PROJECT DIRECTOR’S REPORT

The Events Diary has changed slightly since my last report. All of you who have access to the Internet will already be aware of this. Unfortunately, the EventPlan multi-period event at Holkham Hall, Norfolk is not going ahead this year, however Howard Giles is hoping it will happen next year. So here is the events list up to date.

28th. April - 1st May
Washbrook Farm, Benwick Lane, Doddington, Cambridgeshire PE15 0TY

26th. May - 30th. May
Sewerby Hall, Church Lane, Sewerby, Bridlington, East Yorkshire YO15 1EA

1st. and 2nd. July
The Rugby Sports Field, Blaenau Festiniog, North Wales LL41 3RY

16th. and 17th. July
Stanford Hall, Stanford-in-Avon, Nr. Lutterworth, Leics LE17 6DH

5th. and 6th. August
Maltkiln Farm, Ightfield, Nr. Whitchurch, Shropshire SY13 4NX

19th.-- 20th. August
The Royal Gunpowder Mill, Beaulieu Drive, Waltham Abbey, Essex. EN9 1JY

26th.- 28th. August
Norfolk Heritage Park, off Guildford Road, Norfolk Park, Sheffield S2 2PL

Doddington, Sewerby Hall, Stanford Hall, Maltkiln Farm and Norfolk Park are all camping from Friday afternoon. Blaenau Festiniog and Gunpowder Mills are camping from Thursday.

The Sponsor of Blaenau Festiniog has arranged for you to go to Portmadog on the train on Saturday morning, and returning on the famous Stream train. You will have about ¾ of an hour to an hour in Portmadog before returning to Blaenau. From the Railway Station there will be a parade through the town and back to site. No more than a mile. You will be setting off at 9.00am from the Railway station near to the campsite. Can we have all the drummers out for this one please by special request? I will be asking for an idea of numbers who will be going on the train so that the railway people will know how many carriages to put on.

As you can see, we are going back to Sheffield. The location is at the bottom of the site where we were the first time. For newcomers, that’s where the Beer Tent was last year. Also, I have insisted on improved security as part of the agreement for us going back.

I have been reading the comments and suggestions from the questionnaire you received with the AGM paperwork and obviously homed into points relating to my department. As you can see from the above list I am now giving you the postcodes for the event sites to enable you to find them better. You can also find maps on the Website. If you don’t have a computer, you can go to the local Library and use theirs. Just go to ACWS.co.uk. Some of the other suggestions are not quite so easy. As to regards to the Mobile Toilets. I always arrange for them to be serviced on a Saturday and Sunday morning. In the case of a Bank Holiday weekend that would be Sunday and Monday morning. When we are doing a subsidised event i.e. booked, part of the deal is that they supply us with Toilets, to be serviced twice. When we put the event on for ourselves the cost of the toilets is approximately £1,000., plus each service costs £150. It is rarely possible for us to have the cubicle type toilets because they have to be plumbed in (in some cases by ourselves) to a sewer and a water supply. This is rarely possible because of the nature of the locations we use. The price comes in much higher as well, in some cases double. And to the person who asked for brick buildings, sorry no can do unless we are lucky enough to have them already on site.. I’m no bricklayer!

Pictures of forthcoming sites on the website: sorry I don’t have a digital camera.

Better security on site. I am sure this is relating to the problems we had at Sheffield last year. As I have already stated, I have made it a condition of the booking that there must be better security there this year.

To the person who asked for a Notice Board on the family camp, there has been for the last two years. If in doubt come and ask me for the details you require. There are also notice boards on both authentic camps. If in doubt, ask.

Because events are getting harder to get we are having to organise more of our own for our own pleasure. This is why we have to charge you the higher Registration fee to pay for the event. Many of the small carnivals, fetes and Bank Holiday shows are being cancelled due to the horrendous new event licences they need. Some are being closed down because the organisers are unable to comply with the conditions of these licences. We are not the only re-enactment society affected by these changes. So let’s enjoy the events we have.

I hope my explanations have helped and please, don’t be afraid to come and talk to me at events, either on the authentic camp or at my caravan. Contrary to popular belief, I don’t bite!

See you soon.
Best regards,

Viv Corbishley, Projects Director
APRIL 2006

The above article first appeared in the ACWS Newsletter, Spring 2006