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Thread: Cheltenham 2020 / 2021

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    Super Moderator Diamond Geezer's Avatar
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    Cheltenham 2020 / 2021

    Cashless Cheltenham this season, I suppose £45 will just about cover a pint and a pasty

    https://www.gloucestershirelive.co.u...avirus-4435991

    Don't believe the reason in this article regarding the marquees,local talk would hint at a rather more sinister reason which thankfully never came to pass (yet!)

    https://www.gloucestershirelive.co.u...crowds-4413904
    "The owls are not what they seem"

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    Senior Member G-G's Avatar
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    Had the renewal notice come through for annual membership, too late to apply to join a webcast with Bazza- nice one marketing department there, good job - which says that they will refund £10 per day if any of the days up to December are either to be staged with no crowd or limited due to any restrictions and although members will be given first claim, will be on a first come basis if too many apply. Without paying for the Festival, that potentially works out at approximately £9 a day cost if not allowed/unable to attend. I appreciate it's very difficult and they need the money, but to be honest that has put me off renewing it as can't afford to pay for the privilege of not going.
    Vote Alfie!!!!

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    I'm not really sure what else they can do GG. What we members are getting had a feeling of inevitability about it. I have every sympathy for a situation not of their making.

    My concern is more about raceday arrangements. The Insurance Bar is my usual haunt, but I suspect it'll be quite difficult to a be a 'chosen one'. Also I go with a group of friends, so is everyone going to be spread about the course? At the Festival we pay for Grandstand seats together. How's that going to work? And I seriously hope they have no plans to send any members over the the Best Mate Enclosure for any of the meetings. If that happened they'd have my badge back immediately.

    I haven't yet renewed, and these are the questions I'd like answering before I do.

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    Senior Member tiggers1972's Avatar
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    I'm sure I saw something Paul that gave members the option on an Insurance Bar Membership, which gave you a seat too, it was obviously extra £££££

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    Senior Member Perpetual's Avatar
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    I’ve taken a punt & bought annual membership as reckon they’ll have first dibs

    Been going to Cheltenham for 25+ years but could never get to enough non-festivals dates previously to make it worthwhile, but reckon only annual members will get into the 2021 festival…

    Whatever the outcome and worldwide situation, it’s going to be a different experience come March and will be happy enough to be there if I can

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    Quote Originally Posted by tiggers1972 View Post
    I'm sure I saw something Paul that gave members the option on an Insurance Bar Membership, which gave you a seat too, it was obviously extra £££££
    Yes they are Darren. Frontrunner had been on to them and told me yesterday evening. £720 for both combined.

    We're trying to get an answer to how they intend to refund for the Insurance Bar costs if spectators aren't allowed, and how they propose that people who attend racing together can be put together in the Insurance Bar and in the Grandstand seats. All of which they're unable to answer.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Perpetual View Post
    I’ve taken a punt & bought annual membership as reckon they’ll have first dibs

    Been going to Cheltenham for 25+ years but could never get to enough non-festivals dates previously to make it worthwhile, but reckon only annual members will get into the 2021 festival…

    Whatever the outcome and worldwide situation, it’s going to be a different experience come March and will be happy enough to be there if I can
    You are probably right with the above Perp but another issue is accommodation I have been staying with the same folks for the last 20 years and there is no way they will be hosting anyone until there is a vaccine etc..

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    The people you stay with have been trying to find a antedote for 20 years Brian. It turns out it was Covid!
    Last edited by Maruco; 28th August 2020 at 11:18 AM.

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    Super Moderator Diamond Geezer's Avatar
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    Insurance Bar membership now sold out but there is a waiting list in the event they are allowed increased capacity.Those who have applied by returning renewal forms have been automatically added to this list.

    As well as the Annual Members bar parts of the Princes Royal stand are to be for members only this season and include the Vestey Bar, the Champagne Bar and all the steps in front.
    Last edited by Diamond Geezer; 28th August 2020 at 5:08 PM.
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    Super Moderator Diamond Geezer's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by G-G View Post
    Had the renewal notice come through for annual membership, too late to apply to join a webcast with Bazza- nice one marketing department there, good job - which says that they will refund £10 per day if any of the days up to December are either to be staged with no crowd or limited due to any restrictions and although members will be given first claim, will be on a first come basis if too many apply. Without paying for the Festival, that potentially works out at approximately £9 a day cost if not allowed/unable to attend. I appreciate it's very difficult and they need the money, but to be honest that has put me off renewing it as can't afford to pay for the privilege of not going.
    The rebate is £15 per day for the November meeting.
    "The owls are not what they seem"

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    Senior Member Perpetual's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by frontrunner View Post
    You are probably right with the above Perp but another issue is accommodation I have been staying with the same folks for the last 20 years and there is no way they will be hosting anyone until there is a vaccine etc..
    With the likely restricted numbers I guess there will be plenty of places becoming available. We've got a non-refundable cottage booked in Broadway, so am going to be in Gloucestershire anyway!

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    Super Moderator Diamond Geezer's Avatar
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    Senior Member G-G's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Diamond Geezer View Post
    The rebate is £15 per day for the November meeting.
    Not on the document I received.

    I don't go near a bar when I am there so anything to do with anything like that is no value add to me. I still can't afford to pay for the privilege of not being able/allowed to attend.
    Vote Alfie!!!!

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    Wouldn't be surprised to see a 5 day festival next year to accommodate more spectators

    If they are only gonna let say 15k a day in they would would rather have an attendance of 75k over the 5 days instead of 60k over the 4

    Just hope it's a one off if they do

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    Super Moderator Diamond Geezer's Avatar
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    Ian Renton email to members today. Looks as if (and it's a big if) Annual Members will have priority if the public are allowed in to any meetings.

    Preparations for the dispatch of members’ badges have continued in recent weeks and the first batch was posted yesterday; we anticipate that your pack, which includes your badge for the upcoming season, will arrive with you over the coming weeks.

    In the light of the Prime Minister’s announcements yesterday, my accompanying letter now appears unduly optimistic with regard to the likely attendance of Annual Members at Cheltenham in the near future and it would appear that there is a significant chance that your Annual Members’ badge has little value other than a souvenir of the season that never happened.

    When you applied for this season’s membership, we detailed the rebates applicable if members could not visit the racecourse in the early part of the season. These rebates are weighted towards The Festival and when calculated for the full season, offer a full refund of your Annual Membership costs, less a £25 fee to cover administration, postage and production costs. In the event that the entire season is lost, we will look at options such as retaining this season’s badges for the 2021/22 season to try to reduce the aforementioned fee.

    Please rest assured that, despite the gloomy prognostications that we heard yesterday, we will be working closely with the Government and doing everything in our power to facilitate the return of Annual Members to the racecourse as soon as is possible. We very much hope to be able to welcome you back to Cheltenham at some stage during this forthcoming season. As has been mentioned before, in the event that we have the ability to open the racecourse up beyond participants and racehorse owners, Annual Members will be prioritised.

    I trust that you are keeping well in these difficult times and that you look forward to returning Cheltenham Racecourse to some semblance of normality as soon as is possible.

    Kind regards,

    Ian Renton
    Regional Director, Cheltenham Racecourse
    "The owls are not what they seem"

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    Senior Member tiggers1972's Avatar
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    Had exactly the same Email DG, anyone know how many annual members they have?

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    Super Moderator Diamond Geezer's Avatar
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    Difficult to say as I guess quite a few, including two in this house, are holding off renewing until the picture is clearer. One thing I wish to see clarified is that in normal circumstamces if you missed a year and then decided to renew there is a £100 renewal cost on top of the current membership fee of £450 which may increase. I would hope they see fit not to charge that the following season else there would be hastle renewing this year and waiting for the refund(s) and incurring a £25 administration fee per member just to avoid the renewal fee. In our case, still self isolating, renewing our memberships might be a waste of money given we probably wouldn't go anyway.

    I would say in a normal year membership might be 10,000 ish ?
    Last edited by Diamond Geezer; 24th September 2020 at 8:25 AM.
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    Senior Member tiggers1972's Avatar
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    I thought the one off £100 joining fee could be waived for a year. So if you decided to give it a miss hopefully by next October they may be a return back to some sort of normality.
    I've renewed and if I can't go and attend would use it towards membership the following year thus avoiding the £25 admin fee!
    I do know the FA are in talks about getting season ticket holders only into football grounds, I'd imagine racecourses would try and do the same.

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    Senior Member Grey's Avatar
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    Me and a few other friends based here in Ireland had a close look at taking out membership this year in order to have priority in getting access to the festival. We reckoned there would be rebates for the autumn meetings, which would narrow the gap between paying for an annual badge and paying for just the four days of the festival quite significantly.

    Therefore we almost decided to go ahead until we heard about the £100 joining fee. Given all the other unknowns involved this made it too much of a stretch.

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    I can't tell you where this came from, or even if I'm imagining it, but somewhere in my head the membership is usually around 8000.

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