Blackpool

Steve Howells · Mon Jan 19, 2026 6:30 am

That’s another Blackpool done, great weekend managed to keep my hands in my pockets auction wise, but still came home best part of 1k worse off after being persuaded to by a new clock

Steve Howells · Mon Jan 19, 2026 11:36 am

Got the Benzing M2. Had thought about it a while ago then a club mate said they wanted one so we had a look, then another club mate like the look of the system so we ended up getting 3 systems and got a club marker system thrown in for free.

goose1 · Mon Jan 19, 2026 1:45 pm

Was a great weekend again. A brutal one though I'm still recovering today

From The Chair · Tue Jan 20, 2026 1:45 pm

spoke to more than one trade stand who said it was their busiest Blackpool ever on the Saturday , we had a great time in the show both days , sorry if my mugshot put anyone off BHW stand lol.

From The Chair · Tue Jan 20, 2026 3:56 pm

That’s strange with membership less than half of 30 years ago and the internet available to purchase I thought it would be the opposite
Unless it was a newer trade stand I guess
[/quote]

NO these are stands that have been going for years , people who say the show is quieter seem to forget the amount going on outside winter gardens now.

Steve Howells · Tue Jan 20, 2026 5:26 pm

From The Chair wrote: Tue Jan 20, 2026 3:56 pm That’s strange with membership less than half of 30 years ago and the internet available to purchase I thought it would be the opposite
Unless it was a newer trade stand I guess

NO these are stands that have been going for years , people who say the show is quieter seem to forget the amount going on outside winter gardens now.
[/quote]

Got to agree the it seemed really busy in the morning, and when we went to get our ETS systems Jim told us he’d had a great day and had very little left for Sunday. I also had a chat with my old mate Ernie Goodyear and he’d sold all but 3 of the birds he bought by mid afternoon Saturday. The auctions were a tale of two half’s with some making daft money while some in other auction were going for £40 or not getting a bid.

Tue Jan 20, 2026 6:06 pm

how was blackpool this year ? still as large as ever ?

goose1 · Tue Jan 20, 2026 9:45 pm

I had a quick wander round about dinner time and it was busiest I'd seen it for a few years. Had a quick look up at charity auction mainly because it was above the bar

and it was very well attended which was good to see. An older mate of mine who no longer races who's never missed a single Blackpool in its 50 years nipped out to grab his mate some vaccine and he did say when he came back in the bar its the busiest he'd seen it for a good few years. Ma Kelly's on the Thursday night was definitely the busiest we'd ever seen it we were shocked how many now go down on the Thursday. Speaking to lots of folk the bars seemed busy I think folks main complaint was anyone who left it to Sunday to grab bits and pieces most stalls had packed up or were packing up around dinner time which is not good enough when folk are paying for a day ticket. But on the whole it's still a very good weekend and still a very important one for a number of reasons for the sport in this country.

PeteDerby · Wed Jan 21, 2026 3:14 pm

goose1 wrote: Tue Jan 20, 2026 9:45 pm I had a quick wander round about dinner time and it was busiest I'd seen it for a few years. Had a quick look up at charity auction mainly because it was above the bar and it was very well attended which was good to see. An older mate of mine who no longer races who's never missed a single Blackpool in its 50 years nipped out to grab his mate some vaccine and he did say when he came back in the bar its the busiest he'd seen it for a good few years. Ma Kelly's on the Thursday night was definitely the busiest we'd ever seen it we were shocked how many now go down on the Thursday. Speaking to lots of folk the bars seemed busy I think folks main complaint was anyone who left it to Sunday to grab bits and pieces most stalls had packed up or were packing up around dinner time which is not good enough when folk are paying for a day ticket. But on the whole it's still a very good weekend and still a very important one for a number of reasons for the sport in this country.

Sorry we didn’t get chance to catch up mate. Was at the auction until late Friday night then was away pretty sharpish Saturday lunch after picking up various bits and bobs.

It deffo seemed busier than last year.