UK Discworld Convention 2008

[Moo]

DWCon 2008, Birmingham, UK. Website here.

Thank you to Flying Betty for bringing it to my attention in the UK meetup thread.

I just booked my place and hotel room, SQUEEEEE!!.

I am dragging my best friend along too.

Who else is coming? (PS there are very limited places left; so much so that you can't register online anymore, I emailed them and got sent a secret page and secret code to register with).

I'm driving from just east of London, btw, and have two (maaaaybe three) seats spare.

Did I mention SQUEEE?

[Flying Betty]

FUCK YES I AM GOING!

Of course, it would help if I had a hotel room. Only double ones left at convention prices. I'll figure something out.

[Moo]

I was looking around at the time to make sure those were the best rates I could find. They were, but there were some cheapy hotels nearby at reasonable prices.

Try Premier Inn and type "Birmingham NEC" in the hotel search (the urls don't retain search info so can't link directly, grr). They have, at time of posting this, a twin room for £180 for the three nights of the convention. No singles, by the looks of it, unfortunately. It's just over a mile away (see Google Maps).

The Holiday Inn, Birmingham Airport has (again, at time of posting this) a twin room for £60 a night over that period. It's about two miles away (Google Maps).

The convention site mentions free shuttles from the airport to the hotel, I don't know if you would be able to take advantage of these maybe.

You could also try emailing the organizers (email addresses on the site, including one for the "Hotels team") and asking their advice.

Also, yay!

[Flying Betty]

I think I would really prefer to actually be at the hotel, even if it means forking over double money for one of the remaining twin rooms. That's still way cheaper than the normal rate at the place. (Am I right in assuming that a twin room means two twin beds? I don't think hotels in the US ever do that.)

[Moo]

A twin room is two single beds. You don't do that in the US? I'm sure I've seen it in movies. Really excited about August. My friend and I were discussing possible costume ideas yesterday. Squee!

Also, upon hearing about me attending the convention, my colleagues have awarded me the office "Geek of the Week" award - the first time anyone's taken it off the uber-trekkie in the office.

[Flying Betty]

I'm already ridiculously excited; I can't imagine what I'll be like come August. Especially since this'll be my first time going overseas. I'll probably stay a few days extra and bum around England. I can't imagine that I would get anything remotely productive done at work if I went back that week.

I did book the twin room at the convention. I wanted to be in the hotel and even alone it was way cheaper than a non-con room at that place. From the flights I've seen (not that I'd be obsessively checking or anything), flying into Birmingham isn't too bad and I can leave on Thursday and get in sometime on Friday, most likely as an incomprehensible, hyperactive zombie which probably isn't a bad state to be in for this sort of thing. I have some costume ideas but I have to reign myself in due to the portability factor. Squeee!

[Moo]

Well if you want to pop down London way before or after for a touristy bit, I'll be glad to show you around - although if it's in the week it would be in the evenings. The following or previous weekend would be cool though. There are a few xkcdites in the area who would meet for a drink or dinner or some such.

[Flying Betty]

Who's coming to this? Who's excited? Me!

I'll be getting there verrrrry early on Friday, so I'll be hanging around all day trying to find places to sleep before hotel check in time. but would be happy to meet up with people if they're around.

[Moo]

My friend is staying over Thursday night after work so we can leave eeeeearly on Friday. It's about a two hour drive. So hopefully we won't be there too late on the Friday either (although knowing us we'll leave an hour later than we promised ourselves, and also stop for breakfast).

WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!

I can't wait. My corset's got it's new ribbon, my books are ready for signing, my maps and conventioners guide is printed and ready. I can't wait either!

Will you have a mobile phone with you Betty? If so PM me and we can exchange numbers. Or just PM me anyway and I can tell you my name and you can leave a message for me at the hotel front desk.

Did I mention? WHEEEEEEEEEE!!

[Moo]

PHOTOS!!

http://www.joubert.me.uk/images/Discworld08/

[Flying Betty]

Awesome! I love your costume- I think I missed you completely that day. I just got home a few hours ago, so don't expect any pictures from me for a while. Wheeeeeeeeee!

[Moo]

Thank you! Glad to hear you got home safe and sound, FlyingBetty. It was lovely to meet you!!