Deep Sky Camp - Friday 14th to Monday 17th May

[MarkS]

Kelling has fixed sized plots and hence you pay per plot, it is not good value for singles.

Relatively recently Blacklands was charging £4 per person and £2.50 for electrics - you can find these old prices on a few camping pages on the net.

[Mike]

Yep. They have seriously hiked their prices up.

[mickw]

http://forum.orpington-astronomy.org.uk/index.php?topic=4998.msg27569#msg27569

Hardly a serious hike in prices 

[Mike]

Got some kind of an aversion from moving from Blacklands Mick ?

[mickw]

Nope - unless the alternative is Tuesnode 

Just pointing out the reality 

Talking of Tuesnode, what was the reason for switching from Pennys Field which everyone seemed to like - Not the better facilities surely

This thread is getting dangerously close to attracting the scrutiny of the forum parrots 

[Mike]

Penny's Field we stopped using because there was NO facilities at all (even less than Tuesnoad). Plus she double booked us TWICE with hippy festivals.

[Rocket Pooch]

I have never paid more than £14 per night, including electric, at any campsite before. Blacklands is now £17 per night. You can stay at a Travellodge for £19 per night and get breakfast in the morning.

Might get some light pollution at a travel lodge....

I think this is really simple, the committe can decide the official site and for UDSC just treat it as normal, i.e. if we want to got to wherever then lets do it on that basis.  So for the UDSC why not goto Devon for the weekend?  Its very dark there.

Tuesnode was ok, we could do what we wanted, but we would need to sort out the entrance and the sheep poo, has anyone forgot the poo?

[mickw]

I still say £10.50 per person per night including electricity is a bargain................

But if something better comes up, I'm all for it and yes I'm up for Devon.

I don't think DSC venue would be a committee matter, it's more down to those that attend.  It would be rather pointless for committee to designate Tuesnode as the venue then everyone buggers off to Blacklands  or Devon 

And no, I haven't forgot the poo or the fact that the lazy owner couldn't be bothered to carry out the repairs to his own property   

[Mike]

I don't think the DSC has anything to do with the committee quite frankly. Especially as none of the committee members ever attend. I think it is up to the 7 or 8 individuals who regularly attend to make the decisions concerning DSC via a majority vote.

[Rick]

Yep, DSC dates have traditionally been decided by the folks who go to DSC, and have never been subject to Committee confirmation (with the possible exception of the first few).

[Mike]

I think a trip to Devon really requires a 4 day weekend plus some forward planning. For June I recommend we try out Rother Valley and arrange a trip to Devon for perhaps the August uDSC.

[Mac]

I'm all for it and yes I'm up for Devon.

Tuesnode was ok, we could do what we wanted, but we would need to sort out the entrance and the sheep poo, has anyone forgot the poo?

That sounds like a good idea.

As said before. If we contact the owner and offer to fix the entrance. Im sure we can negotiate a couple of free weekends down there.
Dig the front out and tamp down a couple of bags of type one Mot. Probably take all day but it might be worth it.
Im sure the owner would pay for the MOT type1 if he knew that he was going to get the entrance to the field sorted.

Mac.

[Mike]

OK we'll leave you to contact the owner and sort that one out then. Cheers.

[Ian]

I think never is a bit harsh Mike, with mick,doug, rose and carole on the ctte. But the location of dsc is not a ctte matter anyway.

The only time the ctte would get involved is in the event of some spending being needed.

Mick, the only scrutiny this thread is currently getting is whether we need a new forum just for dsc...

[mickw]

The only time the ctte would get involved is in the event of some spending being needed

Hmm, perhaps the society could fund a several DSCs - Arizona springs to mind 

the only scrutiny this thread is currently getting is whether we need a new forum just for dsc...

Not really, we'll get bored and our fingers will get tired of typing soon, then we'll just go "somewhere"