was lovely by the way) On the way out we asked the 2 marshalls how long the gates were going to be open and they said until about 9pm (these were the back gates going onto the A20, where all the campers had been told to enter) on the way back an hour later the gates were locked!! The 2 marshalls were still there (further into the field) with one of the organisers on a moped, we asked them to let us back in and they shouted over that we had to go to the main entrance (the main entrance was 3 miles around the other side) we said that you told it was open until 9pm and the organiser on the moped just rode off and the 2 marshalls started to walk away. There were also 2 cars trying to get in to camp since all the campers had been advised to go to this entrance on the facebook page, now for a car 3 miles isn't that far, but on foot in the baking mid-day heat when you have no water is too much! So we climbed over the fence and called the marshalls back, they told us that they had been told to close the gate as there were too many people there and it was too full, not sure what the people waiting at the gate with tickets were meant to do, and if they are full how will going to the main entrance help? We advised them that we were on foot as they knew as we spoke to them on the way out an hour before and they just shrugged at us.

 

By this time we were very angry, it had been one cock up after another and each time we raised them with the organisers all we got was alot of excuses and palming it off onto all the ticket buyers as our fault.

It is not the issues themselves but how they were managed (or not in this case) For comparison we were at grill and chill the year before last, there were not many water points there, when we asked where the water point was (just asking for directions to it at that point) we were told, it is right over there but don't worry we are trying to get more in, and there are also some more toilets on the way, no excuses, no ranting at us just them solving the issues (on that occasion I had thought there plenty of loos but they still got more in - good planning and good service)

So we packed up and after trekking over to the toilet 30 mins after we had climbed over the fence we saw cars coming in through the gate they had just closed, we saw the organiser in the blue VW van and asked him if the gates were open and he said yes, we told him what had just happened and he said they had to close the gate due to lack of staff (a totalling different excuse to the one given to us 30 mins earlier) We told him what had just happened and how the other marshalls had just walked off and left us there to make a 3 mile walk and he just said to see him later and he will buy us a drink. We said we were leaving and were advised to leave a comment on their facebook page and they would deal with it. Other people had commented on the facebook page about the toilets and showers and had been ignored.

So all in all the weekend was ruined by one cock up after another.

All that was needed when we asked about the toilets would have been a 'sorry we weren't expecting to use this field but we have ordered some more and they are on their way' The roads just needed to have the peaks knocked off to fill in the deep troughs and with the gate, once the marshalls knew it was us that had left on foot they should have come and opened the gate to let us back in and if they are claiming no music after 12pm (even 2am when the main music stopped) they should have someone come round to police it, I feel sorry for all the families with children that had to sleep through that noise and that probably had 2 nights of it. I over-heard several people on the saturday say that they were leaving. I know it is a show and I don't expect an early peaceful night, I do however expect for the music not to go on the entire night. It is a car show not a music festival.

However if you were one of the select few who were placed near the main show area (The club pitches had 1 private toilet per club) or one of the ones in the groups up all night drinking you probably had a brilliant time. For the rest of us however it was a horrible experience.

We did have tea and cake in the Spitfire tea rooms on the site and that was lovely and was by far the best part of the show.

 

Demand a refund,

 

Defo whs^^^^

 

This is exactly why I went to Chilli farm instead, the bloke ( Dee) who organised kent vw is a complete plum and obviously leads by example.His attitude and manners last year at chilli were appalling and caused the split up ( that and money issues). I guessed it wasnt going to be family friendly by any means. By the same token Chilli promised us VW,s and scooters galore, neither of which happened and consequently trade was poor , @Dan@vintagespeed can probably vouch for that as well ,sorry I didnt get to see you mate but I was single handed on the stall. Jaspervan, I feel sorry for you mate, you were led up the garden path and if you ask for a refund dont bother holding your breath.

 

i blame camperjam 2012

 

Now, that did make me laugh

 

Sorry you had such a crud time, if I had not been working I would have gone so rather pleased I did not

 

How much did you pay for this?

 

It was £20 each so £80 for all of us. After the attitude we got when we raised any issues I know a refund will not be given. The first time I raised the issue all I said was 'excuse me I am just wondering if there are going to be more toilets added as there is only that one and its broke' I got a 5 min rant about how no one should be in the field in the first place.

Next year I shall be heading to the chilli farm and I suspect so will many others.

 

I bloody hope so, my takings were right down due to the lack of veedubbers, them tractor drivers dont use picnic sets.

 

reading about these issues … limited toilets, poor camping fields, all night noise certainly don't encourage me to head off to a VW show anytime soon. Perhaps I'm just getting old and enjoy some peace and quiet.

 

Not all shows are the same. I have camped at grill n chill in kent and we had no problems and had a good time.
I dont expect a shower and I dont mind portaloos as long as there are enough of them. It wasnt the problems themselves but how they were (or rather werent) dealt with. The only time we became rude was when they walked off at the gate incident and we did swear abit at them when we caught up with them as at that point it was the last straw and was like a red flag to a bull.

@beatnic its a shame the traders had to suffer because of the split between the two.

 

I should also add that we arrived at 1.30pm when gates supposedly opened at 1.30pm so we weren't late arrivals. The field we were apparently meant to use was already full with people fully set up. There is no way all those people would have got in and set up in 30 mins.
My van is also not lowered and has decent sized commercial tyres and I still struggled to drive on that ground.

 

GREAT SHOW , wasnt the organisers fault the show ground got churned up by 100,000 war n peace revellers the week before , they workered their socks off to get it so the show could go on AND the ground was not water logged like CJ either ive got pics ill show you later , toilets were normal show stuff , but we didnt have a problem, i could see 28 portaloo toilets from just we we were camped . Sorry but i didnt see one van get stuck anywhere ???.
Was you at the same place as us ??
As for traders they were all doing well . Approx 2500 people their, two days of absolutely glorious sunshine on perfectly good camping grounds . The chap that runs this ran it at chilli farm got it to where it was last year . What happened as far as the "parting of ways goes" , do any of you know the full truth mmmmm ??
Sorry but im sticking up for KENT VW FESTIVAL , it was them that made chilli farm the VW success , before that it was a steam engine rally. Ive got nothing against chilli farm or their organisers by the way , it was a good show last two years we went . I live in Kent and i saw the chilli farm festival signs up on all the routes into the KENT VW FESTIVAL site, mmmmm funny that because its no where near chilli farm ,, sour grapes ??
I hate all this bickering , and its one reason i didnt post about either of these shows very much ,prior to them. If you didnt go you dont know . But ive been to loads of first time first venue shows and that was by far the best ive been too. SORRY BUT YOU PAINTED A VERY UNFAIR PICTURE OF THIS. Of course this is my opinion , but i saw and was with quite alot of others who thought it was great too , errrm did you go to the sat eve party ??. N sorry dont listen to posts by disgruntled traders from chilli farm .
Best you check the facts first id say .


SO does anyone wana see pics of the show WE went too ??

 

if you talk to dave row im sure you will wish you came

 

Sorry but I do disagree. Everything that I posted above was factual and happened to US, it is not painting an unfair picture, it is free speech advising of OUR experience. People only have to read back previous posts from me to know that I am not the sort of person to complain without cause. I have never been to the chilli festival so the split issue is neither here nor there and has nothing to do with my original post.

No where in my post did I mention waterlogged ground?

I also never said anyone got stuck, I said they struggled.

Yes it was churned up by war and peace but then why post on facebook that the ground was fine, not churned and that no one would be driving on mud and that we would be on tarmac roads?

As I said it would vary depending on where you were camped as to what you experienced so no we probably weren't at the same place as you! Where were you camped? Near the showground? We were in the very far back field by the entrance off the A20. There was only 1 cubicle as the rest were in a corner on a trailer unused (we were told they were from war and peace due to be picked up)
If you were near the showground then you wouldnt have experienced the lack of toilets and bad ground as we did. More toilets (3 extra in our field) did arrive at about 3pm saturday so 24hrs sharing one loo!

Also it does not account for the appalling responses we got when we queried these issues, as I said it was these responses and not the issues themselves that really wound us up. Would you be happy if you got told to walk 3 miles in the midday heat with no water to the other entrance by the same people who an hour before just told you the gate was open until 9pm and to then walk off and leave you there!! (There were also 3 cars trying to get in)
Would you also be pleased if a large group blaring out music all night long kept awake until 6am??????

On another thread here someone else left early for similar reasons so clearly we were not alone in our experience.

 

No , no where near the main events actually , but do you know what hoops they had to jump thru to run that show and not let thousands of people down , let alone make themselves bankrupt . Im sorry you had a bad experience but i didnt .I would have jumped over the fence or got something to eat on the site maybe but" maybe" ?? or even gooked something myself. They had to meet risk assessments n requirements of kent police to meet to and were rushed off their feet, i do know that they said that if we had a complaint put it down on paper hand it to them and they would try and iron out any hiccups , next year . I for one was gob smacked at the work they had done to that place after what we had been told it was like, " something totally out of their control too"
Something they did do too was they made ALOT OF MONEY for charity HELP THE HEROES , oh such a bad man he must be rushed of his feet so everyone could camp for 3 nights with entertainment and a hell of alot more for £20 whoopee do what do you expect ??