Llandudno Victorian Extravaganza

[FatAndy]

Very interesting, Blongb. Here's a question for you - why is it I can obtain a hotel room more cheaply through a site like booking.com than if I contact the hotel directly? I've noticed this several times and it seems to make no sense for the hotel from a financial point of view.

I spent many years working for accountancy practices in the area in which time I did book-keeping and accounts preparation for quite a few local hotels.  The smaller places do ok, especially those where the owners do all the work so there's no need for any employees, but even pre-recession the bigger hotels were seriously struggling to make any sort of profit.  Given that a lot of their costs will be fixed (rates, insurance, etc...) it makes sense to fill as many rooms as possible even it means reducing the price of some....80% of the going rate is going to be a lot better than 0%.

Also booking.com is a global brand.  Anyone across the planet looking for a hotel in Llandudno, Gwynedd can get a list of available places on the dates they require in a matter of seconds.  Given the number of hotels in Llandudno, and the fact that even the residents of the town probably couldn't name more than a dozen of them, how likely is it that in this day and age people will spend time searching out details of hotels and phoning around rather than just going straight to booking.com?   Just consider any commission/discount as an advertising cost and it all make sense.

[wrex]

We will be putting out a letter next week asking for the hotels,pubs,cafes ,restaurants and shops to make a small donation towards next years event,i have spent or lost a half day meeting the authorities,lots of evenings sorting out funfair on Mostyn st so if the response is poor i shall walk,i don;t want thank you;s,i don;t want any credits but if we fail to get support then i will not be wasting anymore of my time to line the pockets of this town.I have done the extrava for many a year and love seeing the town full,the local kids having a good weekend,the old steam tractions,marching bands but with ever increasing bills without the buissnesses support i will walk,there will be a few very happy but i would like to think the town will miss the extravaganza.

[Barney Baker]

Well Wrex Silence speaks a thousand words, I think its time to wrap things up and finish the event as we can see from the response nobody cares. it would have been nice just for 1 little note but nothing, all the things we have to put in place to get the event past the Safety Advisory Group is enough of a challenge never mind all the bill's we have to pay all the measuring you and I do in the dead of winter and the weekend working from 06:30am to 9pm plus and what for ? we cant keep going as it is, we are after all volunteers and we need new blood but they only want the glory or paying.

[Ian]

I think its time to wrap things up and finish the event as we can see from the response nobody cares.

I doubt you could, even if you wanted to. As I said here quite some time ago, the event is now self-sustaining. If Len Ricketts (Transport Festival) were to throw in the towel, perhaps it might falter but I suspect it would simply go on of its own accord, now.

Seventeen years ago something was created which has now assumed a life of its own.

[Fester]

Ian, I would like to think you are right.

But to be honest, your post is a little dismissive of the great work Wrex and his colleagues do.
I really appreciate it, as do the majority I think... but I miss most of the Extravaganza these days as I am required to work at those busy times of year. 

It's like a game of Kep-Plunk, take out one or two key people and it will creak but survive.
Take out another, and another and the whole thing will collapse.

Don't be disheartened at the response on here Guys, just because no one actually joins in to do the graft.
But, I wouldn't mind seeing a poll setup on here, along the lines of.... Victorian Extravaganza, would you miss it if it stopped?

[DaveR]

Volunteers required:

"For anyone wishing to volunteer for duties at this years Llandudno Victorian Extravaganza, then please contact:
Andy Roffey: Extravaganza Crew Manager,
07505818928, email: andrewroffey @ outlook.com
Help for the Friday road closures, and set up on May 2nd would be a huge plus to our team!"

[Ian]

But to be honest, your post is a little dismissive of the great work Wrex and his colleagues do.

I don't think so. I'm not making any adverse comments about "the great work Wrex and his colleagues do" because I know exactly what they do.

I believe the big question is what would happen if the committee members simply stopped en masse. Would the event fail to materialise? Or would others simply pick up the reins? To my certain knowledge the event has been 'doomed' five times since its inception, yet each time it's appeared - as if by clockwork - the following year. And let's not miss the point that  - as has been pointed out - they're all volunteers. So no one has to do anything.

I remember some years ago seeing a woman sorting out all the tables and chairs in Trinity Church Hall. I made a light hearted comment about it, and she replied, Tersely "Well, if I didn't do it no one would."  I asked her if she'd ever tried it.

[wrex]

I don;t mind spending MY time helping Llandudno have a very busy weekend,we do get support from a few it just annoys me when there are plenty of buisnesses banking thousands on the Tuesday morning and not giving the Extravaganza a second thought,thank you or a penny.

[Yorkie]

I don;t mind spending MY time helping Llandudno have a very busy weekend,we do get support from a few it just annoys me when there are plenty of buisnesses banking thousands on the Tuesday morning and not giving the Extravaganza a second thought,thank you or a penny.

Whist I appreciate your work and your sentiments towards the Town's Traders, I think you must have regard for the very high costs that these businesses have.  Owning any business, especially a shop, is not an automatic Gold Mine.   Even if it is a real Gold Mine it is not always a viable enterprise.

Business Rents and Rates are at an all time high and the effect of all communities, not just Llandudno, is obvious from the large number of closed and boarded up buildings.    The enormous number of Supermarkets and Charity Shops are also weakening our past successful and useful retail centres.

I am sure that if the Town's Traders could afford to support the Extravaganza in a bigger and better way they would.

It should also be borne in mind that not all businesses see a benefit from the weekend!
 ZXZ

[wrex]

Yorkie i appreciate all about the rates etc and im sure the extravaganza pays their rates  ,rents etc etc for quite a few months,its not the extravaganza;s fault that all other times are hard.If the traders don;t support then it will go,up to now there are 100 coaches decending on the town that weekend(daytrips that is) and im not sure what the traders want us to do.I can take anything on the chin because i know how busy the event is and everybody makes a good penny,but getting them to give just a small amount just does;nt cross  their minds.

[Barney Baker]

Funny how your previous comment went without a response and since I put a little note to support you Wrex everybody wants to talk about the event, come on Llandudno you've got to keep the event going !

[Ian]

since I put a little note to support you Wrex everybody wants to talk about the event

That's hardly surprising, since your posting was both belligerent and accusatory:

Well Wrex Silence speaks a thousand words, I think its time to wrap things up and finish the event as we can see from the response nobody cares.

not to mention short on facts:

it would have been nice just for 1 little note but nothing

There's a lot of support for the event in here, as you would know if you re-read this topic. Wrex, however, posts his little rants with regular frequency, and the fact that no one commented on the latest was not a sign that "nobody cares". It was simply evidence that people have heard it all before - regularly.

We know there's a lot involved, as you keep reminding everyone, but you chose to become involved. Many in here cannot, because of other commitments, and some have done it themselves for several years. 

the weekend working from 06:30am to 9pm plus and what for ?

That's the question, isn't it?  Why do you do it? There's a huge body of evidence in Psychology that supports the theory that people only do what they want to do. The motives behind your contribution are probably similar to the lady I saw in Trinity sorting tables and chairs: you do it because it gives you a sense of achievement, of purpose and clarity and you enjoy the camaraderie. And that's great.  If a leisure pursuit you enjoy also helps the town then fine, but don't assume because there were no responses to Wrex's posting that no one cares. They might just prefer sorting chairs in the church.  Remember: you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar... 

Z**

[Yorkie]

Yorkie i appreciate all about the rates etc and im sure the extravaganza pays their rates  ,rents etc etc for quite a few months. . . . .

It is pretty obvious Wrex that you have never been involved in a retail business or any business in which there is a demand for major overhead costs.   Some small shops have to take thousands of pounds every week just to pay for the stock and overheads, without making a penny piece of profit.   Plc companies have shareholders who want their pound of flesh so they have to watch every sou they spend.  And us poor old pensioners are having to tighten our belts! 

 ZXZ

[DaveR]

Many small retail businesses actually pay very little in the way of Business Rates, due to Small Business Rate Relief.

[Yorkie]

Many small retail businesses actually pay very little in the way of Business Rates, due to Small Business Rate Relief.

If you want to split hairs!