Whippet Racing...

[RealMadYid]

Firstly well done to all this years winners and competitors as this years Champs.

To be honest, however much I wanted to, I couldn't afford the cost this year, and I wondered if others have the same problem. We have been to the last 3 champs at Asfordby, found a great B&B, had a great time, and really enjoyed ourselves.

This year however was different, we have a new addition (a daughter) and would have to hire a car, find new child and dog friendly accomodation close to the venue.

However, the 1st obstacle was getting the Saturday off work. Yep, postman sadly work Saturday's, and getting bank holiday off is nigh on impossible, however you can pay your mate to do your duty...£40!

So, bearing that in mind, and a postman in the South, what with mortgages and the rest is worse off than his colleagues in Yorkshire for example. This is rough idea of the cost of someone attending a Champs weekend without a caravan, a young child (and all their luggage :- )), two dogs and the time off work.

Pay someone to do your duty...........................£40

Car Hire (to carry all the dogs and baby)...........£95 (cheapest I found)

2 nights B&B for 2 adults................................£100

Fuel...............................................................£70

2 nights evening meal (minimum).....................£40

Fuel...............................................................£70

Entry to races/socialising.................................£50

Works out at £500!! On teletext today I could go to Gran Canaria for that for a week...OK I'd had to add spending money...

My point is, with a young family and no caravan, this sport ain't the cheapest..

Obviously it would be difficult to change, almost impossible, but champ weekends I guess are too much for me now...

Kind Regards,

Paul

 

[jasper.]

AND THE MOTTO OF THE STORY IS......... MOVE NORTH. :lol:

 

[milly]

My advice is take up fishing lol

 

[masta]

"and a postman in the South, what with mortgages and the rest is worse off than his colleagues in Yorkshire for example" what is that supposed to mean?

 

[Susan]

It's not easy to run in opens for us too

I missed the champs, but John went down and he slept in a little tent (thats not water proof (w00t) ). We cant go to all the opens we want to, due to money and the kids school , but we dont bend race, so we start to save up the petrol money from October till March. Its not hundreds, but it does help at the start of the straight season

Club racing is good also,,,we do a lot more club racing now, and enjoy it just as much :thumbsup:

 

[RealMadYid]

"and a postman in the South, what with mortgages and the rest is worse off than his colleagues in Yorkshire for example"    what is that supposed to mean?

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Effing typical! all us down South are effing wealthy! Don't you effing realise some of us dicks down here have to do the shite jobs! typical northern shite! We still need our streets cleaned, our shopworkers, our post delivered, don't you realise we struggle to get teachers, nurses etc. because the cost of living is effing too high!

So, it's supposed to mean a postman in Yorkshire is likely to have a better standard of living than one in East London/Essex. And THAT IS FACT! Do you understand that? Yep, I'm right, everyone up North reckons down South we are all so rich, it's unbelievable.... :rant:

Me? Pissed off hearing about how shite life is in the North, we do have working classes down here, don't you know! And don't give it the big one about the industry and all that balls, I know what redundancy is mate.and I'm still owed thousands, which I'll never get!

And GOVERNMENT facts... six of the poorest regions (councils) out of ten are in London.

Christ! One comment, and it's a full on strop!

Didn't even know the tit.

Had enough!

 

[milly]

Chill out Paul !

Its a bit of leg pull :thumbsup:

 

[Scillonian]

Paul you are correct when you say "whippet racing is not a cheap sport".

Years ago this used to be classed as a "working man's sport" and most of the racing that took place were at the Clubs. Not so many people regularly went open racing - unlike today.

I would not let the "stupid and sarcastic remarks" upset you, even if they are suppose to be joking!!!!! You are being very sensible in getting your priorities in order. With petrol/diesel being so expensive this has made the sport very expensive what with travel costs and entry fees etc.

You are obviously a person that takes into consideration how you have to pay your way, i.e. mortgage and other bills. Anybody can travel to all these opens, but how they pay for their weekends is another matter, probably on the credit card.

When we were in the Sport (which we decided to give up late year) we would spend a minimum of £200. per month on diesel just to go racing. Since we have given the racing up we now spend that each month on holidays and we are thoroughly enjoying ourselves. Yes, Geoff, Michael thoroughly enjoys fishing, next best thing to racing. :thumbsup:

 

[wild whippies]

You are right Paul it can be costly. Just a few things that might help folk, Travelodge give excellent savings on rooms booked 21 days prior, for example a nights stay at Worksop (near Swallownest) currently costs £26.

I try to shop around for fuel not just for long journeys but throughout the year, round here it's been 99.9p per litre but I've managed to get it down to 95.5p and there's offers with some supermarkets where if you spend over £50 instore you can get your fuel costs down to 91.1p per litre. (It all adds up)

Probably the best way to make savings is if you can travel with other folk, I'm lucky enough to have a van and only one dog racing on the non-ped circuit so I always offer to transport dogs for people if they're struggling for room.

Hope you and your family can wangle something next year. :luck:

Jac

 

[milly]

Sorry Joan Hazels making me paint the kitchen :sweating: and confiscated my credit card for making stupid sarcastic remarks.

p.s as Michael got a spare fishing rod ? ................I'm doing it again

 

[sadieandco]

Geoff stick to whippets - who said fishing cheaper - my OH got more rods than i got dogs and lets say his last one cost more than any whippet pup i've seen up for sale !!!!!!

 

[milly]

Geoff stick to whippets - who said fishing cheaper - my OH got more rods than i got dogs and lets say his last one cost more than any whippet pup i've seen up for sale !!!!!!   

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Wil do

 

[milly]

Paul on serious note you forgot to mention the cost of vet bills, just off to the vets with our Penny after she got belted in the 40lb final :rant:

 

[RealMadYid]

Blimey! I did go off a bit there didn't ! (w00t) Taken the chill pill now! Well, I've had a good nights sleep anyway...

I guess nothing is cheap today...

I guess what I was getting at is there is sometimes an assumption that everyone in the South is wealthy, which really grates with me, same us Southerners thinking all Northerners have whippets and wear flat caps....whoops! Some of you do

Yep, only joking...

 

[masta]

"and a postman in the South, what with mortgages and the rest is worse off than his colleagues in Yorkshire for example"     what is that supposed to mean?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

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Effing typical! all us down South are effing wealthy! Don't you effing realise some of us dicks down here have to do the shite jobs! typical northern shite! We still need our streets cleaned, our shopworkers, our post delivered, don't you realise we struggle to get teachers, nurses etc. because the cost of living is effing too high!

So, it's supposed to mean a postman in Yorkshire is likely to have a better standard of living than one in East London/Essex. And THAT IS FACT! Do you understand that? Yep, I'm right, everyone up North reckons down South we are all so rich, it's unbelievable.... :rant:

Me? Pissed off hearing about how shite life is in the North, we do have working classes down here, don't you know! And don't give it the big one about the industry and all that balls, I know what redundancy is mate.and I'm still owed thousands, which I'll never get!

And GOVERNMENT facts... six of the poorest regions (councils) out of ten are in London.

Christ! One comment, and it's a full on strop!

Didn't even know the tit.

Had enough!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

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whoa!! me thinks someones got a chip on his shoulder i live in yorkshire and work central london and generally the south and believe me there is no difference in the cost of living the only difference is the south get paid more as for always hearing about our shite life in the north maybe its to stop you lot from relocating

 

[milly]

Blimey! I did go off a bit there didn't !  (w00t)   Taken the chill pill now! Well, I've had a good nights sleep anyway...
I guess nothing is cheap today...

I guess what I was getting at is there is sometimes an assumption that everyone in the South is wealthy, which really grates with me, same us Southerners thinking all Northerners have whippets and wear flat caps....whoops! Some of you do 

Yep, only joking...

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Thats better Paul :thumbsup:

 

[mutley]

u always moaning Paul winge winge only kidin (w00t) if u enjoy something enough then its affordable otherwise u wouldn't do it

 

[kate lynch]

i love dog racing would pay quite a bit to keep in the sport! :clown:

 

[Karen-Coral]

This is only my opinion..

Personally if I had a job that involved working weekends I don't think I'd bother with whippet racing as a hobby at all-

Also Harry was 6 years old when I started.....(Steve started whippet racing much earlier in his teens-long before we were married)

...My point ---I wouldn't have got involved with the hobby if my children were any younger...I don't know how others do it with young children...

Weekend jobs/Young children/babies =not being able to give your dogs/racing the full all 100%

(I couldn't anyhow...maybe others can/do)

Money matters are trickier too when your 'younger' with young families..

It isn't a cheap hobby...your right.

Karen Boyd

 

[RealMadYid]

Hi Karen,

Interesting comments...so this is my day...

up at 4.20AM, get showered, short walk with dogs, feed dogs, cup of tea and bit of breakfast.

5.30AM arrive at work, 9.00AM approx. start delivery of mail, finish around 1PM, sometimes onto clinic for my blood tests (warfarin).

2.00PM collect Hannah our ten month old baby from child minder, after another short walk with dogs.

3.00PM put baby to sleep, and try and grab some lunch.

4.30PM start feeding Hannah, and prepare her for Mum's return.

5.30PM Mum get's home and takes over. Longer walk with dogs, returning about 6.30PM.

7.00PM approx Hannah goes to bed, and we have some dinner, tidy up a bit and watch a little TV.

10.00PM bed -_-

Yep, it's a schedule, but worth it...

Did look into moving North too, about 18 months ago, I could of transferred and my wife would have no problem finding work. After, some investigation we estimated our earnings would drop by about £300 a month, but after selling our house, we would of been just £25000 short of buying a house outright where we wanted to go. This would of given us a reduction in outgoings of approx £550, making us better off by about £250 a month. I think, we may consider it again it again when I have my 2nd op and get back on my feet again...

This is in reply to the poster who reckons life is no dearer in the South East.

kind Regards,

Paul