[LX_Emergency]

Like I said...as much as I'd want to....if it's in May. You'd have to count me out.

[Makar]

I'll look into later alternatives of a similar nature if we think we can't raise enough attendees for our own bash of that sort. Otherwise it can just be a small gathering somewhere cheap as mentioned before. Let's see what B&B produces re interest. Just still trying to gauge what level this is going to work at - lots of ideas, nothing in or out. Would be good to have you over Alex.
At the moment from this site I get the feel that there are prob around 10-15 of us that would manage. That would certainly be a wee pub (razor willing) meet and with a bit of luck a cheap room thrown in that we can show razors/hones in etc. Eat and drink there to make it worth their while giving us a room, probably. Can't imagine a vendor attending, but maybe that's no issue. Let's see what B&B membership says and then I can search out more places and prices for whatever looks to be the scale of it all. If anybody else feels at any time that I am not doing the right things with this exploration please say. I would be happy with whatever ends up happening - 10 of us in a pub, 40 of us in a larger hall or piggy back on a knife show.

cheers
Stephen

[bjrn]

Originally Posted by LX_Emergency

I posted it at Badger and Blade.

I just posted over at SMF. I stole the text from your B&B post Alex, I hope you don't mind.

[Fraserazor]

This sounds great, if i can make it work permitting i would love to be there. I'm just starting out with straights it would be great to get some hand on help. Currently waiting for Lynn's straight razor DVD to arrive, hopefully i'll get a lot of info through that

[LX_Emergency]

No problem.

[trewornan]

Originally Posted by Makar

If anybody else feels at any time that I am not doing the right things with this exploration please say. I would be happy with whatever ends up happening - 10 of us in a pub, 40 of us in a larger hall or piggy back on a knife show.

You're doing a good job. I'm happy with any of the options you suggest, depending on numbers, date, etc. It's good of you to shoulder the organisation of this and I'm sure all of us who'd like to attend appreciate the effort you're putting in.

[Makar]

Thanks Trewornan

I have waited to see how the response is from Badger & Blade also. There are about 8/10 folk interested there. So I reckon on a good day we could get prob about 15-20 people together. So, by my brain, I imagine that we should try and get a small pub/hotel that is happy for us to meet and have a room to ourselves for the day. I am sure if I say that we will eat and buy some drinks there we can get a decent deal. This means, I would assume, that vendors just won't be interested. However Alex 'LX emergency' is still happy to come across and do a honing session and so on. So we have at least one offer of added value - I seem to remember that Tony 'portal5' was happy to talk about getting stuff ready for eBay and what to look out for etc. (sorry if my memory is stray on this one Tony!). I will contact Martin of Rasurpur.de and let him know the numbers and game plan. I imagine he will not be interested as such. However I also will tell him about the UK Knife show in May by Bristol. The organiser did offer a table for £90 for the day and this could be an entertaining day out and a bit of a recruitment day! I can get a cheap flight down to Bristol from here and may well go if he does. Anyway that's my thoughts.
I asked Alex (since he is travelling the big distance) to give me a couple of dates when he would be planning his family holiday over here. When that is in I will post them. Check dates are okay generally and then pin down a good meeting place.
Looking forward to a good day out - by August I might know a wee bit more to share also!!

Stephen

Originally Posted by trewornan

You're doing a good job. I'm happy with any of the options you suggest, depending on numbers, date, etc. It's good of you to shoulder the organisation of this and I'm sure all of us who'd like to attend appreciate the effort you're putting in.

[RalphS]

Hello from the north coast of the U. S. A. (Near Cleveland, Ohio - a city on the south shore of Lake Erie) . . . if SRP sets up a lottery to pay for my tickets, I'll be there! As a newbie, I will be there on a learning mission and a holiday, and not a teaching assignment. Can we play a round or two of golf?

All fun aside, if you can attrtact some of the famous European vendors to attend, you will have a smashing time. Try to attract Penhaligon's, Taylor, Dovo . . . I hope they'll come.

RalphS

[Garry]

Originally Posted by LX_Emergency

Like I said...as much as I'd want to....if it's in May. You'd have to count me out.

Like me .. at the of May I'll be in the US and June Thailand .. don't think I could afford to jump back to the UK for a day or so LOL ... It's gonna be a struggle to pay for those two trips as it is ..

[mr_magicfingers]

I wonder if the UK manufacturers could be persuaded to offer samples to the meet, or display their wares for trial/sale.

[Morturn]

Count me in on this too please

[Makar]

Just a quick shout to say that I haven't let this go completely cold. I will look into some small hotels that may offer an off season meeting room deal for mid/late September - Midlands area, as mentioned through the thread. Pretty busy with studies right now...
Have taked to Martin of Razorpur in Germany and he will prob not make it but will keep him informed just in case.
Hope to post some venues and prices in the next couple of weeks but I will be putting the feelers out for the weekends of 20/21 and 27/28 of September. If a deluge of folk come back saying 'no can do' then we can push further on a bit. if it is before that time I personally would have to withdraw as I have a dissertation date of 5th September. It is all complex but not impossible. I may pm everybody who has shown an interest so far - including over on B&B - with the venues and any details in the next couple of weeks. I am aiming at free use of a room if we are all eating and drinking, at least some of the time, in the hotel. All suggestions always welcome.

Thanks
Stephen

[Makar]

Okay - a bit further on with options:

Contacted a few hotels but with the best will in the world we are going to struggle to get a Birmingham hotel/pub that will provide a room for less than £100, then everything else, food drinks on top. The Old Joint Stock Theatre looked okay and was comparatively cheap at £100.

Birminham Community Centres. This seems like a good option and we will manage to get one that will suit our timings. Talked to the Kings Heath C.C. and they could probably let us have a decent sized room with tables and chairs and basic tea/coffee making facilities for £10 an hour. So if we met up at say 1300 we could use the room till 1800 for £50 split between us then head on to a pub/curry house/whatever for a meal followed by a few pints somewhere else. Dates I have mentioned continue to be 20th or 27th September. There are a good few other CC's that can accommodate us if for any reason the Kings Heath did not suit.

It may be a clever idea to not have any drink available during our 'business' and the community centre idea seems to suit that line. We can bring our own lunch/snack materials with us.

Thoughts gentlemen please

Stephen

[welshwarrior]

Good skills on doing your research. I'm in unless sthg unavoidable comes up with work, but will probably stay with friends who live in Brum. I'll still come for the social bit as well as the straight/strop/soap/hone fest!

[Makar]

Good to hear you're planning to come along - this has taken a wee while to progress but we are all busy in different ways. It hasn't quite grown a beard! With a bit of luck my honing skills may have reached a stage that I can do a bit of that on the day too!

I will wait for a few more replies to this general thought then set up a poll for the date and book a room.

cheers
Stephen

Originally Posted by welshwarrior

Good skills on doing your research. I'm in unless sthg unavoidable comes up with work, but will probably stay with friends who live in Brum. I'll still come for the social bit as well as the straight/strop/soap/hone fest!

[bjrn]

Don't have much to add other than that I'd still be interested in coming by in September as well.

[Rosco]

If there's gonna be someone there to give me hands on help with my honing, then I'm all on for coming too. Trying to learn how to hone at the minute, without much success.

Connor

[Makar]

I am sure there will - however you will probably have manged to gain some of your own skills in that area by that time too!

Overwhelming response was for 20th September in Birmingham. A community centre venue meeting at midday and carrying on after 1700ish for food and drinks. I will book the centre this week and post the location. It's a few months away and hopefully as many of us as possible can meet owing to this forward planning.

cheers
Stephen

[welshwarrior]

Originally Posted by Makar

I am sure there will - however you will probably have manged to gain some of your own skills in that area by that time too!

Overwhelming response was for 20th September in Birmingham. A community centre venue meeting at midday and carrying on after 1700ish for food and drinks. I will book the centre this week and post the location. It's a few months away and hopefully as many of us as possible can meet owing to this forward planning.

cheers
Stephen

Just to keep me and other members subscribed to this thread in the loop can you spoon-feed us and give us a link to any other threads ref this?!

Again, hat off on organising it. This could easily have wound on and on with the best will in the world without someone taking the horns of the bull!

[Makar]

Only a couple of PM's really came forward other than yourself and Bjorns response to the above. The date really just needed picked and so that's what I did. As you suggest it could go on for ever in a consultative way.
It should be far enough away to suit most folks diaries but there will always be some that can't make it no matter what.

I will finalise the venue because we could use one of about three community centres on that day in Birmingham. The price is always the same - £10 an hour. So for the full afternoon it is going to be £50. I will cover this if necessary initially and then hopefully the turn out will make it less than £ or £4 per member - if that.

So unless any strong opinions I still propose midday in Birmingham at a CC to be confirmed on Saturday 20th September. Cost as above, no more anyway, and other than that food and drink following the meet. Bring your own lunch, razors, hones, strops, bonhomie....

I will still try and forward this to all who have shown interest in previous posts but I am really up to my eyes in studies. No imminent rush I suspect but it would be good to see folk saying 'fine I will try and be there' or 'count me out'. When nothing comes back then decisions have to be made or just let it go and forget it! I will also put it on the B&B section that stimulated some interest a month back. Be nice to get some more converts over to SRP - I will prob get banned for doing it...surely not!

cheers
Stephen

Originally Posted by welshwarrior

Just to keep me and other members subscribed to this thread in the loop can you spoon-feed us and give us a link to any other threads ref this?!

Again, hat off on organising it. This could easily have wound on and on with the best will in the world without someone taking the horns of the bull!