Re: Changing the BVWS
I quite agree with David and Paul Sherwin.
To my mind you join a society for either the selfish motive of getting something out of it or to support a cause in which you believe, hopefully there’s a bit of both.
PERSONALLY the BVWS satisfies neither or these. The things I want are available elsewhere, chiefly Paul’s sites: this Forum, the Data Service and main site with historical information and advice for would-be repairers.
The BVWS doesn’t appear do much in the way of active preservation, beyond working with the Dulwich museum which is a separate entity.
All it does — again from my personal perspective, which could be wrong — is organise events too far away for me to attend, produce a magazine I don’t want and sell a very restricted number of parts.
I have been to the Golborne swap-meet but it is so small that you can be in and out in ten minutes and even if it were held in Sheffield I’d think at least twice about my ’bus fare and admission charge.
Certainly when I was starting out the BVWS provided me with no assistance at all and therefore no urge to join it. As I’ve learnt more about it since that view has not been challenged.
Obviously there are people who like it and I’m not picking a fight with them. It’s difficult to think how a voluntary organisation could provide a worthwhile service to it’s members.
|