DFR4

Just a reminder for this one too! It would great to see a big turn out!

Rhona,

I'm glad that you can join us, and look forward to seeing you again at DFR4.

Thank you for your advice on the planned replacement buses between Warwick and Birmingham on Sunday. The direct Chiltern Line services from Warwick Parkway to London Marylebone have the same note.

I'll see if I can find out what's happening to cause that, but it looks like planned engineering works on the Chiltern Line between Bicester and Birmingham from 2200 on Saturday then all through Sunday.

It will have a similar impact on services to London from Stratford-upon-Avon. I'm not sure if the bus operators allow bikes to be carried, but I will make enquiries. Sorry!

The optional Sunday ride to Stratford upon Avon might have to change to a 13.5 mile trip to the Coventry Transport Museum, from where we can catch trains back to London or Birmingham.

That might not be a bad option, as the museum is free entry, there are 300 cycles on display and there is a 'Tractor Event' on the 9th July with live music from Wes Finch. (At least it's not the Wurzels.)

Stella,

Services via Leamington Spa will be affected by the works planned for Sunday, so the replacement buses will run instead of trains between Birmingham and Bicester via Leamington Spa. This affects all Chiltern Line journeys between London Marylebone and Birmingham (and London Marylebone and Stratford upon Avon) on Sunday 10th July.

I'm making enquiries about whether the replacement bus operators can carry bikes.
UPDATE: Cycles cannot be transported on train replacement buses. 

If you can wait a couple more days before booking your ticket, I'll try to provide some advice on whether Chiltern Line return tickets from Marylebone are going to be viable for DFR4, or whether travellers from London would be better planning to travel home using the services from Berkswell, Tile Hill and Coventry to London Euston.

I apologise on behalf of the Rail Industry for any inconvenience arising to travellers as a consequence of these essential maintenance works.

Haven't booked yet. Will book on Saturday. Didn't say anything about replacements, but may have been me, being blind. I looked at some many trains and options, my mind imploded. Should do those maintenance works at night, not at the weekend, where most people travel, particularly in the summer.

www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2016/05/26/bees-swarm-car-followed-vehicle-28-hours/84968608/

Watch out for the bees!

Righto, followed Rhona's example of avoiding Chiltern Railways altogether and will go from Euston to Tale Hill (the latter in the name makes me shake). So I'll be able to enjoy an hour's ride through the country side to the camp site. Two hours, more like, given my Garmin's and mine, lack of sense of direction. At least I'll arrive in (hopefully) in daylight. £15 London/return, not too bad. Took a lot of searching and comparing and whatnot, but what I've saved, I can put into the Cider/Beer, for all box. :-)
Looking forward to seeing everyone.

So, with 3 weeks to go, by my reckoning we have 8 pitches booked for the nights of Friday 8th and Saturday 9th July: RobTx2, Sooper8 (Van), Stella (RobT to provide tent), Rhona, Whippet, Sprocket, Raymondo; plus Dracco on Saturday night in the cute caravan (with all the rest of us if it rains like it did in Birmingham today).

Simon, the campsite owner, emailed me today to let me know, as Dracco confirms, that all pitches on the site are now booked for the evenings of the 8th and 9th July.

I booked the two pitches in my name to give us some spare capacity, so we still have scope to fit people in if you haven't got round to making a booking yet.

If I have missed anyone who has already booked a pitch, or if anyone was still planning to book one, and is intending to come and stay for either of the nights of Friday 8th or Saturday 9th, can you let me know either by quick reply or personal message?

Pete, Scott, Cusqueno, are you planning to join us?

Also, if you're planning to join us for the day on Saturday and/or Sunday, and won't be needing a pitch, could you also let me know? Simon is very concerned that we don't have too many people turning up for the day and hoping to park cars on the site, as there is hardly any parking space when all the pitches are occupied.

I really want to be able to welcome everyone who wants to join us for the ride. If we have more day visitors than the site can accommodate, we might have to start the ride from The Navigation Inn in Lapworth, which is a couple of miles from the camp site but has a big car park, plus has breakfasts available between 1000-1200 on Saturdays and Sundays if anyone has had to get up early to join us or hasn't been bothered to cook their own.

If you can all help me get a clear sight of the numbers we're expecting, I can also give some thought to planning any shuttle services we (Rhona, Stella?) might need between Tile Hill or Berkswell railway stations and the camp site on Friday evening, Saturday morning or Sunday afternoon. I'll fit the bike carriers to the car roof rack and we can exchange train arrival & departure times by message and text on the day.

Really looking forward to seeing you all again. I've nearly finished putting my Sebring back together for its 40th birthday! Will I have it ready in time for Eroica this weekend?

Jem,

That's fine, so long as I know who we're expecting, I can make sure that there are no awkward situations at the camp site.

Let me know if your friend wants one of the spaces in the 'spare' pitch.

Rob

Rob, I will be one of the day trippers. Will probably park in the pub or other suitable location and cycle to the camp site.

I will also get in touch with Ray & Rod, two guys who have turned up at the last DFR's and who I bump into at jumbles. They are not on the forum. I will suggest to them they do the same as me.

Scott

Ok, my friend hasn't booked and therefore would be grateful of some tent space. Can I reserve one for him please Rob?

Pete, as above, you're welcome to a space on one of the pitches I have booked, sharing with Sooper8's friend Jonathan. Can you pm me your real name so I can register you as a 'resident'?

You suggested you might invite a friend to join you for the ride. Does he/she need accomodation?

If anyone needs a tent space, I'll be happy to share mine, too. Male or female, I'll be fine either way. Just don't snore. lol

Gosh, only two weeks and we'll see each other again. Can't wait!

On second thoughts, Robt, could I take you up on the offer of a Scouts' teeny weeny Vango for the pitch I have booked myself. Would save me some packing anguish. I managed last year, but the rack was a bit overloaded.