featured_spectre Posted February 28, 2011 Posted February 28, 2011 I voted Reading, simply for the fact its easiest for me to get too. However, surely in the south somewhere like Milton Keynes which is central to Kent, Cornwall, Devon, Bournemouth, Birmingham, Leicester, Ipswich, Peterborough, Norwich etc. It has fantastic transport links, hotels are cheap, and there are decent conference facilities, as well as a good shopping centre, restaurants and night life.
localzuk Posted February 28, 2011 Posted February 28, 2011 I voted Reading, simply for the fact its easiest for me to get too. However, surely in the south somewhere like Milton Keynes which is central to Kent, Cornwall, Devon, Bournemouth, Birmingham, Leicester, Ipswich, Peterborough, Norwich etc. It has fantastic transport links, hotels are cheap, and there are decent conference facilities, as well as a good shopping centre, restaurants and night life. Milton Keynes is about as 'central' to the south as Edinburgh is to Scotland... Its the opposite side of the country to Somerset, Devon, Dorset, Cornwall, etc...
featured_spectre Posted February 28, 2011 Posted February 28, 2011 (edited) According to ordinance survey and RAC, south (covering from cornwall to kent) and midlands (up to nottingham and stoke) most central point is bletchley (just outside of milton keynes) which is why I suggested it. *EDIT* Just seen that witch edited the title! haha my bad! Edited February 28, 2011 by featured_spectre
localzuk Posted February 28, 2011 Posted February 28, 2011 According to ordinance survey and RAC, south (covering from cornwall to kent) and midlands (up to nottingham and stoke) most central point is bletchley (just outside of milton keynes) which is why I suggested it. And I am saying that they are wrong. Look at a map. The distance from Norwich to MK is half that of the distance from Plymouth to MK. It would be a good place, if Cornwall, Somerset, Dorset and Devon weren't included.
teky Posted February 28, 2011 Posted February 28, 2011 Voted Bristol, down in Plymouth but bristol is best for everyone in SW
witch Posted February 28, 2011 Author Posted February 28, 2011 It is looking as if Bristol is a leading contender but lots of you havent answered yet! As for Milton Keynes - having family there we go all the time and for us it isnt too bad although the A34 leaves something to be desired. But for anyone further west, it is a question of the state of the roads really. Personally I would probably travel a max of 3 hours in a car to get to a conference - maybe slightly longer on a train. So Bristol is fine for us on the eastern edge of Dorset/western edge of Hampshire
speckytecky Posted February 28, 2011 Posted February 28, 2011 From my days in politics I remember we had a great conference for circa 130 people at the Wessex Water HQ at Claverton Down in Bath. Another at the not so easy to get to Tacchi-Morris Arts Centre near Taunton 1
joe90bass Posted February 28, 2011 Posted February 28, 2011 Bristol or Birmingham is good and quite central! I'll hop in we can split the bridge bill joe Butuz It's a deal!
Mr.Ben Posted February 28, 2011 Posted February 28, 2011 (edited) I may be biased, but Bristol would be the place for me! My lady works on the SS Great Britain (in the events team). It's a great Venue and there is plenty of parking at the site too. I'm not sure on the cost though! It is about 10mins away from Temple Meads. Edited February 28, 2011 by Mr.Ben
somabc Posted February 28, 2011 Posted February 28, 2011 (edited) Where ever you think, needs good and simple train links, us northern folk tend to come down via train for these things so easy links from the north IE Preston and / or Leeds are good If you want to have an Event with good Links to the North / Midlands AND the South then London is the obvious choice. All roads head there (M6,M1, M4, M20, M2, M3 etc) and all mainline trains. If you take a 2-3 hr travelling time by train radius it would have the widest reach. Map of places 90 min from London. http://www.commutermaps.co.uk/ Edited February 28, 2011 by somabc
localzuk Posted February 28, 2011 Posted February 28, 2011 If you want to have an Event with good Links to the North / Midlands AND the South then London is the obvious choice. All roads head there (M6,M1, M4, M20, M2, M3 etc) and all mainline train if you take a 2-3 hr travelling time by train radius it would have the widest reach. Map of places 90 min from London. Commuter Maps - Train journey times to London, Birmingham, Glasgow, Edinburgh, and more Except, once again, the SW. Remember, the SE does not equal the south...
elsiegee40 Posted February 28, 2011 Posted February 28, 2011 It is looking as if Bristol is a leading contender but lots of you havent answered yet! As for Milton Keynes - having family there we go all the time and for us it isnt too bad although the A34 leaves something to be desired. But for anyone further west, it is a question of the state of the roads really. Personally I would probably travel a max of 3 hours in a car to get to a conference - maybe slightly longer on a train. So Bristol is fine for us on the eastern edge of Dorset/western edge of Hampshire I'd love Milton Keynes. It took me 2.5 hours to get to Reading thanks to the M25... add in the M4 to get to Bristol and I could be travelling for weeks! Those of us in the East/South East get to go to BETT and the Microsoft do in Reading, but it'd be nice to be able to get to a 'proper' edugeek conference.
somabc Posted February 28, 2011 Posted February 28, 2011 Except, once again, the SW. Remember, the SE does not equal the south... I did not say it was and if you want a purely SW focused conference Bristol etc. is a good choice. However due to transports links being (rightly or wrongly) designed around London it's much easier for someone in the North (Leeds, Preston, Newcastle, York etc) or Midlands (Birmingham) or South East (Kent, Home Counties) to travel to London than for them to travel to the South West.
GrumbleDook Posted February 28, 2011 Posted February 28, 2011 Milton Keynes FTW! Actually ... wouldn't it be wonderful to go a little further north and have one in Northants for a change?
witch Posted February 28, 2011 Author Posted February 28, 2011 Actually ... wouldn't it be wonderful to go a little further north and have one in Northants for a change? Oh shut up Grumbly and start your own poll!! Seriously though - the point is that people who are in the 'South East' find it fairly OK to get to London, whereas that isnt so easy for us who are a bit further left. Yes, a conference in London would be a very good idea but as they are having a 'Northern Conference' we felt it important that we should be able to have one a lot further South - there are many of us who do not live near very good road and rail links and so it would need to be further over. In an ideal world there would be one up north, one in Scotland, one in MK, one in London, one in Kent, one in Bristol and one in Plymouth. We can only dream
somabc Posted February 28, 2011 Posted February 28, 2011 Seriously though - the point is that people who are in the 'South East' find it fairly OK to get to London, whereas that isnt so easy for us who are a bit further left. Yes, a conference in London would be a very good idea but as they are having a 'Northern Conference' we felt it important that we should be able to have one a lot further South - there are many of us who do not live near very good road and rail links and so it would need to be further over. Hear Hear for more Edugeek Conferences, and I'm all for a South / West Conference if you think that would suit best.
joe90bass Posted February 28, 2011 Posted February 28, 2011 In an ideal world there would be one up north, one in Scotland, one in MK, one in London, one in Kent, one in Bristol and one in Plymouth. We can only dream Beth am Cymru?
elsiegee40 Posted February 28, 2011 Posted February 28, 2011 In an ideal world there would be one up north, one in Scotland, one in MK, one in London, one in Kent, one in Bristol and one in Plymouth. We can only dream We'll have to take the LibDem conference approach and rotate each year. Newcastle, Milton Keynes, Bristol & Birmingham would do it
witch Posted February 28, 2011 Author Posted February 28, 2011 Beth am Cymru? Ach a Fi! - One in Wales, one in Scotland....etc etc
somabc Posted February 28, 2011 Posted February 28, 2011 Watch out you are going to get someone from the Channel Islands, Isle of Man, Ireland etc. complaining next!
Mr.Ben Posted February 28, 2011 Posted February 28, 2011 (edited) Onan yn Kernow? (Prize for 1st person to tell me where Kernow is!) Edited February 28, 2011 by Mr.Ben
witch Posted February 28, 2011 Author Posted February 28, 2011 Oh for goodness sake... Why did I offer to do this in the first place....? Where is 'The Scarfed One' when you need him... *seriously though - we are trying to get something sorted... 1
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