20-minute cut-off before Proms

[amac4165]

What nobody seems to have mentioned (unless I missed it) is that for Prommers who arrive by car (and don't go Boo, Hiss - it is necessary for some, especially those doing the east-west routes rather than the north-south ones ) the change to a 20-minute cutoff makes it virtually impossible to get into a popular weekday 7 pm-start programme. By the time you've found a post-6.30 parking space where you can park free of charge, and hoofed it back to the Hall, it's almost certain to be later than 6.40, and it's back of the day queue for you, mate! If you start paying for parking, even Promming can start to get very expensive.

And that reminds me of something I have to go and look for ...

You can always park in Hyde during the weekdays - 2.40 per hour until 6.30pm - min 15mins @ 60p. From outside the Serpentine Gallery is less than 10mins to hall if you really don't want to pay ! or you can sit in your car outside the Royal Geographical Society from about 6pm if you want ! I usually get to Hyde park by 5.50 sit around until 6.15 (for 7pm start) and head over to the hall

[Chris Newman]

Quotation by Ferretfancy: For the NYO Prom a man with a broad carrying strap and a cue sheet, looking rather like an ice cream seller in movies of old, crept around the percussion department throughout the evening. If I had been a performer I would have wanted to knock him down.

I agree and I also (during the last three or four years) would like to mutilate the man with the camera on a gigantic boom who sticks it in the ears of double basses and tuba players whilst combing the hair of people sitting in the stalls. Surely Madame pour la Sécurité et la Santé au Travail has something to say about the nosey little oik?

[Brompt1]

I was interested to read all the discussion since my original post about the 20 minute cut-off - thank you! I drive to the Proms because if I don't, I can't get home again easily/safely. It's not just the parking, but the congestion charge that makes a massive difference when added to the cost of the ticket, and at the moment every single route through from the East of London is either being dug up or has been closed, all of which adds a lot to the journey. It's especially hideous on Fridays. In response to the comment about leaving earlier, I already am! There's a limit to how far you can push these things in the real world.

In response to one of the quotes about whether 10 minutes made much of a difference; yes, it does! Actually, even 5 minutes would make a difference. Of the 5 concerts I have now missed (all 7pm starts), I would only have been late for one of them in any of the previous years under the 10 minute rule as in all cases bar one I was between 30 seconds and 2 minutes beyond the 20 minute cut-off.

I do appreciate the work involved in and cost of the Proms, and I would hate them to have to stop because of lack of funding (is there a risk of this?) but could there not be some compromise on the timing? Could a 15 minute cut-off be considered?

With regards to posts about the fountain, I don't have strong feelings. I understood it was to keep the temperature down, but this year we haven't had a particularly hot summer, so I haven't been too hot in the hall.