(23 Aug 2021, 7:44 pm)MurdnunoC wrote It's  not that at all.

Pretend you're a dispassionate member of the public with a fleeting interest in buses who is looking for something to do on Bank Holiday Monday.

You come across this event advertised on a bus or wherever and think "Hmm, this looks interesting, I'll check their website or social media to find out more".

You look online for more information and find out there are only four attendees confirmed and, presuming you have no interest in other classic vehicles, the admission fee is £3.

Why would you bother?

Getting all defensive about preservationists is all well and good, but on the whole, these events are poorly advertised with little information beforehand. People on this forum have questioned why, in the digital age, where it is easy to promote your event in a more effective and direct way, preservationists don't do more to embrace this and actually provide information about what is going to be on display etc. Yet the same old head in the sand attitude prevails which leads, from my observations, to dwindling turnouts year upon year. That's the kind of attitude that's going to kill of preservationists in the region, ultimately.

Its thanks to the attitudes of 'bus spotters' that many preservationists no longer participate in rallies. The trend lately on here and on facebook is to assume you have the right to have what you want at an event, slag off preservationists who pull vehicles on safety grounds, and that happened yet again at Bishop Auckland. 

You don't contribute, you don't dictate, and if you think rallies are there for your desire, they aren't, they are in the main for the public, at joint gatherings, where funds are raised because of interest.

The so called enthusiasts are the ones with their heads in the sand, the attitudes are ridiculous.