IMPORTANT: Please see the PS at the bottom of this post.
The main event will be at The Fox and Roman, 58 Tadcaster Road, Dringhouses, York YO24 1LR. I’m organising a buffet lunch for around 2-3pm which, as on previous occasions, will come to £8-10 per person. The pub opens at 1130am.
http://www.vintageinn.co.uk/thefoxandromanyork
Quite a few have asked about staying in York on either or both Friday 24th and Saturday 25th, and (presumably for recovery purposes) Sunday 26th. Excellent!
Here are the recommended guest house options for accommodation, all close to the main event:
Burswood http://www.burswoodguesthouse.co.uk/
Bentham Lodge http://www.benthamlodge.co.uk/
Curzon Lodge and Stable Cottages (no web address that I can see, but good reviews)
Cabs are available from outside York Station (or, in advance, ring 01904 659659). If you’d prefer to get a bus, exit York Station, walk to the far side of the road, and get a 4, 12 or 13 bus to “The Holiday Inn” stop (10 mins, make sure you have £2 in change!)
I plan a pub crawl (no more than 10 mins between 4-5 pubs if you still have luggage) on the Friday evening, starting at 6pm at the York Tap (sister of that one in Sheffield – remember?) on Platform 1 at York Station. Naturally, there will be a quiz round at each pub. Details to follow.
Don’t forget, there’s an extra hour in bed on Sunday morning!
Looking forward to seeing you all.
John
PS
(i) please could everyone post whether or not they intend to partake of the buffet lunch on the Saturday;
(ii) if they do, whether they have foody (dairy/nuts/seafood etc) stuff that I need to sort out;
(iii) please assure everybody that other halves are most welcome to come too;
(iv) if there’s enough demand, I’ll organise a sightseeing tour of York for the crossword widow(er)s on the Saturday afternoon.
Booked accommodation for Friday and Saturday night! Looking forward to meeting you!
John – Thanks for the info and the organisation.
I’ll be there, but probably as a day trip by train rather than an overnight stay, which would mean leaving at about 9 p.m. I have just looked at the map – for the more energetic the Fox and Roman is just over a mile from the station (so I could be tempted to walk unless it’s wet). Looking forward to it (and as a second timer whose first S&B was the last Derby do, I’d recommend it to any waverers).
Thanks for making the arrangements, John. Plan to make it a day trip by train too. What time are you expecting people to get to the pub on the Saturday?
Peter
Thanks for this, John. Accommodation now booked for Sat/Sun. Will join you lunchtime on Saturday. Looking forward to it!
Best wishes
MikeC
Thanks John, for all your efforts.
Around that weekend I will be in Durham, from there taking a day return to York. So no pub(quizze)s for me on a Friday nor any overnight staying.
Hope to see you and others around 1pm, I guess?
Hotel booked for Saturday night. 2 buffet lunches please – 1 non-dairy for Bert!
Many thanks John.
Another possibility for a cheapish and convenient overnight stay is The Ibis. Same bus routes down to The Fox & Roman.
Thanks John. You can add two more participants for the Friday pub crawl and Saturday buffet. Great choice of venue BTW.
My wife, Jennifer, and I will come down on the Saturday. Please count us in for the buffet lunch, and thanks for making the arrangements.
We’re looking forward to seeing again some of the people we met at Sheffield last year, and some new faces too.
… though the Ibis has had some rather unfavourable reviews of late.
I’ll be there on Saturday, but probably not Friday.
The quiz pub crawl does sound tempting, but I’d have to take the afternoon off to have any chance of being at York early enough, which probably rules it out.
Yes to the lunch but no seafood, thanks!
Count me in for the lunch please – no special requirements
Thanks
Hugh
I am like almw3 – lunch, yes please, but no prawns, octopussy etc.
It’s a buffet with something for everyone, so perhaps I should say “no special requirements”. That’s easier.
S.
Lunch for me please – will eat anything (within reason).
I would like lunch as well, please. No dietary requirements.
Lunch for me, too, please. No special requirements.
One fish-eating vegetarian in my party.
John
Will be attending Saturday with overnight stay. Train and hotel booked. Train doesn’t come in until 3ish so won’t be needing a buffet. Thanks for organising and looking forward to it.
Hi John, I’ll not be in York till 4ish at best on the Saturday but will stay over. Won’t need feeding.
I should be able to get there and I’ll go for the lunch as well.
Please put my name down for a dairy-free lunch. Ta.
Please put me down for a dairy-free lunch. Ta
Sorry about the repetition – thought my first comment had gone astray
Hi John,
I’ve persuaded my other half to come along two so two buffet lunches please – no special requirements. Never having been to York before we’re making a weekend of it so hope to be there for the pub crawl & quiz on Friday night.
Very much looking forward to this, thanks for organising it all.
ClaireS (MsGeek over at the other place and Claire from Saturday crossword sessions).
Hi John
Lunch for one omnivore please. I’m making it a day trip.
Kath and I plan to get to the F&R for about one. Put us both down for lunch please. Looking forward to seeing everyone.
If it’s a standard sort of buffet, no special requirements – I’ll just avoid anything with mayonnaise or salad cream – yuk. Jennifer will eat almost anything, including my cooking.
The two of us on Saturday please John. Both with buffet lunch but mine needs to be gluten-free – I can bring my own bread if needed. Looking forward to my first S&B.
I won’t be in York but I have a request.
Is there anyone travelling up from London who could take an old Collins Dictionary from me, to give to Mark Kelmanson (Monk)? Or failing that, anyone from York who’ll be in London beforehand and can collect the book from me?
Put me down for lunch, John – have managed to book the day off work, so will come for a day trip.
Hi Roger Phillips@31. We are going to York and have an old Collins Dictionary – looks like it is 1979 – reprinted 1983. Monk can have our copy if that helps, unless it is a very specific one that he wants.
Thanks, Bertandjoyce, but the point is to find a way of getting the Collins I’ve offered Monk (3rd ed., 1991) up to York somehow.
The current plan is for me to take it to the Times Crossword Championship (where I’ll be in charge of the marking) and hand it to someone who’ll be in York the following week. Plan A is to use Jane T./John H. as a courier, but I’d like a plan B in case they don’t make it to London.
Count me in, please. Will advise later about food.
My manners! Many thanks to Roger, Bert and Joyce, and any potential couriers.
I can be Plan B if you like, Roger.
Please put me down for lunch on Saturday. No food allergies to worry about.
I hope to attend on the Saturday. Lunch please — certainly no seafood; roast beef and trimmings would be fine!
Sid and I will be there on Friday and Saturday. Please put us down for the buffet (2 x vegetarian).
Look forward to this. Lunch for me (anything at all).
If anybody needs a lift down the A1 / M11 to London on Sunday lunchtime, let me know – I’ll be driving back from York and company would be nice. Happy to drop people at Redbridge or Stratford tubes.
Hi John
I’m now able to come and have booked the train. I would like lunch with no dietary requirements.
Regards
Jeff