[mjh93sa]

Originally Posted by beauforty

So do we all agree with the weekend of 21st/22nd April 2007 for IOM trip?

Agreed.

It'll be a nice warmup before a trip in July for the Southern100 races if all goes to plan (unlike this year)!

[ES-Jet]

Sounds like a great weekend - IOM must be awesome.
I'm signed up to a weekend in the Lake District with BMWLand so I'd never get a pass for this too!

[SoYank]

As best as I can foresee, I may/might be able to swing that. The driving (no pun intended) issue for me is car shipment timing. There's a six week lead time.

[red355]

Unlikely I will be able to make that weekend which is a real shameas I was keen to capture it all with my cameras.

[SRT]

Welcome back Viv

I would love to attend too, but it's too early for a definite answer - I have career issues hanging in the balance at present

[Mickey]

I would like to count myself as one of the "hard core" UK meet attendees. However, I can't make it to the Isle of Man until June or thereafter. I am deploying to Kuwait in January and well, ain't gonna be back for an April run. And, as talk is focusing on UK3 being Feb/Mar, guess I'll have to miss out on that too. Dang it!

Can I still be hard core, though? I got a good reason for missing out, don't I?!

On a different note, sorry about your Nan, Matt. I hope you and your family are doing well. Please accept and pass on my condolences.

I do appreciate you posting the link to your site - and to the awesome shot of my car (yes, I'm selfish like that!). I've wandered all over that site ... you do good pictures!

Glad to see you back, Viv! Glad to hear you had a good trip and that you are feeling better.

Take care, all.

Marilyn

[booforty]

Marilyn,

Of course you are hardcore! You always were and always will be!

Shame we won't have cries of "dude that is so cool" and "sick man" on the IOM trip!

Won't be the same without you!

[mjh93sa]

Marilyn, as our very own MF says it just won't be the same without you. But... it does give us a good excuse for a welcome back Marilyn meet when you return!

Thanks for all your thoughts guys, it has been a rough couple of months. As well as loosing my Gran, one of my cousins who had a liver tansplant last month and was doing really well was taken suddenly ill and died last week. He was so ill before the transplant and was doing so well that we thought the worst was over, so it's come as a shock to us all.

Matt.

[- Paul -]

Matt - I'm sure I speak for all when I say our thoughts are with you. Take care.

[vivekk]

Originally Posted by RR

Welcome back Viv

I would love to attend too, but it's too early for a definite answer - I have career issues hanging in the balance at present

Thanks Ray.

Originally Posted by Mickey

I would like to count myself as one of the "hard core" UK meet attendees. However, I can't make it to the Isle of Man until June or thereafter. I am deploying to Kuwait in January and well, ain't gonna be back for an April run. And, as talk is focusing on UK3 being Feb/Mar, guess I'll have to miss out on that too. Dang it!

Can I still be hard core, though? I got a good reason for missing out, don't I?!

On a different note, sorry about your Nan, Matt. I hope you and your family are doing well. Please accept and pass on my condolences.

I do appreciate you posting the link to your site - and to the awesome shot of my car (yes, I'm selfish like that!). I've wandered all over that site ... you do good pictures!

Glad to see you back, Viv! Glad to hear you had a good trip and that you are feeling better.

Take care, all.

Marilyn

Thanks Marilyn.
The 'hardcore' e90 'originators' (as I like to put it) certainly think you are one of us, without a doubt.

I suppose UK1 was a bit of a test for us to see how we'd get on with each other.
Based on that & UK2, I can safely say that Beauforty certainly is a MF, paddywac's jokes remind me of those of Krusty the Clown, Flyingdwarf will always be 'Dermot O'Leary', mjh93sa aka OilBurner will always mean 'beautiful photography' to me, SoYank will always be the 'Funny American', 1stnewcar will be remembered as 'Panoramic Paul', JonMad will be remembered as the 'Jolly Giant' & Marilyn will be the 'sensible lady'!

It was great to meet the 'new boys'- Chris, Simon, Dave, Ray & the others too (forgive me for my hopeless memory).

Originally Posted by mjh93sa

Marilyn, as our very own MF says it just won't be the same without you. But... it does give us a good excuse for a welcome back Marilyn meet when you return!

Thanks for all your thoughts guys, it has been a rough couple of months. As well as loosing my Gran, one of my cousins who had a liver tansplant last month and was doing really well was taken suddenly ill and died last week. He was so ill before the transplant and was doing so well that we thought the worst was over, so it's come as a shock to us all.

Matt.

All my condolences, Matt.
I hope you can enjoy this Christmas with some good memories.


Anyway, I think I should be fine for the IoM in April.

So, it looks like we'll be having a pre-IOM aka UK3 meet, followed by the UK4-IoM-Bye-bye-Floyd meet & then the UK5-Welcome-back-Marilyn meet ?!

It's going to be a busy year for the 'hardcore' UK e90post members.

Perhaps we should also organise a UK6-Christmas-Party towards the end of the year?


All the best.

Viv

[mjh93sa]

Just had some stuff from the Manx Tourist board.

On the Saturday planned (21st) there is a HillClimb running from Whitegates to the Gooseneck. Might be interesting viewing, but will mean that a very small section of the TT course is closed.

More Info:
http://www.manxmotorracing.com/events.htm

[booforty]

I want to get plenty of driving in while I'm there!! Take my baby to the redline for a change!!!

[NathanJT]

Damn, damn, damn... I can't make this one either

Although, thankfully, I'm already booked to go over for the TT. No car though, we're flying and staying with the inlaws!

Hope you all have a great time. It really is a wonderful place for driving

[mjh93sa]

Sorry you can't make it Nathan, enjoy the TT! (I'm booked up for the Southern100 in July).

Can't wait to get back on the mountain road

[NathanJT]

I think I shall be camped at either Quarterbridge or Creg Ny Baa for the week, monopod at the ready

Can't wait!

[mjh93sa]

The Creg should be good - they're putting a granstand in and doing something about catering as well I seem to remember reading recently.

...and of course there's no coincidence that both are pubs

[booforty]

Matt, what's going to be the best way to get there? And how much will it cost? How many nights should we stay? What does everyone else think? Travel over Sat, come back Sun or travel Friday and come back Sun?

[SoYank]

A lot depends on the ferry schedule.

[mjh93sa]

Right.....

Ferry
The Steam Packet Company have got the travel sewn up as they are the only ferry company. http://www.steam-packet.co.uk/SteamPacket/

Sailings are from Liverpool or Heysham (next to Morecombe). Of the two sailings I would strongly recommend the Liverpool one as it's a fast craft (2.5hrs vs 4+hrs) and on the slower crossing your car may be on an open deck!

Crossings from Liverpool are at 11:15 and 19:00. Return crossing are 07:30 and 15:00. Throwing a few options at the online booking form gives the following numbers (car & 2 pax), though I think there's a fuel surcharge of £10 each way:
Sat - Sun £162
Fri - Sun £162
Fri - Mon £150

Of the options I think that the Friday - Sunday is going to make the most of the trip with the minimum disruption to peoples working week. But I'd be happy to go Fri-Mon if anyone else wanted to.

Accommodation
It really depends what people are looking for, there is everything from campsites to luxury hotels. There are loads of hotels along the sea-front in all of the towns. However they are more guest houses than hotels and as such don't have parking. If we're looking to get a number of cars parked securely then a decision needs to be made on what people what to do in the evening. If folks want the nightlife of Douglas (the capital) then only the top hotels there have off road parking. Otherwise lesser accommodation would suit.

A couple of sites for accomodation searches:
http://www.gov.im/tourism/travel/acc...an-hotels.aspx
http://www.iomguide.com/accommodation.php

Top end hotels:
http://www.mountmurray.com/Hotel.htm
http://www.hilton.co.uk/isleofman

Motel:
http://www.gov.im/tourism/travel/acc...ility=&class=&

Bunkhouse:
http://www.adventure-centre.co.uk/co...bunkhouse.html

So... comments and thoughts guys!

[SoYank]

I don't think we can wait until the last minute in booking either the ferry or the accommodations. Probably need it settled by early to mid March.

[booforty]

Originally Posted by mjh93sa

Right.....

Ferry
The Steam Packet Company have got the travel sewn up as they are the only ferry company. http://www.steam-packet.co.uk/SteamPacket/

Sailings are from Liverpool or Heysham (next to Morecombe). Of the two sailings I would strongly recommend the Liverpool one as it's a fast craft (2.5hrs vs 4+hrs) and on the slower crossing your car may be on an open deck!

Crossings from Liverpool are at 11:15 and 19:00. Return crossing are 07:30 and 15:00. Throwing a few options at the online booking form gives the following numbers (car & 2 pax), though I think there's a fuel surcharge of £10 each way:
Sat - Sun £162
Fri - Sun £162
Fri - Mon £150

Of the options I think that the Friday - Sunday is going to make the most of the trip with the minimum disruption to peoples working week. But I'd be happy to go Fri-Mon if anyone else wanted to.

Accommodation
It really depends what people are looking for, there is everything from campsites to luxury hotels. There are loads of hotels along the sea-front in all of the towns. However they are more guest houses than hotels and as such don't have parking. If we're looking to get a number of cars parked securely then a decision needs to be made on what people what to do in the evening. If folks want the nightlife of Douglas (the capital) then only the top hotels there have off road parking. Otherwise lesser accommodation would suit.

A couple of sites for accomodation searches:
http://www.gov.im/tourism/travel/acc...an-hotels.aspx
http://www.iomguide.com/accommodation.php

Top end hotels:
http://www.mountmurray.com/Hotel.htm
http://www.hilton.co.uk/isleofman

Motel:
http://www.gov.im/tourism/travel/acc...ility=&class=&

Bunkhouse:
http://www.adventure-centre.co.uk/co...bunkhouse.html

So... comments and thoughts guys!

Well done Matt,

I think we need accommodation in Douglas somewhere, near the action. I'm not overly bothered about secure parking, but in some sort of car park would be nice! Are there any hotels in Douglas with say 5 Double rooms and reasonable parking? The Santon Motel looked okay to me and available. What does everybody else think?

[SoYank]

If the weekend is set, 20-22 (Friday-Sunday) or 21-22 (Saturday-Sunday), could someone please put this on the meets calendar? Might want to put it with Friday as optional so we can see when everyone is planning to arrive. Then if someone wants to show up on Saturday (afternoon) they could sign up for that instead.