Well thats shut me up. My neighbour is doing a buffet for 200 in her kitchen, she started last night and its for tonight, there one other guy doing the fish dishes and thats it.
Agree with DD, does she have her own bike gear and helmet? She could come down pillion on the sprint with you !!!
First two weeks in July, has been for last 2 years. Beginning of July is quieter, before the English schools break up. I know the holiday traffic through here quadruples, once they break for summer. Believe they were fined if they take the kids out during term time, not sure it still applies or not. Was going thru the courts, never heard the outcome.
FTFY - Another badly thought through policy by YOUR thick as shite government. Doesn't happen up here.
Still don't understand why Sprinter doesn't bring his company 'car' so we can go charabanc when it's miserable rain, cold, windy (no pun intended) and for when Dilli's hung over/still pissed. Jamesie could always get Mrs 'Neighbour' to help load his bike using the disabled ramp.
i've been on the phone to several hostels that would be suitable,prices range from £550 a night to £900 a night for exclusive use of the hostel,How much have the previous hostels been for exclusive use? if for example we went for the £550 a night and say only 15 people wanted to stay in the hostel ..over the 3 nights that would work out at £110.00 each, obviously the more that stayed at the hostel the cheaper it would be...but on the other hand if there were less people staying at the hostel it would work out more expensive per person, i have 2 favourites but they are £750.00 a night which for 15 people works out at £150.00 each for 3 nights i've also been on the phone to the tyndrum hostel and he is going to get back to me All of them would need a deposit and would need to know fairly soon (maybe the next 6/8 weeks max) as hostels in Scotland are busy from April all through the summer..
That seems quite expensive Dougie - my three nights at the Mount Inn in LLanidloes was less than £150.00 and that included a full English breakfast.
unfortunatly because we want exclusive use of the hostel you end up having to pay for empty beds,i agree you could easliy stay in a hotel for the same price or even cheaper and like Steve says you get a breakfast! plenty of hostels up here and if you didn't want exclusive use you can stay for about £20-£25 a night
also the other problem is getting a hostel big enough to hold 30-35 people for a meal, i came across lots of smaller ones that could cater for say 15/20 people and they obvously would be a lot cheaper for exclusive use but they would be no use for 30 people turning up for a meal
it is £25.00 a night and they have 33 beds so if it was full they would be making £825.00 so you are getting a small discount, (some are private rooms so it would actually be more than £825.00)
i think with the popularity of hostels up here if you don't block book the place you would definitely be sharing the hostel with others..we might just be better sticking with the devil we know...unless there are other options in England or Wales...or Ireland!!
there was one smaller hostel in Ballater that i spoke to that said he was fine with 30-35 people for a meal,although looking on his website i think we would all have to be sitting on each others knees! i don't think having a BBQ outside will be an issue..heres a pic of the dining area in the hostel in Ballater
Two points: The kitchen at the bunkhouse in Llanidloes was poor in terms of cooking for a large number of people, it was difficult. The oven/hob was a tiny domestic unit. You could only fit 2 large pans on the 4 ring hob. There was a lack of ancillary equipment. There wasn't even a sieve. Overall, there just wasn't enough room. In contrast, the kitchen at Bellingham was ideal with it's professional ovens and hobs etc. Second point, James loves to cook for you and I do too but we can all get together for a meal in a restaurant. Sumptuous meals can still be cooked on the other nights just for the "bunkers". Do you agree James @Sprinter ?
At Bellingham most of the hoteliers ate in the Cheviot and enjoyed an excellent meal with good company and craic
If matey at Tyndrum would be okay with hotel folk piling in for one of the evening meals there is certainly enough room for 30+ to sit in comfort. And the kitchen is more than adequate. BBQ might be a problem.
£150 if there's only 15 of us if I understand Dougie correctly. Bunkhouses are typically £20-£25 per night per bunk. If it sleeps thirty say then 15 of us would be paying for virtually two bunks each. The more of us there are the cheaper it is per person. I imagine we could rustle up 20 folk next year. At this stage I'd pm all the usual suspects with the proposed dates, include the folk from the Scotland Road Trip, and see who is a definite maybe. Then find a bunkhouse to suit, with a couple or three extra beds.
If I am staying in a bunkhouse, I am paying bunkhouse rates of £20 ~ £25 a night - tops (have to be a feckin guid one at £25 a night). No way am I paying £50, or even the posibility of it costing me £50 if it wasn't filled up. This is the 2019 GMU thread !!!
