Alex said:
Mendip again!?? Was it not Mendip last year?
Indeed it was..
Alex said:
Surely there must had been somewhere up north
Yes, surely there must.
Perhaps you can spend 8 months of your time ringing around prospective venues and visiting them during working hours to confirm suitability, whilst trying to keep your day job running as well, oh, and some time for enjoyment, caving, a life, etc?
Alex said:
, what about the Leak in the Peak
Well, Leek is no longer suitable, following their redevelopment of part of the site...
Alex said:
or Dales bridge as that was suitable for Euro Spelo?
But Eurospeleo was a very different event and the venue was very expensive, the marquees alone cost over ?20k and the total costs were in excess of ?70k.
Oh, and that was with only one lecture theatre...
Alex said:
Even somewhere in the middle would have done, such as Northern Wales, has there ever been an HE there?
I have spent several months chasing around North Wales, and the North West of England and no suitable venue was found. Either they aren't interested or there are prior bookings or the site is just not suitable...
Alex said:
Oh well like the government thinks, I guess us northerners don't exist.
Well, if I thought Northerners didn't exist then I wouldn't have just spent a vast amount of my time, and money, trying to sort a suitable venue there...
Alex said:
I will have to decide if it's worth the drive this time. It depends what/if Mad Phil has to say about China.
You decide what you want. I can't help you there, but if Mad Phil is your only reason for considering whether to come then why bother to come at all...
The event runs all weekend, has three lecture theatres running through out with a whole host of other stuff going on as well.
All run by volunteers, for the benefit of cavers.
A lot of people give up a lot of time to put on this event...
But if you only want to hear what Mad Phil has to say about China then why not just chat to him in the pub, only cost you a pint and will save the drive