National Hamfest

[CambridgeWorks]

https://www.nationalhamfest.org.uk/

I didn't attend this year due to a knee problem and another family commitment on the Saturday.
I would like to hear of anyone who went, buying or selling what it was like and their opinion or comparison with recent years?
More truthfully, what I missed!
Rob

[Reelman]

Well, I was there as a visitor on Friday and weather-wise it was an excellent day.
Inside the main hall there were the regulars; the major Japanese manufacturers and the RSGB. There were also some wide open spaces and unoccupied tables. Birkett’s was sadly missing from the corner.
Outside there were fewer sellers than in previous years and again, empty tables. No bring and buy.
Number of visitors was similar to last year’s Friday I would imagine.

Very few actual radios for sale other than the “black boxes”. Probably spent less than most years, plenty of bits and pieces but the most expensive was a new mult-tap output transformer for £5.

With the ever decreasing number of rallies it was still worth a visit but…. Looking at the average age of visitors (60+) the writing is on the wall for this type of event. Having been going to rallies for 57 years I will certainly miss them. When I first went I was one of the youngest there, all these years on it is probably still true!

Peter

[Sean Williams]

I attended on the Friday.

The boot sale is now so small as to really not be worth the time and trouble of going with this as a focal point - less than 15 sellers outside, and most of them the usual suspects.

As for the main event....

The RSGB occupied around 25% of the available space with the various iterations of their "Departments" and the obligatory book stall.

A good selection of clubs present.

And other than that the usual boot sale sellers that prefer a larger pitch.

Appreciate that visiting on the Friday will naturally preclude seeing younger people attend the event, but, given the demographic present, even being a 50 year old I felt young!

This show needs to move to being a full weekend, and there needs to be an emphasis on attracting fresh blood to the hobby - having a load of "Grey haired old men" represent our hobby will certainly not attract the younger generation.

It seems daft to me not to arrange the National Hamfest and RSGB convention to be at the same venue at the same time - make it a big event, and please, have a venue with good clean modern facilities!

Think this will be the last visit I make to this event, it's a pity. this in effect is what replaced Woburn, the event that originally got me hooked.

[Jeremy M0RVB]

This was my 4th trip and of those 4, the first, pre-covid was easily the best in my opinion. I always went on the Friday and to me each year has been worse than the last. This year will be my last visit because, to me it is just not worth the 160 mile round trip. I came back with nothing but a 2026 callbook - last year I grabbed some antennas that are actually stocked only about 10 miles from home anyway.

There was really only one stand with stuff that interested me but given there lack of enthusiasm in actually interacting with me I gave up.

[ortek_service]

Originally Posted by Sean Williams

>>
>>

Think this will be the last visit I make to this event, it's a pity. this in effect is what replaced Woburn, the event that originally got me hooked.

Well it's really a merger of several rallies.

As the Sunday-only RSGB Woburn one was then briefly at Hatfield=House and then Stevenage (Maybe also Bletchley Park?) - before it disappearing altogether?

Whereas the RSGB have joined-up with Lincoln ARS - who previously had their own (Sunday-only?) rally at Newark etc. I'd occasionally gone to.

Although this (re)branded 'National Hamfest' is really a replacement of the original (2 day Fri & Sat) Leicester Radio Rally (which was great for bags of cheap-stuff, despite Granby Halls being a bit of a dump!), that had moved-to (much-cleaner) Donnington - then briefly to Loughborough, when Donnington Exhibition centre was meant to be closing for site to become the new home of the F1 Grand Prix that fell-through.

As the move further-North is now a 160mile round-trip for me, and (like Donnington had become), relatively-high entrance fee, mainly new stuff, with not too-many surplus equipment (especially inside, where the traders have to pay a lot-more for a stall than most other 'car boot' etc rallies), I had stopped going for many years after 2013, only going again in 2019 and 2022? to see what it was like.

But I did go (fairly-late) on Friday, after some brief stops there and back at Kettering (for cheap Petrol) and Grantham (for cheap Oil at Yorkshire Trading etc.) en-route to take advantage-of as I couldn't get these locally.
- Avoiding the Motorway routes, which I recall being not too good late on a Friday (especially when rain chucked down, in 2013?)

And I found it was worthwhile even though there weren't that many traders outside / started packing up at 2pm, spending around £40 (excluding advance admission) on mostly surplus unused parts and a few PCB's etc. - Mostly inside, only spending around £6 outside.
Inc. getting a SatNav for £5 - that Garmin currently offer to supply to order for £150! (after getting annoyed by Google maps on mobile not working on the way when PAYG credit had just run out!). And I hadn't spotted any of these, that had previously been common, at the last four rallies.

I was there until 4pm pack-up, by which time virtually all the visitors had gone.
And (despite being in my mid-50's), I didn't seem to be the youngest there
- Although there wouldn't really normally be many that young on a normal Friday School / work day.
So maybe Saturday is busier (But then most of the bargains will have gone on the first day!).

And so I didn't regret going this year.

[G6Tanuki]

I have to admit, I have never been to the National Hamfest, though in days past I was a regular attendee at the Leicester and Donington events, where I regularly spent quite a bit with the well known larger traders/importers.

These days it's easier to buy online, next day delivery. Saves time, money and fuel costs! I am not in the market for buying any more old radios, indeed I am trying to get rid of the stuff I have not actually used for more than a year.

As to the age demographic at such events, this has been discussed quite a few times in the past. Wel're getting older as a group, there was a bulge in recruitment to the amateur community in the late 70s through the 80s as a result of CB, now such people are at retirement age and looking at nice shiny things on which to spend their pension lump sum!

[defender]

I went on Saturday and it was at least a 160 mile round trip.
I threw caution to the wind and bought an Sdrplay Rspduo, some bags of apples and some free bits, plus a free Yaesu hat that they were handing out to people in the queue.

[CambridgeWorks]

The apples would be from Henry, G3REH, local to me and really cheap. Despite his age and health he helps pick the apples and pears from his own orchard and I think the proceeds go to his local radio club. He had them at Ramsey as well.

Some interesting comments throughout this thread.
Personally, I don't think I missed much, though could have got rid of larger items maybe.
But expense of stand and fuel plus all the hours spent on the day and with preparation means it would not really have been worth me visiting, as car boot plus one helper admission might be 20% of takings, or more?
Rob

[ortek_service]

I hadn't realised you had been thinking of going as a seller. I remember hearing that tables inside were very-expensive for the cheaper items sellers (maybe more worthwhile for the larger dealers of more-expensive equipment).

However, I presume the outside 'Flea market' costs are more-like the prices for sellers at other rallies (where if that often covers two people, than can be not much-more than admission for visitors! - Although I think it only covered one person at this one) / car boot sales.

So probably cheapest to just do more-local rallies (although Peterborough probably isn't that far from National Hamfest)
- Although there's now not really any more local to Cambridgeshire etc, until next year, with Foxton & St Neots (Now Ramsey) now taken place.
The National Hamfest event is usually the last one of the year for many - especially for me (since demise of Verulam (Watford) one many years ago) as now not really any more that are < 90miles away until April 2026 (after demise of Harwell & Wythall).

[John KC0G]

In post #5, ortek_service wrote: "Well it's really a merger of several rallies."

There is a long story post WW2 of the RSGB exhibitions and hamfests. A few years ago I did a lot of digging into the history of various, but by no means all, events. Here is a summary.

The RSGB ran the National Amateur Radio Exhibition in London from 1947 to 1955, when they lost a small amount of money. The RSGB Council decided not to have an exhibition in 1956.

The RSGB resumed exhibitions in London from 1957 onwards, initially called the "Radio Hobbies Exhibition", later the "International Radio Communications Exhibition", and finally "Radiocom 70". By 1969 it was reported that the cost of space was preventing smaller exhibitors from taking part. In 1971, the RSGB Council decided not to have an exhibition in 1971. At this time, the exhibitions were organised by an exhibition committee.

The first mobile rally was organised by the Oxford and District ARS and held on 9th October, 1955. The idea caught on quickly, and by 1960 many large annual rallies had already become established, including Woburn Abbey. That was organised by the RSGB mobile committee.

Here the story splits into two threads: The Leicester shows in their various forms, and the RSGB shows.

The Leicester shows

The RSGB Council decided not to have an exhibition in 1972. As a reponse, the Amateur Radio Retailers' Association was formed to put on an exhibition in the Midlands. The first nine shows were at Granby Halls in Leicester from 1972 to 1980. The organisers were not happy with the conditions at Granby Halls in 1980, and so in 1981 held the 10th show at Donington Park. For unknown reasons they moved the show back to Granby Halls in 1982 (the 11th show), and then to Doncaster Racecourse in 1983 (the 12th show). I have not found any evidence of an ARRA show after 1993.

With the ARRA leaving Granby Halls in 1981, the Leicester Radio Society (LRS) organised a show there. The show was described as "The NEW Leicester Amateur Radio Show", ..."with improved facilities including new catering arrangements, easier car parking and quicker admission. It was held on 23rd-25th October, ie one week before the ARRA exhibition at Donington.

With the ARRA show returning to Granby halls in 1982, it appears that the Leicester Radio Society did not organise a show in that year. With the ARRA move to Doncaster in 1983, the LRS again organised a show at Granby Halls. Traders and amateurs had been concerned about the lack of a show in Leicester. This prompted the LRS and Leicestershire Repeater Group to form a committee. The show was described as the "Twelfth Amateur Radio Show". It was indeed the twelfth show in successive years at Granby Halls.

The LRS continued to organise annual shows at Granby Halls until 1997. The show then moved to Donnington Park from 1998 to 2008, and then Loughborough University in 2009. The RSGB in conjunction with the Lincoln Short Wave Club introduced the National Hamfest at Newark in 2009, after the planned LRS show at Donington could not take place.

The RSGB shows

In 1976 the RSGB exhibition and mobile committees joined forces to put on an exhibition at Alexandra Palace in London. [I have not found any evidence of a Woburn rally in 1976. It did resume, but it is not part of the rest of this story. It did finally disappear, possibly in the late 1990's or early 2000's]. The shows were held in the main building until 1981, and in 1981 in part of the building not damaged by the large fire. In 1982 the show was in the Alexandra Pavilion, ie the giant tent, which had been erected in the grounds. Then the show moved to the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham from 1983 to 1988 and 1990 to 1993. There was not a show in 1989 for cost reasons. It should be noted that some of these RSGB shows were as long as three days.

This was the end of the shows organised by the RSGB. The Leicester show became the default national amateur radio show. I don't know when the Pickett's Lock show started in London, or how the RSGB might have been connected in the early days. I vaguely recall a splash in Radcom around that time, and this subject needs research.

National Hamfest at Newark

The Lincoln Short Wave Club had held an annual rally at the Newark Showgrounds prior to 2009 in the Lady Eastwood Hall. In 2009, when it became apparent that the LRS would not be able to stage a show at Donington, the RSGB joined forces with the Lincoln club to stage the National Hamfest. The Lincoln club had already advertised a date and venue (the Lady Eastwood Hall). The date and venue (the larger George Stephenson Hall, where the show is still held) were changed. The show continues.

It is not clear to me who has handled and continues to handled the finances and booking for the show. National Hamfest (Newark) Ltd., was not incorporated until 2016. It is a company limited by guarantee. Two of the first four directors had long time associations with the Lincoln club. It has been reported that the National Hamfest pays out any profits to the clubs who assist in running the show. And the balance sheets in the annual reports of National Hamfest (Lincoln) Ltd. show that it has no assets. You can find the annual reports at Companies House.

The future

It remains to be seen what the future might be for the National Hamfest at Newark. The inside trader count this year was the same as in 2024, after there had been a significant drop from 2023. As noted above, flea market tables are very expensive, and reports and videos indicate that there were fewer flea market vendors this year.

Traders go to the rallies to make money, and money which you could not have made by staying at your business premises or at home. And is tough to make money in the amateur radio business at the moment. 24/7 internet shopping does not help. The rallies need punters and traders. Without both, they slowly shrink, and then disappear.

73

John KC0G/M0KCY

[CambridgeWorks]

Whilst typing this I have seen that John, KC0G has posibly already given similar information as mine!

I was seriously considering going on the Friday with an estate car full for the fleamarket as a major clearout, but changed my mind just before Friday.
I had mostly low value items that are not worth posting and larger ones that cannot be sent and it would have been a good opportunity to clearout.
With a rail tour hauled by steam and an early start for this on Saturday it was decided not to go.

Also, one table with one admission is £30 plus £8 for my wife to assist me, so not like Ramsey which was £10 the large 20ft almost pitch and including my wife and I admission.
I have now started scrapping the large heavy items as they really are a liability.
I did not want to keep them any longer anyway and by salvaging more valuable parts that are in demand and the remains going to weee at the local tip it fulfils the clearance and usually getting a better return eventually for scarce parts instead.

I agree with Fred, the RSGB might consider holding their convention there at the same time. However, I have not been a member for many years.

The original Lincoln club raly at Newark used a small shed type outbuilding at Newark showground.
Then, a joint effort by RSGB and Lincoln club was entered into with the National Hamfest company formed.
The site with Stephenson building would I imagine cost many thousands of pounds to hire.
Lincoln, Spalding and I imagine some other clubs provide staff from their membership for the build up and take down of the exhibition and providing stewards for every aspect except security, which is a security company.
As a reward, each club receives a payment dependent on number of volunteers provided and the total hours. So, it is a good income to boost club funds, but a lot of planning, determination and sheer hard work by these members.

Without this voluntary assistance, I imagine that to provide these staff from say an agency, the operational cost would be so great that it would not be viable to hold the Hamfest?
What I have said about this is true to the best of my knowledge. Though of course, if anyone knows different, I would stand corrected.
Although a Spalding club member, I have no involvement with the hamfest, other than as a previous visitor over many years.

The previous Granby Halls and Donington park events were organised by the Leicester Show Committee. Those people with smart maroon blazers we all used to see. I guess that the labour then was club volunteers on a similar basis as the Hamfest?

Unfortunately, if numbers exhibiting, casual selling and visiting start to dwindle at these large events like the Hamfest, I think they would fold as being financially unviable?
Let us hope suport continues and they continue for many years.
Rob

[David G4EBT]

I only visited once, in 2019, as I was invited to go with a chum who was attending, so I can't comment on this year's event, other than to say why I didn't bother to go.

Reflecting on the 2019 event, I thought the term 'Hamfest' was a misnomer - 'Dealer Fest' would have better described the event, though there was at least a few outdoor stalls.

A mecca for anyone in the market for the latest 'state of the art' (soon to be obsolete) multi-mode (by which I mean far more modes than simply SSB/AM/FM transceivers) and all the accessories that go with them, costing £thousands. The blurb holds out the tantalising prospect of enabling you to 'command the band/punch through the QRM/winkle out the DX'/penetrate the airwaves' and if that holds out any appeal, it will be like a moth to a flame. (Or if you want to buy RSGB books which you could buy online with a couple clicks, then fine).

But those who like to rummage around as they would at a radio rally in a village hall, or car boot style rally with lots of tables, would be on a fool's errand. In under an hour I thought 'nothing to see here' and was ready to leave. That was my view in 2019, but in noting that an outdoor table this year cost £30 (if I'm informed correctly), it comes as no surprise that there were few such stalls. Heaven knows what an indoor stall costs.

Whether that is to deter people from having outdoor stalls and 'lowering the tone' from 'Dealer-Fest' to 'radio rally' is anyone's guess, but by default or design, it seems to have worked. Doesn't really matter to me, but it's a far cry from the Lincoln Short Wave Club events at the Lincoln Showground, less still Drayton Manor, and Elvaston Castle rallies of yesteryear, which had a strong dealer presence, but were also family affairs, with picnics and funfair activities for children.

But I'm showing my age - that was then and this is now.

To paraphrase the words of the late Freddie Mercury:

'You can’t turn back the tide, aint that a shame?
Ooh, I'd like to go back one time on a roller coaster ride,
Those days are all gone now but something remains...'

[G6Tanuki]

Part of me wonders if there would be sense in bringing together some of the hobby radio and maybe hifi hobbyists together for a longer event, over a long weekend, Friday to Monday. Specialist societies could arrange to hold their AGMs over the weekend too.

Click-and-Collect that nice new radio or audio amplifier you ordered online last week? With someone from the manufacturer or importer on hand to give you a brief overview of the functions (and try to upsell some extra accessories?). It's an idea. I once bought a 40-foot Strumech telescopic tower having seen it demonstrated at such an event. Not click and collect, but I did talk the salesman into giving me a free tilt-over base post and free delivery as part of the deal.

In the past one of the things I liked about some of the conventions was that they put on lectures and tutorials and presentations, I remember going to a hamvention in Texas back in the 80s where I was introduced to packet radio, and some of the British events also had lectures on niche subjects or slideshows/talks on the latest DXpedition.

A three or four day event at somewhere like the NEC, G-MEX (is that still open?) or the Excel in London - places with nearby accommodation, decent catering and overnight security so vendors can leave their stands set up without having to remove any high value items - would make sense to me.

Make it more like a trade fair than a car boot sale and you might get me to attend.

[CambridgeWorks]

To quote G6Tanuki,,:

"Make it more like a trade fair than a car boot sale and you might get me to attend".

Each to their own I guess. But that would mean the likes of myself paying maybe £200 to £300 plus for a one table stand plus overnight accomodation and meals. Maybe a new suit to wear as well, just to sell my odds and ends.

It would be just an upmarket trade fair supported by the big boys with professional stands, hired in marketing staff and gimmicks to attract punters to buy the latest gizmo that doesn't really need skill or understanding to operate.

I suppose there might be an opening for such an exhibition of " professional" equipment along those lines.
But this is about the National Hamfest.

It would be nothing at all to do with "amateur radio" (as we know it) and it's origins and enthusiasm.
Ok for the credit card companies though!
Rob

[ortek_service]

Thanks to John, KC0G + CambridgeWorks for the detailed history on these.

Most pre-dates me and being able to get to (and know about rallies, when only listed in RadCom, when I didn't join RSGB until early 90's).
I did get taken to the odd one from the late 1980's like Drayton Manor and the NEC, plus later-on I could get the train to Pickett's Lock
- Until I was able to drive myself in 1993, so I could then get to many (often upto 13!) a year.

I'm sure that Woburn (< 1993 to 1998) and later Hatfield House in 1999 & 2000) were also RSGB 'National' branded ones (I probably still have the leaflets etc. somewhere), as the local Milton Keynes club had their own one at Cranfield, then Bletchley Park in the same years as Woburn / Hatfield.

I also recall going to Lincoln Rally, before it became the National Hamfest, when outside rather than having to pay for hiring main buildings.


I'm not sure that a rally at an expensive venue like exhibition centres e.g. the NEC or especially ones in London would be too welcome, as they would really just be trade fairs and difficult to buy much from and transport back without free / cheap on-site parking.
- The NVCF (Now RetroTech), has moved from the NEC, to Warwickshire Exhibition entre (and moved again as that was no-longer economic at apparently 4x cost to hire as latest Ryton-on-Dunsmore venue).

Pickett's Lock (And later Epsom / Kempton) did at least have some free on-site /nearby parking (Along with later move to smaller Stevenage sports Halls venue for one year).
But it is surprising that London doesn't really seem to have any rallies at all, anymore - With even the CATS one in Croyden not taking place anymore due to venue issues. Or any in the West Midlands.
However, the South West still seems to have quite a few quite close together!
And also quite a few in the North West etc.

But not many can justify being held for more than one-day, anymore.
I also note that there's now virtually none with any lecture-talks / demos by fellow Radio Amateurs taking place, that used to occur at ones at Picketts Lock, Donnington and Telford etc.


£30 for one person in the outside Flea Market at the National Hamfest does seem to be rather-expensive for it to be worthwhile for many - especially when it's around £10 for two people at other rallies.
But I had heard many years ago people mentioning that indoor stalls there were nearly £100 (Not sure if that was per day or for both), so was too-expensive for most.
Although I presume the Club Stands get there's free / rather-discounted.

[CambridgeWorks]

Both Picketts lock and Donington park in the early 90s were £60 per table for the 2 days. Picketts lock was also £20 for a power socket. Not sure about Donington though.

Yes, the National hamfest is not cheap, but maybe comparable with those known price examples I have given?

Rallies generally are seen as indoor sellers, more well known traders maybe, and with tables inside or outside, plus car boots.

The Hamfest is seen as an annual National event, hopefully attracting more of the main dealers and maybe showcase new products. Also an outlet for accessories and ancillary equipment.
The fleamarket is an add on really as not everyone wants to view the latest items, but might be looking for a bargain and a chance to sell a few items.
In essence, the Hamfest requires a fine balancing act between the attraction it offers and the pricing for both sellers and visitors alike.
You can't please everyone all of the time!

As I was often told in years gone by "if it's worth having, it's worth paying or saving up for".
Rob

[Spec-chum]

I went on Friday as it's only a short 20 mins drive to the showground for me. Got there for 11am after half day early shift at work. Noticed not so many of the boot sale stalls like previous events, however the weather for past previous days leading to it was dreadful here, so that my have put some sellers off. Inside the hall it was the usual stalls, Canny Components, Martyn Lynch & Sons, big RSGB village with a huge book stall, and Lamco with new and sold as seen second items to name a few. Did noticed a some traders were missing in the hall also. I stayed for about 2 to 3 hours having a good wonder around, plenty to view. It was very well attended, which made it difficult to view stalls first off without getting elbowed, or barged out the way, only thing I didn't like. But I will go again next year, maybe later in the day though when the hustle and bustle has eased a bit.

[David G4EBT]

Originally Posted by ortek_service

£30 for one person in the outside Flea Market at the National Hamfest does seem to be rather-expensive for it to be worthwhile for many - especially when it's around £10 for two people at other rallies.
But I had heard many years ago people mentioning that indoor stalls there were nearly £100 (Not sure if that was per day or for both), so was too-expensive for most.
Although I presume the Club Stands get there's free / rather-discounted.

As I inferred in my earlier post the 'Hamfest' is a 'trade fair' - a 'shop window' rather than a 'rally', which would be more in common with a car boot sale.

The dealers are competing for a small and reducing market for sophisticated high-end consumer electronic equipment. If it was much cheaper for outdoor stalls, though it might attract more visitors, they're unlikely to be the demographic who are their target audience - those prepared to spend £thousands, who will want to see the latest equipment in which they might be interested, looking at several brands, discussing the features and benefits, warranties, finance, discounts etc, face to face with dealers' staff, before making a decision.

For anyone who fits that profile, it's an event not to be missed.

It must be hugely expensive for dealers who generally have a small number of staff, will need to load and transport delicate costly equipment, travel hundred of miles, stay overnight, maybe close their shop for at least a day or be short-staffed, then return back to base. Insurance premiums will doubtless be high too. Certainly any business they do will be hard won. For how long it can continue is anyone's guess.

As to the costs at Newark Showground, the larger the scale of the event in terms of the number of traders and visitors, the lower is the per capita cost. For example, there is an event there on ten Sundays a year - one of the largest of its type in the UK. It has hundreds of traders and thousands of visitors, with outdoor pitches and indoors in the George Stevenson Hall.

An outdoor plot, 2.5M x 3.6M if pre-booked costs £19 including parking and a driver from 6.30am. For a visitor, 'Early Bird' admission from 8AM would be £10, so in effect, a trader on an outdoor plot would be paying £9.00 extra above entry cost for the plot. An indoor plot 3.6M x 2.2M Prebooked is £37.00 including entrance and parking, so taking account of the entry charge, the net cost of an indoor plot is £27.00.

But then it's quite a different event from the Hamfest - more akin to a huge car boot sale/Sunday market, or a radio rally of yesteryear, and caters for a customer base of millions, not just a few thousand.

Rally costs will vary.

I had two 6ft indoor tables at the Hornsea Radio Rally last year at the Driffield showground. £8.00 per table with free entry for me and my wife. Entry for visitors was £5.00, so in effect, the net cost of the indoor tables was £3.00 each. (An outdoor pitch with one person cost £6.00 - just £1.00 more than entry cost). Quite an astute pricing policy: Low table costs = more traders, (including firms - not just the likes of me having a clear-out) = more visitors, prepared to travel further distances to the event.

Don't know what the costs will be this year. (I won't be going).

Rallies are very big financial gamble for organisers, and very weather dependant.

[ortek_service]

Originally Posted by Spec-chum

I went on Friday as it's only a short 20 mins drive to the showground for me. Got there for 11am after half day early shift at work.
>>
>>
I stayed for about 2 to 3 hours having a good wonder around, plenty to view. It was very well attended, which made it difficult to view stalls first off without getting elbowed, or barged out the way, only thing I didn't like. But I will go again next year, maybe later in the day though when the hustle and bustle has eased a bit.

It's been a while, but I do recall when rallies were usually very-packed and difficult to move around
- But that was when I was often queuing-up (even at 10:30 am) outside for doors to open, and they went-on until quite-late in the afternoon.
Whereas I don't normally get to most rallies these days before midday - Not long before most of the sellers have all packed-up that is often around 1pm or earlier with very-few going on until 2pm (even though the official closing time is still often listed as rather later)
- So become more like Car Boot sales, with early starts / finish, with some now officially opening at 9am (but many people there before this).
Plus larger-shops open rather later / on Sundays since 1994, so I imagine a few might want to drop in to some after a rally (I normally do, whilst passing some / get to look around a town centre I wouldn't normally go to)

I didn't get to Newark on Friday until a bit later than planned, and I did the Flea market first, as they were starting to pack-up. #
So I didn't go inside until after 2pm, when it wasn't that busy (with most now leaving by then?)
And if it was quite-packed at 11am, then it may have been even busier at 10am open time of the building
(with maybe a lot waiting for it to open as main-entrance to venue / Flea-market was open from 9:30am)!

Although at least the stalls at this one were quite well spaced-out, compared to much-more cramped rallies in School & Community centre etc rooms, so could have been much-worse!

Originally Posted by CambridgeWorks

Both Picketts lock and Donington park in the early 90s were £60 per table for the 2 days. Picketts lock was also £20 for a power socket. Not sure about Donington though.

Yes, the National hamfest is not cheap, but maybe comparable with those known price examples I have given?
>>
>>

Those quoted costs for tables (and very-high £20 for power!) at major rallies in the 90's do seem relatively-high compared to many (particularly smaller) ones these days. Maybe, pre online / eBay etc. there were less opportunities for the sellers (although many-more rallies back then, with most of the large ones now gone).

I do get economy-of-scale, as these days Car Boot sales are often around a tenth of the admission cost for visitors compared to radio rallies.
Maybe regular car boots get the venue cheaper, if it's a regular thing / most are outside and they don't need to provide tables
- Possibly just Toilets at ones with Food vans.
Although Jumble sales are generally inside with tables, but as these are often for charity then I imagine they get facilities free / at low-cost.

[dodgy-dxer]

My claim to fame is I went to the very first Granby Halls show on a school trip!

Makes me almost as old as Rob

Fred

Originally Posted by John KC0G

In post #5, ortek_service wrote: "Well it's really a merger of several rallies."

There is a long story post WW2 of the RSGB exhibitions and hamfests. A few years ago I did a lot of digging into the history of various, but by no means all, events. Here is a summary.

The RSGB ran the National Amateur Radio Exhibition in London from 1947 to 1955, when they lost a small amount of money. The RSGB Council decided not to have an exhibition in 1956.

The RSGB resumed exhibitions in London from 1957 onwards, initially called the "Radio Hobbies Exhibition", later the "International Radio Communications Exhibition", and finally "Radiocom 70". By 1969 it was reported that the cost of space was preventing smaller exhibitors from taking part. In 1971, the RSGB Council decided not to have an exhibition in 1971. At this time, the exhibitions were organised by an exhibition committee.

The first mobile rally was organised by the Oxford and District ARS and held on 9th October, 1955. The idea caught on quickly, and by 1960 many large annual rallies had already become established, including Woburn Abbey. That was organised by the RSGB mobile committee.

Here the story splits into two threads: The Leicester shows in their various forms, and the RSGB shows.

The Leicester shows

The RSGB Council decided not to have an exhibition in 1972. As a reponse, the Amateur Radio Retailers' Association was formed to put on an exhibition in the Midlands. The first nine shows were at Granby Halls in Leicester from 1972 to 1980. The organisers were not happy with the conditions at Granby Halls in 1980, and so in 1981 held the 10th show at Donington Park. For unknown reasons they moved the show back to Granby Halls in 1982 (the 11th show), and then to Doncaster Racecourse in 1983 (the 12th show). I have not found any evidence of an ARRA show after 1993.

With the ARRA leaving Granby Halls in 1981, the Leicester Radio Society (LRS) organised a show there. The show was described as "The NEW Leicester Amateur Radio Show", ..."with improved facilities including new catering arrangements, easier car parking and quicker admission. It was held on 23rd-25th October, ie one week before the ARRA exhibition at Donington.

With the ARRA show returning to Granby halls in 1982, it appears that the Leicester Radio Society did not organise a show in that year. With the ARRA move to Doncaster in 1983, the LRS again organised a show at Granby Halls. Traders and amateurs had been concerned about the lack of a show in Leicester. This prompted the LRS and Leicestershire Repeater Group to form a committee. The show was described as the "Twelfth Amateur Radio Show". It was indeed the twelfth show in successive years at Granby Halls.

The LRS continued to organise annual shows at Granby Halls until 1997. The show then moved to Donnington Park from 1998 to 2008, and then Loughborough University in 2009. The RSGB in conjunction with the Lincoln Short Wave Club introduced the National Hamfest at Newark in 2009, after the planned LRS show at Donington could not take place.

The RSGB shows

In 1976 the RSGB exhibition and mobile committees joined forces to put on an exhibition at Alexandra Palace in London. [I have not found any evidence of a Woburn rally in 1976. It did resume, but it is not part of the rest of this story. It did finally disappear, possibly in the late 1990's or early 2000's]. The shows were held in the main building until 1981, and in 1981 in part of the building not damaged by the large fire. In 1982 the show was in the Alexandra Pavilion, ie the giant tent, which had been erected in the grounds. Then the show moved to the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham from 1983 to 1988 and 1990 to 1993. There was not a show in 1989 for cost reasons. It should be noted that some of these RSGB shows were as long as three days.

This was the end of the shows organised by the RSGB. The Leicester show became the default national amateur radio show. I don't know when the Pickett's Lock show started in London, or how the RSGB might have been connected in the early days. I vaguely recall a splash in Radcom around that time, and this subject needs research.

National Hamfest at Newark

The Lincoln Short Wave Club had held an annual rally at the Newark Showgrounds prior to 2009 in the Lady Eastwood Hall. In 2009, when it became apparent that the LRS would not be able to stage a show at Donington, the RSGB joined forces with the Lincoln club to stage the National Hamfest. The Lincoln club had already advertised a date and venue (the Lady Eastwood Hall). The date and venue (the larger George Stephenson Hall, where the show is still held) were changed. The show continues.

It is not clear to me who has handled and continues to handled the finances and booking for the show. National Hamfest (Newark) Ltd., was not incorporated until 2016. It is a company limited by guarantee. Two of the first four directors had long time associations with the Lincoln club. It has been reported that the National Hamfest pays out any profits to the clubs who assist in running the show. And the balance sheets in the annual reports of National Hamfest (Lincoln) Ltd. show that it has no assets. You can find the annual reports at Companies House.

The future

It remains to be seen what the future might be for the National Hamfest at Newark. The inside trader count this year was the same as in 2024, after there had been a significant drop from 2023. As noted above, flea market tables are very expensive, and reports and videos indicate that there were fewer flea market vendors this year.

Traders go to the rallies to make money, and money which you could not have made by staying at your business premises or at home. And is tough to make money in the amateur radio business at the moment. 24/7 internet shopping does not help. The rallies need punters and traders. Without both, they slowly shrink, and then disappear.

73

John KC0G/M0KCY