My National Weekend
4 May 2003 01:50 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
karohemdFriday
Slept relatively well, got up about 10ish, slowly got ready and left Cambridge a bit after 12.
There was already heavy traffic on the A14 til after Huntingdon, then clear sailing til Junction 6 or so of the M6. Then it was just really bad with stretches of stop-and-go and flowing traffic. Bank Holiday Weekend traffic and various roadworks didn't help, of course. I guess it took me about one hour to get around Brum. Oh well, was to be expected, really. Finally got to Stoke about 15:30.
Found the hotel in Stoke easily enough and checked in. Single room with narrow single bed (mine at home is wider), sink, TV, desk thing and a bathroom with a huge bath.
Changed, got directions to the Town Hall from the cute receptionist and wandered over. Picked up my pass from![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
aglokulo, said Hi to davywavy and Tracey, checked in my PC and wandered around a bit, meeting and greeting people. Gave syeniess another chocolate fix which she seemed to need and then went to search for food with riksowden. The Wetherspoon had really cool prices (I had change from a tenner for two meals and two pints of ale). Had some reasonable conversation with Rik and two other Cammies whose name I didn't catch.
Wandered back, got hugs from the lovelykizzie, got ready and went time in for C/A a bit. Not too much going on but the setup of McGregor was quite amusing.
Went back to the hotel to change out of BvR costume, wandered back through heavy rain and hung around, taking photos at the Sabbat game and chatting to people likesuzerain.
Walked back to hotel withsherbetsaucers, watched TV a bit (Star Trek night, it seemed) and had a lovely soak in the bath. The tub is almost too long for me, i can full stretch out. Bah, I want it at home. Shower is OK but every now and then a bath is wonderful.
Saturday
Woke up a bit earlier than my wakeup call but hung around in bed for a bit, had breakfast withsherbetsaucers and one of the Hatfield lot, got ready and wandered over to the venue. Got briefed for Mage, hung around taking photos or chatting to people OOCly, and then played my bit. I was a gibbering idiot the PCs rescued from a technoc facility. The took me back to the main place, when a recorded message in my head went off and then my head exploded. I enjoyed it very much and much kudos goes to ksirafai for the great makeup. The only problem was when I collapsed on the table, I must have hit the camera which was in my pouch and now the LCD is broken :o( This made guessing the right flash setting a little tricky and some of the rest of the photos of the evening didn't come out very well. I hope replacing it won't be too expensive.
Got something to eat from the cantine and then attended the AGM which was a lot more civilsed than I had expected it to be probably because none of the usual moaners and whingers were there and only those who had something to say or had genuine interest. Obviously, there was too much discussion and we ran out of time but I think it wasn't bad for the first one.
The election results were announced andkathminchin and borusa as well as Colin and Tracey are still with us as National Officers, with RBS winning the NST vote by members count only.
Ran back to the hotel to get changed, ran back again, attended the Tremere Clan Meeting which was sort of interesting, hung around a bit chatting to people and then the main C/A game started. It was a reasonably quiet affair for me. 150+ PCs there and still hardly anyone who BvR would be interested in talking to apart from some fellow Tremere.
I didnt't win the ICC trip :o( butdavedevil won the award for the best costume which was well justified (he also had a great one at the Mage game).
Said goodbye to lots of people, went back to the hotel, slipped into something more comfortable and had a nice and relaxed chat and eating of pizza withpuddingcat, davywavy, sherbetsaucers, Tracey and Norm.
Sunday
Breakfast at 9:30, finshed packing, checked out, said goodbye to Jenny and Dave, needed to two tokens to get out of the car park as when I sat back in the car after putting the token in, the barrier had closed again. Thankfully, Tracey was there to help me. Sometimes it's a bit difficult having a car with left-hand steering.
Had thought about - excuse the pun - pottering around Stoke for a bid and maybe hit the museum or one of the factories but then I thought I already know these things, it's nothing new for me. Also, the traffic around Sunday midday shouldn't be so bad and I could spend the afternoon in the garden reading, so I drove off and with no traffic at all was in Cambridge a bit over 2 hours later. Not even at the various roadworks was there any trouble.
Right, off to the garden while it's still nice.
Photos will be up when they're ready and not earlier. No point in asking. Just check here.
Slept relatively well, got up about 10ish, slowly got ready and left Cambridge a bit after 12.
There was already heavy traffic on the A14 til after Huntingdon, then clear sailing til Junction 6 or so of the M6. Then it was just really bad with stretches of stop-and-go and flowing traffic. Bank Holiday Weekend traffic and various roadworks didn't help, of course. I guess it took me about one hour to get around Brum. Oh well, was to be expected, really. Finally got to Stoke about 15:30.
Found the hotel in Stoke easily enough and checked in. Single room with narrow single bed (mine at home is wider), sink, TV, desk thing and a bathroom with a huge bath.
Changed, got directions to the Town Hall from the cute receptionist and wandered over. Picked up my pass from
aglokulo, said Hi to davywavy and Tracey, checked in my PC and wandered around a bit, meeting and greeting people. Gave syeniess another chocolate fix which she seemed to need and then went to search for food with riksowden. The Wetherspoon had really cool prices (I had change from a tenner for two meals and two pints of ale). Had some reasonable conversation with Rik and two other Cammies whose name I didn't catch.Wandered back, got hugs from the lovely
kizzie, got ready and went time in for C/A a bit. Not too much going on but the setup of McGregor was quite amusing.Went back to the hotel to change out of BvR costume, wandered back through heavy rain and hung around, taking photos at the Sabbat game and chatting to people like
suzerain.Walked back to hotel with
sherbetsaucers, watched TV a bit (Star Trek night, it seemed) and had a lovely soak in the bath. The tub is almost too long for me, i can full stretch out. Bah, I want it at home. Shower is OK but every now and then a bath is wonderful.Saturday
Woke up a bit earlier than my wakeup call but hung around in bed for a bit, had breakfast with
sherbetsaucers and one of the Hatfield lot, got ready and wandered over to the venue. Got briefed for Mage, hung around taking photos or chatting to people OOCly, and then played my bit. I was a gibbering idiot the PCs rescued from a technoc facility. The took me back to the main place, when a recorded message in my head went off and then my head exploded. I enjoyed it very much and much kudos goes to ksirafai for the great makeup. The only problem was when I collapsed on the table, I must have hit the camera which was in my pouch and now the LCD is broken :o( This made guessing the right flash setting a little tricky and some of the rest of the photos of the evening didn't come out very well. I hope replacing it won't be too expensive.Got something to eat from the cantine and then attended the AGM which was a lot more civilsed than I had expected it to be probably because none of the usual moaners and whingers were there and only those who had something to say or had genuine interest. Obviously, there was too much discussion and we ran out of time but I think it wasn't bad for the first one.
The election results were announced and
kathminchin and borusa as well as Colin and Tracey are still with us as National Officers, with RBS winning the NST vote by members count only.Ran back to the hotel to get changed, ran back again, attended the Tremere Clan Meeting which was sort of interesting, hung around a bit chatting to people and then the main C/A game started. It was a reasonably quiet affair for me. 150+ PCs there and still hardly anyone who BvR would be interested in talking to apart from some fellow Tremere.
I didnt't win the ICC trip :o( but
davedevil won the award for the best costume which was well justified (he also had a great one at the Mage game).Said goodbye to lots of people, went back to the hotel, slipped into something more comfortable and had a nice and relaxed chat and eating of pizza with
puddingcat, davywavy, sherbetsaucers, Tracey and Norm.Sunday
Breakfast at 9:30, finshed packing, checked out, said goodbye to Jenny and Dave, needed to two tokens to get out of the car park as when I sat back in the car after putting the token in, the barrier had closed again. Thankfully, Tracey was there to help me. Sometimes it's a bit difficult having a car with left-hand steering.
Had thought about - excuse the pun - pottering around Stoke for a bid and maybe hit the museum or one of the factories but then I thought I already know these things, it's nothing new for me. Also, the traffic around Sunday midday shouldn't be so bad and I could spend the afternoon in the garden reading, so I drove off and with no traffic at all was in Cambridge a bit over 2 hours later. Not even at the various roadworks was there any trouble.
Right, off to the garden while it's still nice.
Photos will be up when they're ready and not earlier. No point in asking. Just check here.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 4/5/03 07:08 am (UTC)*hugs*
was good to see you, don't see friends enough
no subject
Date: 4/5/03 01:33 pm (UTC)Didn't see him about it was announced
no subject
Date: 4/5/03 01:34 pm (UTC)Good to see you as well :o)
*hugs*