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Weston-super-Mega

 

The UK Mega Event Committee are pleased to announce that the UK's Second Mega Event will take place on Sunday 9th August 2009.

 

After much consideration, visiting and discussion we have booked The Winter Gardens at Weston-super-Mare, Somerset for the Event itself. Further events are being planned for the rest of the weekend, including a Camping Event at a close by location.

 

Transport wise Weston super Mare is just 4 miles from junction 21 of the M5, there are trains direct from Paddington (2.5 hours), Bristol airport is 16 miles away, with a bus service.

 

Weston offers a wide range of places to stay and places to eat. Details of these and of the local area can be found at Visit Somerset

 

Further details of the Event and associated events, as well as booking details etc will be published shortly.

 

This event is not, at this stage, confirmed as a Mega event.

 

You can contact the organisers at mega@mega2.org.uk

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I really hope that I can make this, may be a while before I know though.

 

You do know that if Groundspeak give the event Mega status that it can be listed up to a year before the event? Which would mean it would be advertised to geocachers worldwide every month until the event.

 

Yes - we're aware of that

 

This really isn't my week! Now I've just posted as my youngest son! It's Birdman by the way!

Edited by Acidboy
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Excellent choice of location. Good transport links all round plus a fabulous area should some people want to stay on for a holiday!

 

Less than 2 hours from my home, I could easily make this a day event - though I wouldn't want to miss out on the fun of camping... :)

 

And it already has several Wherigo caches - no doubt more will be added for the event!

 

We regularly went to Weston as a family when I was very young - but I now only have vague memories, the most vivid one being absolutely terrified of an animatronic laughing manikin over the entrance of the hall of mirrors on the pier. I wonder if that survived until the fire earlier on this year?

 

Shame about the pier - I remember it being the highlight of the holiday. That and the donkeys on the beach!

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If enough of us cachers are interested we could hire our own boat to Steep Holm - is the Queen Mary 2 available? :anicute:

 

You won't be allowed to land a private craft on Steep Holm - you have to go on the scheduled boat. The 2009 sailing times have not been published yet - I can make them available when I receive them.

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If enough of us cachers are interested we could hire our own boat to Steep Holm - is the Queen Mary 2 available? :D

 

You won't be allowed to land a private craft on Steep Holm - you have to go on the scheduled boat. The 2009 sailing times have not been published yet - I can make them available when I receive them.

 

not a problem - with nearly a year's notice, we can schedule a visit by the QM2! :)

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I have worked out that Steep Holm is an Island :D the boat bit helped me to that conclusion :) But what is there? :D

 

 

I though I could Google look on a well known internet search engine for it but then no one would know I was ignorant about Steep Holm. :D I have now worked out its probably quite a hard climb (the word Steep being the clue there)

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I've been having receiving my Weston Super Mare queries for a number of weeks already - and I noted the caches out on the islands. I'm up for visiting those! :) Do the Mega Event Committee have any plans to charter the ferry? I'll put my name down on the list as apparently the ferry can carry 90 people tops. The ferry says it's there all day - again that's fine. It would be great to spend some time on the island and hopefully with clear weather, take in the views of England & Wales.

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I've been having receiving my Weston Super Mare queries for a number of weeks already - and I noted the caches out on the islands. I'm up for visiting those! :ninja: Do the Mega Event Committee have any plans to charter the ferry? I'll put my name down on the list as apparently the ferry can carry 90 people tops. The ferry says it's there all day - again that's fine. It would be great to spend some time on the island and hopefully with clear weather, take in the views of England & Wales.

 

You can't charter the ferry! You can book a seat on the boat to go on one of their scheduled sailings (very weather / sea permitting). Last time I went most people were very sea sick. :ninja: I'll post a link to the 2009 sailing times when they are available - there will also be a link on the Steep Holm cache pages.

 

It's well worth a visit to the island for the history, the peace :( (v noisy seagulls), and of course the caches. There will be another two caches going live soon on the island - one will be a Wherigo.

 

The trip duration is very tide dependant, so the length of the visit is governed by the tides - there has to be enough water in Weston to leave and the beach on Steep Holm has to be exposed to leave - this area has the second highest tidal range in the world - 47 feet maximum low tide to high tide. Because of this it takes about an hour and a half to get there and about half an hour to get back. The boat trip is an experience in itself given that the waves crash into the side of the boat while it's nosed up onto the beach and you sit on the deck with water up to your ankles while everyone boards. Great fun!

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Do the Mega Event Committee have any plans to charter the ferry?

 

As Icarus says, you can't charter the ferry, but a trip to Steep Holm is one of many many many ideas which have been discussed by the 2009 Mega Event Committee. That's not to say it will happen in any official capacity, but it is being discussed. Did I keep that answer woolly enough? :(

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Just so this isn't wooly; the Trust who own the island have asked us to make it clear about getting to Steep Holm, and I quote:

 

"I should be most grateful if you would stress that no one should consider trying to reach the island under their own steam. There are very few local sailors with sufficient knowledge of the sea conditions and currents that surround the island to attempt a landing and it is not an expedition to be undertaken lightly. The consequences of an accident occurring would be devasting both for those involved and also for the Trust and the future of the island."

 

"Landing on Steep Holm is notoriously difficult which is why we trust our skipper who has been sailing the Bristol Channel since his teens and is very experienced at landing on the island. That said, the operation can still prove a tad hair raising at times! The island is privately owned by the Trust and we do not allow anyone to land there unless accompanied by Trust officials. There have been a couple of occasions this year when people have managed to land and have caused a good deal of damage; one hapless soul became totally stranded and it cost something in the region of £40,000 to rescue him in an operation which involved the search and rescue helicopter from RAF Chivenor and no less than 5 life boats!"

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