I know it's on the other side of the globe but......

[022 Ian]

VBOA at Billing is cancelled

I got a text this morning which gave me bad news

Just in case anyone is planning to go as I was the River burst it's banks last night apparently and the show is off.

The announcement is here

http://www.vboa.org.uk/toplevel.php?p=e1&inc=47

If you know anyone going let em know please however you can

PS I'm covering the bases

[020 Brad]

Oh that's a real pitty! This seems to be a highlight of the year for a lot of the guys and something that they aim for as a build target. Such a shame that it's been cancelled/postponed, but I guess you can't help the weather!

[127 Gordo]

The English are having the same weather we're about to - temp's in the low 'teens and a lot of rain - the difference bing that's their typical summer (kidding... sort of).
That said, there seems to be a few areas in the UK where they've still got drough conditions.

[127 Gordo]

Why did they pitch their site in the middle of a river?

A lot of concern the same sort of thing is going to happen with the Olympics as well - then there's the huge F/Up with the staffing and security - can't understand how they let things get so screwed up - and the infrastructure which is in a lot of trouble.

[020 Brad]

I think the problem is that camping sites or other similar venues need to be in desirable locations, but with wide open space, so obviously those which haven't been built on. This doesn't really say much, being that every city or town in New Zealand is built on a river bed/flood plain, volcano or fault line anyway, so you can only imagine what is left over.

I guess similar could be said for England, that the only flat land left is that which is less than desirable to build on for whatever reason (flooding there, more so than volcanos or fault lines, luckily for them).

[001 Neville]

I certainly don't miss the wet Brit summers!

Real pity this event has been cancelled, as I enjoyed it when I was over in 2008 - and before I emigrated too. Some great cars to be seen!

[230 Bill T]

Guys, Billing was terrible this year. Gt there on the Friday and it was tipping down but nothing too serious. As the day went on the rain kept coming but we didn't expect what was about to happen. Went to bed around 11ish and the rain started to get worse, then got woken up by officials at 3:20am and found my tent afloat in around 4inches of water We were then evacuated to the leisure centre, we congragated in there until first light when we actually got to see the extent of the flooding!!

Really felt for one of the traders in the autojumble as his entire stock was under water!!

[127 Gordo]

yeah, we do give you guys a bit of a hard time about the weather but, as you say, it's a serious business for folk.
i was born and bred in the far north od Scotland and I can honestly say I'd never seen heavy rain until I came here!
It can be so heavy you can't see much beyond the end of the car's bonnet- assuming the wipers were up to speed, with the spray thrown up by the rain hiding anything less than a couple of feet off the ground.
4 inches a day isn't that unusual and I've experienced 14" in a around 6 hours with a peak of around 4 inches an hour, maybe more!

[001 Neville]

Ha! so there's another benefit of living in the South Island! We get less rain, and we have fewer people!

.... but it does get colder! Remember the Big Snow of 2006? No power for a couple of weeks in some parts - we were out for a week here. The novelty quickly wears off!

[021 Chad]

My motorcycle helmet needs a snorkle!
I have developed a method for crossing 1/2 foot deep puddles on the motorway and last year I was almost caught in a tornado.
Auckland rain is great

[001 Neville]

The weather has been pretty crazy everywhere for the last 12 months or so, with extremes being experienced and new records being set.

... gives us something to talk about, eh!

[230 Bill T]

I love NZ and would swap the UK for it any day of the week! I have family in Christchurch and after my visit in 2005 I vowed to retire to NZ before I'm 50. Got 13 years to make it happen