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karohemdFriday
As I still felt rather tired at 9, I decided another hour of sleep would mean I'd have a safer drive to the other end of the country so I finally took off at 11:15. There were no problems at all so after three short breaks I found Minehead Butlins without getting lost once, got directions off![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
robinbloke, found our sparse room and got ready.
Wasn't too impressed with the site. The main hall was a huge pavillion/marquee thing, a bit drafty but OK. Got my badges and tickets and explored the trade and gaming hall a bit. There was quite a big area for open gaming but no notice board again. Said Hi to the lot at the Millennium Moon stand and picked up my character for Mars or Bust!. Had some OK dinner with Robin, Mark and Phil Masters at the Butlins restaurant, walked around a bit more and went over to play
Mars or Bust!
I don't want to tell too much about it in casedavywavy wants to run it again. Just to say it was great fun, there were some wonderful costumes, DT played Bismarck, cobraprime played a wonderfully evil and gloating Mekong, American Stuart played a genius Ming the Merciless, John C put on another great accent, and everybody else was superb, too.
After that, we headed of to Stately Wade Chalet for chats, nibbles and drinks (let's not talk aboutukmonty) and finally got to bed a bit after 2.
Saturday
After a mediocre breakfast with far too many running children and rude people, I again explored the trade hall, bought Creatures and Cultists and Munchkin Blender, played a game of Treasure Island (nice little boardgame, maybe a bit too simple with too much reliance on luck), tried to play Creatures and Cultists withrobinbloke, Paul and Louise (d'oh, should have asked if they had LJs) but found that there were play sheets missing. Going back to the stall I bought it from, I found out that all the copies they had in stock were missing the necessary number of sheets. They offered a refund but it's easy enough to photocopy. So we played a game of Munchkin instead to kill the time until various people had to leave to play games.
Pearls before Swine
An Epic Experience freeform, this time set in China on a small island divided in three provinces. Much political and social intrigue and backstabbing and generally a lot of fun as always.
Had curry for dinner which was better than the liver and bacon the night before and walked over to the Vamp venue to take a couple of photos. The auction was next where I again didn't buy anything as it was mainly artwork I don't have any room for anymore or things that went over my limit. Norman Lovett was quite good and funny as auctioneer so the whole thing was enjoyable.
Went back to witness the End of the World in the Vamp game and joined most of the cast at a bar to have a drink and even more drink at Stately Wade Chalet afterwards (wonderful malt, mmmm).
Sunday
Had breakfast, took a few pics at the ling game, wandered around a bit, played a demo game of Ticket to Ride (very cool rail building board game with a nice mix of luck and strategy) and a very fun GURPS Cliffhangers (30's pulp) TT game. Said good-bye to various people, picked up Steve who looked for a lift to Cambridge and set off. Again, no troubles on the way, just a brief panic when I missed Corley Services but fortunately I just had enough petrol to reach the first service station on the A14. Got to Cambridge, dropped off Steve at the Gonville Hotel and got home.
Working on photos and Fabrik stuff tomorrow.
As I still felt rather tired at 9, I decided another hour of sleep would mean I'd have a safer drive to the other end of the country so I finally took off at 11:15. There were no problems at all so after three short breaks I found Minehead Butlins without getting lost once, got directions off
robinbloke, found our sparse room and got ready.Wasn't too impressed with the site. The main hall was a huge pavillion/marquee thing, a bit drafty but OK. Got my badges and tickets and explored the trade and gaming hall a bit. There was quite a big area for open gaming but no notice board again. Said Hi to the lot at the Millennium Moon stand and picked up my character for Mars or Bust!. Had some OK dinner with Robin, Mark and Phil Masters at the Butlins restaurant, walked around a bit more and went over to play
Mars or Bust!
I don't want to tell too much about it in case
davywavy wants to run it again. Just to say it was great fun, there were some wonderful costumes, DT played Bismarck, cobraprime played a wonderfully evil and gloating Mekong, American Stuart played a genius Ming the Merciless, John C put on another great accent, and everybody else was superb, too. After that, we headed of to Stately Wade Chalet for chats, nibbles and drinks (let's not talk about
ukmonty) and finally got to bed a bit after 2.Saturday
After a mediocre breakfast with far too many running children and rude people, I again explored the trade hall, bought Creatures and Cultists and Munchkin Blender, played a game of Treasure Island (nice little boardgame, maybe a bit too simple with too much reliance on luck), tried to play Creatures and Cultists with
robinbloke, Paul and Louise (d'oh, should have asked if they had LJs) but found that there were play sheets missing. Going back to the stall I bought it from, I found out that all the copies they had in stock were missing the necessary number of sheets. They offered a refund but it's easy enough to photocopy. So we played a game of Munchkin instead to kill the time until various people had to leave to play games.Pearls before Swine
An Epic Experience freeform, this time set in China on a small island divided in three provinces. Much political and social intrigue and backstabbing and generally a lot of fun as always.
Had curry for dinner which was better than the liver and bacon the night before and walked over to the Vamp venue to take a couple of photos. The auction was next where I again didn't buy anything as it was mainly artwork I don't have any room for anymore or things that went over my limit. Norman Lovett was quite good and funny as auctioneer so the whole thing was enjoyable.
Went back to witness the End of the World in the Vamp game and joined most of the cast at a bar to have a drink and even more drink at Stately Wade Chalet afterwards (wonderful malt, mmmm).
Sunday
Had breakfast, took a few pics at the ling game, wandered around a bit, played a demo game of Ticket to Ride (very cool rail building board game with a nice mix of luck and strategy) and a very fun GURPS Cliffhangers (30's pulp) TT game. Said good-bye to various people, picked up Steve who looked for a lift to Cambridge and set off. Again, no troubles on the way, just a brief panic when I missed Corley Services but fortunately I just had enough petrol to reach the first service station on the A14. Got to Cambridge, dropped off Steve at the Gonville Hotel and got home.
Working on photos and Fabrik stuff tomorrow.
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no subject
Date: 18/10/04 08:29 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 18/10/04 02:10 pm (UTC)According to Tracey of Millennium Moon, they're looking at Butlins again, unfortunately. If they do, I hope it'll be a slightly more modern and comfortable one and one that's small enough so the con has it all. I really don't want to deal with hundreds of chavs/neds/townies and their offspring again.
Get a nice convention hotel (I don't like having to go out to get to various games) or at least go back to Loughborough, I say.
no subject
Date: 19/10/04 06:05 pm (UTC)Same here, we only spent one day at the SF-con Eastercon in Blackpool because the hotels were scattered all over the town. The main constraint that brings for us is that we can't leave our boys in their room in the eveing and go off partying if you have to trek across a town.
no subject
Date: 18/10/04 09:08 am (UTC)no subject
They should be online sometime tonight.
no subject
Date: 18/10/04 02:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 18/10/04 07:49 pm (UTC)ok. slight exaggeration. but the venue this year has sounded like a complete dive even compared to other locations...
J