Birmingham 2014

Basic Details

Date: Saturday 29th. March 2014
Time: 12noon to 6pm
Location: The Old Contemptibles, 176 Edmund Street, Birmingham, B3 2HB
Price: TBC
The Old Contemptibles web-site

How To Get There

The venue is directly outside Snow Hill station and a short walk from New Street or Moor Street Stations. A map of the venue and surrounding areas can be viewed here on Google Maps.

Train

Snow Hill and Moor Street are served by direct services from London Marylebone operated by Chiltern Railways as well as a network of local services within the West Midlands. New Street is served from London Euston by Virgin Trains and London Midland . New Street is also the hub of the

CrossCountry network with trains to and from various parts of the country. In addition New Street is the centre a local network covering the West and East Midlands as well as longer inter-urban journeys. The pub is about 600 yards walking distance from New Street.

Bus

TBC

Coach

National Express coaches operate services between Birmingham and many part of the country,

Car

There is no parking at the pub itself however there are several short- and long-stay car parks within a short distance - SatNav users are advised to use the postcode B3 2HB. There is on-street parking for up to 4 hours in some of the streets close to the venue. If you're staying overnight then your hotel or B&B might have parking.

Facilities and Venue Details

Venue

The meet will take place in a reserved area at the back of the main bar which is normally used as a dining area; the buffet will be served here. There is also ample seating immediately outside the reserved area for those who wish to socialise rather than running a sim.

Food

A buffet lunch will be served at about 1.30 pm. A range of meat, poultry, vegetarian, hot, cold, simple, and spicy food will be provided. Please specify on the event sign-up form if you have any special dietary requirements.

Drink

Prices TBC. The pub has a good range of cask beers and cask ciders (normally 12 hand pulled ales and ciders available at weekends) as well as the usual lagers, fizzy ciders and "smooth" beers.

WiFi

Free WiFi available

The Meet

Times

The venue does not open until 12:00 on Saturday. Those who need to get in earlier to start setting up will be able to obtain access - details to follow. Those with laptops for use by the SimSig public, please arrive at 12:00, and register. Those without laptops are welcome to come into the bar and have a drink at 12:00, but please wait a short while before moving into the Meet area so that things can be set up and ready.

Entrance Fee

The entrance fee is £9.95 for those booking through the SimSig Events page and includes the buffet and any administrative fees. Payment for those who have not paid in advance through the Shop will be £11.00 to be paid on the day. Even if you wish to pay on the day, would you please sign up on the form which is available on the SimSig Events page so that we can order food for the correct number of people. When more people turn up on the day without booking, it reduces the food selection for those who were considerate enough to book up. We realise that some people may not be able to confirm until closer to the date but hope you understand the situation.

For those who do not like using the online Shop or PayPal (or both), a cheque will be acceptable. Please PM Postal if you wish to take up this option.

There is no entrance fee for those arriving after 2pm.

What's Included

Buffet lunch, shared access to multiplayer simulations.

Where To Stay

As a major city with international trade, Birmingham offers a wide range of accommodation from B&B to 5*. Both Travelodge and Premier Inn have several hotels in and around the area.

Please offer other recommendations if you know of further suitable accommodation.

Friday night

Please offer recommendations. Previous years have included a meal at a Mexican restaurant followed by drinks at one or more local pubs.

Saturday night

The meet is often followed by dinner in an Indian restaurant which usually starts fairly soon after the close of the meet at 18:00. Suggestions for a suitable venue would be welcomed.

Sunday

There is no visit arranged to date.

Simulations In Use

Provided enough computers are available, It is intended to chain Coventry, New Street, Wolverhampton, Aston and Stafford (10/11 workstations + 2/3 Hosts).

What Actually Happened

A small but crowded back room saw the creation of a West Midlands chain which kept a lot of people busy. Others spent their time socialising in the main bar area. The glitch in the supply of the buffet didn't detract too badly from the enjoyment on the day. There is a Forum Topic about this meet here .

Last edited by GeoffM on 15/09/2016 at 03:00