OK, here's some thoughts on the whole idea of people with kids possibly being banned from brining them near any Mittens/Brittens events:
What do people feel about a separate Familittens event. Here's my pros/cons.
Pros
1. Kids wont disturb those who dont like kids/have hangovers/feel grumpy at that moment
2. Drunks/grumpy/stupid people wont disturb the kids
3. Parents can talk about nappies, vomiting, potty training etc without disturbing the non-parents
4. If Alynn comes we can do wife-swapping, etc. ;)
5. People without kids who would still want to come would be welcome
6. Need to run police checks on random internet people who want to meet your kids?
Cons
1. CJ, AGA, scotch and other people I'd like to meet probably wouldn't want to come
2. Might be too tame for anyone who did come's tastes
3. My bins would be overloaded with nappies
4. Obviously any kids would still need to attend with their parents, so its not an open invitation to the 13-year-olds out there (is that a pro, maybe? :) )
5. Maybe some resentment abotu exclusion from the main meetings. This would be mitigated if (1) was not an issue.
So I'd like some discussion on this, and also an indication of who, kids or not, would be interested in a tamer version of these meet-ups. I don't want to put pressure on anyone: I wouldn't expect CJ (or anyone) to feel he "has" to go to some event. If it turns out that its just Nikolas and me, then we'll sort something out between ourselves. Probably for those with families, its much more expensive (and complicated) to travel, so we need to get the location right to allow as many people as possible to come. My kids will both be over two, so the "free infant" on planes stops :(
My only thought is: what could you actually do for a week/weekend/whatever, with a load of kids and the obvious need for some relatively strict rules? I know parents can find it in themselves to discuss their children for hours at a time, but what would everyone else do. Obviously you and Nikolas would be fine, but it could be a little uneventful for most people.
Yeah, I'm not sure what the activities the event would include. Presumably you wouldn't be able to go out to a restaurant or bar in the evenings because the kids would need to be in bed, and in the daytime you'd only be able to do things where the kids could be catered for.
I'm sure a meeting of AGS parents could work out fine because you're all in the same situation, but you're right in that I for example probably wouldn't attend.
If you really want to come to a meet up, put your kids in kennels for a week and pop down to Brittens ;)
I can see where you're coming from, but I don't think I'd be overly interested.
Even when girlfriends or wives attend mittens, it's more because they're involved in the scene in some way than just 'here is my family'. They're also adults, so that makes activities easy to do.
Well, I would expect that sometimes the kids and the other-halves woudl go off and do stuff together sometimes, leaving the AGSers to actually go and do pub/adventure/whatever things, so its not as if we're would be going to spend a week in soft play centres and the Disney shop...
I can foresee this:-
"MUM!!! I don't want to go walking!"
"Daaaaaaaaaaaaaad! I want to go to McDonalds!"
"I'm boooooooooooored. I want to go home."
"I want an ice cream!" "You can't have an ice cream we are nowhere near an ice cream vendor" "I WANT AN ICE CREAM! waa waa waa!"
"I want to go into town with you!" "You can't, we're going to a pub, it's for adults only." "I WANT TO GO TOOOOO! *throws a hissy fit*"
::) The above is that true it's almost not funny anymore....but then, I can imagine "adults" performing those same lines. *shudders*
Regards,
Yickle.
And Helm, we can forget that, even posting less, all the "girlfriends" who came to this mittens, were actually members! :) I don't feel like "Becky is DS's girlfriend"... no. I feel she is Becky, "member 1721" of the AGS community. I haven't seen her work here, but I have seen her posts, and I am sure she is collaborating with Adam in some degree in the game making process, same for Dominika and Lore.
About familymittens... I don't think it could work. As CJ said, wifes are welcome, I guess, if they are convinced to come and meet the weird AGS friends, but you should look for a shelter for the kids during that week and come alone, or with adult company... :-\
The thing is with my kids, if I have some time not with them and with my wife it is so rare and precious, I'm not going to go and spend it with a bunch of internet nerds :P
On the other hand, I'm not going to go off on my own for an extended period either, so I think unless I can do one of the meets as a flying visit easily (and that pretty much means that it is somewhere north of Leeds) then I won't be at one for a decade or so...
Quote from: SSH on Mon 28/08/2006 16:45:40
The thing is with my kids, if I have some time not with them and with my wife it is so rare and precious, I'm not going to go and spend it with a bunch of internet nerdsÃ, :P
Preciselly.
I don't see why there can't be two different venues at the same time. The family venue for me, SSH, Alynn (in which case everyone would want to attend ;)), Vince etc... with families, and the other venue with the normal mittens followers. Considering that the venues are in the same place, I can bet that some hours a day I can leave my wife and kids and come meet the rest (as I did for exmaple with Radiant when he was in London, but then things got screwed up as I was with fever and he without mobile batery... slightly off topic...). Going to a pub after 9- whatever does not seem to me as a problem at all, or actually staying up all night. On the other hand I don't think that anyone will mind if I take my kids to check out some Scotland castles (for example that is), and anybody else that wants to join in will be mroe than welcome. Of course those who join will have to be ready for the extensvie talk about nappies, poop, poty training and all kinds of boring stuff.
I consider it as this: I live in London, where all my friends do. When I want to meet with them, I can either dump my famiyl and meet them (which does happen, but not a lot), or invite them at home, where they have to respect my kids. Being in holidays even for an extensive weekend, does strike me as the same.
Am I wrong?
Hey hey hey kids are alright. At Sporrans, Alba played dress up and acted out a story improvised by SSH, his wife is very nice and made completely vegetarian dinners both nights I was there, and we even managed to go out crawling for pubs twice. It was the true essence of fun :D The family atmosphere is nothing to discount right away, though I guess it isn't for everyone.
Next year it's your turn Nikolas :P
You ask if there's something wrong in your argument Nikolas... And there is. You say that if we go to a place with kids we should accept the rules of the host. That's preciselly the main concern. If there are going to be such rules, many won't want to come.
So, the solution is to change the host, therefore, with your rule of 3, this new host would put set this rules, which might include a "no kids" one. Does your rule still be applied? Because therefore, no kids...
I think it's quite easy...
Another thing if the family men come to a brittens hosted by a non-family-man AGSer, and pop up to say hello a couple of hours per day. I think that would be ok.
And Disco, your argument can't really be applied here. I think we're not discussing if SSH, or Nikolas along with their families, could be supperbs hosts for you, or for me and Lorena. We are talking if they would feel comfortable with a group of internet nerds who only have 2 or 3 weeks per year to meet and want to concentrate all this fun in such short periods. It's not the same example at all, sorry.
Well Nacho, that's why I mentioned two different venues.
You can go adn get drunk all the night, and do whatever you want and smoke and all that, where you stay (at a campsite for example), while me and SSH and anybody else can stay smoke free etc... So no problem there.
In the time where we meet together, if there are kids there needs to be some repsect, but we (I certainly and I guess SSH also) will make sure to come along and meet and spent time with the other AGSers 'off-house' and 'off-kids', so no rules at all.
If you don't want to the castles and all that, because you can't handdle kids or families, it's totally acceptable and this is why the 2 different venues exist. There is always the possiblity that my wife will be too tired, or bored, or want to go shoping, in which case castle time will be kid-free and AGS friendly.
I mean it's simple. If you come to London and stay at a hotel, won't you want to meet me? We will meet. I'll make the best to meet you outside my house and without my family (cause let's face it, even I feel more free this way). After that I will invite you to my home for dinner, and drinks and whatever. After all after a certain hour kids go to sleep and except for noise restriction no other restriction apply really (unless I will have to lock any doors??? which I doubt). Something like that. If you want on the second night to go to a pub, I might follow. The third I probably won't. But you will have the other AGSers to follow and I will have the other family members who may (or may not) agree with me.
Still I'm a patient man.
I can always get myself with my family towards Edinburgh and thus meet SSH+family and anybody else in the way (for example Matt, who is in the Middlelands...) . For another mittens I will have to wait at least a year (or maybe more). IF dates work fine I may have vacation where my wife does not and my kids could be in Greece with their granny so everything would be settled, thus believe me I would follow you!
As said, I would be perfectly comfortable with the situation... I am moving to Canterbury this spring to spent a week with Mark Hill and his wife, and the two kids (A friend of mine, there are pics of him in the Mittens photos)
But I am not sure about the others. And, to be honest, if someone is NOT coming to some of the meets, I'd preffer them to be people I haven't already met... I promise to pop up if I go to London or Scotland, I really like familiar enviroments... :) But I am still unsure about the mix of that atmosphere with the one I've seen in the meets.
Dunno, I don't really want to be the paladdin of the "not for children!!111" attitude, since, I repeat, it does not represent a big concern to me. :)
Can it BE any tamer?
I never thought AGS was a closed club. If it is, I'm at the wrong placeÃ, :-\Ã, Ã, People should make the most of those traditional mittens for as long as they last, because it seems inevitable that in the future there are going to be many small gatherings worldwide due to the international character of this community and some of them will have specific characteristics. There's no reason to make a fuss about it. You can work harder on CJ-cloning if you like :P but that's that.
What I read in all these post-mittens-family-or-wherever-it's-next mittens threads, is just that the AGS "kids" have grown up, that the AGS community has grown and that some of the "original uniform AGS group charm" is lost, but this is not a bad thing, if you ask me. It only shows that AGSers can walk and talk at the same time. I mean they have separate, evolving lives, which is good, which is creative.
Would you rather see AGS community trapped in those "time bubbles", a frozen moment of past glories just before the Pluto's revenge comes upon us, :P (which will never come of course, because that's what time bubbles are for? :P )
Wait... Does that mean that saying that bringing kids to meetings can be a bad idea is wanting to freeze the time?
Wow...
Quote from: Nacho on Mon 28/08/2006 19:29:13
Wait... Does that mean that saying that bringing kids to meetings can be a bad idea is wanting to freeze the time?
Wow...
I think I mentionned "many different gatherings with different characteristics" in the future as people grow up, which means they are still a part of the community but they also live their lives and althought the traditionnal "once a year mittens somewhere and who can make it makes it and has fun and CJ is always there" is a good and original thing that anyone would enjoy, it might have to change a little.
I wouldn't want a toddler or a six year old
devil child when I'm on this kind of holidays, but this doesn't mean those people should be completely left out. As someone said, they could live nearby and spend some time with the group. Or have a separate meeting. Or sell the children to get discounts. Whatever... :P
The idea is that you meet people through AGS but if for some reason they change hobbies later in life (although I can't see why would anyone want to change sprites for nappies :P ), you still talk to them or visit them or want to meet them anyway.
If I had come to Spain, I'd probably want to do some sightseeing (I love historical sites and folklore) and spend much time with the group but not the entire time. Is that equivalent to death sentence or do I get away by finishing five difficult games without walkthrough?? :P
What we are discussing here is that brittens can be made in a house with two or four little kids.
As everything you mentioned in your post was not related to the topic I won't... well, I can't, reply. I don't think I've prohibited SSH or Nikolas to make a family mittens or something... I just say that a familymittens and brittens together shouldn't, as far as my expererience says, work.
And about what happened in Spain... dunno, you should have came in spite of ASSUMING that we are not able to do sightseeing, visit historical sites and learn folklore. Are you saying that we are a bunch of internet drunk nerds without the necessary sensibility to do such things?
Maybe the second sentence of your post before last was correct, then...
I didn't assume you haven't done any sightseeing, I said I'd do too much of it, more than it's normal on holidays. I meant I would spend too much time away from the group which I'd be supposed to hang out with. Even my friends are not happy about this habit of mine, let alone the strangers.
It was more about "things unrelated to AGS that you do during mittens". I believe you all do such things during mittens and I wanted to stress that fact and that it's not a problem for people which means many different people can attend.
I'm in this forum. I'm not an internet drunk nerd. Why would I assume that you are?
I didn't say anyone prohibited anything. I think I said "different " gatherings.
Both meetings together wouldn't work, especially at one house, but two different meetings at the same region with overlapping schedules some of the time could. I couldn't be near kids, because I'd have to watch my mouth and it would feel like office hours etc. I wouldn't like it, but I could live with it for a couple of hours if it could help some people meet others.
I don't expect anyone to be able to attend mittens. Some people can't afford it, some people work at the time of the meeting, some people fall ill and there are one milion other things that can get in the way. I didn't even make it to the mittens in Greece. How's that for forward planning? ::)
While reading all post mittens, next mittens and family mittens threads, I had the impression that it excludes some people. It must be the way some phrases were written. My mistake.
I have to believe you since you were there and I wasn't. It was just an impression. Sorry if I misunderstood the meaning of those threads.
By logical deduction, if you say "I would have done the cultural things alone" that implies that the rest of the AGSers were not there, ergo, "The rest of the AGSers don't have the cultural sensitivity to make such things".
Ok... if now the things is that you are a cultural zealot (^_^) , that is a new aspect of the equation, all the logical deduction is no longer valid. Damn, if your own friends can't follow your pace in your cultural tours, saying that we wouldn't either is not an insult! :)
And yes... This meetings are not for everybody. We've been making meetings for 5 years. Asking for the members with children 5 days without them (in 5 years!) is not much, IMHO.
I know that "their time is precious", but our time is probably as precious as their time, you know? We might want to be able to enjoy all the time of this meetings completely, and, whereas families are tender and lovely, THEY ARE NOT the BEST option for be into this events.
We can even agree to make a "relaxed brittens" and go with the kids, you know? We could make the sacrifice... But, still, it wouldn't be THE BEST OPTION. And everything else, saying that "we want to freeze the time", "we are exlusive" and "we life in bubbles" is a correct dialectic tactic, but is still uncorrect (bullshit, in common lenguaje ;)), because that's not what we are discussing. Sorry.
I'm certainly not suggesting that kids at every AGS meet would be a good idea. But its rather one-sided to say that there will be no people with kids at ANY meet, surely?
QuoteThe thing is with my kids, if I have some time not with them and with my wife it is so rare and precious, I'm not going to go and spend it with a bunch of internet nerds Ã,Â
So you won't give up your time to come and join the rest of us, but you will gladly let the rest of us come to you when you have free time? We're still nerds, either way... You'd rather subject your family to a bunch of people you've never met AND their kids?
Perhaps you should attend a Mittens greet before deciding how good or bad this kind of idea is, SSH. 21 people has its problems, and I'm sure 10 to 15 including kids wouldn't be so easy, too. What if one dad wanted to go out and get drunk but none of the others did! :p
Maybe a family thing is a nice idea, but I doubt very much we'll allow kids to go to a normal Mittens event. High maintenence holidays is not what Mittens is about. At other meets there could well be kids, but that would be an isolated event. Tottens :D
QuoteI'm certainly not suggesting that kids at every AGS meet would be a good idea. But its rather one-sided to say that there will be no people with kids at ANY meet, surely?
With the kids? With a group of 20 to 25 internet nerds who will probably want to swear, drink, smoke and... who knows, have sexual encounters? Well... if we make a big effort to behave correctly and hide this behaviour to them, yes, they could come, but still, it's light years far away from the perfect location for this events.
Quote from: Nacho on Mon 28/08/2006 21:13:30
Asking for the members with children 5 days without them (in 5 years!) is not much, IMHO.
Yes, but not all parents are THAT comfortable with leaving their children at home and worrying about their safety. Or should one parent stay at home while teh otehr is abroad on holidays.
I though the idea was to go somewhere and people with children would be somewhere nearby. I can't see my self baby-sitting or watching a toddler making sprites ::). Still, they could come and live nearby. I could spend a couple of hours TOTALÃ, :P in the families company, or else AGS would seem exclusive. But judging from the growing numbers of the attendees, separate meeting might be a reality befor we know it.
Quote from: Nacho on Mon 28/08/2006 21:13:30........ And everything else, saying that "we want to freeze the time", "we are exlusive" and "we life in bubbles" is a correct dialectic tactic, but is still uncorrect (bullshit, in common lenguajeÃ, ;)), because that's not what we are discussing. Sorry.
I said "would you rather..blah blah freeze time, would you rather trap AGS in a time bubble" meaning that it's not what you re actually doing, thatÃ, you don't want to freeze time etc etc
Now I'm confused.
The inital idea for SSH to host the next Britens was a really kind one, but there could be problems. For me this idea is out of the question for all the reasons mentioned earlier.
But this thread has moved to keeping people with families out, sort off, which as Andrew says, is one-sided. But definately I don't want to spoil the fun of anyone. I just don't see how this can happen really. After all having a family means having eternal company (whether this is good or bad dunno but it's a different thread really ;D). You take off wherever you want and cp will go to the sites and I will stay home nappy changing and talking. Plus of course if we were to stay in SSH house, there would be simple rules. I don't think that he would expect 20 people to actually keep absolutely quiet after 20:00 hours! But maybe a lot of swaring or out of hand situations maybe shuold be restricted somehow.
anyway... enough with my posting... I've reached a fair number of posts for today. Time to move to another forum for further posting ;D
EDIT (Nacho): So no Nikolas, or SSH for any mittens... :'( ??
EDIT 2 (cp): Exactly that
No one has pohibited to attend mittens. The ideal is you to look for 5 days of 356 without the kids (Well, just 5 days from 1,787 days, because we have been making meetings for this time...).
But if you want to come with the kids, we won't aim you with an AK-47 or something... We won't be unpolite... But you won't probably enjoy it, and the others would probably have to limit theirself because of it.
I think it's quite clear.
I agree with Nacho, because...
(http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/forumages.jpg?update)
most of us are between 16 and 26.
I like to stay up late, have a drink and laugh out loud. I'm a student, and it's hard to relate to family men. It doesn't mean that I don't like you, but just that I have different values, habits and intrests. If you're happy hanging out the nappies, then I'd rather be... unhappy.
You have to remember that the majority of forum members want to meet other forum members. And your kids aren't forum members. It's supposed to be a meet of AGS developers. Anything else and it loses its meaning. Why don't you AGS families just meet up on your own accord? Or, as SSH said - have a specially designed family Mittens/Brittens - so that others can attend one elsewhere.
Quote from: m0ds on Mon 28/08/2006 21:44:58
Or, as SSH said - have a specially designed family Mittens/Brittens - so that others can attend one elsewhere.
Well this way I won't get to meet 21 people that interest me greatly, including you Mark. That's why.
Quote from: m0ds on Mon 28/08/2006 21:23:35
Perhaps you should attend a Mittens greet before deciding how good or bad this kind of idea is, SSH. 21 people has its problems, and I'm sure 10 to 15 including kids wouldn't be so easy, too. What if one dad wanted to go out and get drunk but none of the others did! :p
Maybe a family thing is a nice idea, but I doubt very much we'll allow kids to go to a normal Mittens event. High maintenence holidays is not what Mittens is about. At other meets there could well be kids, but that would be an isolated event. Tottens :D
Nearly everyone is reading what I am saying as me taking the kids along to all AGS stuff. No, what I was planning to do if I'd been able to go to Benidorm is stay with my wife and kids some of the time and go off with the AGSers another part of the time. If at some point there was something that the kids could enjoy too, like a theme park, then great.
Now, as for leaving the kids, my wife wouldn't be able to do it for 5 days, not yet, and not in a different country. I'd probably miss them a lot too, never mind whether they could manage. And since I married my wife nearly 8 years ago I have spent a total of 3 nights away from her, for essential work travel, and I hated it. Sorry for being romantic, but there you are. If I did have some time without the kids, I'd spend it with the most important person in my life who has been waiting 4 years for some real time alone.
So, all I was saying at the beginning was, would any non-family people be interested in going to a family-style meet? Apart from Ken, cp and Nikolas most people seem quite offended at the whole idea!
I'm not saying I wouldn't necessarily be interested, BUT, not to sound selfish, but what would we actually do? I like kids, but I couldn't spend 18 hours a day, for a week, with them. My (now 12-years-old) sister was bad enough ;)
Heh, Famittens...
Why don't you just have a little get together where Nik and family go to SSH's house and then extend an open invite to anyone else who wants to come? I guess without the "ittens" in the name you don't get the interest of the rest of the AGSers... and with the "ittens" comes certain expectations that might not be met at a gathering that includes kids.
I'd love to come to something like this with my wife and daughter because if there are two things I like talking about, it's adventure games and poop. But I know that I wouldn't be able to come because: A.) it would be really expensive to fly from Japan with the whole family, and B.) my wife would feel uncomfortable because she wouldn't be able to understand our conversations.
Certainly is kind of awkward having someone's family around an AGS meet... I don't know what it'd be like if the family is meant to be part of the meet, but I can't imagine it'd work too well, and when there's a wife and two children for each AGSer present, it's not really an AGS meet anymore. I think the best thing for you to consider is leaving the wife and kids for a weekend and coming to a normal AGS meet, as Alynn considered this Brittens.
I'd probably go, if enough other AGSers were up for it, but it sounds like it'd put a damper on things... not because we'd have to work around kids, just because there'd be too many non AGSers and I'd feel sorry for them being dragged along.
I thought Id revive this thread instead of starting a new one.
I thought it was worthwile, since no real organisation has been done about brittens, and it needs to be done so overseas fellows can book tickets.
We need to sort out a date and a place. Im happy with Taffs Well since its close to me, but it depends on waht other people (and AGA) want to do.
As for time, easter or early summer would work best, but again its up to consensus. Something concrete needs to be sorted out soon though.
If it were easter, I would probably make an attempt on coming, which would then count it out, so consider that :)
I would actually come if it was easter, and less than 100 miles for me to drive. If more i'd have to get public transport i guess.
I'm probably spending Easter with my real friends, so I'd rather it be early-mid July or something (term doesn't finish for me until the last week of June this year for some reason). However, Mittens is July 12, so maybe having it even later would be better. Early August maybe, if people are willing to wait that long?
I dont mind waiting a bit. Just a concrete date for me to plan for. People like annie and disco need to booktickets soon for cheapness.
Early August is good for me, as long as it doesnt clash with festivals.
I wouldn't mind if Brittens was held in beautiful downtown Taff's Well again :D. For times, I'm not sure if June is any cheaper than August. August would give me more time to save, but I don't see too much difficulties as long as I am soon employed.
Since I am moving around mid-September I would probably just stay for a month like last year, wouldn't be spending any more money than I would coming home and sitting around for a month :P
I'd like it to be early July perhaps. At least before August. Easter wouldn't really suit me.
I'd vote for mid June, about the 15th is ok for most people in Uni I've heard. I think it's far away enough from Mittens.
I don't mind Taff's Well again, but if there's another place I'd also be interested in that, because I prefer to move it around to places I haven't stayed.
anytime in July would work best for me if i manage to show up. August is school-month for many.
I'm looking into an alternate location for Brittens, I should be able to say for certain in the next week or two.
Quote from: Pumaman on Wed 24/01/2007 20:36:30
I'm looking into an alternate location for Brittens, I should be able to say for certain in the next week or two.
Last Edit: Yesterday at 15:40 by Pumaman
CJ, you sneaky sneak man :P. While you are still seeking alternatives, I wonder if we might continue the timeframe discussion. The US Brittens wish-to-goers are planning on an exodus from NYC, and we have been largely thinking of mid June to take advantage of the rates, as we will have the most expenses. Though for myself the plan is to take a one-way to England and stay until the British Mittens folk leave for Toronto/wherever in July. Can we come up with at least semi-firm dates, or is it dependent on CJ's magical cabin availability report?
Uni for me finishes June 15th, I'm not going to Mittens so whenever. Just hold it, damnit.
Quote from: Disco on Thu 01/02/2007 14:46:32
The US Brittens wish-to-goers ... have been largely thinking of mid June
Quote from: Becky on Thu 01/02/2007 15:32:59
Uni for me finishes June 15th
Okay, then we haven't much to worry about :P
Quote from: Disco on Thu 01/02/2007 14:46:32
Can we come up with at least semi-firm dates, or is it dependent on CJ's magical cabin availability report?
Indeed, I am currently awaiting dates, as soon as I get the information I'll make a proper post about it.
I want to go!!!
newsbump.
That's term time for me, I will know for sure if I can or can't go at the start of June probably. If it's not too far from where I am and it is during term time, I should be able to go for a weekend.
Any update CJ? :P
I'd prefer beginning of June, but mid-june at the latest since prices go up then.
I appreciate that this is getting to almost farcical proportions now, so I propose that if I haven't managed to get the details within the next 2 weeks we fall back on Plan B and decide some dates to return to Taff's Well.
It looks like overall late June is probably the best compromise of dates, because it's late enough for people to have finished university, but not so late that travel prices go sky high.
/me prods CJ
Don't worry, I am prodding the appropriate person and he has promised to get back to me. I haven't forgotten!
But as I said, I understand that those of you coming from abroad need to book flights, therefore if I haven't heard anything by next Friday it's probably best if we go for plan B.
EDIT:
I've been promised the details on Monday, however in case that doesn't happen when would you be able to host, AGA?
Shouldn't be a problem.
So what's it to be? The anticipation is so intense I can hardly breathe >_<
Sorry for the delays guys, it's been as frustrating for me as I'm sure it has been for you. Anyway, at some point we have to just give up and go another plan, and I think that time is now.
So, thanks for offering to host again this year AGA, please take it from here!
Late June is preferable for me, since I'll have exams at the start of the month; and Mittens and other things happening in July.
So when is best for other people?
I've asked around quite a bit before, and it does seem late June is the best time (or the only good time, unless it's in August). It needs to be in the second half of the month for a lot of uni people.
How long until you'd be able to set some dates for the people flying? Obviously you have the family issue...
My family aren't an issue, they'll go whenever I ask them to. The dates can be decided when we know when will be most convenient for attendees.
Late June is best for me, as I will be moving across country straight after Mittens and starting uni August 15.
Late June is also great for me. Cast in my vote!
PS. It would be preferable if it could be before July 4th, as that day is not allowed off at my place of work.
Late june, after the 16th is best for me please!
After 15th for me.
i'm up for brittens before july 14th, end of june sounds fine. i'll have to skip uni, but that doesn't really matter a lot.
i can go any thursday evening/friday morning and stay for max. one and a half weeks.
which i will! i'll just scare your mum again :)
can you give some fixed dates already? if we book now we'll save a lot of money.
Quote from: AGA on Tue 27/02/2007 01:15:01
My family aren't an issue, they'll go whenever I ask them to. The dates can be decided when we know when will be most convenient for attendees.
I have to ask, do you just lock them in the cellar for the duration or actually change the locks on the house?
;)
Third time lucky?
Here's hoping. ::)
Quote from: mattgoble on Tue 27/02/2007 20:49:56
I have to ask, do you just lock them in the cellar for the duration or actually change the locks on the house?
;)
No, I just have a mother who'll do anything
tell ask her.
Quote from: AGA on Wed 28/02/2007 00:00:12
No, I just have a mother who'll do anything tell ask her.
Sure you don't challenge her to a game of pool?
"If you beat me at pool mum, you can stay, otherwise pack yer bags!"
So what about Wed 20 June-Wed 27 June? Okay by everyone?
Sounds good to me!
ALARM ALARM.
Those dates probably won't work out now. Seems my university term doesn't end until Friday 29 June, and I'd rather not risk a collision with exam dates. Would the first week of July be okay for everyone? Or even as early as Saturday 30th?
First week of July sounds brilliant to me. Means I can go away with my friends at the end of term. Perfect.
I have a proposal:
Hajo has said he'd like it before July 14th, and I can't go if July 4th is during, because that day is unavailable for time off at work. So...is there any way we could have it from Thursday July 5th to the following Thursday the 12th? I think AGA mentioned that his graduation is the 12th, so we could all clear off before the ceremony, or we could just stay an extra day and have a big celebration for our favorite graduated Welshie.
Thoughts?
I would like to see AGA graduate :D. We could all wear matching shirts like groups do on The Price is Right. They could say something like "We're here for Berian!".
I'm fine with whatever dates, though I was planning on a Parisian/Brusselian adventure the 11th/12th to 17th, but I am certain I can work it around whenever Brittens is set.
You wouldn't actually see me graduate, since only 2 guests are allowed to attend. However, you might see me wear a silly cape and mortar board :(
Thu July 5 - Thu July 12 okay with everyone then?
The problem with dates like 5-12th July is that it's getting really close to Mittens then, and I may well not be able to take two weeks off work so close to each other.
What about something like 26th June - 2nd July? When are you likely to find out your exam dates; presumably they've got to give you your results by the end of term, so the exams surely can't run into the final week...
Plus Swansea is a few train stops away!
Well graduation isn't until the middle of July, so conceivably exams could run until the end of term. I'll see if I can find out on Monday when the exams are liable to be though, if people are willing to wait.
Well, the other option of course is to go for an August Brittens, if people would want to do that?
Please no August Brittens. I really want to go this year and August doesn't suit me. :(
August would not work for me either. I would only be able to come if it was the absolute first week of August, which would tail Mittens by only three days. Also, I would have to skip my side trip :-\
EDIT- I just did a budget, and unless I happen to get a [good paying] job by the end of the month, I am out :(. I realised that although all the travel and accomodations can be easily paid, I would have barely any spending money for Brittens and Mittens, so I just have to wait and see what is happening in the next few weeks.
August is very late. But then ANY time is going to cause some people to not be able to go, but that's life. I think the most sensible suggestion was CJ's of "26th June - 2nd July", and that we shouldn't beat about the bush too much. Set the dates, if you can go you can if you can't you can't, Mittens and Brittens, Lapaset and Lactate will all be back next year :)
Quote from: Mods on Sat 03/03/2007 20:48:27
Mittens and Brittens, Lapaset and Lactate will all be back next year :)
Yes, but will YOU be??? :o
Anyway, I'm ok with June 26th-July 2nd.
Sounds good. :)
Of course, people who attended last year have built my expectations of Taffs Well to orgasmic proportions.
It better not let me down. >:(
No chance of it being a shade earlier in june, is there?
Not really. University doesn't end until near the end of June for most students.
:'(
I've budgeted my planned summer on paper, which is much less forgiving than mental budgeting. There is no way I can make this now -_-. A bit depressed, but I am much better off not going and becoming broke just before moving.
I shall upgrade Ingrid instead ^_^
Okay, apparently exams for me will be around the first couple of weeks of June. So 26th-July 2nd should be fine, if everyone else is alright with that?
I know most people are, but I'm sure not everyone else will be, but those dates are as good as any other, so lets go with them. That way we're not having to make the decision of who to prevent from coming after they tell us.
26th June - 2nd July! I'll book my plane now. With that very small airline that flies over these couple of valleys.
Which side of Wales will this be? Could you circle it on a map of Wales for me please? :)
(http://www.caverider.com/temp/taffswell.jpg)
whoops, I used arrows instead of circling it.
Half an hour into Wales, just off the M4, also has a railway station and busses from Cardiff aren't too hard.
I might be a day late, but I'll be there!
Quote from: LimpingFish on Sat 03/03/2007 21:14:46
Of course, people who attended last year have built my expectations of Taffs Well to orgasmic proportions.
It better not let me down. >:(
Have you ever heard the song "Somewhere Over the Rainbow"? It's about Taff's Well.
I hope there is a good pub in Taff's well...
Is there a Well? Or just a storm drain? :D
Awesome, i could do that.
There's a well, yeah, good luck getting to it though, it's all barred up.
That's pretty backward. They bar up the well that gives the town its name? Shame :(
I think it would only be backward if they barred it up before naming the town. Although, a barred up well isn't necessarily a closed one, you can still use it, just not drop children down it.
and THATS the kind of interesting chatter you can expect form me at Brittens! hooray!
I may turn up. I may not. It remains to be seen.
Oh, a warning: we recently got two dogs. They're both pretty small, about terrier-sized (a poodle and a Lhasa apso), so they're nothing to be feared. We also have two cats. So allergic people, beware!
Yay dogs!Ã, I plan on coming, might be half of the week again like last year, we'll see, but i should be there.
I love dogs! I don't hate cats. I am allergic to neither.
I do hate fleas, though, as they seek me out like...fleas...on a...dog. Um. I am also semi-allergic to their bites.
Not that I would infer that AGA's critters would be anything other than spotless. And flealess.
AGA on the other hand... :o
Can we pit the dogs against the cats in a fight to the death?
Also, is 26th June - 2nd July the definite date now? Or would it make more sense to go for 25th June - 1st July so that it runs Monday - Sunday instead of Tuesday - Monday?
Sounds alright to me. Why did whoever suggested 26-2 choose those dates?
I think I suggested them, no real reason for the choice. Either way I'm not really bothered, I guess the best thing now is probably just to announce the definite dates so that people can start to book stuff.
Any objections to the dates 25 June - 01 July? If there are no objections in the next 24 hours, these will be the dates of Brittens 2007.
I might have to miss the first bit depending on when my exams fall.. Term doesn't end officially until the 27th for me so I could have exams any time up till then, hopefully I wont - but sods law.
Although its only half hour away I would like to go home for a few nights, have proper food and get my clothes washed for free.
Also, if it comes done to choosing between Kat and you, AGA, Kat wins!
I don't think you should change the dates though, Im sure Ill beable to make it for a couple of days again.
:'(
If it's not a huge problem, I'd prefer the 26th, because it means I and the other Americans would be flying out on the 25th, and flights are cheaper leaving on Monday than Sunday. That's really the only reason.
EDIT - Never mind, I should do my research before I post. It's actually cheaper to fly on Sunday for some reason, so 25th to 1st will be fine.
Quote from: Hotspot on Thu 08/03/2007 23:39:49
Although its only half hour away I would like to go home for a few nights, have proper food and get my clothes washed for free.
But eating junk food for a week is the only reason I go to the *ittens meets!
Flights booked! Only one airline flies direct from Dublin to Cardiff, and it isn't one of the budget ones. :(
Booking the flights this far in advance was necessary, as prices can hit (based on what happened last year) in excess of 300 euro!
I arrive in Cardiff on the evening of the 26th and shall be departing on the evening of the 29th.
Don't miss this opportunity to meet/ridicule the only (living) person who can accurately imitate the shriek of a dying Taun-Taun! (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taun-Taun#T) :D
Any dates are good, I still haven't changed my mind so I'm definatley still coming as far as I can see and most likely for the whole week or at least half.
Dates are fine, though I'd prefer it to end on the Sunday.
The 1st July is a Sunday...
...and the 25th June is a Monday. Perfect :)
I have no objections to the dates...
I have no objections...because I booked my flight! I'll be there on the 25th through the 1st.