You can take the girl out of the colonies, but you can't take the colonies out of the girl.....

I worked most of the Mops including Southam, Stratford and Warwick. Warwick was by far the worst the others passed off trouble free which is quite a rarerity. I dont see the point in them staying as long as they do one weekday night would be good.

having them at weekends when police resoures are stretched as it is due to alchohol related incidents means there are less to deal with anyhting or to make a presence felt.

Have you read what the MOP people want to do now. Plan our new bus station in Warwick for us. They are moaning that they haven't been 'consulted'. Who the hell do they think they are?!

Don't tell me, not enough free electric for them... (actually I would not like to have to choose between WDC and the showmen as far as planning goes...)
Hey ho, won't be long now...

It's not the actual mop I object to, it's the prices they charge. You can see it in the faces, the kids are smiling while the adults grimace every time they have to dip into the wallet. (how much???)

(Many years ago I wanted to be the man on the dodgems. Jumping from car to car, fag in gob, numerous tattoos...oh the glamour of it all)

Never mind, Chillitt, we can always close and have a few well deserved days off!!

I've added it to the site calendar as I didn;t know when it was on. Hopefully now I'll get a reminder

oprex, don't bother! It's a tawdry affair - with lots of fighting yobs. Come to the Victorian Evening (29th November) which is much more civilised and actually put on by the people of the town rather than inflicted upon them.

Has any more been heard about the charter? Or any of the other suggestions made to the slightly mardy showman?

I think it is great fun to have the mop not only does it draw in buisenss to all the small shops that winge through out the year that they have none. It also brings communities closer and Is fun. I pity the people who just dont want to have fun and stick there noses up at the kids in the town to have 2 weekends of fun. I cant wait for the mop this year. It has been held for over 100 years so im sure there not going to stop it because a small minority of people dont enjoy it!

Yes the violence last year on the saturday night was such fun! Can't beat a bit of good old fashioned fighting in the streets.. (for the hard of thinking, thats sarcasm not incitement to join in...)

Well said, Chillett, and to 'unregistered' may I pointout, as one who runs a small shop in Warwick, that the mop does not bring in any extra business - it brings lots of extra trouble. And we don't whinge the rest of the year - business is extremely good - except when the mop is in town. Please check your facts with those that have to experience this tawdry little event year after year.

Sorry, Chillit, didn't answer your question, which is that the Showmans Guild have no more right to stage the mop than anyone else but they have been awarded a ten year contract by WDC (with a five year review) and no one is quite sure who bribed who but there is a lot of underhand goings on! Talk to your local councillors for more details.
Meanwhile, they are trying to interfere with the new bus station, despite the fact that their contract clearly states that they cannot interfere with council policy.
Best advice, Chillitt, have a couple of weekends off, swallow the losses (you'll do better once it's gone!) and pray that it disappears soon!

As the grubby little funfair moved in today I had a quick walk round and discovered that 50% of the shops will either close or close early for fear of the violence that the mop brings.
Meanwhile, the council must be preparing to tell us how much it costs for the loss of business, loss of parking revenue, extra staff, extra insurance and extra policing that this 'event' costs.
It should make interesting reading!
Have a good weekend!!

yesterday I went tearing round the countryside fetching my weeks worth of stock early cos the boss usually brings it in on a Saturday, and clearly thats not going to happen this week, I got back to Warwick at 5.30. cutting it a bit fine for the 'handover' at 6pm, only to find they have 'blockaded' the town centre, the marshalls either just laughed when I asked if I could get to my shop, or threatened to block me in for the weekend if I even parked up. So now instead of all the jobs I had today which need transport, I sit looking a truckfull of heavy things that I want rid of, and my customers are waiting for, but no way to bring the 2 together. deep joy.
I will just add that seb the PCSO did offer to help me carry my stock across the town, but given that people were queueing up to tell him how much the chaos had upset them, I thought he had better things to do...


Just a thought, if they had the Mop on the Warwickshire Exhibition Centre, they could set up for the 10 days, have a fair every night and make a fortune without upsetting any locals....