Messages

1

General Discussion / 2024 Experience

« on: June 18, 2024, 06:05:22 pm »

I have been attending since 1991, and still going so must enjoy it. However, I have found the experience from booking to campsites and facilities progressively getting worse.
Despite being online in the first hour of each members presale days, I found the grandstand I wanted to be sold out, and pretty much all of the campsites. Am assuming that ACO are bulk selling best stuff to agencies first.
We stayed on Beausejour again this year by default, not choice and felt the facilities were inadequate. Probably wouldn't be allowed by Health and Safety over here. One loos and shower block for a large camping field with hundreds of pitches. No drinking water standpipes, so everyone using the showers. Nowhere to wash stuff and no rubbish collection all week, leaving growing piles of trash.
With another record attendance, 329,000, ACO must be raking it in so it should be feasible to provide standards we've had in the past. My impression is that emphasis has shifted from providing a good experience for fans, to making as much cash as possible, so everything is stretched beyond limits.
Thats my whinge over, though interested in other's experience/opinions.

Anyway, object of this post really, is how are others booking and getting what/where they want. Agencies? Good/bad experiences with agencies, etc.

2

General Discussion / Re: Who, Where, What When etc 2022

« on: June 04, 2022, 12:06:40 pm »

Back this year after missing 2020 & 21. Other than that been going since 1991 except for year I got shunned by best mate after my divorce! Should have gone anyway as would have had a better time.

Travelling via Dover-Calais Wed 8th. Will be looking out for stickered travellers. Can't wait   

3

General Discussion / Bleu Sud

« on: June 04, 2022, 11:50:26 am »

Anyone offer info on Bleu Sud?

Will be first time there this year after many years on Eppinnettes. Strangely Eppinnettes wasn't shown as available when I booked.

Many moons ago we used to be regulars on Maison Blanche, but then they ruined it 

So anything useful, pros and cons, etc. appreciated thanks

4

General Discussion / Re: Flu

« on: March 18, 2020, 07:04:52 pm »

Postponed until 19–20 September. Announced this afternoon

5

General Discussion / 24H du Covid-19

« on: March 16, 2020, 08:19:18 pm »

Anyone have any idea what impact this bloody thing will have?

ACO haven’t postponed or cancelled it yet, but the 12 weeks (at least) isolation and non-essential travel ban would mean that old buggers like me won’t be able to go.

6

General Discussion / Re: 2019 24 hour tickets

« on: October 16, 2018, 02:19:32 pm »

Thank the lord. At last after almost four and a half hours I've got what I want.

Lost count of the crashes, time outs, busy screens etc. etc. etc.

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General Discussion / Re: 2019 24 hour tickets

« on: October 16, 2018, 01:46:23 pm »

What a mess, yet again. Only managed to book part of what we need before I was in danger of being timed out. Haven't been able to get back in since.

There has to be a better way. I don't remember their online system ever working properly/reliably.

Shame really. They seem able to sell off stuff to agencies well before their own members get a look in.

Reckon I could've driven down in person quicker!

8

General Discussion / Re: Maison Blanche Fun at the 24 hrs.

« on: June 19, 2015, 09:25:45 pm »

I had not been to LM for a few years until 2015, but previously camped many times on MB. This time although I wasn't there I walked through for the sake of nostalgia and could have cried. There was absolutely no element of the MB I remember and loved. It was pretty much an empty space by historic standards and I could see no spirit there at all. Never again is MB for me I am sad to say.

Seems to me that Epinettes is too much of a hike for my old bones with the need to enter the circuit through ticket barriers each time to add insult to injury. From my amblings Entree Est (is that where HA goes to?) was mainly French, the roadside of Epinettes had a large German contingent and Houx looked fairly British.

From what I can read up, Houx offers marked and numbered pitches with electric hook up for all and may (can anyone confirm?) be inside the entry gates.

Looking forward to more info on camping so come on guys.

9

General Discussion / Re: The (Unrelated To Le Mans) Joke Thread

« on: February 06, 2010, 12:19:39 pm »

•   What's all this nonsense about that 66-year-old Romanian woman being the world's oldest mum? My mum's 77. Beat that!
•   Why don't NHS bosses start hiring obsessive compulsives as nurses? Their attention to hygiene and constant hand washing would see an end to MRSA outbreaks in no time.
•   Why is it that pubs won't serve me if I'm drunk, but McDonalds continue serving the fat eaters? It’s hardly fair.
•   They say football is a game of two halves. Not for me it isn't. I regularly down eight or nine pints whilst watching a live game on Sky TV in my local.
•   These so-called speed bumps are a joke. If anything, they slow you down.
•   We should remember the tremendous contribution of the Queen Mother to the war effort: as the BBC pointed out, she "bravely remained in London beside her husband" during the war. This contrasts sharply with the actions of my grandfather who, on the declaration of war immediately left his wife and children and went off, first to France, then North Africa, Italy  France (again) and finally Germany. The shame will always be with us.
•   I would just like to say a big thank you to all those wonderful young people who stand on motorway slip roads (and in any weather) holding up boards telling us motorists where they lead to.

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General Discussion / Re: The (Unrelated To Le Mans) Joke Thread

« on: January 31, 2010, 05:01:56 pm »

AN IRISH GHOST STORY






John Bradford, a Dublin University student, was on the side of the road
hitchhiking on a very dark night and in the midst of a big storm. The
night was rolling on and no car went by. The storm was so strong he
could hardly see a few feet ahead of him.

Suddenly, he saw a car slowly coming towards him and stop.

John, desperate for shelter and without thinking about it, got into the
car and closed the door... only to realize there was nobody behind the
wheel and the engine wasn't on.

The car started moving slowly. John looked at the road ahead and saw a
curve approaching. Scared, he started to pray, begging for his life.

Then, just before the car hit the curve, a hand appeared out of nowhere
through the window, and turned the wheel. John, paralyzed with terror,
watched as the hand came through the window, but it never touched or
harmed him.

Shortly thereafter, John saw the lights of a pub appear down the road,
so, gathering strength, he jumped out of the car and ran to it.

Wet and out of breath, he rushed inside and started telling everybody
about the horrible experience he had just had.

A silence enveloped the pub when everybody realized he was crying, and
wasn't drunk.
Suddenly, the door opened, and two other people walked in from the dark
and stormy night. They, like John, were also soaked and out of breath.
Looking around, and seeing John Bradford sobbing at the bar, one said to
the other.....


'Look Paddy.....there's that fooking idiot that got in the car while we
were pushing it !!!!'

11

General Discussion / Re: The (Unrelated To Le Mans) Joke Thread

« on: January 31, 2010, 04:49:50 pm »

Stanley died in a fire and his body was burned pretty badly.
 
 The morgue needed someone to identify the body, so they sent for his two best friends, Cooter and Gomer.
 
 The three men had always done everything together.
 
 Cooter arrived first, and when the mortician pulled back the sheet,
 Cooter said, 'Yup, his face is burned up pretty bad. You better roll him over.'
 
 The mortician rolled him over and Cooter said, 'Nope, ain't Stanley '
 
 The mortician thought this was rather strange.
 
 So he brought Gomer in to confirm the identity of the body.
 
 Gomer looked at the body and said, 'Yup, he's pretty well burnt up.
 
 Roll him over..'
 
 The mortician rolled him over and Gomer said, 'No, it ain't Stanley '
 
 The mortician asked, 'How can you tell?'
 
 Gomer said, 'Well, Stanley had two assholes.'
 
 'What? He had two assholes?' asked the mortician.
 
 'Yup, we never seen 'em, but everybody used to say:
 
 'There's Stanley with them two assholes.'

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General Discussion / Re: The (Unrelated To Le Mans) Joke Thread

« on: January 08, 2010, 12:06:34 pm »

Two beggars are sitting side by side on a street in Rome. One has a cross in
front of him; the other a Star of David. Many people pass by and look at both
beggars, but only put money into the hat of the beggar sitting behind the cross.

A priest comes by, stops and watches throngs of people giving money to the
beggar behind the cross, but none give to the beggar behind the Star of David.

Finally, the priest goes over to the beggar behind the Star of David and says,
"My poor fellow, don't you understand? This is a Catholic country, this city is
the seat of Catholicism. People aren't going to give you money if you sit there
with a Star of David in front of you, especially when you're sitting beside a
beggar who has a cross. In fact, they would probably give to him just out of
spite."

The beggar behind the 'Star of David' listened to the priest, turned to the
beggar with the cross and said: "Moishe, look who's trying to teach the
Goldstein brothers about marketing."

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General Discussion / Re: The (Unrelated To Le Mans) Joke Thread

« on: January 08, 2010, 12:05:20 pm »

A burglar broke into a house one night. He shined his flashlight around, looking for valuables when a voice in the dark said,

'Jesus knows you're here.'

He nearly jumped out of his skin, clicked his flashlight off, and froze.

When he heard nothing more , after a bit, he shook his head and continued.

Just as he pulled the stereo out so he could disconnect the wires, clear as a bell he heard

'Jesus is watching you.'

Freaked out, he shined his light around frantically, looking for the source of the voice.

Finally, in the corner of the room, his flashlight beam came to rest on a parrot.

'Did you say that?' he hissed at the parrot.

'Yep', the parrot confessed, then squawked, 'I'm just trying to warn you that he is watching you.'

The burglar relaxed. 'Warn me, huh? Who in the world are you?'

'Moses,' replied the bird.

'Moses?' the burglar laughed. 'What kind of people would name a bird Moses?'

'The kind of people that would name a Rottweiler Jesus.'

14

General Discussion / Re: The (Unrelated To Le Mans) Joke Thread

« on: December 16, 2009, 01:57:25 pm »

Ever wondered about the difference between Guts or Balls...?  There is a medical distinction. We've all heard about people having guts or balls, but do you really know the difference?  In an effort to keep you informed, the definitions are listed below:

GUTS
Is arriving home late after a night out with the boys, being met by your wife with a broom, and having the guts to ask: ''Are you still cleaning, or are you flying somewhere?''

BALLS
Is coming home late after a night out with the boys, smelling of perfume and beer, lipstick on your collar, slapping your wife on the bum and having the balls to say: ''You're next, fatty.''

I hope this clears up any confusion.  Medically speaking, there is no difference, since both ultimately result in death.

15

General Discussion / Re: The (Unrelated To Le Mans) Joke Thread

« on: December 16, 2009, 01:55:23 pm »

Cherie Blair's Chauffeur.
 
Cherie Blair is touring the countryside in a chauffeur-driven car.

Suddenly, a cow jumps out into the road, they hit it full on and the car comes to a stop.

Cherie, in her usual charming manner, says to the chauffeur: 'You get out and check - you were driving. '

The chauffeur gets out, checks and reports that the animal is dead.

'You were driving; go and tell the farmer, ' says Cherie.

Five hours later, the chauffeur returns totally plastered, hair ruffled with a big grin on his face.

'My god, what happened to you?' asks Cherie.

The chauffeur replies: ' When I got there, the farmer opened his best bottle of malt whisky, the wife gave me a slap-up meal and the daughter made love to me. '

'What on earth did you say?' asks Cherie.

' I knocked on the door, and when it was answered, I said to them: ' I'm Cherie Blair's chauffeur and I've just killed the cow.