The Cottage Smallholder

I closed the previous thread that ran for a few months to get ideas for this meet-up.

This thread is for planning the event, now that the date is set.

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The format will be along the lines of a simple garden party with lunch and some bite of supper early evening. We welcome ideas for skills demos or mini-exhibitions of your stuff. Space is a bit limited since we turned much of our back garden into veg and flower growing.

Kick-off at 1 pm-ish but people can arrive and leave at any time that suits them. It is likely to extend late into the evening if past experience is anything to go by.

Between us all we can add more details and an estimate of numbers over the coming weeks. We do not need to confirm until July 1st. Easy peasy.

Everybody is welcome: you, friends, family. We may be able to engage a friend to act as on-demand driver for anybody travelling by train or bus, to make getting here and back as easy as possible. I will add a list of local B&Bs and hotels for any non-campers who want to stay overnight.

PS: We are in Cheveley. Postcode CB8 9DG

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List of people who hope to attend (I will edit this and add to it over time).

Definites (booked accommodation or it would take a tsunami to stop them) are in Bold

Fiona & Danny (we have the front door key after all !!)

MOS and Mrs MOS (Geoff and Heather)

KateUK,  ep (Elsa from Bulgaria)

Terrier (Janet) + buddy, Paperman (Chris) + Anne, Ruthdigs + The Chap

Rae Mond (Holland) + The Sam, Danast (Danuta),  Magic Cochin (Celia)

Cookie Girl (Carolyn), SumpRat (Simon), Veronica (from France)

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Michelle from Oregon + Dan are confirmed for a UK tour mid Sep 2011 (yaaay!) and there may be a regional meet-up in the Milton Milton Keynes area of Bucks. Subscribe to this thread to receive updates by email.

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Last updated: 21/05/2011

Campers welcome but the space is not a public campsite, so no showers etc. but you can use our bathroom. We will lay on breakfast Sun morning for campers.

Local B&Bs " if anybody reports one is fully booked, I will update the list

Next-door-but-one: The Old Farmhouse (Mrs Robinson, booked out )

3 minutes walk

Norfolk House (modern, Mrs Noble see reviews)

Juniper (modern, Mrs Auty 01638 731244)

7 minutes walk: Jasmine (modern, Emma Morgan 01638 730206)

There are loads in Newmarket, 3 miles away (approx £9 taxi but sharing or a free lift may be available)

Best Newmarket hotel (has ground floor bedrooms) is the Bedford Lodge. We like it. The Heath Court Best Western we thought was decent but it got the thumbs down from the TV crew. There are others that are all OK but avoid the Cadogan.

A brand new Premier Inn has just opened.

Handy list here