4 VIRGINS ( hopefully this will answer most of your questions)
Billing is a huge recreational area mainly grass fields with a variety of uses, some for log cabins, some mobile homes, some caravans with hook ups, tents
and some 'display' fields there are a few lakes, funfairs e.t.c. thrown in.
Normal admission is... 1 day up to as many as you wish. Staying overnight is no problem, but you have to decide if you are with caravan/tent, if you want an electric hook up, or kipping in the van, how many nights e.t.c.
Phone and book, they (pretend) they are not the full ticket (to their advantage). Internet booking gets you a 100% STANDARD booking, end of, so don't.
If you can phone and book more than 2 weeks in advance, quote the discount code given ( you
DO NOT need a membership card,
NOW OR ON ARRIVAL). Areas
The field 'display area' Transitmania uses is 'Shelduck 2', it has NO facilities (well a tap on a stick in the middle of the field),
if you want an electrical 'hook-up' try for Shelduck 3 (i think this is to the left of 'our field' in Luke's diagram), But like everywhere
they have their 'regulars' so try to book early.
Event
As in Luke's post Transitmania runs Friday (afternoon) Saturday & Sunday (you CAN stay overnight any & every night , if you want).
Friday arrival.
IF you are coming from the south the M1 gets ABSOLUTELY CHOCK A BLOCK with all the trucks going home northward (to beat the curfew).
Mixing weekend/holiday/truck traffic means there are invariably accidents which brings everything to a stop, you can avoid it by going (M40 to A43 Cherwell Valley services then past Silverstone towards N'hampton), it's a bit of a long way round for the Essex lads, but FAR better than the world's longest Friday afternoon car park.(If you are coming from the West country join the A34 at Chievely M4 services towards Oxford to the M40, up one junction, then A43,it'll cut a lot of miles off)
Saturday arrivals.
Shouldn't be too bad the 40 footers will all be parked up for the weekend, so you shouldn't have any problems.
Sunday arrivals
Why have you left it so late, you missed a good disco/piss-up Saturday night.
Billing
If you have tickets go straight to the entry booths, if not pull off to the left & upstairs to the orrifice, then to the booths.
There is a (sorta) one way system so you will have to follow it to the left, as you go the field name boards are beside the road, you will only pass a couple of fields before you see Luke's banner (off to the left). The field is bordered by a tarmac road.
Park wherever the mood takes you, usually people park around the outside edges, set themselves up, then gravitate to the centre for/with beer.
If you are sending wives/kids off to look round make sure (assuming you want them back) they know they need to come back to Shelduck 2
(Billing is a seriously HUGE area, moreso on foot)
There are food outlets aplenty on site (no 'outsider' roach coaches/chippies e.t.c. are allowed in). Open fires are O.K., but NOT ON the grass.
I have never stayed on a Friday , but on Saturday the disco & beers start to flow and it usually ends with loadsa beer monsters sat around Martin's HUGE
open fire (not Vantuner Martyn !) putting the world to rights, till the early hours.
Sunday has Luke & usually Gurj, running round trying to get all the vans into the display area (and Gurj will no doubt 'suggest'
you vote for him in the 'sound off' ), dishing out voting sheets e.t.c.
14.00 ish sheets are collected, votes counted and winners start getting presented with their cups.
PLEASE NOTE THIS IS A FAMILY ORIENTATED EVENT, THERE ARE (refreshingly) NO PRIMA DONNA'S (NEVER HAVE BEEN) ATTENDING.
(mind you there are a few I have my doubts about
)
So bring kids (and their bikes/carts/etc) /pets, even wives, if the girlfriend is too shy. Most of all RELAX & ENJOY.
Beer, water, barbeque coals e.t.c. are all available at the (BP ?) filling station just outside the entrance, but try bring all you need.
You don't want to go off site after a beer or 3.
N.B. Curfew. In theory all articulated lorries have to be off the road by 10 p.m. Friday night and can't restart their journey's till 10.00 p.m. Sunday night. (I'm sure it's more complicated than that, but that's the gist ). The idea being keep the roads clear on weekends, for weekend drivers.
(Probably the most sensible thing that has come out of the E.E.C.)
Just like to say even though I don't attend many of these Transit Forum events, I'd like to publicly thank Luke for all the work he puts in to
make these events happen.
( I won't be at Transitmania AGAIN this year as Luke has managed to organise it on the same weekend as a 'must do' event for me in Germany. This is the 2nd time in 5 years he has managed it, I wonder if it is deliberate ?
)
Have fun
Terry