Doncaster show, 8th October

[Neonius]

hi guys

just wanted to ask people who have been to a doncaster show and ask how big was it? i've never been to a reptile show so i'd like some descriptions of what to admospheres like and how many people are there and is it worth a day out (how long would to honestly be there lookin around etc)

thx it would help a lot

Neon

[animalstory]

The Doncaster show isnt really a show at all - its a members only breeders meeting which is put on by the IHS. you have to be a member before the day of the IHS,BHS, or FHB or others...

Its not a bad day. not as good as the original shows the IHS use to put on - which were the biggest in the uk. these were stoped due to all the activist proplems in the early 2000 to 2005. the activests killed the main shows although a few are comming back.

If the IHS can get back to open shows we will all have an amazing day to put on the callender.

[jav07]

its like animalstory says its small because its members only..the advantage is that you can have a look around and then go swimming after.

[Neonius]

so how many members r there there? and is it worth a 2 hour drive?

[animalstory]

the IHS at the moment have i think about 750 members. membership has dropped a bit over the last 5 yrs because of the internet and due to activist problems.
Remember other societies are also allowed to go to the doncaster breeder meeting.

Is it worth it?

well yes of corse it is. if your a person like me that likes to visit reptile shops just to have a look then the show is worth a 2 hour visit. i travel about that time as im in the north east nr. middlesbrough.
For me i like to see lots of different things. If you are looking for beardies, geckos and corn snakes/kings and milks then yes!
some shows the animals are maybe a little expensive like the one earlier this year but prices were still under petshop prices. hognoses for £25 - not bad! i think the first show was a little early, the one at the end of the year will be better as more members wil have stock for sale. Its great to meet shop really interesting people, some of which have been in the hobby for 20 to 30 years! their experiance if far greater than most of the people on here and of corse they are breeders and can give you lots of tips etc.

I feel a bit dissapointed sometimes when i go because i remember when the IHS could open its doors to the public and they use to hold the largest shows in the UK. approx 2000 people would go.
Some times they even held the event over two days! The animal aids grouo called CAPS caused loads of problems in the late 1990's and early 2000's which stoped nearly all reptile shows in the uk. IHS fought them really hard as did a few other groups. the only way around the problem was to hold members only shows\or breeder meetings.
reptile shows can be said to be illegal as they dont have a petshop licence and thus which is required if open to the public.
(Its a delicate subject). I do believe if it wasnt for the IHS or FBH or NAPAK, also chris newman was hevaly involved - the guy that did the reptilian mag and cviewmedia.co.uk, we would all be suffering and not have any shows and possibly many species would be banned from being kept.

one of the arguments was the public being able to buy animals that they didnt know how to keep at very cheap prices...etc. which if you think about it could be a valid point. there are lots of other reasons but if you want to know more about this then contact the IHS. (they have a website)

The IHS was started in the midlands just over 30 yrs ago and its there meeting that was so great. other branchs also put on meeting and so did other groups but nothing like the midlands.

In the states shows are huge and so can be some of the european ones - remember the UK just isnt that big! 2000 people were a lot of visiters.
Nowerdays your looking at about 200? couls be more or less? but still lots for sale with sometime some good surprises. some traders/breeders do visit hamm and dutch shows and bring things back for resale which can be good. People are thinking that they might as well go over seas for a show but it can work out expensive and time consuming and animals in hot cars ae not good!

I would say go! I have spent weekends traveling around visiting shops and have been disapointed, sometimes i have been surprised. you just dont know what to expect same as the doncaster show.

I have been a member of the IHS for about 14 yrs since i moved to the midlands for university. I didnt go to many meetings as at the time i was into frogs and not snakes. most members were snake or lizard keepers.

I did get to meet some interesting people like Mark o' Shea, Chris Mattison, Andrew Gray, Carol and John Friend, The amazing beer drinking Kevin (hadley?) (sadly no longer with us), John Foden, Dave Licester and many many more that have done so much for the UK herp seen, without some of these people the hobby just wouldnt be the same.

Supporting groups like the IHS is a must, go, go, go,go!

hope this explains some questions for a lot of people out there that havent been about in the hobby or are new to it.
ill get off my soapbox now!

[animalstory]

the IHS at the moment have i think about 750 members. membership has dropped a bit over the last 5 yrs because of the internet and due to activist problems.
Remember other societies are also allowed to go to the doncaster breeder meeting.

Is it worth it?

well yes of corse it is. if your a person like me that likes to visit reptile shops just to have a look then the show is worth a 2 hour visit. i travel about that time as im in the north east nr. middlesbrough.
For me i like to see lots of different things. If you are looking for beardies, geckos and corn snakes/kings and milks then yes!
some shows the animals are maybe a little expensive like the one earlier this year but prices were still under petshop prices. hognoses for £25 - not bad! i think the first show was a little early, the one at the end of the year will be better as more members wil have stock for sale. Its great to meet shop really interesting people, some of which have been in the hobby for 20 to 30 years! their experiance if far greater than most of the people on here and of corse they are breeders and can give you lots of tips etc.

I feel a bit dissapointed sometimes when i go because i remember when the IHS could open its doors to the public and they use to hold the largest shows in the UK. approx 2000 people would go.
Some times they even held the event over two days! The animal aids grouo called CAPS caused loads of problems in the late 1990's and early 2000's which stoped nearly all reptile shows in the uk. IHS fought them really hard as did a few other groups. the only way around the problem was to hold members only shows\or breeder meetings.
reptile shows can be said to be illegal as they dont have a petshop licence and thus which is required if open to the public.
(Its a delicate subject). I do believe if it wasnt for the IHS or FBH or NAPAK, also chris newman was hevaly involved - the guy that did the reptilian mag and cviewmedia.co.uk, we would all be suffering and not have any shows and possibly many species would be banned from being kept.

one of the arguments was the public being able to buy animals that they didnt know how to keep at very cheap prices...etc. which if you think about it could be a valid point. there are lots of other reasons but if you want to know more about this then contact the IHS. (they have a website)

The IHS was started in the midlands just over 30 yrs ago and its there meeting that was so great. other branchs also put on meeting and so did other groups but nothing like the midlands.

In the states shows are huge and so can be some of the european ones - remember the UK just isnt that big! 2000 people were a lot of visiters.
Nowerdays your looking at about 200? couls be more or less? but still lots for sale with sometime some good surprises. some traders/breeders do visit hamm and dutch shows and bring things back for resale which can be good. People are thinking that they might as well go over seas for a show but it can work out expensive and time consuming and animals in hot cars ae not good!

I would say go! I have spent weekends traveling around visiting shops and have been disapointed, sometimes i have been surprised. you just dont know what to expect same as the doncaster show.

I have been a member of the IHS for about 14 yrs since i moved to the midlands for university. I didnt go to many meetings as at the time i was into frogs and not snakes. most members were snake or lizard keepers.

I did get to meet some interesting people like Mark o' Shea, Chris Mattison, Andrew Gray, Carol and John Friend, The amazing beer drinking Kevin (hadley?) (sadly no longer with us), John Foden, Dave Licester and many many more that have done so much for the UK herp seen, without some of these people the hobby just wouldnt be the same.

Supporting groups like the IHS is a must, go, go, go,go!

hope this explains some questions for a lot of people out there that havent been about in the hobby or are new to it.
ill get off my soapbox now!

[animalstory]

the IHS at the moment have i think about 750 members. membership has dropped a bit over the last 5 yrs because of the internet and due to activist problems.
Remember other societies are also allowed to go to the doncaster breeder meeting.

Is it worth it?

well yes of corse it is. if your a person like me that likes to visit reptile shops just to have a look then the show is worth a 2 hour visit. i travel about that time as im in the north east nr. middlesbrough.
For me i like to see lots of different things. If you are looking for beardies, geckos and corn snakes/kings and milks then yes!
some shows the animals are maybe a little expensive like the one earlier this year but prices were still under petshop prices. hognoses for £25 - not bad! i think the first show was a little early, the one at the end of the year will be better as more members wil have stock for sale. Its great to meet shop really interesting people, some of which have been in the hobby for 20 to 30 years! their experiance if far greater than most of the people on here and of corse they are breeders and can give you lots of tips etc.

I feel a bit dissapointed sometimes when i go because i remember when the IHS could open its doors to the public and they use to hold the largest shows in the UK. approx 2000 people would go.
Some times they even held the event over two days! The animal aids grouo called CAPS caused loads of problems in the late 1990's and early 2000's which stoped nearly all reptile shows in the uk. IHS fought them really hard as did a few other groups. the only way around the problem was to hold members only shows\or breeder meetings.
reptile shows can be said to be illegal as they dont have a petshop licence and thus which is required if open to the public.
(Its a delicate subject). I do believe if it wasnt for the IHS or FBH or NAPAK, also chris newman was hevaly involved - the guy that did the reptilian mag and cviewmedia.co.uk, we would all be suffering and not have any shows and possibly many species would be banned from being kept.

one of the arguments was the public being able to buy animals that they didnt know how to keep at very cheap prices...etc. which if you think about it could be a valid point. there are lots of other reasons but if you want to know more about this then contact the IHS. (they have a website)

The IHS was started in the midlands just over 30 yrs ago and its there meeting that was so great. other branchs also put on meeting and so did other groups but nothing like the midlands.

In the states shows are huge and so can be some of the european ones - remember the UK just isnt that big! 2000 people were a lot of visiters.
Nowerdays your looking at about 200? couls be more or less? but still lots for sale with sometime some good surprises. some traders/breeders do visit hamm and dutch shows and bring things back for resale which can be good. People are thinking that they might as well go over seas for a show but it can work out expensive and time consuming and animals in hot cars ae not good!

I would say go! I have spent weekends traveling around visiting shops and have been disapointed, sometimes i have been surprised. you just dont know what to expect same as the doncaster show.

I have been a member of the IHS for about 14 yrs since i moved to the midlands for university. I didnt go to many meetings as at the time i was into frogs and not snakes. most members were snake or lizard keepers.

I did get to meet some interesting people like Mark o' Shea, Chris Mattison, Andrew Gray, Carol and John Friend, The amazing beer drinking Kevin (hadley?) (sadly no longer with us), John Foden, Dave Licester and many many more that have done so much for the UK herp seen, without some of these people the hobby just wouldnt be the same.

Supporting groups like the IHS is a must, go, go, go,go!

hope this explains some questions for a lot of people out there that havent been about in the hobby or are new to it.
ill get off my soapbox now!

[Anthony]

You've posted 3 times
do you have to be a member to go to the essex one ?
I went last year and you didn't, just that someone said you might

[animalstory]

sorry computer playing up.
essex ok as local council agreed it. public friendly.

[Neonius]

thanks animal that really clearded my questions up, cheers i'll probably arrange to go coz as you said, i'm the sort of person that always pops into local exotic pet shops or wants to go to bigger ones just to have a look for the hell of it