STOP PRESS! Bloggers' Crafting Weekend Opportunity - Read and Reply ASAP!

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Note: there is now an Update Post, with New Dates, though the hostel information below is still relevant.

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Hello all Blog Friends!

Last year, a group of us had a very enjoyable and successful weekend away, at Coalport YHA. Ten of us met up and spent our weekend scrapping, bookbinding, gift-wrapping, making pretty stuff, walking along the canal, eating cake (of course!), chatting, chatting, drinking tea, more chatting....

See here for some of the story... and others also published their tales of adventure - Jemma,  Kirsty (there were 3 posts!), Mel, Lesley, JoJo, Julie...  We had a great weekend and want to do it again!

SO!

We have an Opportunity for another Bloggers' Weekend.  This is something I need to sort out very quickly, if we are going to do it, since the YHA hostel I've found has only this particular weekend free before Christmas - and the admin. department has had another query about it today... So I have to confirm tomorrow (Thursday)!!

Anyway, this is what I'm suggesting.  If I get enough interest, to be pretty sure of having at least 10 of us, I will make the booking.  If you want to come, please register your interest today or tomorrow morning (sorry!).  I may be able to come up with something else, but I'm a bit up against it on time just now (my mum is still not well and I'm spending a lot of time helping her). 

The Proposal for Bloggers' Crafting Weekend 2012

When?  Friday 7th December (afternoon/evening) to Sunday 9th December (afternoon)

Where? YHA Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire (close to M1, rail links and coach station).

Details? We would have the Whole House to ourselves. 
It's a small hostel, with 30 beds, in 5 bedrooms.  There are also a kitchen, dining room and sitting room. We'd have it to ourselves from Friday to Sunday, meaning we could arrange our weekend (and the furniture!) pretty much as we chose.

How Much?  Assuming the minimum of 10 people came along, the basic cost would be £65 per person, for two nights, hostel hire / bed only. 
If we chose to, we could have our breakfasts and/or dinners provided for us by hostel staff.  This would cost about £15-£40, depending on what options we chose. 
If more than 10 came along, then this would lower the cost and money could be refunded to anyone who had paid up-front to secure their place (before we knew there would be more people!).

Transport?  The Hostel is at Bradwell Village, on the outskirts of Milton Keynes, just on the edge of the city and countryside (see the website for a link to a downloadable local map). 
It is very near to the main A5 road and not far from M1 Junction 14.
It is close to MK Central Rail Station (about 1 & 1/2 miles). 
There is a Coach station in the city centre also, which is served by many national coach routes. 
The city also has good bus services that pass through Bradwell Village and stop just round the corner from the hostel. 

This is the basic info.  I will be able to provide more information later on, once (if!) I have been able to secure the booking. 
We may be able to organise some activities, like we did at last year's Weekend. If you would like to volunteer to demonstrate/teach some craft or technique that you enjoy doing, then do shout.

Catering
Last year we brought along food to have at lunchtimes, plus tea, coffee, snacks, cake (!) etc.  This would also be the plan for this year (and I would like someone else to organise that part for me, as I will not have time!). 

We would need to decide whether to arrange our own breakfasts and/or dinners, or to book these from the YHA staff.  This can be decided a little bit later on.  The main thing just now is to secure the booking. 

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IF YOU are interested and WANT TO COME along, PLEASE contact me tonight or tomorrow morning (by 1pm BST please!).  I will need to call the YHA and make the booking. 

I would be asking you to pay me £65 within a few days.  It would be best if you could send me the money via Paypal (easier to keep track of the money, quicker etc).  If this is a big problem, let me know! 

If we end up with more than 10 of us, I will refund extra money - I won't be making a profit from you, I promise (however, I will probably wait until we have a firm, confirmed number of people, before refunding anyone, so I only have to do it once).

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I do hope we can work this out.  It would be great to see as many of my Blog friends - old or new - as possible!  This is a great chance for us, as we'd have the whole hostel to ourselves, giving us more freedom to enjoy our weekend.

Please Come!

XX

PS.  Duh... this is my e-mail address, just to make it easy for you! Lizziemade (at) aol (dot) com