Next years Convention

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Nick
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Next years Convention

Post by Nick »

Are we going to repeat our Convention next year? If so we ought to start turning over some ideas.
Charles
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Post by Charles »

Thank you Nick for once again starting the ball rolling.

With the caveat that if a chill wind is blowing through the economy we may need to be sensitive about budgets, I can immediately think of the following ...

1. Same as before. Disadvantage - we've done it before, and while I could happily listen to Iwan forever, we've seen all the 'best' films. For this reason, although some said they'd happily do it again, personally I'd be inclined to go for something different.

2. Hire a small (and comfortable !) bus so we can all be together and re-trace - if it's possible - the car chase in The Devil Rides Out. Our expert here is Steve P.

3. If we were London based, we could do the same and try to search out all of DW's London homes.

With either of these, 'decent' meals at start and finish, of course !

4. We could have a trip to Lymington. Bob and I did it a while ago. While there is not much from DW's time to see (the serpentine wall certainly, and the High Street with all the houses mentioned in the Roger Brook novels), it's a pretty seaside town.

5. We could celebrate DW's birthday (8th January) somewhere- but the weather would be a bit cold !

6. On a more ridiculous note, I'd love (I think !) a trip to Haiti. But then it's just had a hurricane and I haven't won the lottery ...

Over to the rest of you - after a cold and windy day, it's nice to think of a Summertime reunion !

What are your own thoughts, Nick ?

All best !
Charles
Nick
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Post by Nick »

The Bear at Hungerford mentioned in the DRO is a good venue,and it has conference facilities. There is also a local Am Dram society, who are fairly professional and could bring some different Wheatley characters to life, (script to be submitted at a later date) The car chase in the DRO film was filmed around Elstree but in the book The Bear is mentioned and various towns and villages. How about one DRO character played by an actor to host a meal or a walk in the area described in the book (practicalities to be sorted later) In the evening a guest of honour, and after dinner speaking (Patrick Mower?) I f we can find the elusive Forbidden Territory film then fine, if not then a screening of some other DW related film. We could even cut together a documentary of our own.
This is as far as I have got at the moment how am I doing?
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Post by duncanpaul17 »

Charles/Nick

Good to read you are thinking of organising a second convention, especially as it also gives everyone at the last convention the chance to meet up again and hopefully meet new friends.

Agree with Charles that budgets may have to be sensative due to the current economic climate, but hopefully this would not prevent having as good a weekend as we all had last time.

I think Nick's idea of having an actor bring a DW character to life is a theme that could be used to run through future conventions as well, if it is intended to keep holding them.

I know at the last convention it was discussed briefly about having a second 'guest' authors work to discuss, but would this distract from Dennis ?

Have any of us the imagination to think where some of Dennis's characters may be now ? I believe that he may have been working towards Truss and Fleur
becoming main characters, with Rex, Simon, Richard and Mary Lou offering support when required.
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Post by ken68 »

no 3 sounds good but so does nicks idea. can't wait, which ever is decided.

ken
K R Cope

Post by K R Cope »

Charles/Nick

Vivien and I would certainly be up for another Convention next year!

There are some great ideas in your suggestions but our immediate personal inclination might be to keep some of these for the future and perhaps go to the Edgewarebury Hotel one more time?

Elstree is probably as-good-as-any central location for travelling, the facilities at the Hotel could not have been better, and the extra costs for staying one or two extra nights were reasonable enough for anyone who wanted to extend the day into a slightly longer break. We are hoping to attract other members to come along, and we can certainly now recommend the Hotel from our own experience and the success of this year's gathering. Anywhere else could perhaps be an "unknown quantity" until we have built up more support, and central London locations in particular could add considerably to the cost and inconvenience of travelling.

Perhaps, from Elstree, we could also visit the other locations in the area where TDRO was filmed?

Also, I'd suggest (given that everyone is now likely to be budgeting a little more carefully for the foreseeable future) that the overall cost should be kept as near as possible to last year's;
this might be a constraint if we are thinking of having actors or an after-dinner speaker, but perhaps these are ideas which could be built on for the future, if (as we hope) the Convention can become a larger annual event.

Probably the idea of a second author to include or discuss should also be kept as a possibility for the future.....I'm sure that there's enough about DW to occupy us for a few more meetings yet, and, apart from that, it could be difficult to suggest a second author likely to interest everyone?

Regards to all,
Ken
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Post by duncanpaul17 »

Taking Nick's idea of having actors portray Dennis's characters a little further, I wonder what it would have been like if Gregory and the Duke had
ever met for a meal possibly to discuss their various escapades during the Second World War, especially their various dealings with the occult, "Strange Conflict" and "They used Dark Forces".

It is surprising that Sir Pellinore never got the two together.
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Post by Nick »

Brilliant Idea!
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Post by Stevie P »

I'm looking forward to the next convention already. I think both the Hungerford and Elstree (again) suggestions are good.
The Hungerford venue sounds attractive due to its location to the TDRO car chase/villages.
I also understand the need to be careful of costs as some have a long way to travel so I would have no objections to a return to Elstree if this helps.
I have just returned from a 4 day trip to Berlin with my son. I tried to locate Karinhall (or Carinhall) as written in certain websites). It was very difficult to find anybody in Berlin that knew about it or its whereabouts. I basically had to give it up. I then found out that Goering actually arranged for the place to be blown up in 1945 so there would have been nothing to see anyway. You live and learn.
However my one success was that I did manage to go into (Gregory Sallust's) Hotel Adlon and have Coffee and Biscuits. (The place just oozed opulence). I was told that you could stay in the Presidential suite (complete with armour plated glass) for 17,000 euro's . I didn't catch whether this was per day or per week but it didn't seem to matter!!!!!
Perhaps another possibility for the next convention!!!!!! :)
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caroline$-0
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Post by caroline$-0 »

:rofl I agree with Stevie P,Germany would be good.No.4 and No.1 daughters are currently :) learning the language so I should be alright for interpereters.All I have to do now is win the lottery,or at least alittle bit. :)
Nick
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Post by Nick »

Perhaps another possibility for the next convention!!!!!!

NoI think it would be cheaper to phone Ferraro at the Berkley (He never lets you down!) and book us all in there. Or perhaps lease a house in St Johns Wood, get Ferraro to deliver the buffet, and start scoffing 'Duck a la Montmorency' while the strange guests arrive......On second thoughts lets go to Hungerford after all!

On a more serious note I am chasing up 'The Bear' and trying to do one of my price deals for us (as with Elstree) I'll let you know how I get on.
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Post by ken68 »

we went to berlin in feb and also went into the adlon. we went more the local specialty beer in true DW style. unfortuanetley not the original building, like most of the Nazi sites what was destroyed in the fight for Berlin the Bolshies tore down.
also went to versailles this year and didn't et into the chateau so i vote for following in mr brooks footsteps and going there if we are going to be fancifull!
ken
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Post by Stevie P »

I'm with you all the way Ken :)

Steve
Nick
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Post by Nick »

I have been in touch with the Bear and they are quite keen on the idea. Problem is they are about £20 more expensive than the Chorus at Elstree. No doubt we'll get it sorted.
K R Cope

Post by K R Cope »

Just wondering if we have any news on the proposed 2009 Convention plans?

(Hope everyone's keeping well, and those of us in the UK keeping warm on these frosty days. Roll on Spring.... :-) )
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