Young owners at the National

[simmitc]

Things never change. 25 years ago I camped at my first National. I received a set of rules that was quite clear: There was to be no noise after 23:00, and no vehicle movements between 23:00 and 08:00. Our sleep was ruined by cars being driven back from the party around midnight. Engines revved, doors slammed, loud shouting, and quite a few people sounding as though they were well over the limit for driving, yet still getting out of the driving seat. However, the rally was fantastic, and I' have missed only one since then then. I did complain - and would have counted as a young member in those days! I also remember another rally where the neighbours complained about the noise from the party, resulting in a visit from the Police asking that the noise be kept down. Again, the rally was fantastic!

There will always be a few people who upset others, and a few who get upset. You can't please all the people all of the time. The fact is that the vast majority of people were impeccably behaved, and thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience. Long may that continue. BTW, during the rally there was a strict 10mph speed limit, to which I certainly adhered. When we were clearing up the site on Monday morning, I "might" have exceeded that - and was noticed. The suggestion was merely that I should treat the car more gently

[foofoournan]

Good thing that kid with the dixie horn wasn't there this year ;) that could have really caused upset!!!

[stephh]

I also remember another rally where the neighbours complained about the noise from the party, resulting in a visit from the Police asking that the noise be kept down. Again, the rally was fantastic!
:

A visit from the police?! Nowadays they won't even come out for a house burglary...not here anyway!

[customjob]

I'd like to back up the young members. Being a fellow member of Matts home branch South Wales, myself and another branch member were invited to join them on the saturday night. Apart from a minority the young members where very well behaved and are a credit to the future development of the MMOC. Further more after i advised Matt as to the condition of the young lady and her further collapse he came and found me on his way to to inform the committee of the incident knowing i was a trained medic. Further more i'd like to say how well the other young members behaved offering any help they could while i was dealing with the situation. On questioning some of the members to gain background at no time did members force her to drink, she was offered drink which SHE took, and also drinking concelled drink that she had brought in compounded her situation. I'd also like to thank Julie Dawes for her assistance offering comfort and reasurence to the youmg lady and for one of the young members fathers for the use of his portable lamp to give some extra light on a dark site, also to several members of the committee for the use of there 4x4 to get the casualty to the Ambulance. Some comments are uncalled for others justified. As has been said we are all young once. Instead of criticising the young members, i notice that NO one that is complaining has had the compassion to ask how the young lady is, or is it the fact not in my back yard. Well she was discharged from hospital Sunday morning with some short term after effects of severe alcohol intoxifacation. If it hadn't been for the actions taken we could be have looking at a different turn of events. A small price to pay compared to a life. To all the young members you are a credit to the national club the Y M R and your branches long may it continue.

Adrian Pearse
68870A
South Wales Branch

[Dave@FJ]

It was nice to see so many young people at the Rally and your cars - so obviously treasured. However Matt and Co - you were too bad!! Last year we camped right by the Young Owners and were mega-impressed at the camerarderie and behaviour and had no qualms at camping near this group again. What a mistake!!! Some of the group let you down very badly and ruined the rally for us. Examples of bad behaviour were: - Driving too fast around the site near children and dogs. Loud, drunken chatter and laughing until 3am. Vile language (admittedly from the minority). An ambulance even had to be called due to someones intoxication. We will not be risking camping next year as we lost so much sleep. However, for the sake of others who will be camping, I would request that there is very little noise after 12 and that you drive more slowly. This is a lovely, family occasion, not a festival.

Interesting that your first post on this messageboard is one that is derogatory towards young members! Not concealing your real identity by any chance?

When I first pulled up to the rally the first thing that rally told me was that the young members were camping at the bottom of the field and it was likely that it would be 'lively.' Others have also said the same.

Camp sites, by their very nature, don't tend to insulate others from noise. A tent does not have particularly effective sound insulation so it's probable that if you were in the near vicinity you would be able to hear other members. For the record, I am NOT a young person, I am in my late 30's. I camped with the young members this year and the circle of chairs was less than 4ft from the entrance to my tent. I managed to sleep on both nights as did my fiancee.

I'll agree that one or two vehicles were seen exceeding the 10mph site speed limit but were these ONLY young members, I doubt it.

Loud drunken chatter until 3am? Were you never young? 3am is not considered 'late' in this day and age. Suggesting a midnight 'curfew' is quite ridiculous. As has been said previously the ambulance was not required for any of the young members. The person concerned was a guest at the event who had been drinking 'off site' away from the groups control. Upon seeing the level of her intoxication the young members thought it wise to call upon medical assistance and acted in a completely responsible fashion.

The young members do get an awful lot of bad press - to say that they 'ruined the rally for the rest of us' is ludicrous. Maybe if you had popped over 'sans attitude' they may have lowered the noise level.

That's my twopenneth worth anyway....live and let live

[stephenpolhill]

Well said everyone.

Anyway its 'Young Members'....not 'Youth Mob'....!

[stephh]

For the record, I am NOT a young person, I am in my late 30's.

Lies! I thought you were just over 21

Anyway, what do older people want young people to do? Sit indoors and be quiet? Nice to meet lots of people under the age of 30 who weren't intimidating, who weren't being awful and who made the weekend really special.

Try being young nowadays. We can't afford houses, we can't find jobs and industry has gone overseas. Music, television and food is bland and substandard. At least allow us one weekend to forget how rubbish modern life is!

[customjob]

Dave i can't agree anymore with what you've just said. I'm not a young a member myself at 41 i doubt if would pass anyway. i was sat to the left of your fiancee during the majority of the evening after we joined the gathering. Agreed some members where a bit louder than others but Matt and Andy did there level best to keep it under control. If anyone is to blame it's the actions of the young lady concerned. The young members action helped prevent things getting worse, they don't deserve bad press because there young, loud and letting there hair down, they should be getting good press for what they did, THE RIGHT THING.

[KatyBlakey]

The comments by fellow young members only further prove the maturity, objectivitity and commaradery of the young members register.

As it has been mentioned several times, the incident did not involve a young member and appropriate action was taken.

Despite 'all being young once' which we were (and some are still lucky enough to be) the young members are ever conscious of being respectful and not letting the register down.

I find it hard to believe that we were endangering the well being of children and dogs, as the register hosts 17-30 year olds (give or take some dedicated older young members) we had our own dogs and children with us!

I believe that a certain classic car publication is doing an article on our register this week or next, and I am quite certain it will not feature shocking headlines of alcohol, ambulances and endangering human minors or animals... But actually on how dedicated and passionate we are to the Morris brand, on how we help and inspire each other to grow our fleet of moggys, and of how we travel the length and breadth of the country to support each other with car troubles, and have made genuine friendships as a result.

The young members register is warm, open and friendly, they are intelligent and hardworking, and they are the future of mmoc. Any true enthusiast would be proud of the register, if they would take the time to look beyond the stereotypes of 'youth today' and remember that many of the members are respectal adults in full time education or employment, who enjoy their classic car as much as the next person.

[Dave@FJ]

For the record, I am NOT a young person, I am in my late 30's.

Lies! I thought you were just over 21

Maybe you should adhere to a 5mph limit at future events as you are evidently blind ;) Lots of love for saying so though

[mrmorrisminor]

Well it was my first national and I although slightly the wrong side of 30, I joined the young members camp and was made very welcome. Tha atmosphere was warm and friendly and it was fantastic to see so many young people coming forward to take the cars that was all so enjoy forward so they can be treasured for many years to come. If we bury our heads in the sand and do not encourage the young people coming through the cars will eventually fall by the wayside and what a shame that would be.

On arriving it was made very clear where the younger members were camping ( which is where I headed straight to!) and on arriving I was helped with my tent and envied to join the gathering.... Why would I want to go to bed early and miss the fun..... Surely that's why you camp at the national... Other wise you'd just go for the day!

The common interest of the minor can ring people of all generations together..... After this weekend I have befriended people a lot younger that me but age is not an issue because we enjoy our cars so much..... We can all learn from each other.

I will be right in the centre of it again next year.... I'm already counting down the days!

[theminorsite]

I was present at the incident with the young lady (it was me driving the 4x4) and I feel that all the young members there acted superbly in difficult circumstances. When we arrived at the tent the young lady concerned was already being dealt with in exactly the way she should have been, admittedly a lot of people were around but they were all being very quiet. I was initially worried that the people waiting at the entrance to guide the ambulance may be inebriated (not that I wasn't myself, but its amazing how quickly an incident like this sobers you!) and maybe unwittingly opening themselves to risk by perhaps being in their car on the public road, but I was totally wrong and when I got to the gate they were standing quietly at the entrance waiting for the ambulance to arrive.
Unfortunately a rigged ambulance weighs in excess of four tons and couldn't risk being bogged down on soggy ground, and so was unable to come any further than the cinder road. We took one ambulanceman with us down to the tent which we found quickly and quietly as the young members had, as requested, left their headlights on the car to guide us. There was no noise at all. We took the young lady plus her cousin back to the ambulance, and encountered another modern vehicle pulling the bands car off the site. As far as I was able to tell, the only vehicular movement post midnight was the 4x4 I was driving, Andrew Stone's Transit on official duties, and the Minor I relieved at the gate.
I spoke to Camping Control first thing the following morning and specifically said that I thought all people I'd come across the previous night acted impeccably, and was met with total agreement. I also made sure I spoke to Andrew Stone and Ray Newell during Sunday/Monday and told them that Matt had done an admirable job of keeping control and managing the situation with the young lady. The MMOC representatives were extremely understanding, recognising that more than a few of the older members had enjoyed perhaps one drink too many too (myself probably included), and even offered to pay for any cleaning work inside the vehicle if it were needed (fortunately not). Thanks go to Chris Akrill for lending me his vehicle.
Far from damaging the young members movement, I would suggest that this incident has probably improved it, by virtue of their quick, sensible, and appropriate actions. Don't be worried Matt, nobody that I'm aware of in the organising team has any issues whatsoever!

Having heaped praise, I suppose its inevitable that I bung in a caveat at the end - of the few people I spotted driving too fast on the site over the weekend, I think most of them were younger drivers. Please do keep the speed down.

[Dave@FJ]

I was initially worried that the people waiting at the entrance to guide the ambulance may be inebriated (not that I wasn't myself, but its amazing how quickly an incident like this sobers you!) and maybe unwittingly opening themselves to risk by perhaps being in their car on the public road, but I was totally wrong and when I got to the gate they were standing quietly at the entrance waiting for the ambulance to arrive.

It was my Minor that we drove up in to guide the ambulance back and I apologise to anyone that considered my speed to be mildly excessive. We picked up 2 young members on the way to the gate that had decided to walk up there as they considered themselves 'over the limit' to drive up there

[XFO125]

I am a young member myself, but was camped just outside the 'circle' as such. At 10.50 on the Saturday evening I popped over and reminded them of the 11pm noise rule, not asking them to be silent, but to adjust the volume accordingly and they were very polite and said they would.....but how can we say that the YM were being loud late into the night, when the band in the marquee didn't finish until 11.45pm, and then everyone had to head back to their tents. (Something which no-one has yet mentioned.)

As I said, I was right next door to them and I didn't know anything about the 3am incident until the following morning when word got around.

The YM are a growing register and so we can expect them to be at rallies in the future, maybe a little extra planning might be needed in where to pitch the group in order to keep everyone happy, but I feel it is something that needs to be accepted.

[theminorsite]

...Thanks for coming to our assistance

Hey, no worries! Were you the bloke who said "Hey, I know this isn't the right time, but I love your costume"?! When the ambulanceman got in the truck, he looked quizzically at the pile of abandoned wigs and bits of silver lame costumes, and wisely decided not to mention it .

[Dave@FJ]

I am a young member myself, but was camped just outside the 'circle' as such. At 10.50 on the Saturday evening I popped over and reminded them of the 11pm noise rule, not asking them to be silent, but to adjust the volume accordingly and they were very polite and said they would.....but how can we say that the YM were being loud late into the night, when the band in the marquee didn't finish until 11.45pm, and then everyone had to head back to their tents. (Something which no-one has yet mentioned.)

I saw the big white tent that seemed to have Abba music coming from it and thought they were being really noisy. I did pop over to ask them to keep the noise down but there were lots of people dancing in it and having a good time. I then saw they had real ale so joined in for a bit :p

As I said, I was right next door to them and I didn't know anything about the 3am incident until the following morning when word got around.

3am is a huge exaggeration. the incident occurred at about 12.30 and the ambulance left just after 1am. EVERY young member was in bed by 1.30am - I know this because I was the last to go to bed

[Dave@FJ]

...Thanks for coming to our assistance

Hey, no worries! Were you the bloke who said "Hey, I know this isn't the right time, but I love your costume"?! When the ambulanceman got in the truck, he looked quizzically at the pile of abandoned wigs and bits of silver lame costumes, and wisely decided not to mention it .

Hi Mike. Yes, I believe that was probably me. Awesome costumes btw ;)

The whole incident was dealt with superbly by everyone concerned and it's a shame that someone has taken it upon themselves to draw it to the attention of the wider club under an assumed posting ID

Hope you enjoyed the National, I certainly did and will be camping with the young members at the national again next year.

[yeldarbwehttam]

Unfortunately we weren't told where the young owners were camping and endured the noise until 3am only to find that some of them were back up making a racket at 6.30am!

I did actually hear a lady politely ask them to keep the noise down at 2am and she was just laughed at. There was clearly no attempt made by young owners to keep their voices down either. Bad language doesn't bother me personally but it wasn't fair to subject everyone to it.

Next year I suggest the organizers clearly designate a special area for young owners so they can party all night long without disturbing those that want a good night's sleep (or at least as good a nights sleep as you can get camping). This should be away from the main camping area. For example, if the young owners camped the other side of the marquee then they would have been away from the main camping area and probably not kept us all awake.

[ASL642]

I suggest you read the whole of this thread. It will become clear then why people/cars etc were moving around the site and making noise. Someone was taken ill and needed the emergency services. I was camped very near the Younger Members.

We were all young once (well I was!) and being away from home youngsters are bound to let off steam. Having said that I congratulate them all on the way they dealt with the situation.

[Tamsin]

(well I was!)

Really!?



Shall I go to the naughty corner now?

I really dont see what all the fuss is tbh, I'm quite a light sleeper and turned in between midnight and one both nights and slept almost immediately...