General Chat

[opatcho]

Had no issues getting a hip flask in before

 

[The Fellow]

taken bottled water in before , just wondered if they were stricter with flasks , or stewards bothering you as you glug it down :glee:

 

[riccirich]

taken bottled water in before , just wondered if they were stricter with flasks , or stewards bothering you as you glug it down :glee:

Well there’s the solution then, replace the water with vodka, replace your bottled apple juice with cider and your bottled cranberry juice with wine.

and if enjoy getting in a right state while watching horses run then you can replace your tub of salt and packet of skittles with some other stuff too.

 

[Lobos]

do you get the hip flask in ok Lobos? was thinking the same this year

Yep, and a 4 pack down my pants..........plenty of room.

 

[opatcho]

:beaten: Twitter “Crayford” :beaten:

“Double on trap 1 and the fella in the red jacket”

WTF!

 

[Hurricane fly]

I never used to have an issue getting a hip flask in, up until someone pick pocketed it thinking it was my wallet after I collected on a winner :dread:

 

[Brooksie]

I'm definitely boycotting Booze at the course. Drink before and after in town and just take on water and hip flask at course. Everyone on here should do the same. Fucking disgusting. Even more so with people struggling to make ends meet .

That's what I did last year. Hip flask of whisky and just wacked it into coffee on course. If there was a real effort to boycott hospitality on one of the days it would send a much clearer message than just complaining about being ripped off.

 

[Deleted member 4957]

No idea how long they’ve been doing it but I noticed last festival the pasty and sausage vans just inside the Tatts entrance were selling beer, I can’t imagine they were offering massive value but I’d imagine you’ll be supping in a fraction of the time it takes to get near the bar in members so if your issue is time then this might be an option for you…

 

[Lobos]

Food and non alcoholic drinks ARE permitted to be taken into the Best Mate enclosure.
Nowt allowed in Tatt's !!!!!!

 

[FinalFurlong91]

Food and non alcoholic drinks ARE permitted to be taken into the Best Mate enclosure. Nowt allowed in Tatt's !!!!!!

buy a bottle of coke, empty some out and top it up with spirit of choice

I'm a spiced rum man

Get a pint of water for a cup and youre good to go

The only way prices go down is if people dont buy

Whinging but paying anyway won't achieve anything

 

[charlie]

Perhaps it's because I'm not drinking this year, but I'm tired of the 7.50 for a pint Guinness chat, it's getting way too much air time.

A friend of mine who pays 100 quid for a club ticket, 300 quid for a hotel and another 120 quid on travel (which is a fairly normal outlay) had his fist clenched towards the sky saying 'pints should be a fiver', as if the world were about to end when in reality, the cost of his day has gone up by a whopping 2% - but thats his choice.

We are surrounded by ridiculous price differentials every day and we as consumers have choice. Fuel on the motorway can cost 30p more a litre than off it 2 miles down the road. A burger and chips at Wembley costs a whopping 15 quid when you can get better food outside for a fiver. Sweets at the cinema have an eye watering mark up when you could spend 90% less getting them form the corner shop. I can pay those prices or moan about not paying those prices or, I can fill up off the motorway, eat before going into the ground and buy sweets from a local shop.

There are 24 hours in a day, spoons opens at 8am and people have 5 - 6 hours pre-racing and many more after to sink pints for 2 quid or less. If you don't want to pay the prices on course then don't. Drink at home or get some cans for the way up. Take a hip flask which is always easy and very affordable. Before you know it, its 6pm, you're back in town and have all the choice in the world. The whole thing is pathetic IMO. If you've paid 100 for a club enclosure ticket, another 300 for a hotel, 120 on travel and your net spend is 520, who gives a shit if the 5 Guinness you bought cost you an extra tenner.

I understand frustrations re service, I get that. People are right to argue if I'm paying more I expect to wait less time and for there to be more staff. They can improve this.

 

[AaronLad]

Perhaps it's because I'm not drinking this year, but I'm tired of the 7.50 for a pint Guinness chat, it's getting way too much air time.

A friend of mine who pays 100 quid for a club ticket, 300 quid for a hotel and another 120 quid on travel (which is a fairly normal outlay) had his fist clenched towards the sky saying 'pints should be a fiver', as if the world were about to end when in reality, the cost of his day has gone up by a whopping 2% - but thats his choice.

We are surrounded by ridiculous price differentials every day and we as consumers have choice. Fuel on the motorway can cost 30p more a litre than off it 2 miles down the road. A burger and chips at Wembley costs a whopping 15 quid when you can get better food outside for a fiver. Sweets at the cinema have an eye watering mark up when you could spend 90% less getting them form the corner shop. I can pay those prices or moan about not paying those prices or, I can fill up off the motorway, eat before going into the ground and buy sweets from a local shop.

There are 24 hours in a day, spoons opens at 8am and people have 5 - 6 hours pre-racing and many more after to sink pints for 2 quid or less. If you don't want to pay the prices on course then don't. Drink at home or get some cans for the way up. Take a hip flask which is always easy and very affordable. Before you know it, its 6pm, you're back in town and have all the choice in the world. The whole thing is pathetic IMO. If you've paid 100 for a club enclosure ticket, another 300 for a hotel, 120 on travel and your net spend is 520, who gives a shit if the 5 Guinness you bought cost you an extra tenner.

I understand frustrations re service, I get that. People are right to argue if I'm paying more I expect to wait less time and for there to be more staff. They can improve this.

Now don't get me wrong charlie you make some very good points here but.. you're missing THE point.
It's the fact that they're selling the same product, at the same venue, for two different events at two different prices.
It's the fact that the jockey club are so blatant in taking the festival and its attendees for granted.

 

[charlie]

Now don't get me wrong charlie you make some very good points here but.. you're missing THE point.
It's the fact that they're selling the same product, at the same venue, for two different events at two different prices.
It's the fact that the jockey club are so blatant in taking the festival and its attendees for granted.

I am not missing the point. You've made my point even further - 'Two different events'

Saying 'both events happen in the same place so pints should be the same price' is as ridiculous as saying 'we're all on the same plane so why should I pay more for business class than I do economy'. These are basic economic supply and demand principles. The World Grand Prix is not the World Snooker Championship or the Masters, it's just another tournament and they reduce prices to try and increase demand. The Festival is the greatest 4 days of racing on planet earth. Demand is exceptionally high because the quality on offer is outstanding.

Have the people saying the Jockey Club are 'taking the festival and it's attendees for granted' given a seconds thought to the difference in cost associated in running both events? The World Grand Prix will require a very small number of local bar staff - you pay wages and nothing else. The Festival requires hundreds of bar staff that have to be brought in from the surrounding areas. Costs are huge - hotels, buses, fuel, wages, food all the way through to agency fees to get them there in the first place.

These are huge additional costs and the Jockey Club are passing them on to the consumer. It's not shocking and its not unfair. It's so much easier getting a pint or going to the toilet under The Princess Royal stand. That didn't pop up there for free. These redevelopment cost hundreds of millions of pounds and from tickets to pints, they have to get that money back and when demand outstrips supply, thats their time to do it.

 

[AaronLad]

I am not missing the point. You've made my point even further - 'Two different events'

Saying 'both events happen in the same place so pints should be the same price' is as ridiculous as saying 'we're all on the same plane so why should I pay more for business class than I do economy'. These are basic economic supply and demand principles. The World Grand Prix is not the World Snooker Championship or the Masters, it's just another tournament and they reduce prices to try and increase demand. The Festival is the greatest 4 days of racing on planet earth. Demand is exceptionally high because the quality on offer is outstanding.

Have the people saying the Jockey Club are 'taking the festival and it's attendees for granted' given a seconds thought to the difference in cost associated in running both events? The World Grand Prix will require a very small number of local bar staff - you pay wages and nothing else. The Festival requires hundreds of bar staff that have to be brought in from the surrounding areas. Costs are huge - hotels, buses, fuel, wages, food all the way through to agency fees to get them there in the first place.

These are huge additional costs and the Jockey Club are passing them on to the consumer. It's not shocking and its not unfair. It's so much easier getting a pint or going to the toilet under The Princess Royal stand. That didn't pop up there for free. These redevelopment cost hundreds of millions of pounds and from tickets to pints, they have to get that money back and when demand outstrips supply, thats their time to do it.

two different products, same venue, same event.
a bit different?

 

[charlie]

two different products, same venue, same event.
a bit different?

Read what I've written.

 

[Lobos]

buy a bottle of coke, empty some out and top it up with spirit of choice

I'm a spiced rum man

Get a pint of water for a cup and youre good to go

The only way prices go down is if people dont buy

Whinging but paying anyway won't achieve anything

Exactly what I'm doing on course from here on in ..... starting Saturday. Power to the Punters !!!!!

Join the Revolution!!!!!

 

[AaronLad]

Read what I've written.

i have charlie.
you're making an argument in favour of horse racing fans being ripped off on a horse racing forum.
I am disagreeing with you, we'll leave it at that. :couple_inlove:

 

[charlie]

i have charlie.
you're making an argument in favour of horse racing fans being ripped off on a horse racing forum.
I am disagreeing with you, we'll leave it at that. :couple_inlove:

My case (not argument) is economic, not one of feeling or emotion. We can agree to disagree but yes, let's leave it there.

 

[Quevega]

My case (not argument) is economic, not one of feeling or emotion. We can agree to disagree but yes, let's leave it there.

Not really economic though is it. ?
Unless you know the costs and profits for both events.
I could have a damn good guess though. :greedy_dollars:

Normally you can reduce prices when sold in massively bigger volumes, or alternatively, choose to profiteer from a captive and loyal (mostly stupid) audience.

And your example of your mate does not reflect everyone who goes to the festival.
It's a good example, but not representative of the majority.

Take your lighters, watch "woodstock 99" the night before, and burn the lot down.
Although wait until after the martin pipe as if you do it before you'll ruin it for me :highly_amused:

Anyway, remember my tip for anyone wanting to buy a pint.
Go to a card only bar. (probably all are)
"How much for cash mate"
There's bound to be some of those casual workers on the rob, because they're having the piss taken out of them as well.

edit - The choices argument is also interesting, but how far do we go with that ?

We could drink meth, eat out of bins, piss in our pants and sleep on the street.
All would solve some of the problems Cheltenham festival going brings upon us.
Some even pay all the money and still end up doing this :highly_amused::highly_amused:

 

[Atlantic Viking]

Perhaps it's because I'm not drinking this year, but I'm tired of the 7.50 for a pint Guinness chat, it's getting way too much air time.

Followed by a big post destined to provoke a reaction :highly_amused:
I do get the points you make, particularly on how much the whole day/trip costs overall, i've tried to make peace with such things using similar logic, but I don't know, something about pint prices just provokes a feeling that absolute liberties are being taken. That said, at least part of why i've decided not to go this year is the 8quid they increased 'early bird' club prices. Similar sort of thing in that 8quid is nothing in the grand schemes, but feels like a piss take.