Rumour has it Crufts 2013 will be in London?!

I doubt it - only the Dome would be big enough.

I wouldn't be surprised, there are going to be an awful lot of olympic buildings awaiting a new use!

should think it only a rumour as i thought they had 3 or 5 year contracts with the NEC and they have only just signed a new lease i read it in one of the dog papers i think that is where i saw it

>I doubt it - only the Dome would be big enough.

The Olympic Park in London is VAST !! :)

As an Ex-Londoner, I really hope not, congestion charge, no parking and horrendous traffic, why??????

>The Olympic Park in London is VAST !! :-)

All under cover?

Hope not, it was dreadful when it was there -too hard to get to, too small. And I'll never forget there being two floors!

The midlands are as in the name central and show folk come from all areas of GB and abroad so why change as logistics wise and infrastructure are in place to support the event .

Getting a better deal won't make the event any better or easier to get to !

> The midlands are as in the name central and show folk come from all areas of GB and abroad so why change as logistics wise and infrastructure are in place to support the event .
>

In theory but transport links to the Capital are often better.  It is not nearly so far to Brum for me but the train journey is far more difficult with often two changes and more expensive.  Accomodation in London is more plentiful and competitive too, although admittedly I have never tried to stay there with dogs so not sure how easy that would be.  Having said that the train service is so good from the North West, probably would not need to stay at all.

>but transport links to the Capital are often better.

If you have to drive 10 miles to your local station with all your dogs and paraphernalia it's not!

> If you have to drive 10 miles to your local station with all your dogs and paraphernalia it's not!

Won't that be the same for a train to Brum?

>Won't that be the same for a train to Brum?

Yes - that's why somewhere with excellent road links is preferable.

Crumbs, driving the NEC is worse :)
Besides, I think most planning these days is done with a view to public transport so I would think any future plans for Crufts would be incorporating that.

Stratford is East London - used to be Essex when I was a small child :) It is only a few miles from the southern end of Epping Forest where there is a lot of land for dog exercising and very close to the Lea Valley Park where there are lots of outdoor sports and facilities including camping. The Hackney Relief Road (can't remember the road number) was built some years ago and connects to the M11. There could be worse places to get to :) It is NOT central London :)

>Crumbs, driving the NEC is worse

Motorway to within a mile of the site? Couldn't really be any easier! :-)

[url=http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=538500&y=184500&z=120&sv=stratford&st=3&tl=Map+of+Stratford,+Newham+[City/Town/Village]&searchp=ids.srf&mapp=map.srf]Stratford[/url]

The Olympic Park is the blob in the middle where it says 'Depot' and the green road is dual carriageway connecting to the M11.

And is it all under cover?

> And is it all under cover?

No idea :) But couldn't see that they would want to switch to there if it wasn't - so it's all a bit hypothetical :)

> Motorway to within a mile of the site? Couldn't really be any easier!

Three lane carpark :) Nightmare coming from the North. Horrendous queues to get out.  Even with the difficulties of the train it is always my first choice.

Just had a look at the Olympic Park website and I can't see anywhere big enough or suitable to hold a dog show :) Most of the large venues are totally open to the elements and are tracks :) Maybe they are looking at the O2 ??? That would be a nightmare, I think, as south of the river isn't well served with decent roads .... :(

>Three lane carpark :-) Nightmare coming from the North. Horrendous queues to get out.

I've never had much of a problem. The queues to get in are longest late in the morning (after most exhibitors have arrived) and there are only queues to get out because of everyone having to stay till a set time. That could easily be fixed by staggering the leaving times; without doing that you'd have the same - or worse - problems anywhere.

The M25 on a friday afternoon!!!!  We have to use it for every journey (unless going further into Kent!). 
I don't think it's fair having Crufts anywhere other than the centre of the UK.

The M25 certainly couldn't cope with any extra traffic during rush hour. Classes wouldn't be able to start till at least 10am to allow exhibitors to get there.

The O2 is completely inappropriate in my opinion and I doubt they'd really move from the NEC but for purely selfish reasons I hope they do because I could walk there! Ha ha :-)

Oh and classes starting at 10, even better!

> I don't think it's fair having Crufts anywhere other than the centre of the UK

Crufts moved out of London with little consideration of fairness, it simply outgrew London venues.
Moving back is unlikely to be based on it either :)

Stooge since the improvements with the M42 hard shoulder opening at peak times it is a breeze to get into and through the midlands plus the toll on the M6.

I have endured the pain for the last six months traveling into Richmond via the M40 and M4 and trust me travelling to Brum is a breeze !

>> Crumbs, driving the NEC is worse
> Motorway to within a mile of the site? Couldn't really be any easier! :-)

I agree...dont think twice to drive to NEC..its a doddle to me ..but would NEVER drive into London EVER....no way hosay!!!

I'd agree, even though Richmond is a Southern show and I am in the south (Bristol) I shan't probably go terr this year, due to the travel time.  Stafford is further and is a breeze by comparison.

I'd sooner do M5 and M6 than M4, M25 any time.

I can't imagine it myself - it outgrew London some years back, and I don't think either the Dome or the Olympic park would be any good. Where would everyone park? No way would the majority of exhibitors come on the tube!

I live right by the nec and the traffic round there most days is fine, I also travel to north west London twice a week and havnt had a journey in 2 years without a extra half hour added on either way. The nec is central I can't see the people in our club from up north going down to London they get unhappy about the champ show moving to Stroud.

> Rumour has it Crufts 2013 will be in London

Count me in if there is sufficient parking, would be a lot easier to get to, shorter journey time and ooh longer in bed, having to leave my friends house at 04.30 on sat morning, so what time will I go to bed, get up and even leave? I daren't think.. London, well that means I can at least relax somewhat in the morning!!  And no going up the night before.. Yes maybe I'm being selfish but most of the shows these days aren't really that close, the closest being Richmond, an hours drive from here.

Barbara, we Bristol contingent could always book our own 'Crufts Carriage' on the train up to town - how grand  :)

>All under cover?

Good point. No it is not :)

But, the ExCel Centre in Docklands is vast and under cover.

At the moment OH is changing the Radiator on the car, so hope we manage to make it on Sunday.

> But, the ExCel Centre in Docklands is vast and under cover

But getting there by car is a nightmare :) :) They could lay on a boat though up the river with Park and Row :) :)

One of the main advantages of the NEC, is not only the road access, but Rail and Air.  without a dog the latter two are actually your best option as they are within the complex.

hmmm.. I wonder how the Scottish Exhibitors will fare... a 9hour drive to NEC is bad enough..

I didn't even think of the ExCel Centre! That would be perfect (again completely selfish)! There would be issues with congestion from traffic of course but lots of parking and lots of hotels. And I imagine, incredibly expensive :-/

Does anywhere have as much parking as the NEC?  Crufts is the only time it is completely full!

ExCel certainly doesn't have anywhere near the parking capacity of the NEC. Neither does the O2.
I really can't think of any place more generally suitable for Crufts than the NEC.

> I don't think it's fair having Crufts anywhere other than the centre of the UK.

In that case it should be in Lancashire ;-) Birmingham isn't central for those of us 'oop North' and London is worse!

I doubt it will happen but I shan't go if it does move. In all the years I have been going to the NEC I have only had problems once, getting off the carpark.

I stopped going to Manchester when it was at the GMEX, awful to park in the city when the carpark was full. I remember dragging dogs, baggage, crates etc through the city centre shoppers. Only when they moved it to Stafford did I start going again.

doubt this will happen, as leaving crufts today there was a board saying "see you next time here, at Crufts 2013 (with the dates given) " :)

Can't see that happening (in London), states quite clearly in the back of yesterday's catalogue the dates for the 2013 and 2014 shows. It's not 1st April already is it?

They appoint the judges quite a few years ahead, so would have had to tell them of venue changes.

> >They appoint the judges quite a few years ahead, so would have had to tell them of venue changes.

Good point

> They appoint the judges quite a few years ahead, so would have had to tell them of venue changes.

That would be the same for most CC appointments though, I accepted an appointment for June of this year back March 2010....& should there be a change of venue I suspect any judge would be contacted as soon as possible

Agree I have an appointment for next year but do not know the date yet.