[Closed] Glentress cafe up for lease

As I understand it, the current master plan by the FC is to flatten the free ride area, build 60 odd forest lodges in that area for holiday makers and then 'recreate' the free ride area at the peel at the bottom of the hill. To my mind this is a sticking plaster over the problem and given that I highly doubt a fully FC controlled free ride area will stand up to what is at the buzzards nest currently I can't see it being as popular, I hope I'm wrong.

As a minor point of order, the Glentress FCS Rec team seem very committed to having the new freeride trails up and running before the existing ones (which are surely also fully FC controlled?) up and running.

FC are basically financially screwed from devolution and budget cuts as far as I can see. I'll be surprised if there is any progressive mtb development in the next few years.

I gather that wood prices aren't really helping them out at the moment, either.

Personally I find the Peel acceptable. It was better when it sold lasagne. 🙂 The Hub's food was on average acceptable too, perhaps a bit more variable in quality and back before all the fuss about the Peel turned everyone into die-hard Hub fans it received quite a lot of stick for its pricing too.

It might seem like a petty gripe, but it's more of an indication of how little effort or thought the FC put in. I didn't realise forests were only open 9-5.

Yep very petty! It won't be down to effort or thought, but if you can find a way to pay someone to work to your desired cottaging hours they might be all ears.

The forests are open 24 hours, just because you can't have a pee or whatever in a toilet doesn't mean you can't ride. The toilets aren't 24 hours for obvious reasons.

Personally I find the Peel acceptable.

I think thats the issue
and the hub was bit pricey, food was variable but considering it was a run down shack/portacabin they did very well

the Peel Centre cost [b]£8.5 million[/b] and the service it delivers isnt really much better, apart from having more seats

meanwhile at the Peel Centre.

Ah, I believe that's known as a braveheart salad.

Given that you've all stopped at the motorway services to get to Glentress, I'd have thought the Peel seem similarly welcoming.

Which Motorway to GT??

much to binners horror Ill only stop at Tebay for my quails eggs on brioche

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the peel centre suffers greatly in comparison

It won't be down to effort or thought, but if you can find a way to pay someone to work to your [b]desired cottaging hours[/b] they might be all ears.

Again with the gay jibes. Have you got something you want to get off your chest?

The motorway services on the way to GT are the best in the known universe though. Whenever we're heading north we just stop and stock up on growlers. Job jobbed....

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Pastries with actual meat in the Binners, your delicate Greggs stomach won't know what's going on!!

stock up on growlers

I often suffer from gout on my return south of the border, but its worth it 😀

i stopped here on the way to afan on sunday

http://www.gloucesterservices.com/

very much like tebay, is it the same owners?
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Lorraine Kelly's growler? 😯 do you mind binners, its my lunchtime here!

Boardinbob they have to do that for a number of reasons - vandalism and maybe risk it may go onto some sort of meet up place for certain outdoor/adventurous.. types with no worries of being spotted by the general public. Growing up in Huddersfield my local officer told me (pre-internet days) there used to be a book available detailing places people could meet up to cuddle each other..

Pretty much same if you go to Hope in the Peak- public toilets are locked between certain times sadly so it means doing a [i]hot toe dance[/i] trying to keep the load in waiting..

I'll never go back to CYB- the cafe there scarred me for life. Llandegla has smiles, good service and good food.

As for avoiding paying carpark charges. Have a word with yourself. Seriously.

Always stop off on the A66 on the way up, cant think of a better way than a full English to start the day.

[url] http://www.mainsgillfarm.co.uk/Visit/Tea-Room [/url]

There you go car park charge avoiders. You're being (rightly) accused of being a tight arse by the man who's been known to feign a heart attack, including the use of a defribulator, to avoid buying a round.

Think on....

If the cafe was decent people wouldnt begrudge the parking fee

Has anyone ever seen binners and hora at the same time?. 😆

Only in the toilets at Glentress after dark

If the cafe was decent people wouldnt begrudge the parking fee

very much like tebay, is it the same owners?

Yeah, but it felt like the prices were all higher at the Gloucester one.

And I couldn't find the pie counter.

Just the once....

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Which makes my point even more focused and right. They are providing riders with a place to park the car, use of a toilet and they maintain the trails that that we all ride yet some say '£4 to park, sod that I'll park outside and ride in thus being a parasite'. In addition visitor figures (and future funding) may be dependent on carpark receipts. Or how it affects funding or decisions.

Whats right about that?

Whenever I've used a trail centre I've paid parking and used the centre cafe. It helps everyone.

I miss you binners. Its not the same chasing round a row of scantily-clad nurses around a park at a comedy speed 🙁

Has anyone ever seen binners and hora at the same time?.

Binners was operating the defibrillator - also to avoid buying a round.

If the cafe was decent people wouldnt begrudge the parking fee

Sorry... I don't see the connection. Whats the quality of toasties in the cafe got to do with effectively bunging in a couple of quid to ride the trails.?

Tight-arse! 😛

+1 binners.

[quote=hora ]I miss you binners. Its not the same chasing round a row of scantily-clad nurses around a park at a comedy speed 😆

If the cafe was decent people wouldn't begrudge the parking fee

Huh? The parking fee goes towards the running of the FC. Surely the decision is, is this forest worth me cycling in enough for me to cough up £3 for the parking (or whatever it costs).

You'd better not visit other FC places where there is a parking fee and little past a few rotting way markers.

[quote=dragon ]The parking fee goes towards the running of the FC. Surely the decision is, is this forest worth me cycling in enough for me to cough up £3 for the parking (or whatever it costs). There seems to be some doubt that the fees ever reach the forest trails once the cost of engaging the car park attendants has been covered. (but I'm in agreement with your sentiment).

From all these ramblings, it looks to me like you're more interested in the food than the riding (or maybe I've missed the 200 threads on that, dunno)

I went to Dalby last year on the CX'er, nice place, had a cafe', I ate a sarnie and drank coffee.. can't remember what the car park charge was but I paid it and rode the trails.

What is it you actually want out of the cafe'?

In all reality it's business model is based on a small number of MTB'ers turning up in inconsistent numbers on random days with wildly varied appetite for nosh n coffee, and whose clientele bemoans car park fees and expects seemingly Michelin Star Burgers and Coffee variants in a myriad of flavours. .

I'd never tell you what to do, but if you don't like the food, don't eat it and if you don't like car park charges, don't park there.

Again with the gay jibes. Have you got something you want to get off your chest?

Wasn't aware there was a previous one for there to be an 'again' to be honest.

But it is one of the reasons why people that own toilets don't generally leave them open unattended during the quiet hours, especially heated ones with showers.

Id always pay a parking fee and use the cafe at any trail centre as I know it (in theory) goes back into the trails

however

the comment about parking in GT over the Peel was by someone eating their too as there was much nicer food available elsewhere

and several of the peel centre tripadvisor reviews are from random tourists complaining they had to pay 2 quid to park and then pay over the odds for some unpleasant tea and cake surrounded by muddy mtbers etc

if the FC want to turn the Peel into an attraction in its own right as well as an mtbing cafe theyeve got their work cut out

Im not advocating screwing over the FC im pointing out that after using 8.5m in taxpayer pounds they are loosing money because the Peel's not as good as it shouldve been

"Whenever I've used a trail centre I've paid parking and used the centre cafe. It helps everyone."

Thats my point. FC charge to ride the trails that the locals built around here.... its no trail centre not even close.

If FC continue to take the piss - then ill take the piss.... FWIW i always prefered to go down , stay for the weekend at Kalzie bunkhouse. Leave the car and ride out onto the SUW @ innerleithen and ride over to selkirk for coffee and cake for then back up and over in a figure of 8 loop for the decent back to inners for cake and coffee.... more of my money into the local economy than into the FC coffers to piss up the wall on grand un needed gestures.

Yeah, but it felt like the prices were all higher at the Gloucester one.

And I couldn't find the pie counter.

Prices are all higher at the Tebay one too now. They've jumped the shark IMO. I love my middle-class food as much if not more than the next man but I saw a loaf of bread there for £9. £9!!!!

It was massive but it wasn't made from solid gold.

What is it you actually want out of the cafe'?

Surely the same level of service, and attention to detail they receive at home isn't too much to ask for?.....

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Judging by the deleted posts, more like this

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'd never tell you what to do, but if you don't like the food, don't eat it and if you don't like car park charges, don't park there.

I think the point would be that many people would more than happily pay the parking fees if they believed the money was going back into either the trails or the forest management in general, however they begrudge it much more when that money is instead having to pay primarily for the construction and maintenance of a hugely expensive white elephant of a poorly designed and badly run visitor facility, alongside the enforcement of the parking fees.

I think they also suspect that were the visitor facility not quite so expensively built and badly designed, then the food might be better, and the rental payments on the cafe might be lower, allowing for more realistic prices. My own experience of the FC would be that there does tend to be something of a veer towards the 'gold plated taps' option whenever the public purse is underwriting a CapEx project.

Which makes my point even more focused and right. They are providing riders with a place to park the car, use of a toilet and they maintain the trails that that we all ride yet some say '£4 to park, sod that I'll park outside and ride in thus being a parasite'. In addition visitor figures (and future funding) may be dependent on carpark receipts. Or how it affects funding or decisions.

Again, I point you in the direction the FOI request mentioned earlier - there appears to be none of your 5 quid going into the trails whatsoever.

But do carry on reading half of a thread then jumping in half cocked.

oh, and Trailrat+1

however they begrudge it much more when that money is instead having to pay primarily for the construction and maintenance of a hugely expensive white elephant of a poorly designed and badly run visitor facility, alongside the enforcement of the parking fees.

I see, take your point. Clearly I don't go there and probably never will.

But..

Has to be said..

It ain't anyones decision but the FC where they put their money. Unless there is some pressure group being formed with interested parties offering up support and assistance..

Could someone post up the FOI link or raw data with it. Not cut n paste a unlink/verified body of text. The only link that I can see(?) is to a generic FB FCs page.

Isn't it upto FC what they do with the carpark money? Does Perspil spend your powder money in one area? Do you have a right to demand where it's spent. You've had a service, used it. Move on.

It ain't anyones decision but the FC where they put their money

Whose money?

where did the money for the Peel Centre come from?

Could someone post up the FOI link or raw data with it. Not cut n paste a unlink/verified body of text. The only link that I can see(?) is to a generic FB FCs page.

I'd be interested in seeing this too, I suspect it's an stw myth but there may be something it's all based on.

H1ghland3r - Member

Ok, possibly overstated the situation there.. Having said that how much of what has been done was funded by the FC rather than done specifically for events of by volunteers.?

Most of it. The "event" trails all have FC involvement at some level and practically none are built purely for events- they give it impetus but they're all built into the big scheme, which has been all about expanding the appeal. The biggest develpments- five year plan and b side- were commissioned and built by the FC, yes with volunteers (us, and the college, mostly) but that's nothing new. And everything within the park is approved, snagged and then maintained and kept safe by the FC (or closed afterwards- and even then, bellends will create work for the FC by reopening closed trails)

And Carl's Lane and all the other link trails are pure FC, as is Berm Baby Berm which I think falls into the timescale. And the new skills area and pennel's vennel rebuild, both of which are kind of shit, but still examples of investment (even with pennel's vennel closed by windblow)

Now this isn't anything like as much as I'd like to see; the trailcentre itself has stood pretty much still, and that's just not enough because stuff wears out. And there's persistent rumours that it's going to get worse. But at the same time they've worked hard and been very succesful in expanding the appeal of the centre.

Just to wrap it up; GT still has a good basic package. One of the best blues, an ever-popular red, and a kind of underrated black, plus the jumps etc. All more or less the same as they were 5 years ago. As a local it's easy to be disappointed by a lack of progress there but the new user experience is still fantastic.

But now, it has a whole new string to its bow, the new trails have enabled it to host world class events. But also to cater to a whole other group of riders- it used to be a lot of people "grew out" of glentress but now you can see world champions on the #enduro trails, the offpiste network used to be just a wee addition but now it's a thing in its own right that attracts a different group of riders- or rather retains them. And that's [i]pretty good.[/i] I'll be leading a group around glentress and the golfy in April that are only coming because of the EWS link- they're in town for 4 days, riding trails, eating food and booking accomodation and all that, and if it wasn't for the "event trails" they wouldn't be.

kimbers - Member

If the cafe was decent people wouldnt begrudge the parking fee

People begrudge paying parking everywhere. Nonpayment at Glentress was higher back when the Hub was there, so maybe that proves the new place is better? Or, not. People begrudge paying at Drumlanrig and it has 2 cafes and a blimmin castle.

hora - Member

Which makes my point even more focused and right. They are providing riders with a place to park the car, use of a toilet and they maintain the trails that that we all ride yet some say '£4 to park, sod that I'll park outside and ride in thus being a parasite'. In addition visitor figures (and future funding) may be dependent on carpark receipts. Or how it affects funding or decisions.

Hora for King. Not our king, maybe Uganda or somewhere. Parking's a pretty complicated argument, people seem to think "It's not all money for the trails" is compelling but that's not really how it works. Money goes into the bucket and comes out of the bucket. It may not be your £5 note, is all. But every freeloader is an argument against investing in a place.

We get a brilliant deal from the FC. Parking simply doesn't pay enough for the trail centres. That's not an argument you ever want to make, we want funding to be as separate from the revenues we provide as possible because we don't provide enough to justify it. Lucky for us, this isn't how it works but people keep demanding that it should be.

TBF the real problem under it all is just how these things are funded; FC makes a loss on mountain biking, it always will.It's inevitable that it's always in line for cuts. Even attempts to monetarise it and keep some of the mtb spend in their pockets are difficult, and outside their core business. Meanwhile, the actual benificiaries- us, yes, but also local businesses, councils etc- contribute less than they should. If GT was to fall into terminal decline it'll rip the arse out of the MTB tourist industry in the area and undo a decade's hard work, and when the businesses that have benefitted all these years close up they'll shake a fist at the FC for not giving them enough free lunches. The whole proposition's screwed and it's a minor miracle that it keeps going at all

[i]IMO.[/i]

(I won't say a good thing about the Peel redevelopment, there isn't really anything; we got a halfdecent facility for the price of 2 world class facilities, it's a total **** up. I remember seeing the plans and instantly saying "Why is that down there" and "Where's the rest of the parking", it was that obviously a bad idea. And naming no names but the FC guys on the ground knew it too)

For my fiver, I'd be quite happy if it was split equally between

- adequate, decent parking - within view of the café preferably
- Facilities - café, toilets etc
- Trail maintenance/expansion.

And a big sign explaining all that at the pay station. I don't think that's unreasonable, is it?.

I bow to your superior knowledge NW, as I don't think theres anyone on here as close to what goes on trails wise as yourself.