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Old 01-07-2012, 06:13 AM   #81
Estelyn Telcontar
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Transportation is certainly an important point, Lal, and thanks for giving us foreigners information! For those like myself who are travelling to Loughborough only once, that trip is not as crucial as the possibility of daily excursions. It would be nice if it's possible to get places by public transportation...
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Old 01-07-2012, 07:25 AM   #82
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(Quoting Lal's excellent posts for those of you who, like me, hate flicking between pages)

Quote:
Originally Posted by Lalwendë View Post
Don't include us in the numbers staying anywhere because they're all so near that we can come over in the car for the day - or meet up wherever adventures are being had nearby etc.

To the houses listed...

I know exactly where the bunk barn is, it's on the High Peak Trail and we had a picnic and walk there a few months ago. It's pretty isolated, but also popular and very nice. There may well be a decent bus route there because it's deep in hiking territory but I will have to check - I usually zip past in the car. It's very close to Arbor Low, Gib Hill barrow, Youlgreave, Chrome Hill (the Dragon's Back) and the Silent Woman pub in Earl Sterndale.

The one in Sherwood looks like they'd be flexible with numbers, it's not rented via a holiday agency and in my experience they're more flexible/open minded. Retford, bizarrely, is not an easy trip to Loughborough by train - you need to go into Sheffield and then out again to Loughborough. Though would you only need to do the Loughborough trip the once? Hmm - think about that one!

The one in Turnditch, Belper is 4 miles from Belper station, which is then only 43 mins to Loughborough on the train - an easy trip, you change at Derby. And a group in a taxi for a 4 mile journey would be cheap.

Anyway, I never told you about a dining opportunity none of you would want to miss in the Peak District: Wurst!

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Sorry, not editing a post because it'll look messy

I looked up public transport for the barn at Hurdlow (which looks a fab option if you're unsure of numbers and likely to be noisy geeks ) and there is a bus service up the road on the A515, bit of a stiff walk. Though pubs always know about good taxi services! You can get a bus to Buxton, and from there you can get trains to Manchester or buses around the Peaks and out to Sheffield which has excellent rail links. You may find you have willing car owners or renters though - was there talk of a minibus? I'm also fairly certain they wouldn't mind you having a tent there too as they have a campsite, which is very nice and green. My mate's dad used to regularly spend the night in his van behind a pub near there when he'd had too much to drink.

My dad's caravan is in Longnor, a mile or two from there and the people on the site might know some more about it (no, you can't stay there, it only sleeps two!). And the pub in Earl Sterndale is actually the Quiet Woman (she has no head). Gah.

This is useful: East Midlands Journey Planner

And even though you've found some good ones, I've been scouring and this never came up until tonight when I was nosing on the Chatsworth website. This sleeps 12 and is in Bakewell. Works out at £95 each if full occupancy is reached, and they are obviously set up for groups as they rent to stag parties.
Victoria Cottage

Just checked on the second cottage near Retford, and though it's a beggar to get to Loughborough from there, Retford is also on the East Coast Main Line, which is notoriously efficient and it's a 90min trip to Kings Cross from there - work colleagues who live that way out usually catch trains to our London office from there as it's quicker than the Midland Main Line.
If we go for the barn (my preference) we'll probably organise a meeting spot and time and then get the drivers to take as many people there as possible. We'd just find the nearest train station, I suppose.
Wherever we chose, though, it may be a good idea for those of us who drive who live in the south to perhaps pick people up from the airport? This is something we can discuss later on, though.
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Old 01-08-2012, 08:23 AM   #83
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Originally Posted by Hookbill the Goomba View Post
(Quoting Lal's excellent posts for those of you who, like me, hate flicking between pages)






If we go for the barn (my preference) we'll probably organise a meeting spot and time and then get the drivers to take as many people there as possible. We'd just find the nearest train station, I suppose.
Wherever we chose, though, it may be a good idea for those of us who drive who live in the south to perhaps pick people up from the airport? This is something we can discuss later on, though.
For the barn, your nearest station is Buxton. However, Buxton is the terminus of that rail line, which runs from Manchester Piccadilly. To get there, any traveller would need to travel first to Manchester or Stockport. Not such a pain, travelling from London as the West Coast main line from Euston to Manchester is quite efficient.

The other stations in the area (though not close) are Matlock, at the terminus of the Derwent Valley line from Derby (very handy for getting to L'boro and London) and any of the stations on the Hope Valley line which links Manchester and Sheffield.

I have to be honest, you would need transport if you are on the west edge of the Peaks. If you can get someone to hire a minibus and have a couple of cars though, it's a very good choice because it's beautiful up there. It's ironically on the High Peak Trail which follows the route of a rail line closed in 1967!
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Old 01-08-2012, 09:37 AM   #84
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If you favour the bunkhouse option I have found an interesting one, this time just outside Hathersage, and in between both Hathersage and Bamford stations - and there's also a regular bus on the main road. It doesn't look a 'luxury' option by any stretch but seems extremely flexible and group friendly. They hire out sleeping bags. It also has the benefit of having some nice B&Bs on the doorstep for those who do not want to 'bunk up'. There's one that sleeps 14 - cost £140 a night (£10 each).

Thorpe Farm Bunkhouses

I have also found a bunkhouse sleeping 12 at Clumber Park, which is close to Sherwood Forest. 5 miles from Worksop station. But Clumber Park is an immense parkland to have fun in.

I've found quite a number of bunkhouse type places.
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Old 01-09-2012, 02:27 PM   #85
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Thumbs up

What should our priority be? Accessibility is probably going to be the biggest thing, I suspect. So I guess we can use a process of elimination by seeing which venues are the most accessible - i.e. close to good train links, buses etc.
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Old 01-10-2012, 01:09 PM   #86
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Perhaps it might be well to discuss what kinds of daily excursions/adventures folks want?

I seem to recall Lal posting about a place that is said to be related to the Green Knight, but that might have been on FB.
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Old 01-10-2012, 05:44 PM   #87
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Perhaps it might be well to discuss what kinds of daily excursions/adventures folks want?

I seem to recall Lal posting about a place that is said to be related to the Green Knight, but that might have been on FB.
Don't get me started, there are dozens of amazing places to go and fantastic things to do around the East Mids and the Peaks.

But for a start...that 'Green Knight place'...it's called Lud's Church and is a chasm in the White Peak. Incredibly eerie, apparently, and hard to find - which is why it's a rare place I've not been to in the area. Up around the Staffs Moorlands it's generally very weird and creepy, especially around the Roaches, with the Doxey pool and so on. Nearby is Earl Sterndale with the Dragon's Back Chrome Hill and Parkhouse Hill, and between them, my favourite secret corner, Dowel Dale, which has caves and buzzards and a lovely stream. And also Arbow Low henge which is an easy place to visit, so long as the cows aren't out.

And a couple of the big name things to do:

Mr Darcy's house

Alton Towers

Sherwood Forest
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Old 01-12-2012, 11:54 AM   #88
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Thumbs up

I've fallen behind on research and thinking about this due to being ill the past few days, sorry.

I'm still leaning towards the barn for some reason. But Lal's Thorpe Farm Bunkhouses and Clumber Park have me second guessing. Which isn't good at this stage in decision making.

Let's make a list of criteria and see which ones fit the most the best;

Capacity
Proximity to railway
Proximity to bus stops
Proximity to fun stuff
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Old 01-12-2012, 01:52 PM   #89
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I have no idea how I would get to any of these from Luton Airport! To get to Loughborough is easy, there's a direct train. I hadn't realized that all this is even further away...
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Old 01-12-2012, 05:45 PM   #90
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I have no idea how I would get to any of these from Luton Airport! To get to Loughborough is easy, there's a direct train. I hadn't realized that all this is even further away...
Don't worry, Luton airport is well connected, the Midland Main line runs through Loughborough, Derby, Sheffield and the latter two have excellent links. If the place chosen is near a rail line that should be no problem, and if not then I should hope some people will have cars or even this minibus that was talked about!

When it gets nearer the time, if people decide on any big trips they'd like to do I'll help out by asking about group discounts because you can save a fortune that way, especially if you want to go to somewhere like Chatsworth or Alton Towers. I think there are also group deals you might get on the trains - I used to book group or carnet tickets for work travel.

Couple of tourist sites to get you interested (and because I like looking at this kind of thing):

Peak District Warning - cheesy music.
Nottinghamshire
Leicestershire
Yorkshire by 'eck.
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Old 01-13-2012, 02:50 PM   #91
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Once we have a chosen venue we should chose a meeting spot for us to try and head to. Moreover, I - or someone more competent - should make a set of directions to help people get there wherever they're coming from, assuming no lifts will be available. So don't worry about it too much. Though, given how wonderfully organised and prompt at decision making we've been thus far, some anxiety is probably warranted.

So, yeah. Are we any closer to a decision?
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Old 01-14-2012, 02:11 PM   #92
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I can help you with directions and timetables and so on. I'm a bit OCD about planning journeys so it'll give me an excuse to geek out on maps
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Old 01-14-2012, 02:36 PM   #93
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Cross posting this on FaceBook, too...

Given its proximity to transport, I'm putting this up as the new front-runner option...

http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main...?basecamp=7020

It looks very central and affordable with train stations and buses near by. It says limited availability, so if that falls through, this is my second choice...

https://sites.google.com/site/thorpefarmbunkhouses/home

It allows for camping outside if we need the extra space of my super massive tent of insanity. It also makes it easy to work out costs for each person (£12 each per night).

Third runner is...

http://www.holiday-rentals.co.uk/p93165

And back up...

http://www.peakpub.co.uk/camping/

I'm going to make some enquiries this week (assuming I don't fall ill again ) and see what each will offer. By the end of the month I'd like to have a place booked.
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Old 01-14-2012, 03:52 PM   #94
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Give me a time, a place and a cost and I'll be there. :-)

For those without transport my car will be around and available for those first two weeks. It has 3 proper spaces (4 if you're ok squishing a bit) and a fair size boot so I can do airport/train/bus station trips. I'm a willing driver if given petrol money too.
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Old 01-14-2012, 06:36 PM   #95
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Aganzir ~ August 6-20 ~ the cheaper the better (ie. probably some bunk thing) but everything goes, really.

I'll be arriving at Nottingham airport at 9.55 AM on the 6th. There were talks of Kath picking me up, but since she'd have to wake up awfully early I think I'll manage even if I have to make it to Loughborough on my own. We'll see.

I'll talk with the other Finns when I next see them, but they're always pessimistic and I'm definitely not going to miss this myself.

edit: I should add, thank you Hookbill and Lal and others so much for going through all the work of organising this!
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Old 01-15-2012, 05:01 AM   #96
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I just checked Agan and it's only 3 hours so picking up is fine.
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Old 01-17-2012, 10:50 AM   #97
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So, funny story - I had no idea this thread existed. So I'm showing up late to the party, but I do intend to come. My preference is "cheap and large" as well, and it looks like a bunkhouse sort of thing fits that pretty easily?

Also, if someone could help me out with "which airport should I fly into?" that would be great.
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Old 01-17-2012, 07:07 PM   #98
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Also, if someone could help me out with "which airport should I fly into?" that would be great.
It is a small island so the cheapest is probably the one. I think most transatlantic fllights still go to Heathrow or Manchester (which is closer to where you are going) Gatwick is the wrong side of London but far from impossible. Birmingham has excellent transport connections. The smaller regional airports will often involve changing flights in major hubs in Europe. You can sometimes get good deals on that sort of flight.
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Old 01-21-2012, 08:43 AM   #99
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Thumbs up

Lal, the link for the Nation Trust bunk house seems to have changed and I can't find the specific place on the new look website. Can you remember where it was, because there's not a search option which may help.

Original link...
http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/get-...?basecamp=7020

New search option...
http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/holi...amping/bothys/
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Old 01-21-2012, 02:00 PM   #100
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Pipe

I thought I'd best drop by to let you know that I'm still alive and still planning to make the moot. I can now confirm that I've booked weeks 1 and 2 off work, that my hideously impractical car with its tiny boot and one spare seat is available for all of that time and that I'm more than happy to do the hiring of something bigger once we're all assembled to do any big trips, airport runs and so forth. Hiring a vehicle is an expensive business, so I thought it best not to hire something for all three weeks, but instead to wait until we could plan the most efficient use for it. I have no preference for accommodation, and will gladly muck in with any living arrangements, although I'd prefer not to live in a tent if it can be avoided. That being said, I do have two tents, both of which will sleep two. The bunk barn idea sounds interesting, and it would certainly be nice for us all to stay in the same place.

One caveat: I'm extremely busy at the moment and may not always be on line. If anyone needs to contact me, wants me to arrange anything or needs some money for deposits, the last ditch means of contacting me is on my mobile. I think most of the people who need it have my number.
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Old 01-24-2012, 03:27 PM   #101
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Lal, the link for the Nation Trust bunk house seems to have changed and I can't find the specific place on the new look website. Can you remember where it was, because there's not a search option which may help.

Original link...
http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/get-...?basecamp=7020

New search option...
http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/holi...amping/bothys/
This one should take you to the Clumber Park
bunkhouse. And some more about Clumber, other Clumber camping options. There's also a touring caravan site there which is very nice, just in case anyone does have access to a caravan.
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Old 01-31-2012, 06:40 AM   #102
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Today I've been trying to get info on booking procedure for the three front runners.

Had difficulty getting hold of anyone from Cumberpark, so I'll have to get back to that at some point.

I've just spoken to people from the Thorpe Farm Bunkhouse. They have a 14 capacity and a 32 capacity house available on those days, so I think we're in luck. Downside, they require a deposit of £40 per night (works out at £560 total) paid at time of booking. Now, I don't have that kind of money, so I don't know what we can do about this.

The Newark and Sherwood Holiday cottage also expect a deposit of 20%, but only 12 weeks before the time we go. It's £950 per week - though he said he'd do us a discount for two weeks, he wasn't sure how much, I'm afraid. So that'll be roughly £380 we'd have to pay by the middle of May.

Which all leads to the question of how to do this... So we set up a PayPal account or something we can all chip into? Or does some rich Downer want to pay for it now and get paid back when we're all together (or afterwards as Nogs did)?
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Old 01-31-2012, 10:36 AM   #103
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Hi guys, as some of you may know already, I'll be touring Ireland next summer with a friend who recently joined the 'Downs (and is variably known as Pom, Nate or Pomegranate), and we're definitely coming. Right now it looks like we'd be there the 2nd week, probably arriving on the 13th. I'm guessing we can find a train/bus from Liverpool to somewhere around Loughborough, and likewise find a car-owning 'Downer to pick us up.
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Old 02-01-2012, 06:00 AM   #104
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Thumbs up

I'm sad to report that the Cumberpark bunkhouse is unavailable for the whole month, so we'll have to strike it off the list.

That leaves the Thrope Farm bunkhouse and The Newark and Sherwood Holiday cottage. Both of which require deposits, so we'll need to sort out monies. We'll need to gather £560 some how in order to book it and we should do it soon before it's booked up.

How should we do this? A few people have said they'd be okay with a PayPal account of some kind. Does anyone else have any ideas for what we can do?
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Old 02-03-2012, 06:18 AM   #105
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Nice work! Remember if you have any jobs for me to do, get me on fb seeing as I'm irregular...Sounds like the accommodation owners are being nice and flexible, deposits are the norm I'm afraid, but they don't sound too bad.
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Old 02-04-2012, 09:47 AM   #106
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Thumbs up Cross posted on FB

OKAY GUYS! PAYPAL TIME!
If you want to contribute to the deposit payment for the moot, I've set up a PayPal account for the occasion. If you've got PayPal, send monies to;
barrowmoot@gmail.com

We've got 13 people saying they'll go. That's roughly £40 each, but don't worry if you can't afford that much. I'm personally going to be contributing £50 to the fund.

If we end up with more than enough money, we can either put it towards fun things or sort something else out.
I'll keep you updated with the total. If you want to be able to see it for yourself, PM me and I'll give you the password and stuff.
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Old 02-08-2012, 06:02 PM   #107
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Got my copy of SFX today and aside from being even more interesting by having articles about The Hobbit and about Tolkien's other stories that would make for good films (and a Game of Thrones new series article) - it has a full page ad for Return of the Ring by the Tolkien Society which must have cost them a great deal to have included. It's also a new turn for the TS which has very much been a belt and braces, small scale society who didn't go in for advertising and such - and it really took me by surprise to see an ad in SFX.

For those attending, apparently you have "Tom Shippey, Tolkien polemicist" to look forwards to! Also regulars like Verlyn Flieger and Ted Nasmith. Brian Sibley will also be there (interesting for those who enjoyed chatting with him on the radio series thread). They seem to be trying to pitch the event a little more alongside the film hype by running it alongside a magazine article on it.
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Old 02-09-2012, 11:30 AM   #108
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They seem to be trying to pitch the event a little more alongside the film hype by running it alongside a magazine article on it.

Which of course they failed miserably to do for the last films. The last administration thought to bury their heads in the sand and ignore it all, hoping that once it died down they, and their select little group could get on with the owning of all things Tolkien. I was at the AGM and I got the feeling our present administration were not going to let it happen again............... a more open minded lot by far.
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Old 02-09-2012, 01:42 PM   #109
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I am afraid my heart sank when I got my first Amon Hen as a member and found I had joined the Peter Jackson Society. I thought it might be the one place safe from film drivel.
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Old 02-09-2012, 02:48 PM   #110
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They spoke of it, wrote of it, but didn't do anything to really link themselves to it. Fan Clubs and Websites sprang up everywhere, The Society did nothing to widen its appeal to these fans, we missed a great opportunity there.
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Old 02-09-2012, 03:03 PM   #111
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And you really think many would cough up actual money to get a magazine and newsletter a few times a year through snail mail, especially if they are only into the films as so many are? If that is the way they are going I shan't bother to renew my subscription.
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Old 02-10-2012, 03:16 AM   #112
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Dimitra Fimi, a new Tolkien scholar who teaches at UWIC in Cardiff, will also be giving lectures and leading the Post Graduate symposium at RotR.

Her recent book on fairies and hobbits won the Mythopoetic Scholarship Award for Inklings studies in 2010. She's definitely someone to watch. And also is very readable, both for academics and general readers.
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Old 02-10-2012, 02:23 PM   #113
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Sting A few things

You're right, Bêthberry; Dr. Fimi's well worth listening to if you can manage it.

My lecture proposal has been accepted, so I'll most certainly be at RotR. I haven't quite figured out yet when I'll be arriving at Loughborough, though.

I've been following the suggested plans with great interest. Just to make my contribution, Loughborough has an interesting attraction, in the shape of the bellfounders (bell makers) John Taylor and Co.:

http://www.taylorbells.co.uk/

As well as a museum, it also organises guided tours of the foundry.

When I came across the website, I was interested, not just because of the firm's history, but because I remembered at least two references to bells in Tolkien's works. There is Valimar, also called the City of Bells in Valinor, as well as a reference to Elrond grieving at the ruin of Dale and its 'merry bells'.

I got in touch, and was given this information:

The Museum is open from Monday to Thursday 10.00 am to 12.30 pm and 1.30 pm to 4.00 pm and Friday 10.00 am to 12.30 pm and 1.30 pm to 3.30 pm (excluding Bank Holidays) - it is not manned permanently during that time but can be opened up if visitors come to Reception - the charge is £4.00 per head £2.00 for Children under 16.

Tours of the Museum and Works can be organised to accommodate a Group subject to prior arrangement but this does not necessarily include a casting. The current price for a tour is £8.00 per head (£4.00 for a Child under 16) or £80.00 minimum charge during Museum opening times (£100.00 outside Museum hours) whichever is the greater. Should a Group wish to visit and have a tour it will of course be necessary to negotiate a mutually convenient time and date and complete a booking form as this is an Insurance and Health and Safety requirement. If there are only a few people wishing to visit then it is sometimes possible to tag along on someone else's tour.


This might be worth talking about...
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Old 02-10-2012, 07:38 PM   #114
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Which of course they failed miserably to do for the last films. The last administration thought to bury their heads in the sand and ignore it all, hoping that once it died down they, and their select little group could get on with the owning of all things Tolkien. I was at the AGM and I got the feeling our present administration were not going to let it happen again............... a more open minded lot by far.
As we know on here, many devoted fans were brought into the fold by the films and there's nothing wrong about that. It's. An ideal chance to refresh membership, as without new members it would fizzle into nothing, which would be desperately sad. I'm pleased if they're grasping the new world of social media etc and advertising in SFX is the very best place they could have chosen as it's the geek gospel!
Ignore it all and sites like The One Ring will just take over as the 'authoritative voice.
Sorry for bad grammar, I'm using an Android pad!
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Old 02-14-2012, 06:16 AM   #115
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Just popping in to say hi and that I haven't read the thread and I'm quite confused about everything right now but I'd like to attend and it'd be possible...
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Old 02-16-2012, 05:28 PM   #116
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Just popping in to say hi and that I haven't read the thread and I'm quite confused about everything right now but I'd like to attend and it'd be possible...
My plan at the moment is to put a deposit on the accommodation for the two weeks at some point soon - it's difficult because it's so expensive (over £500) - but I'm going to try and work something out.
Once the accommodation is all booked we can set out plans for adventures as well as making guides for everyone to get there and back again.
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Old 02-17-2012, 08:12 AM   #117
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A sidenote. I believe I've said this before, but don't think it can be said often enough: a vast thank you to all of you guys who work on organizing the moot.

(I know I'm halfway across Europe and don't have that much money either, but if there's anything I can do to help, tell me.)
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Old 02-23-2012, 04:50 AM   #118
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Thumbs up

Not everyone is able to / comfortable with using PayPal, so I've set up an IndieGoGo campaign so everyone can contribute to the moot using regular old bank/credit cards.

http://www.indiegogo.com/Barrow-Moot

I've tested it already and it seems to work okay. Hopefully, this will make everything run a lot more smoothly.
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Old 02-29-2012, 12:33 PM   #119
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Hey guys! I want to side Greenie, thanks for making this happen. I'm relatively new, and to be honest one reason why I am here is that I didn't want to find some lousy hostel while Greenie was having fun with you guys, knowing that I'll be in the same event. Very excited to see how it/this turns out
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Old 03-11-2012, 01:32 AM   #120
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Sounds delightful. Pity it's too far.

-Maril
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