Aye Al, except that often it's hard to tell the difference 
Bike Forum
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New Glentress Visitor Centre
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Posted 1 year ago #
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bet those houses round the general area must be worth a bob or two. wonder who owns them and how much they paid for them?
Posted 1 year ago # -
I love the way that there never seems to be a 69 on the order pad. You can see the waiting crowd as it gets to the 60's. Then disappointment at the jump to 70.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Emma & Tracy. You seem to be experiencing the same kind of crap that Ian @ The Drop Off is getting at GC, but for different reasons.
I don't know if you've spoken to him lately, but he's pretty clued up on this process and how to deal with it.
I work in the GC centre, but not for long.
I'll be up with you guys in a few weeks, 4th &5th Sept. I'll call in and say "hi" and give you as much info as I can.
Wish you all the best with the tender, you shoul be the No.1 choice for the centre, because you already are with all of it's customers.
See you soon,
Kev.Posted 1 year ago # -
Emmags post proves one thing - the 'reliably informed' on here don't half get it wrong at times
>I'm also under the impression that internal FC tender submissions benefit from reduced rent? Is this true, or am I misinformed?<
No such thing as an 'internal tender' in this scenario - that would be anti competitive. FCS are a public body governed by very strict rules - they are legally obliged to go through a bona fide tender process. Looks like this will be in three stages:
1. Expressions of interest doc - open to every man and his dog.
2. Prequal doc - those applying to obtain tender doc will then need to conform to a string of key criteria: catering licence, 3 years accounts, bank references, previous /similar business experience yada yada...
3. Tender2 will weed out the dreamers and may possibly 'get around' having to publish 3 on the FCS website (tho you could obviously obtain this under FOI) FCS tender process will have, or at least should have, a scoring matrix to guide them towards a decision. I wouldn't expect the % 'weighting' given to business continuity with the current incumbents i.e the Hub, to be a very high % of the overall score.
As others have said, business is business and the HUB's current lease with FCS is finite. That's not to say that FCS wont try to steer this towards their favoured party or partys 'cos we all know that business is also about relationships. It may boil down to how good E&T's relationship is with good ol' FCS...
IME most Councils, for example, are now completely transparent: publish tender doc, when the succesful tenderer is appointed publish the bidders names and the bids (these wont be atributed to specific bidders) IME of FCS they publish the minimum necessary.
No doubt this story will have a few twists before the fat one sings...
Posted 1 year ago # -
Apologies TroutWrestler, may have misinterprated the internal tender comment. Are you suggesting FCS has an in-house team capable of bidding for this opportunity? Would have thought that a.) highly unlikely b.) would need to be stand alone op or this would be anti competitive c.) not within FCS strategy
Posted 1 year ago # -
I predict a Coed y Brenin cafe stlye FC approach
Treat the existing cafe owers who were largely responsible for the success of the whole place like crap, while on the other hand trying to appear super ethical by installing non flush urinals etc in the new atmosphere vacuum service station style cafe.
That said, maybe the new place won't have one gruby bog for the +80% of male customers and several gleaming traps for the relatively much lower number of female visitors.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Perhaps there's a wider issue here in terms of why a mtb 'centre of excellence' has to manifest itself in the form of £expensive architecture which requires us to sell the family silver and purchase private real estate to fund and which will not wash its face anyway.
Of course this isn't all about mtb and I see the business / supposed net economic impact arguments for doing this but I think we have moved too far in the wrong direction. Similar scenario near where I live: The cooncil, this time, are going to erect a very expensive visitor centre in a Country Park and there will be a bike hire facility. Their first priority should be to maintain and protect the formal and informal network of paths which already exists - and to make it far easier for folk to arrive by foot / on bike / by public transport. Instead I fear we are going to get a shrine to cake hunters - all of whom will arrive by car. The trails will get destroyed or worse still sanitised to cope with the increasesd numbers to mitigate the on cost of maintaining them and a great mtb venue will vanish down the plughole.
Posted 1 year ago # -
It may boil down to how good E&T's relationship is with good ol' FCS...
E&T should be carefull what they say on here, big brother will be looking over their shoulders
Good Luck. From someone who has been riding GT since before the Hub doors openedd
Posted 1 year ago # -
big brother will be looking over their shoulders
ain't that the truth...From someone who has been riding GT since before the Hub doors opened
me too. better now though innit?Posted 1 year ago # -
much
but have not been over for ????? months
have been exploring/re-discovering local hills again and doing all the old stuff pre trail centresvaguely remember you (if same marty)dropping your punto(blue fiat anyway)wheeels into a ditch at dalbeattie
Posted 1 year ago # -
no, no. that wasn't me. i had a silver punto.
[shuffles away whistling]
Posted 1 year ago # -
Posted 1 year ago #
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Lets hope the people who run/work in the cafe at Coed-Y-Brenin don't export their special brand of 'swift'-service or tender for the business.
Posted 1 year ago # -
the 'reliably informed' on here don't half get it wrong at times
Maybe there should be a "Reveal Source" button on STW for people posting "facts". No response in 30 minutes results in "fact" being deleted?
Posted 1 year ago # -
Both Druidh and I had heard the same - me from two different sources. Clearly incorrect and I am embarrassed - my two sources where people I thought would know.
I didn't say it was a "fact" tho - I said "my understanding is"
Posted 1 year ago # -
The HUB definitely has atmosphere, like Laggan Cafe. Yes there can be a bit of mud and dust but that's expected. If you go to a ski resort in the alps in the summer it's the same.
I hope the 9mill is well spent coz that translates to miles and miles and miles of trails that could have been built, which is the sustainability of the place.
Nick
Posted 1 year ago # -
And I was hoping the new Cafe will be a Hooters bar !
Posted 1 year ago # -
I wish the girls good luck and although I haven't been up there for some time, the cafe was exactly what I thought it should be.
I just hope that they don't instal one of these souless, generic, shortbread tin, hoots mon och aye the noo, pensioner/tourist ghettos selling overpriced 'local' crap, where you expect Andy Stewart to burst in singing "Donald where's yer troosers" at any moment, that seem to be proliferating everywhere, especially around Aberdeen.
Posted 1 year ago #
Topic Closed
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