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Spa-Franchorchamps 2012


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#1 Jovanotti

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Posted 13 December 2011 - 09:10

Hi guys, now that KR has returned I'm planning to visit next years Belgian Grand Prix in Spa - who knows how long he (and also the Spa-track!) will be around.

First questions I have:

- What about the general admission-tickets? According to the map of the track you get some decent views from these zones (for example at the Bus stop-chicane, in front of a big screen), plus you are free to visit different places. Or are you better-off with a covered seat?

- Where to stay? Transportation? Alternative: is there an RV-park which you would recommend?

- Other important things to know?


I'll be travelling from Switzerland, maybe we can borrow an RV from a friend, otherwise we'll be going by plane or train and stay in a hotel. This will be my first Grand Prix, so every bit of advice is very much appreciated :up:

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Edited by Jovanotti, 13 December 2011 - 13:02.


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#2 chdphd

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Posted 15 December 2011 - 23:02

Have you seen this thread :)

http://forums.autosp...howtopic=149851

#3 Richard T

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Posted 16 December 2011 - 09:56

- What about the general admission-tickets?

You can be standing along the entire Kemmel straigth (Yes you can see the exit of Eau Rouge as well). You have access to very good spectator spots whereever you want all the way from Eau Rouge exit to Malmedy and then from halfway through Blanchimont all the way to the chicane. Whats the best with spa is that there are hills around the track so you will (almost) always be on a higher altitude than the cars.

You can also stand behind the Silver 2 grandstand and see Eau Rouge taken flat! (EPIC)

I had Gold 7 tickets this year and had this view:
And gold 4 in 2009 which looked like this (The better of the two)

To be honest. If i went again I would go for GA-ticktets. The weather will often be an Issue but to be honest, this year i didn't care. I brought an extra pair of socks and shoes.



- Other important things to know?

Be prepaired for rain. A poncho and umberella will be necessary!
Also bring a couple of sneakers. you will probably walk around the track on Friday/Saturday practice and it's LONG!
Be sure to visit the little village on the outside of La Source. They have a couple of very nice resturants for a racing fanatic and lots of charisma.


Hope it helped
Richard


#4 Richard T

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Posted 16 December 2011 - 10:09

Foud this. Did it for a friend before last year =)

Green=GA-areas.
Red=roads you will use in between them

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#5 chdphd

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Posted 16 December 2011 - 10:21

All my photos from 2009 were taken from GA. They should give you an idea of what you can see.

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#6 Jovanotti

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Posted 16 December 2011 - 14:41

Have you seen this thread :)

http://forums.autosp...howtopic=149851


Yup, I've read all of the Spa-threads on this forum, but since many others consider going to the race next year I thought it was appropriate to open a new one.


GA-zones and pictures look very good indeed (can't believe how high you stand above the bus stop-chicane :eek:), although the Gold 4 stand from Richards video looks great too! Thanks a lot for your replies :up:!

#7 fifi

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Posted 02 January 2012 - 20:24

unless you like having to get to the track for the gates opening (usually approx 6am) to get a decent spot which you wont be able to move from all day then get a seated ticket especially for the sunday
use the fri and sat for moving about but the one i would make sure i had was at least a sunday seat - makes things a hell of a lot easier

#8 paweu

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Posted 04 January 2012 - 23:26

I was in Spa last year with my friends and family. We bought the General Admission tickets and watched the race in front of the giant TV near the Kemmel straight :).

The view distance was absolutely great. You could even see what was happening in the pits (if you had a binocular). If you have any particular questions, feel free to ask :).

#9 Jovanotti

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Posted 12 January 2012 - 21:55

Thanks fifi and paweu!

#10 king_crud

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Posted 25 January 2012 - 13:41

I went last year. We had gold tickets over looking Eau Rouge but it wasn't cheap, and frankly not worth it. We spent some of Friday and Saturday watching practice form GA areas and there was plenty of great spots. It is very crowded around the Kemmel Straight, Les Combes and the turn as the car drop from Rivage down to Pouhon (this looked like the best spot), so if you wanted these places you would have to get there early.

If you're not in a rush you can still get some good spots with screen at Pouhon, this would be my recommendation. Take a fold out chair, lots of really good wet weather gear, c cooler box full of food and drink, and maybe a smal tarp and rope set up. A lot of people would sit at the fence, tie the tarp to the fence, and use it as a makeshift roof to sit under. The weather changes constantly and it bucketed down on the Saturday practice, this was the only time I was thankful for having a grandstand seat.

We camped at a really good camping ground and it was CHEAP. You can camp at the circuit, but after speaking to people who had done that we were glad we had not. It seems the noise at night does not stop there. Instead we camped down the road from Stavelot at this place. It had very good facilities, a bar, good crowd, and there were tons of shuttle vans with no queue. When there were no vans after the race the walk back was only 30 mins. You can see on this map the location, marked with a green arrow. If you scroll north you can see where the circuit is (the road the camping ground is off is the original Spa circuit). It was easy to get in and out, we arrived Friday morning and had no problem getting a good camping spot, and there is a supermarket a 2 min drive down the road, plus all the cash machines and town facilities in Stavelot 5 mins away.

Any other questions just ask.

#11 Jovanotti

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Posted 30 January 2012 - 12:52

Thx a ton, your answers are very much appreciated :up:


#12 RobertoLarcos

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Posted 11 February 2012 - 11:46

I'm almost certainly going to Spa this year.

However, I'm not sure where to stay. I don't want to camp again after having a couple of torrid experiences at Silverstone over the years...

Has anyone stayed in Liege for the race? I know it's a fair bit away from the track but I'd rather not stay in the sticks.

Anyway, the journey to the circuit couldn't possibly be as bad as the commute from Delhi city centre to the Indian F1 track last year :eek:

#13 ericok

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Posted 12 February 2012 - 16:16

Posted Image
View of start finish and pit area from grandstand 8 Spa Francorchamps Formula One track by ericok, on Flickr
Grandstand 8 was nice since it was covered and close to the F1 Village. It was just ridiculousy expensive and any seats below row 25 are looking thru the catch fencing.

#14 Jovanotti

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Posted 15 February 2012 - 07:48

Grandstand 8 was nice since it was covered and close to the F1 Village. It was just ridiculousy expensive and any seats below row 25 are looking thru the catch fencing.


Nice view, but already sold out for this year (at 430 Euros/weekend)...

Is it a good idea to stay in hotel a bit away from the track and travel there by car each day (traffic jam, parking,..)?

#15 TJJohansen

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Posted 02 March 2012 - 11:37

A friend of mine and I are looking at going to Spa. We were thinking about being seated around Silver 2 on the way down to Eau Rouge. Is that any good, and just as important, is there any large TV screens around?

T J

#16 ericok

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Posted 03 March 2012 - 02:37

A friend of mine and I are looking at going to Spa. We were thinking about being seated around Silver 2 on the way down to Eau Rouge. Is that any good, and just as important, is there any large TV screens around?

T J

The ticketing map shows a TV screen right across from Silver 2. Here's a view of the general area. Silver 2 should be on the left just beyond the covered grandstand. The F1 village is at the lower left.
Posted Image
Spa Francorchamps Race Track Eau Rouge by ericok, on Flickr

Edited by ericok, 03 March 2012 - 02:41.


#17 paweu

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Posted 03 March 2012 - 15:37

Is it a good idea to stay in hotel a bit away from the track and travel there by car each day (traffic jam, parking,..)?

Yes it is. We slept in a hotel in Aachen, Germany. It took us circa 30 minutes by car to get to the circuit. We decided to go to the track quite late, because we approached a hour before the race start. There was no traffic jam at all. And we had a parking place near the track entrance (as far as I remember in the red area).

And here's a great tip: If you haven't found an accomodation yet, do it quickly. Really, this is best time to do that. We were looking for a hotel two months before the event and we hardly found something.

Edited by paweu, 03 March 2012 - 15:51.


#18 king_crud

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Posted 06 March 2012 - 11:14

A friend of mine and I are looking at going to Spa. We were thinking about being seated around Silver 2 on the way down to Eau Rouge. Is that any good, and just as important, is there any large TV screens around?

T J


There will be screens but from what i read where you sit in the stand will be important as to what you can see. ie some places you can see up the hill towards La Source, some seats you can't. But all of them should be able to see the cars going up over Eau Rouge

#19 TJJohansen

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Posted 07 March 2012 - 23:58

Thanks for the info guys!

T J

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#20 TJJohansen

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Posted 08 March 2012 - 11:14

Well, my friend has gone AWOL which means that I'm going solo to the races. I do have a couple of questions you might help me with though.

Should I stay in Brussels or Liege? Hotel prices at or near Spa seems to be equal to sending the space shuttle into orbit...

How long is the train ride to Verviers from these cities?

On certain forums/ websites I see that some people critisize the shuttle bus organizers, and lack of buses, especially for the return to Verviers. Is this really a huge problem, or not as bad as described?

T J

#21 ericok

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Posted 08 March 2012 - 13:29

Well, my friend has gone AWOL which means that I'm going solo to the races. I do have a couple of questions you might help me with though.

Should I stay in Brussels or Liege? Hotel prices at or near Spa seems to be equal to sending the space shuttle into orbit...

How long is the train ride to Verviers from these cities?

On certain forums/ websites I see that some people critisize the shuttle bus organizers, and lack of buses, especially for the return to Verviers. Is this really a huge problem, or not as bad as described?

T J

I went race day only. I took the train from Brussels Nord to Verviers leaving around 6am. The train ride was 1.5 hours. At Verviers, there were free shuttle busses waiting to take you to the track but they didn't leave until they were filled up (so I arrived in Verviers at 7:30am, the bus filled by 9:00am, and got to the track by 9:30am). On the return, I ended up walking to Francorchamps - not a long walk, and took what looked like a city bus (for free) back to Verviers and the train back to Brussels. Some Brits who I talked to said that on Friday and Saturday, the took a tram from Verviers to Spa and a bus to Francorchamps because there were no shuttle busses those days like Sunday.

Edited by ericok, 08 March 2012 - 13:35.


#22 damon_hill_fan2007

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Posted 14 March 2012 - 13:12

Hi I live in the UK and am planning on travelling to the Belgian Grand Prix this year – wondering if anyone had any advice on how best to do it without a car? I was planning on getting train to Brussels then on to Liege and staying in Liege.

- Does anyone know if they run shuttle buses from Liege to the circuit on each day of the grand prix weekend? Or is it better to camp at the circuit?
- Is it really worth it buying a grandstand seat or is general admission ok, if we don’t get there first thing on race day will we still be able to see something?

Any advice would be great

Many thanks

Jeff


#23 king_crud

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Posted 02 April 2012 - 08:19

General Admission is good, I would happily get one if I went again. If you get there nice and early you can get one of the very crowded spots with a great view, but even if you're late there were plenty of spots where you can see a couple of corners and have a screen, depends how much you want from your ticket.

#24 chrisblades85

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Posted 02 April 2012 - 21:37

Looking very likely that we are going here this year now, instead of Silverstone. Possibly hiring a van, so I'll be looking at the advice on here.

Need to sort a passport out though.

EDIT: Also, are most of the campsites miles away?

Edited by chrisblades85, 02 April 2012 - 21:52.


#25 king_crud

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Posted 03 April 2012 - 08:27

Looking very likely that we are going here this year now, instead of Silverstone. Possibly hiring a van, so I'll be looking at the advice on here.

Need to sort a passport out though.

EDIT: Also, are most of the campsites miles away?


have a look at post 10 for details on where I camped. It wasn't at the circuit but it was very easy to get to the circuit. Camping at the track can be noisy, if you're after peace and quiet I wouldn't do it, but if you want a party apparently it's good.

#26 chrisblades85

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Posted 03 April 2012 - 19:16

Link doesn't work king crud. We'd be more inclined to go into the "party" campsites to be honest.

#27 king_crud

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Posted 03 April 2012 - 20:27

Link doesn't work king crud. We'd be more inclined to go into the "party" campsites to be honest.


hmm, the second map link still works, so you can see how far the campsite i stayed in is from the circuit. I walked through one of the onsite camping spots, not sure if there are others, but it was huge. And it was located in the fields here


#28 Barthdesigns

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Posted 10 April 2012 - 17:47

Wow, so good for you! I like Spa so much! Lucky one :p

#29 my06mart

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Posted 13 April 2012 - 02:02

I'm also looking at going this year. I was checking out the tickets for the grandstands and noticed you can't pick your seat number? is this normal or am I missing something? I'm used to going to the MOTOGP in Australia where you can pick the stand and seat No. you want from a seating map. Anyone know why they do it this way?

#30 chdphd

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Posted 13 April 2012 - 12:27

In all the F1 races I've been to, I've only been able to specify the stand itself, not the seat.

#31 TJJohansen

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Posted 16 April 2012 - 11:39

Does anyone know if it is possible to rent a bicycle in Francorchamps? Preferably on the Friday! I would really like to go around the public roads to see the "old circuit" with places like Burnenville, Malmedy, Masta kink, and Stavelot. This place oozes history from every corner, every crest. As I intend to have a drink or two in the evenings a car is not applicable.

T J

#32 TimRTC

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Posted 29 April 2012 - 12:03

I'm planning to go, looking at Select Motorsport's hotel/coach package, anyone had any experience with them?

#33 chdphd

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Posted 29 April 2012 - 19:37

I went to the Barcelona test in 2010 with them. Being collected at the airport was a bit haphazard, but that may be because people were arriving on different flights. I didn't really like the way the guide talked to me on a couple of occasions, but apparently he's always like that.

#34 TimRTC

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Posted 09 May 2012 - 15:02

Well, I'm going for the full three days (anyone else there, I will be probably the only person wearing a Santa Pod raceway jacket, so do say hi!)

Has anyone used 'FanVision' before, is it any good and does the hilly nature of Spa cause any problems with reception? Alternatively how are mobile phone signals around the circuit?

#35 Jamiednm

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Posted 27 May 2012 - 15:04


I'm going for the 1st time this year, struggling for accommodation though. Don't really want to camp, but don't want to pay astronomical prices for a hotel. Any suggestions?

#36 Richard T

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Posted 28 May 2012 - 17:49

Well, I'm going for the full three days (anyone else there, I will be probably the only person wearing a Santa Pod raceway jacket, so do say hi!)

Has anyone used 'FanVision' before, is it any good and does the hilly nature of Spa cause any problems with reception? Alternatively how are mobile phone signals around the circuit?


I had fanvision at Spa and it's great. it offers

-Onboard from 8 selected drivers (support races as well)
-more team radio
-5 LIVE radio live stream and circuit commentator
-full Live timing
-World feed TV view
-news flow from Autosport

No problem with phone connections

Edited by Richard T, 28 May 2012 - 17:49.


#37 pinkypants

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Posted 28 May 2012 - 18:49

Thanks for the info guys - doing the "double" this year - Spa followed by Italian GP. I stumped up for the circuit camping (I believe at Green site). Anyone stayed there before?

#38 Lukin

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Posted 24 June 2012 - 10:06

I'm going as well. Looked hard at the camping option but will do the Liege hotel with a car. I will be with a friend so it will be cheaper as we can share accomodation and car etc.

Thinking GA the whole weekend based on comments here.

#39 Coops3

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Posted 02 August 2012 - 21:10

Going to Spa this year for the first time! Only my second GP... Absolutely cannot wait! :clap:

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#40 Lukin

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Posted 23 August 2012 - 15:47

It's not long now!

I havent booked tickets since we are going GA (two of us).

Are they cheaper on the gate? They are 160 Euro on the F1 tickets site. Is it too late to get a parking pass and Kangaroo or can I get them all at the gate?

It kinda snuck up on me!

#41 pUs

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Posted 25 August 2012 - 07:06

Hi everybody, been googling for hours now without a decent result so I have to pass the question to you..

Will be going to the Spa GP together with a group of people but because of business obligations will have to catch up with them at our hotel in Prüm on friday evening so I'll miss out on all friday action..

Now, the problem is that I can't find any info on how to get to Prüm by a combination of train and / or bus from Brussels airport, where I'll land on friday afternoon. Perhaps it won't be possible without a car? Any experience? :)

Edited by pUs, 25 August 2012 - 07:07.


#42 pUs

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Posted 25 August 2012 - 16:00

Never mind, decided to catch up with the rest of the group already on thursday evening in Dortmund :) Probably easier.

#43 TimRTC

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Posted 28 August 2012 - 20:45

See you there folks, on my way tomorrow night and will be in GA for all three days - still the only person there in a Santa Pod jacket no doubt. Lets just hope the rain holds off (great for TV audiences, less great for those of us there!)

#44 expert

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Posted 29 August 2012 - 01:55

Anyone have any experience/advice for driving out from Brussels on race day? Planning to head out early (7am?) and looks fairly straightforward. Any gotcha's though, especially on traffic/parking? We'll be sitting at Eau Rouge.

Much appreciated.

#45 jdanton

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Posted 11 September 2012 - 16:08

Anyone have any experience/advice for driving out from Brussels on race day? Planning to head out early (7am?) and looks fairly straightforward. Any gotcha's though, especially on traffic/parking? We'll be sitting at Eau Rouge.

Much appreciated.


Just to add this for posterity, driving from Brussels is fine, but the traffic getting into Francorchamps was particularly bad this year. After sitting in line for a while we moved over and went down to exit 12, and parked near Blanchemont. There is one public parking lot there, and it's a 2k walk. It's good if you are on GA and going to sit by Pouhon.

Getting out wasn't bad, we were routed through some back roads and ended up in Liege.

#46 SDLRob

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Posted 18 September 2012 - 22:48

Hopefully i'm not posting in the wrong thread for my first post here, but i had the opportunity to attend the Belgium Grand Prix this year.

Due to limited mobility, i had booked a disabled ticket for myself and a 'carer' for the weekend in the disabled section across from the end of the Support pitlane on the run to Eau Rouge. I have to admit i was surprised by the nature of the disabled area. While the platform was easy to move down, it wasn't wide enough to get two chairs past each other (a fact i became horribly aware of during the race when i needed the loo and couldn't get past the chairs between me and the exit ramp), and the carer seating was nothing more than a flimsy bench. I also found it rather surprising that to get from the concrete to the disabled ramp, i had to wheel across uneven stones and gravel. Getting about the site on the race days was surprisingly easy, with the only thing i needed assistance finding was the disabled loos. The view i had both was great (in that i could see the cars climb up to Radillion), but not so great as the safety fences made looking up to the first turn nigh on impossible. (also with the angles of the hill and disabled platform, the far end of said platform had you looking OVER the fences).

That being said, the people who worked at the track over the weekend were utterly brilliant... specially the guy at the end of the pitwalk who let me into the pit box side of the fence to avoid the crush as they cleared the pitlane.

The trip across to the campsite from the Ferry on the Wednesday (and back on the Monday) was a lot easier than i imagined, and i'm glad that i was able to drive it in one jump (minus the fuel stop on the way back). The change in road side was surprisingly easy to deal with as well (probably helped that it was mostly motorway driving).

Anyone looking to go next year... i say go for it, being drowned on the Friday and roasted the other days was worth it...

#47 Tenmantaylor

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Posted 19 September 2012 - 09:45

Hey Rob :wave: Sounds a great experience, shame about the viewing area. You should contact the organisers and let them know the design fault, sounds like it was an oversight.

Hoping to be there next year too :wave:

#48 SDLRob

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Posted 19 September 2012 - 12:33

Hey Rob :wave: Sounds a great experience, shame about the viewing area. You should contact the organisers and let them know the design fault, sounds like it was an oversight.

Hoping to be there next year too :wave:


I know that someone who can wax lyrical better than me is writing something someone, but i'm not sure if it's been passed on yet :lol:

#49 siberianlady

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Posted 24 September 2012 - 21:14

I know that someone who can wax lyrical better than me is writing something someone, but i'm not sure if it's been passed on yet :lol:


All I can say is your feedback was great Rob and the missive is now on its way. Will keep you posted of what happens or not...... :)

#50 SDLRob

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Posted 24 September 2012 - 21:24

All I can say is your feedback was great Rob and the missive is now on its way. Will keep you posted of what happens or not...... :)


Thank you... :up: