November 2023 Meet

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November Meet 21/04/2023 at 00:12 #151328
GeoffM
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We now have a location for our November meet - Manchester, UK! Please see the event page for further information - though we still have several loose ends to tie up. Barring natural disaster, acts of deities, riots, pandemics, or other unforeseen events outside our control, the date and city are firm for November 18th in Manchester UK.
SimSig Boss
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November Meet 21/04/2023 at 03:40 #151329
i26
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Unable to register for the event. Says it’s closed.

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November Meet 21/04/2023 at 07:57 #151333
kbarber
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Oh drat. I'm already committed to (should that be for?) playing virtual trains on another railway that day.

#London Buses!!

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November Meet 21/04/2023 at 10:32 #151336
HST125Scorton
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Registration isn't open till 18th November.. the day of the meet.
Aaron (AJRO) | Timetable Writer
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November Meet 21/04/2023 at 17:11 #151357
GeoffM
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Registration will open when we've finalised some more details.
SimSig Boss
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November Meet 25/06/2023 at 18:28 #152258
GeoffM
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Registration is now open. We have a kind and generous sponsor to cover the room hire cost, which means no entry fees for you. Please sign up if you intend to come, and remove your name if it turns out you can't.

The sims to be played have not been decided yet.

SimSig Boss
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November Meet 13/07/2023 at 16:34 #152370
i26
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Just wondering when details of the room costs will be posted as would have thought they would get more expensive moving nearer to the time.

Thanks.


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November Meet 13/07/2023 at 17:35 #152371
DaveHarries
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i26 in post 152370 said:
Just wondering when details of the room costs will be posted as would have thought they would get more expensive moving nearer to the time.

Thanks.

I am wondering likewise. I will be staying overnight as I don't want to be driving both ways on the same day again!

Dave

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November Meet 13/07/2023 at 17:42 #152372
headshot119
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The person who negotiated the special rate is currently sat with me in a bar in Ljubljana after we bailed off a rather wedged EC213 earlier than planned, we should have been through to Zagreb.

I (Or someone else) will post something up on Monday when they're back in the UK. The special rate won't change and was fixed in when we booked the venue.

"Passengers for New Lane, should be seated in the rear coach of the train " - Opinions are my own and not those of my employer
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November Meet 13/07/2023 at 18:29 #152373
i26
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headshot119 in post 152372 said:
The person who negotiated the special rate is currently sat with me in a bar in Ljubljana after we bailed off a rather wedged EC213 earlier than planned, we should have been through to Zagreb.

I (Or someone else) will post something up on Monday when they're back in the UK. The special rate won't change and was fixed in when we booked the venue.
Cheers for the quick response Karl. Enjoy your adventure.


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November Meet 18/07/2023 at 15:20 #152404
headshot119
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The room rate is £179 per night, and can be booked here.

* This is a fixed rate, promotional rates, reward rates, may be cheaper. Check your favourite booking site before committing.

"Passengers for New Lane, should be seated in the rear coach of the train " - Opinions are my own and not those of my employer
Last edited: 18/07/2023 at 16:24 by headshot119
Reason: None given

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November Meet 22/07/2023 at 19:58 #152421
i26
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headshot119 in post 152404 said:
The room rate is £179 per night, and can be booked here.

* This is a fixed rate, promotional rates, reward rates, may be cheaper. Check your favourite booking site before committing.
Looks like it may just be a day thing for me then as all nearby hotels aren't much cheaper. Lets hope there's no engineering works.


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November Meet 22/07/2023 at 22:49 #152424
postal
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Just a personal comment and there will be lots of other options. Last year I stayed at The Boat and Horses, Chadderton. This is a former Travelodge now tied to the pub next door which is a J W Lees house and does all the typical pub grub things as well as a good selection of hand-pulled and other beers. It is a half hour on the bus or tram and is currently showing as £110 B&B for the Saturday night (Friday and Saturday nights together showing as £195 B&B). Based on last year, I would recommend (and you can even manage the post-meet curry with time to get back to the hotel). They take card details when you book but don't charge and there is the added benefit that if you book now you can cancel FOC until 15:00 before the day of booking.

Last year after the meet there was the typical Travelodge Saturday night clientele (groups of people going out into the city centre for a good night out) but nothing that disturbed me through the night (although that may have been due to the beer).

“In life, there is always someone out there, who won’t like you, for whatever reason, don’t let the insecurities in their lives affect yours.” – Rashida Rowe
Last edited: 22/07/2023 at 23:19 by postal
Reason: None given

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November Meet 23/07/2023 at 13:10 #152426
i26
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postal in post 152424 said:
Just a personal comment and there will be lots of other options. Last year I stayed at The Boat and Horses, Chadderton. This is a former Travelodge now tied to the pub next door which is a J W Lees house and does all the typical pub grub things as well as a good selection of hand-pulled and other beers. It is a half hour on the bus or tram and is currently showing as £110 B&B for the Saturday night (Friday and Saturday nights together showing as £195 B&B). Based on last year, I would recommend (and you can even manage the post-meet curry with time to get back to the hotel). They take card details when you book but don't charge and there is the added benefit that if you book now you can cancel FOC until 15:00 before the day of booking.

Last year after the meet there was the typical Travelodge Saturday night clientele (groups of people going out into the city centre for a good night out) but nothing that disturbed me through the night (although that may have been due to the beer).
Will take a look later on. If it’s £190 for 2 nights then that’s not bad at all.


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November Meet 23/07/2023 at 21:49 #152432
DaveHarries
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i26 in post 152426 said:
postal in post 152424 said:
Just a personal comment and there will be lots of other options. Last year I stayed at The Boat and Horses, Chadderton. This is a former Travelodge now tied to the pub next door which is a J W Lees house and does all the typical pub grub things as well as a good selection of hand-pulled and other beers. It is a half hour on the bus or tram and is currently showing as £110 B&B for the Saturday night (Friday and Saturday nights together showing as £195 B&B). Based on last year, I would recommend (and you can even manage the post-meet curry with time to get back to the hotel). They take card details when you book but don't charge and there is the added benefit that if you book now you can cancel FOC until 15:00 before the day of booking.

Last year after the meet there was the typical Travelodge Saturday night clientele (groups of people going out into the city centre for a good night out) but nothing that disturbed me through the night (although that may have been due to the beer).
Will take a look later on. If it’s £190 for 2 nights then that’s not bad at all.
I wish JDW had a hotel within central Manchester but sadly they haven't: the nearest two are Wigan and Chester. A pi9ty really as I have stayed in a few of their places and found them to be OK.

I am also looking into alternative transport to get up to Manchester: the ticketing app I use (not an operator one) can't get me an O/Pk return to Manchester Picc by train (leave on Friday, return home on Sunday) for anything less than £86. Megabus takes longer but would probably do it for about 50% of that fare. Also if I go by coach then I wouldn't have to worry about any rail strikes!

Another thought on hotels is one which the daughter of a work colleage stayed at recently and, according to my colleague, she spoke well of it. It is the Townhouse Hotel (Portland Street, Central Manchester, M1 6DF) and a look on TripAdvisor gives me as low as £121 per night there.

Dave

Last edited: 23/07/2023 at 21:51 by DaveHarries
Reason: None given

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November Meet 24/07/2023 at 13:20 #152433
i26
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DaveHarries in post 152432 said:
i26 in post 152426 said:
postal in post 152424 said:
Just a personal comment and there will be lots of other options. Last year I stayed at The Boat and Horses, Chadderton. This is a former Travelodge now tied to the pub next door which is a J W Lees house and does all the typical pub grub things as well as a good selection of hand-pulled and other beers. It is a half hour on the bus or tram and is currently showing as £110 B&B for the Saturday night (Friday and Saturday nights together showing as £195 B&B). Based on last year, I would recommend (and you can even manage the post-meet curry with time to get back to the hotel). They take card details when you book but don't charge and there is the added benefit that if you book now you can cancel FOC until 15:00 before the day of booking.

Last year after the meet there was the typical Travelodge Saturday night clientele (groups of people going out into the city centre for a good night out) but nothing that disturbed me through the night (although that may have been due to the beer).
Will take a look later on. If it’s £190 for 2 nights then that’s not bad at all.
I wish JDW had a hotel within central Manchester but sadly they haven't: the nearest two are Wigan and Chester. A pi9ty really as I have stayed in a few of their places and found them to be OK.

I am also looking into alternative transport to get up to Manchester: the ticketing app I use (not an operator one) can't get me an O/Pk return to Manchester Picc by train (leave on Friday, return home on Sunday) for anything less than £86. Megabus takes longer but would probably do it for about 50% of that fare. Also if I go by coach then I wouldn't have to worry about any rail strikes!

Another thought on hotels is one which the daughter of a work colleage stayed at recently and, according to my colleague, she spoke well of it. It is the Townhouse Hotel (Portland Street, Central Manchester, M1 6DF) and a look on TripAdvisor gives me as low as £121 per night there.

Dave
Where you travelling from Dave? I get family and friends tickets on Avanti for £6 each so we could travel up together if you’d be willing.


Last edited: 24/07/2023 at 13:20 by i26
Reason: None given

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November Meet 24/07/2023 at 13:29 #152434
i26
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postal in post 152424 said:
Just a personal comment and there will be lots of other options. Last year I stayed at The Boat and Horses, Chadderton. This is a former Travelodge now tied to the pub next door which is a J W Lees house and does all the typical pub grub things as well as a good selection of hand-pulled and other beers. It is a half hour on the bus or tram and is currently showing as £110 B&B for the Saturday night (Friday and Saturday nights together showing as £195 B&B). Based on last year, I would recommend (and you can even manage the post-meet curry with time to get back to the hotel). They take card details when you book but don't charge and there is the added benefit that if you book now you can cancel FOC until 15:00 before the day of booking.

Last year after the meet there was the typical Travelodge Saturday night clientele (groups of people going out into the city centre for a good night out) but nothing that disturbed me through the night (although that may have been due to the beer).
Just booked the Friday - Sunday for £175. Thanks for the tipoff.


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November Meet 24/07/2023 at 22:17 #152436
DaveHarries
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i26 in post 152433 said:
Where you travelling from Dave? I get family and friends tickets on Avanti for £6 each so we could travel up together if you’d be willing.

Hi i26,

Thank you for that offer. Unfortunately I don't live on any of AWC's routes as I live in Bristol so would travel up from there. The Bristol TM services do pass through New Street so I could connect onto an AWC route there. However I plan to get up to Manchester on the Friday and return on the Sunday. Give me a DM if that fits in with your plans also and we can probably find a way of going about it.

A look on the ticketing app I use will, if I leave Bristol at 1400 on a Friday to return 1400 on Sunday, quote me a fare of £105.40. The same app also suggests I consider a GWR to Newport and change there for a Cardiff Central - Manchester Picc service but that would take 1¼hrs longer for a saving of only £2.60.

Dave

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November Meet 14/09/2023 at 19:09 #153318
GeoffM
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Some news for the meet. We will be showcasing Doncaster Station which will be released later that day or the following day, plus playing other sims yet TBD depending on numbers. If you're attending, and you offer a laptop for public use, even if we ultimately don't use it, we will give you a coupon good for a discount off Doncaster Station valid for up to 30 days.

Please ensure you're signed up if you intend to attend, and remove your name if no longer attending. Please also update the "will you bring a laptop" question if you're going to share your laptop and want to qualify for this special offer. Please note that if you do not share your laptop then you won't qualify for the offer.

SimSig Boss
Last edited: 25/09/2023 at 16:28 by GeoffM
Reason: A word

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November Meet 24/09/2023 at 22:50 #153412
DaveHarries
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GeoffM in post 153318 said:
Some news for the meet. We will be showcasing Doncaster Station which will be released later that day or the following day, plus other sims yet TBD depending on numbers. If you're attending, and you offer a laptop for public use, even if we ultimately don't use it, we will give you a coupon good for a discount off Doncaster Station valid for up to 30 days.

Please ensure you're signed up if you intend to attend, and remove your name if no longer attending. Please also update the "will you bring a laptop" question if you're going to share your laptop and want to qualify for this special offer. Please note that if you do not share your laptop then you won't qualify for the offer.

I don't have a laptop (pity) but the meet is just after I get paid so should be ok. As for sims I know what I hope for (I can think of 2) but will wait and see if I am correct.

Dave

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November Meet 10/10/2023 at 12:07 #153576
Albert
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I'm still trying to confirm the dates of business trips to London and Paris before & after the meet, if it works out then you'll see me in Manchester.
AJP in games
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November Meet 19/10/2023 at 18:25 #153735
Albert
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It's going ahead for me - I will take the Eurostar on Friday evening or Saturday morning; in the latter case I will be a bit later to the meet.

On the hotel website, I'm getting "We’re temporarily unable to display the information you requested." Is this indeed a temporary failure, or did the hotel offer meanwhile lapse?

AJP in games
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November Meet 19/10/2023 at 18:28 #153736
headshot119
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It looks like it expired a month before the meet date.

The price I can see through Marriot direct looks to be slightly cheaper in any case.

Look forward to seeing you there.

"Passengers for New Lane, should be seated in the rear coach of the train " - Opinions are my own and not those of my employer
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November Meet 22/10/2023 at 10:15 #153767
andyb0607
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For financial reasons I have had to remove myself from this meet.

So see you all at the next meet, if not before

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November Meet 22/10/2023 at 22:24 #153771
Guts
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andyb0607 in post 153767 said:
For financial reasons I have had to remove myself from this meet.

So see you all at the next meet, if not before
Damn man. I was looking forward to catching up with you. Be well Mate.

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