A Gathering of Southern Folk (POLL ADDED)

Approx date

  • 19th / 20th Sept

    Votes: 1 9.1%

  • 26th / 27th Sept

    Votes: 1 9.1%

  • 17th / 18th Oct

    Votes: 1 9.1%

  • 7th / 8th Nov

    Votes: 3 27.3%

  • 14th / 15th Nov

    Votes: 7 63.6%

  • 21st / 22nd Nov

    Votes: 6 54.5%

  • Bath

    Votes: 6 54.5%

  • Bristol

    Votes: 7 63.6%

  • Cheltenham

    Votes: 3 27.3%

  • Yeovilton FAA Muesem

    Votes: 3 27.3%
  • Total voters
    11
C

Carl Hall

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Yes
I’d like to go to an F&C meet as they sound like a lot of fun and a chance to meet people (not met a single person in F&C yet!), but they’re all a bit too far from me in sleepy Somerset. Curious as to who would be up for having a meet a little further south? I’m able to travel a reasonable distance (assuming my automobile is fixed by then!!) and am pretty flexible on times and dates etc as long as there’s a couple weeks notice.
 
Good man Carl.

If it's feasible I would definitely try and make it but obviously its a long way south and timings would be a bit tricky. Lets have some suggestions for a location first and then see if we can organise a suitable date.
 
Meets are usually well attended and the earlier you plan something there's more chance of getting a good turn out. We had a meet in Bristol a few years ago that was good fun
Yashica Mat 124G Provia 400-3 by Nick Watson, on Flickr
It's usually best although not imperative to choose somewhere accessible by train and also be far enough in advance to get the most advantageous train fares. Try not to pick FA Cup final day, any day when England (rugby or football) are playing or the CMS's birthday as those are mostly no-no's.

Stick a poll up with a few location and date options and go from there.
 
Be good to make it at or close to a main line from both that London and also Birmingham (where more northerly types would likely transit)... Bristol (been done once, but I'm sure there's more to see and anyway it rained), Bath, Weston, Chepstow, um...
 
I'd welcome the opportunity to get out and about in the west country and as the garage haven't contacted me with any bad news my car should be good for another year's motoring (it's in for MOT fixes and a service). I'm flexible regarding location and can offer lifts from Reading, the unsung jewel of Berkshire to anyone unfortunate enough to land here. :)
 
Looking at a rail map it does look like Bristol is a good location, but Bath looks reasonably easy to get to from the other bigger cities via train too, and there’s a lot of interesting architecture there (and tourists too!). Swindon and Gloucester look relatively easy as well, or there’s even Cardiff if you’re feeling adventurous. How long ahead to trains need to be booked to get lower rates? I don’t often travel by train unless I go to London or something so I’m not sure which places are cheaper to travel to, or how long they need to be booked in advance? Is it a month or so or more than that?
 
Church Missionary Society. And I'm serious - it's the only one I know for those letters (Anglican).

I should be in Bath tomorrow as it happens.
 
I did Google it but the only results I found were Content Management System, Canadian Mathematical Society, Convention of Migratory Species (birds) and Chief of Maritime Staff :lol:
 
Bath is very elegant and so is Cheltenham. Latter is close to Cotswolds too.

CMS stands for Current Mrs Snap! @Andysnap likes to live dangerously ;)
 
Only been to Cheltenham once and that was for the Gold Cup a few years ago for my birthday. Got way too drunk and lost way too much money :lol:

Cheltenham is definitely doable for me though, a little over 2 hours away by car, or £40 odd by train
 
Cheltenham or Bath seem like likely contenders, apologies to any Swindon residents but from my experience it' s little bit like Northampton or Basingstoke but without the charm and elegance ;)
 
I think I could get to Cheltenham or Bath. I have a concern though.

Do Southern proper posh places like that let Northerners in?
 
simon ess said:
I think I could get to Cheltenham or Bath. I have a concern though.

Do Southern proper posh places like that let Northerners in?
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Only if ya speak propa Queens English yung man ........get practicing! :D
 
simon ess said:
I think I could get to Cheltenham or Bath. I have a concern though.

Do Southern proper posh places like that let Northerners in?
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Usually not Simon but since we'll have our very own professional southerner ie Carl with us we should be ok.
 
Asha said:
Only if ya speak propa Queens English yung man ........get practicing! :D
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That could be an issue. I've only just got to grips with Stokie.

RaglanSurf said:
Usually not Simon but since we'll have our very own professional southerner ie Carl with us we should be ok.
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Aah, good. So Carl will be able to persuade the locals not to burn us 'cause we're not really made of coal.
 
Carl Hall said:
Also I have to ask, what does CMS stand for?? I've seen it loads of times and it's driving me mental
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Current Mrs Snap, I believe.

Incidentally, "A gathering of southern folk" sounds like there's going to be some Duelling Banjos and a hog roast.
 
Carl Hall said:
Looking at a rail map it does look like Bristol is a good location, but Bath looks reasonably easy to get to from the other bigger cities via train too, and there’s a lot of interesting architecture there (and tourists too!). Swindon and Gloucester look relatively easy as well, or there’s even Cardiff if you’re feeling adventurous. How long ahead to trains need to be booked to get lower rates? I don’t often travel by train unless I go to London or something so I’m not sure which places are cheaper to travel to, or how long they need to be booked in advance? Is it a month or so or more than that?
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Cheap Virgin train tickets usually become available about 3 months in advance (not sure about other operators) and some routes/times sell out really quickly but bargains can be had for non peak times up to a few weeks in advance. Buying tickets to "hubs" such as Birmingham or Manchester then buying seperate tickets for onward journeys on other train operators can work out cheaper too. Look at singles too, returns sometimes are strangely more expensive. This is my Northern experience of rail travel - sorry to hijack the Southern thread. Just guessing the same rules may apply with different networks and destinations.
 
Lankysnapper said:
Cheap Virgin train tickets usually become available about 3 months in advance (not sure about other operators) and some routes/times sell out really quickly but bargains can be had for non peak times up to a few weeks in advance. Buying tickets to "hubs" such as Birmingham or Manchester then buying seperate tickets for onward journeys on other train operators can work out cheaper too. Look at singles too, returns sometimes are strangely more expensive. This is my Northern experience of rail travel - sorry to hijack the Southern thread. Just guessing the same rules may apply with different networks and destinations.
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Some great info, thanks :)

Would it be possible for some of you who would be travelling via train from a little further away to have a quick look at the cost on a few dates and chuck some ideas out? Not sure where everyone is travelling from so I can't have a look without guessing lol. Sounds like Cheltenham might be the best place but if Bath is easier, cheaper or better then that's still in the running too :)
 
Well I'm up for it but it has to be a reasonable distance for a 250cc motorcycle for what place you choose.......and no rain.
 
excalibur2 said:
Well I'm up for it but it has to be a reasonable distance for a 250cc motorcycle for what place you choose.......and no rain.
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We can only control one of those things Brian.... :D
 
Carl Hall said:
Rain down South? It's like living in the Mediterranean here, it never rains :D

Cough CLICKY cough
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WoW great photo shoot opportunities...I only got a few of a flooded footpath and ford across a road about 2' deep.
 
Just stick some dates up Carl, there are very few dates that everybody will be able to make so if you pick some dates that you can do, put up a poll then we can work round that.
 
Just a little heads up First Great Western are about to launch a £10 ticket promotion for travel after 1st October, tickets not on sale yet though. At the moment return tickets from London to Bath on a Saturday at the end of September for example are about £40 and a little less in October.
 
RaglanSurf said:
Could you make it to Lymington? That's quite nice for a wander around with a camera.
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There are some areas of the New Forest I would like to wander around with a camera. I recently went by train to Bournemouth and saw some areas west of Lymington which I would like to go to.


Steve.
 
Steve Smith said:
There are some areas of the New Forest I would like to wander around with a camera. I recently went by train to Bournemouth and saw some areas west of Lymington which I would like to go to.


Steve.
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Ah the new forest..lovely area got a shot of the Rufus stone. I've been to Winchester and Salisbury many years ago but can't remember what they were like...maybe a suggestion if these places on any good other than for the cathedrals?
 
There was one point in the New Forst which I noticed between two railway stations (can't remember which at the moment without looking at a map) but there was a derelict wooden building, like a shed but small bungalow sized which I thought would look nice with the right lighting and a bit of mist. Probably just a few hundred yards walk from the station.


Steve.
 
I've added a few dates to a poll :) There are three weekends I can't do (4/10, 25/10 & 1/11) as I'm in London watching the NFL, and I didn't add the lakes meet weekend as I didn't want to be the only one to turn up :( :p

I've also added a saturday and sunday date for each, as I didn't know which people preferred?
 
Of course if everyone else wants to go on a weekend when I'm not around then feel free, you'll just have to miss out on my company (I've been told I'm lovely) :P Not sure my brain could withstand the massive amount of irony of missing out on a meet I'm trying to arrange due to missing the others though :lol: haha
 
I've voted for the November dates as we're away for a couple of weeks in September and there's the lakes meet in October that I'll need to recover from. :)

Do we have a destination?
 
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