Philip T's advice

[Flosshilde]

Golly, it all sounds horrendously complicated - enough to put a first-timer off. I'm sure that it was much simpler when I used to queue.

As for 'regulars' being rude, I never found that, but there were always those who made sure they were in the front leaning on the barrier. I do remember queuing for the Royal Opera's prom Ring Cycle, & sleeping on the pavement overnight (with others I'd met in the queue) for Gotterdammerung. A somewhat officious type was incensed that we'd beeten him to it, & tried to insist that, as a (self-appointed) steward he should be in the front of the queue.

[french frank]

Golly, it all sounds horrendously complicated - enough to put a first-timer off. I'm sure that it was much simpler when I used to queue.

I prommed for the first time up in the Gallery this year (and first time at all for many years) and everything went like clockwork. I didn't go to the pre-event talk, but even that appeared to be very easy once I'd got my raffle ticket (I went to get something to eat instead ).

I think I could do without the crowding in the arena - judging from the bird's eye view. The Gallery was very relaxed.

[PhilipT]

Golly, it all sounds horrendously complicated - enough to put a first-timer off. I'm sure that it was much simpler when I used to queue.

I am, of course, open to corrections and constructive suggestions. It has always been clear to me that it's tricky to get the balance right between putting people off by over-complicating the advice and having people put off by leaving out advice they could have done with.

Just asking, but when did you use to queue? There was a complete overhaul of the arrangements in 1993, but I didn't think recounting the history of that was appropriate for what I was writing.

[prokkyshosty]

I think PhilipT's advice is excellent. I can attest that it's all correct; most importantly, it stresses courtesy between Prommers as the most central element, not just doing things because "that's the way things are done around here." As a first time Prommer this year myself, I was worried that it was going to be mostly the latter. I'd much rather have had this information rather than the rumours and hearsay that I had heard about these "eccentrics" before I went in there the first time. As it turned out, almost everybody at the front was kind and courteous to me each time I was up there, which was only every so often (I spent the first month trying out various areas of the arena).

Mind you, I definitely met the "officious" types that Flosshilde mentions, but generally speaking I've found that they tend to be lone wolves who hover about 4-10 rows back, mainly because I think they had some sort of contretemps with so-and-so in the front row in 1972, and stare at the back of so-and-so's head in silent rancor every night since.

FF, I snuck up the Gallery a couple of times this year just to see what it was like -- and yes, what you may lose in presence, you gain in being able to spread out and relax. I met a fellow up there (hello to you, if you read this board) who told me, "My last night in the Arena was 1978, and I've never been back!"

[Ariosto]

Why don't people just go for the concert and the music?

[french frank]

Why don't people just go for the concert and the music?

Most of them do, I'm sure. But they have to be somewhere in the hall. We day-trippers have to make our arrangements, like everyone else.

[Ariosto]

Quite often though the ice cream and the alcohol are much nicer than the music ...

I was once a bit tiddly on the RAH platform during a tedious and boring recording for a commercial. Every time we had a few minutes off we hit the bar. Better not say anymore. (Alcohol is normally against my religion).

[Flosshilde]

I am, of course, open to corrections and constructive suggestions. It has always been clear to me that it's tricky to get the balance right between putting people off by over-complicating the advice and having people put off by leaving out advice they could have done with. Just asking, but when did you use to queue? There was a complete overhaul of the arrangements in 1993, but I didn't think recounting the history of that was appropriate for what I was writing.

Philip - I'm not criticising you, or the advice you've posted - just suggesting that the whole thing sounds much more complicated than the more informal procedure when I last queued - which was a good long time ago. I moved to Scotland in 1994, & my work for a few years before that precluded queuing, so my visits tended to be seated.

[David Underdown]

Is it really so complicated. It all boils down to the stuff in bold, the rest is just amplification. Mind you, I do think the hall could make things easier by taking a leaf out of wimbledon's book and actually handing out some dos and don'ts - their equivalent of a raffle ticket is a numbered piece of card which actually explains the queueing process

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Mind you, I do think the hall could make things easier by taking a leaf out of wimbledon's book and actually handing out some dos and don'ts -

...including applause between movements.

[PhilipT]

...including applause between movements.

I'm with you, but such behaviour isn't restricted to those who prom. Rather the opposite, if anything.