A message from Dean Mayer (Anax/Loroso/Elkamere):
Why this didn’t occur to me before I have no idea, but Macclesfield has a perfect S&B venue in the Snow Goose. It’s a cosy alpine themed café bar on 3 levels. On Friday evening there will be musical entertainment in the form of LeLounge, a chilled out duo featuring Looby & Dave, friends from the covers band I used to be in.
Macclesfield Station (which is on the main Euston/Piccadilly line), a Travelodge and the Snow Goose are all on Sunderland Street. The venue has an upstairs room* which we can hire f.o.c.
Food-wise, the Snow Goose offers a legendary hog roast – which will be for Saturday – and home-cooked food during the day. They also do a superb breakfast, all local produce. Across the road is a decent Thai restaurant for those wanting an evening meal; there are alternatives within easy walking distance. Also opposite is a kebab/chicken/pizza take-away for those foolhardy enough.
It’s been a while since we bothered with name badges and for that reason alone I think it might be a good idea. In the last couple of years many new solvers/setters have joined us. I’ll try to get hold of the hardware – if you’re attending and would like a badge, please let me know how you’d like to be known; online name, pseudonym, real name etc, either here or via email – anaxcrosswords at yahoo dot co dot uk. There will of course be blank badges available if you want to decide on the day(s).
* I should point out that the stairs are narrow and steep. The male WC is upstairs, so please keep that in mind.
Dean
Sounds like a great idea, but unfortunately I’ll be away that weekend
Sounds good; the Saturday is free at the moment and I missed the Cambridge and York events, so I’ll try to make it to this one. I’ll have to confirm it later, though.
Sounds great! Of course I’ll come, Dean – on Saturday. x
Dean, I would love to come.
But I just looked at the rail planner and found out that it would take me at least 3.5 hours one way.
I cannot be there on Friday due to work commitments, so a day return (on Saturday) would take at least 7 hours …..
Perhaps, I can manage to return on Sunday but I am not sure yet.
I will let you know.
As to badges etc, in Cambridge about 70 people attended and we (read: Flashling) made badges for them all – with real names and preferred pseudonyms etc (after I contacted everyone personally). I still have a spreadsheet of this – might be useful to you.
Date sounds good to me and I’m 95% sure I’ll be there on the Saturday barring an act of God/North Korea/finances – currently looking into costs of making a weekend of it, too.
Cheers for organising this and looking forward to meeting everyone.
Harry
Thanks for organising this, Dean. Any event that is on Sunderland Street guarantees my attendance (on the Saturday, at least).
Macclesfield is only twenty miles away from my home, so I should be able to make it! What about car-parks in the town centre? Though following my posting about Pabus’s puzzle in the FT yesterday, no doubt you would expect me to travel by bus from Crewe!
I have put this in the Crossword Events calendar, and I am sure one or both of us will be there, depending on availability of dogsitters.
The calendar is publicly available, but people need to sign into Google to view it, and that doesn’t seem to work for everyone. My intention is to put a PDF printout on my website… when I finally find time to sort out my website.
I hope to be there on Friday evening and Saturday afternoon.
Jason
Good response so far – thanks all. For those who can do both Friday evening and Saturday I thoroughly recommend our musical duo; they’re exceptionally good.
CAR PARKS
There are a couple of P&D facilities nearby and the rates are OK (70p for 2 hours last time I looked). The nearest is almost directly opposite the Goose. Otherwise there is limited back street parking. There are no parking fees after 6pm.
Macclesfield has a couple of multi-storeys, same rates as P&D, but these are about 10 minutes’ walk away. They’re on Churchill Way and Jordangate, and they do close, so you can’t leave your car overnight.
Cath and I hope to be there for the Saturday at least, so we may be able to give Sil a lift. I’ve got a few (about 10) blank name badges left somewhere.
P.S. I have at least one name badge of my own from previous occasions, thanks, Dean.
Thanks Phil for what seems to be an offer – indeed, that might a good idea for me.
Depends a bit on what my plans are for the rest of that weekend.
We’ll keep in touch.
Sorry Anax but we will be away that weekend.
Hope it goes well.
Thanks for organising this, Dean. I’ll be there – looking forward to it!
TomR
Should be ok for that
Sat PM
(Colin Foster)
I’m in the same position as Sil – can’t make it on Friday, and it’s quite a long journey – but I might be able to work something out so will confirm nearer the time.
I’ve just bought my train tickets – amazingly, only £7.55 each way [provided I get the right train home!].
Sorry, chuck, we’re in Lisbon for the half-marathon that weekend. Will raise a post-race beer to you all.
Train and hotel tickets now booked for the 18th-20th. Look forward to meeting everyone and thanks again to Dean for making it happen.
It’s a no from me alas Anax. I’m living up to my moniker and leading a walking group around London’s canal etc paths that day.
Is rather a long way from Auckland, too, unfortunately.
I’ll do my best to be there on the Saturday.
Have now got further details about food at the Snow Goose. All their food is home cooked / local farm sourced.
Hog Roast
The freshly carved hog is served in a bread roll with homemade stuffing and apple sauce – £6 per head
Salads
To accompany your hog roast we have the following salad options, please select three.
Homemade coleslaw
Potato salad with sweet gherkins
Crisp lettuce, tomatoes and cucumber with roasted sunflower and sesame seeds and French dressing
Tomato salad with red onions and jalepeno peppers and corriander
Vegetable rice salad
Salad Nicoise
Traditional Greek salad
Mixed olives
We can provide a vegetarian/ vegan alternative in the form of Falafel burgers, these will also be priced at £6 per head.
Extras
Warm new potatoes with lemon and garlic dressing £2.50 per head
Freshly made soup of your choice (ask for available choices) @ £4:00 per head
Hotpot with red cabbage @ £6:95 per head
Finger buffet starting from £5.50 per head, (ask for menu options)
Rotiserie chicken £6:00 per head
Desserts
All @ £3.00 per head
Chocolate and raspberry desert
Fresh fruit salad
Apple pie and cream
Cheese board
Breakfast, usually from about 9:30am:
Full English; Bacon, Sausage, Mushrooms, tomato, beans and eggs how you want them, £6.95 per head
Bacon or Sausage roll £4
Egg (how you like it) on Toast £4
Grilled Cheese Sandwich £4
Teas and Coffee at £2.30. We can even rustle up a Virgin or Bloody Mary!
What is the planned time for starting on Saturday
Early as you like, lb. The Goose opens at about 9:30am and does a spectacularly good breakfast (it’s all local farm produce). As I’ll be upstairs setting up bits and pieces – name badges etc – I’ll probably be there around that time anyway.
Just found this on the Fifteensquared site & it sounds like fun. What’s the programme? I can’t do the Saturday evening – I’m playing support for Maddy Prior in Stockport – but the Friday music thing suunds fun. What else goes on?
Gx
Hi, Anax. Just re-posting my enthusiasm for this; the Reply function is all I have. How do I apply/register/get a ticket?
Gx
Just let us know you’re coming, Grant. Or just turn up! We’ll have blank name badges so you can announce who you are – and that’s the main thing really, just letting people put faces to names.
Definitely expecting to be there.
Sorry, folks, but neither John nor I will make it this time — we’ve both been laid low by colds and, in John’s case, a chest infection. So, as well as not feeling great, we’re both struggling to meet deadlines this week. Very disappointed to miss it, and we wish you all a great time.
I am also ‘under the weather’, being illish (if that’s a word).
I’m afraid, I will have to give this Event a miss.
I hope everyone (else) will have a good time!
Brilliant do! Thanks Anax for the organization and everyone who made it so great. So many memories blurred by booze – but I’ve come away from it with not only hangover likely to last a week, but also an enormous sense of well-being (go figure). See you in The Goose in 2017!
Sorry I missed it but if it happens again in 2017 I’ll be there