Difference between revisions of "Venue"

Revision as of 10:37, 19 March 2013

Gas Green

Our main venue for Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 August 2013 will be Gas Green Community Centre, Cheltenham, UK. The venue owners have confirmed this and the deposit has been paid.

• Google maps
• Address: Gas Green Community Centre, Baker Street, Cheltenham GL51 9HQ, UK
• Long/Lat: 51.90726, -2.08458

Toilets, including a toilet for the disabled, are available at the venue. The games are held on the ground floor, one shallow step access from the street.

A kitchen is available for tea and coffee making facilities. There is a convenience store on the corner of the street, and a large 24-hour Tesco supermarket nearby.

Fringe venues

There will also be some optional "fringe" events on the Friday evening, probably a restaurant followed by a pub function room. On the Friday afternoon, there may be an "Early Arrivals Meet & Greet" at a teashop.

More to follow.

Accommodation

The three most popular hotels with attendees are:

• Holiday Inn Express, reliable chain hotel between Cheltenham centre and venue, 10 mins walk to venue, large secure 24/7 NCP car park next door, GL50 4AP map
• Big Sleep, large "boutique" hotel in the centre of Cheltenham, 20 mins walk to venue, GL50 1XZ map
• Premier Inn Cheltenham West, budget but reliable motel on the edge of Cheltenham, very convenient for drivers, 30 mins walk to venue or 41 & 42 bus every 15 mins, GL51 9SL map

Cheltenham has a huge number of hotels ranging from budget B&Bs to five-star luxury at The Queens Hotel. Here's Tripadvisor's list and Cheltenham Tourist Information Centre's accommodation search page which allows you to filter by price etc. If you driving, you can save money by considering less expensive nearby areas; Tewkesbury in particular is very convenient with several good value hotels, and there's Premier Inn Gloucester Twigworth which is easy to commute from.

You can discuss recommendations on the mailing list.

Transport

By car

Main article: Transport/By car

• Head to M5 junction 11 (from the south/Bristol/Swindon) or junction 10 (from the north/Birmingham)
• then follow GPS to postcode GL51 9HQ (Google Maps)

For more detail, please see Transport/By car which includes road routes and parking.

Air, rail and coach

Main article: Transport/By public transport

• Convenient train station: Cheltenham Spa CNM (1 mile / 1.5km)
• Convenient airports: Birmingham BHX (55 miles / 90km), London Heathrow LHR (90 miles / 145km)
• Convenient coach services: National Express (Royal Well bus station, 1.5 miles / 2km), Megabus (Promenade, 1.5 miles / 2km)

Bristol and Cardiff airports are also candidates, but not as easy to get to/from as Birmingham and Heathrow. Avoid Gatwick, Luton and and particularly Stanstead (Why not Stansted?) unless you really have lots of time for your journey.

For more detail, please see Transport/By public transport.

Local buses

Main article: Transport/By public transport

• Stagecoach buses 41, 42 and C all run from the town centre to Old Gas Works on Tewkesbury Road (near Gas Green), every 15 minutes. The Old Gas Works bus stop is easily spotted by the enormous Tesco next to it.
• Stagecoach bus D (Hatherley - Racecourse - Bishops Cleeve) runs from railway station to the town centre every 10 minutes

For more detail, please see Transport/By public transport.

Local sights

If you're planning a longer stay, the following nearby sights are well worth a visit:

• The Promenade, Montpellier and Suffolk Road districts of Cheltenham - Regency streets with boutique shopping and antiques shops.

• Gloucester Cathedral, a large, spectacular medieval gothic cathedral, burial place of a king and a prince, and filming location for Harry Potter. Bus 94 runs every ten minutes, taking you from Cheltenham Promenade to Gloucester Bus Station, only five minutes' walk to the cathedral.

• Broadway, Worcestershire is one of many lovely Cotswold villages. Castleways bus 606 will take you there, via Winchcombe which is another charming small Cotswold town. As well as the beautiful village of Broadway itself, with a large number of teashops and boutiques, there is a huge, free activity park with adventure playground equipment for adults and children of all ages.

• Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway is a steam heritage line running from Cheltenham Racecourse to Winchcombe. Take Stagecoach bus D from Cheltenham town centre to the racecourse, then walk north across the large car parks, around the west side of the racecourse to the railway station.

• If you have young children, the town of Bourton-on-the-Water makes an excellent daytrip with lots to keep little ones entertained at reasonable prices. We particularly recommend Bourton Model Village and the penguins at Birdland. Pullhams bus 801 will take you to Bourton.