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May 2005 will be the sixth annual Lake District weekend and dates are now confimed as Friday 20th to Sunday 22nd May. As in previous years we will be using the Keswick Country House Hotel as the headquarters for Friday and Saturday nights, with 'dawn raids' and cruises in the Lakes on Saturday and Sunday.

Provisional programme
Friday 20 May
Travel in convoy or alone to Keswick in the Lake District arriving in time for evening meal (which is bundled in the hotel price). Evening entertainment (of the general bar related orientation!)
Saturday 21 May
Dawn raid. Breakfast, then day cruise leaving at 10am. Back to Keswick in time to allow for some free time before evening meal and (more) evening entertainment similar to Friday (!).
Sunday 22 May
Dawn raid. Breakfast, then leisurely cruise leaving at 10am finishing at suitable lunch venue with departure afterwards.

If you are attending Saturday and Sunday, you need to arrange accommodation for Friday and Saturday nights. As already mentioned the recommended hotel is the Keswick Country House Hotel, telephone 0845 458 4333 (national reservation) or 017687 72020 (front desk enquiries). It's an excellent hotel with good food and plenty of off-road parking. I have secured room rates at same levels as 2004 - £62 per person per night (pp-pn) for DINNER, bed and breakfast. I called the hotel this morning was told there are plenty of vacancies for both nights.

There are of course numerous other B&Bs, hotels and guesthouses should you prefer. If you are staying elsewhere and wish to eat with the main group at KCCH the charge for dinner is £17.95.

When booking the KCCH please state that you are with the BMW group.

NB I plan for the event to be an excellent mixture of driving, socialising and relaxing. Of course normal Dawn Raid excitement will feature but I have in mind that the 'official' daytime Saturday cruise will finish a little earlier than in previous years to allow for participants to perhaps shop, explore Keswicks pubs or indeed have their own impromptu mini cruises.

Please confirm below once you have booked your accommodation so that the organisers can get a clear idea of numbers.

Not that i am too keen and eager but Mel, Charlotte and I are booked for the full weekend

Is it May yet?????????

For those who forgot what a riot last year was:-)

I'll be there! Had a great time last year. Will be booking the hotel in the morning!

I'm booked.

Hi,

I just booked online. Something to bear in mind, I enquired at the booking desk for an upgrded room, King Deluxe is 82.00 pp-pn (BMW group 62.00 plus 20.00 supplement pp-pn). Alternatively you can book online for 59.20 plus 10.00 weekend supplement pp-pn, total 69.20 for King Deluxe inc brekkie and dinner etc.

I am looking forward to it.

Regards,


tags

Jules75 wrote:No single rooms. So if I was staying at the KCHH, they would charge me 4x£62. Very disappointed.

Alternative hotels in Keswick
Single room availability was an issue last year but don't dispair--the hotel is in Station Road, which is wall-to-wall with hotels and guest houses, and there's bags to choose from within 100m walking distance:
Birch How, 41 Brundholme Terrace, Station Road, tel: 01768 773404
Gilpin House, 37 Brundholme Terrace, Station Road, tel: 017687 75186
Ravensworth Hotel, 29 Station Road
Keswick Park Hotel (Walpole Hotel?), 33 Station Road, tel: 01768 772072

A bit further away in Main Street (300 metres) are
Queens Hotel, Main Street, tel: 01768 773333
Kings Arms, Main Street, tel: 01768 772083
Skiddaw Hotel, Main Street, tel: 01768 772071

If you stay elsewhere you should still be able to arrange to eat with the rest of the group at the KCHH, the cost last year was £17.95 per head - I will check to confirm this price remains unchanged.

I'm booked up .............. Yippppy

Alfie and Diane booked too!

FANDABIDOSI....

They tell me that there are still double rooms available, but some of them are executive or special which cost significantly more than £62 pppn.

Don't take any notice if the web booking system tells you that they are full, but I suggest you get on the blower NOW if you want a room at the Keswick Country House Hotel.

0845 458 4333

They have NO single rooms left, and singles in a double room have to pay double....

All Excited now!

Cheers.
A.

It's best to make your booking by phone. Call the hotel on the 0845 458 4333 When I spoke with them yesterday I was assured that there were plenty of twin/double rooms available for the nights in question.

Remember to say you are with the BMW party.

IMPORTANT CHANGE

Whilst the Keswick Country House Hotel has many twin and double rooms for the 13th & 14th May, due to the extension of this years Keswick Jazz Festival, overspill rooms at alternative hotels/B&Bs for those seeking single accommodation are non-existent.

In an effort to make the event as accommodating as possible I have moved the whole event forward by one week.

The new dates are therefore 20th - 22nd May.

All those who have booked already (Bryn, Alfie, Spokey, Tags, Jay and Martlet) have had their reservation automatically moved to the new dates. If for whatever reason you cannot now attend, the hotel will refund your reservation deposit in full. Call 0845 458 4333 and speak with Carolyn.

For all others please book in the normal manner noting the new dates.

For those seeking alternative hotels etc see my earlier post for details, Tim called many of them last night and was assured that there was oodles of accommodation available particularly single rooms which do seem to be at a premium at the KCHH.

Sorry for any hassle this change of plan has created but I hope all involved will understand the reasons!

Still no single rooms at the KCHH though. Can anyone recommend a good hotel or B+B?

Jo and I are booked into the same room as last year, on the Weekend of the 20th of May.

Oh, and the date change is a bonus for us, as we are going to a gig on the 13th, and really didn't want to have to cancel the tickets......The Midnight cruise from London to Cumbria wasn't going to be my Favourite......

Sarah and I are booked in at the KCHH.

Alfie and Diane confirmed at the KCHH for new date.

Sooooopa!

A.

Is that 11 cars so far? How big does this event get now? I remember the second lakes was 14 cars.


tags

Last year was over 30, Can't make this one though.

Haven't been on here much I know since joining last year... but Jules' ranting about how good this run is and just to prove to Spokey that I do come to runs down south and to say 'hellooooo' to martlet again I'll be there

Booked into the KCHH and taken the last twin ....and if my room mate snores they're out the window

Have just book the KCHH
Hope to see you all up there
Gary and Kay

Thanks Giles for moving the reservation :-) Mel and I are still up for it and will see you there :-)

missiedriver wrote:and if my room mate snores they're out the window

Now she tells me...

DavidM wrote:missiedriver - that's hardly down sarf - it's only just over the border

Darn sarf is somewhere below the midlands - approaching dover

Good point! I will not count this, in fact I will only accept attendance at a Bunch of Hunts cruise as evidence.

So there!

I've been looking at other accommodation, especially single rooms.

One option is single occupancy of a double at KCHH. That would be £124 per night but includes two meals, so if you come to an arrangement over the evening meal (£17.95) with someone who is staying elsewhere, the rate is effectively £106.05 per night (£88.10 plus the £17.95 dinner for one).

By comparison the Queens Hotel wants £94 pp pn B&B single occupancy of a double. Gulp.

I shall be staying in the Keswick Park Hotel which is in Station Road near the KCHH. As of this evening it still has one single (£32pp pn) and seven doubles (£34 pp pn) available. Non smoking. Ten parking spaces, first come, first served.

The King's Head Hotel has two singles at £52 per night B&B.

If you want to look for more, use the search engine at http://www.keswick.org/searchserviced.asp but don't bother calling Howe Keld Lakeland Hotel, Skiddaw Hotel, Castlehead House Hotel, Edwardene Hotel or Highfield Hotel.

Tim

Giles wrote:IMPORTANT CHANGE


The new dates are therefore 20th - 22nd May.

Aww nuts. Once again the Lakes is when I'm on holiday already. 4R5E. One year I'll make it..........

Oh well, enjoy chaps and chapesses. I expect LOTS of pictures afterwards.


Rob

RobBruce wrote:Aww nuts. Once again the Lakes is when I'm on holiday already. 4R5E. One year I'll make it..........
Rob

Easy.... C'mon Rob...
CHANGE YOUR BLUMMEN' HOLIDAY!

You know it makes sense....!

A.

Thank goodness the lakes is back on the menu....................we're booked in and looking forward to seeing you all again.......so count us in!
Trev and Les

Count us in please



J R

John and Jean

Work->travel nearly caused havoc in our participation for Lakes '05 but so far so good.... we are booked in for Fri & Sat night in the KCH and look forward to seeing familiar and new faces again!

Bart & Sarah

I'm definately coming.

wow, that was lucky, the Keswick Country House Hotel is filling up.

all booked up and ready to go. can't wait to me you all again

Dario and Carolyn

Z4

Giles, well done to you sir.

Dario

We're booked up now.
It'll be our first Lakes experience.

All I have to do now is save up for the petrol to get there.

Damn......

The other 'arf has just annouced that she is at a bloody Neil Diamond concert in Manchester on the 20th. I remember her ordering the tickets months ago. Looks like i will be getting there in the early hours of Sat.

...... ebay

Any veterans got any top tips for us first-timers?
Any must-brings, or must-leave-behinds? (don't say girlfriend)

Damon
leave your tonneau cover at home
remember your camera
check your tyres (and oil)
garyw

garyw wrote:Damon
leave your tonneau cover at home
remember your camera
check your tyres (and oil)
garyw

Nooo bring the tonneau cover then we can all have a laugh watching you put your roof up when it rains

Do turn up to the hotel for the days run with a full tank of fuel. Top it off after the dawn raid, half a tank just wont do

I've never put my tonneau cover on. I wouldn't know how difficult it is take off / put on. Thought it was on poppers though. Is it really that hard?

I'm assuming you guys all know the location of the nearest Shell garages?

Also, I'm not really a morning person. What time do these dawn raids start? I'm guessing dawn is about 6am that time of year? In my opinion that's the middle of the night! (Guess I could stay up late)

Damon wrote:I've never put my tonneau cover on. I wouldn't know how difficult it is take off / put on. Thought it was on poppers though. Is it really that hard?

I'm assuming you guys all know the location of the nearest Shell garages?

Also, I'm not really a morning person. What time do these dawn raids start? I'm guessing dawn is about 6am that time of year? In my opinion that's the middle of the night! (Guess I could stay up late)

Damon

Tonneau: quite easy but most of us do not bother for most cruizes...with the changing weather you maybe caught out!

As for the dawn raids...these are rather spirited drives indeed leaving around 6am (sharp - ask JohnM) and are a good blast before breakfast. Most our better halves do not care/dare and stay in bed though... however they come recommended and are some of the most fun drives of the weekend where we put the pedal to the metal!

Try at least the Sat am dawn raid... i bet you'll be hooked!

PS where abouts in MK are you from, I see an ///M parked in Woburn Sands quite often... yours? live in Bow Brickhill myself

As for the dawn raids...these are rather spirited drives indeed leaving around 6am (sharp - ask JohnM)

Yeah right. Last year when I was at the Lakes they all left early. Saturday morning left 5 minutes before schedule. I literally had to run to the car, jump in, start driving and let my passenger dive through the window (ok, that last bit was wasn't quite true).

So for the Sunday dawn raid I thought I get down there 15 minutes before the start time, only to get down there to see the last car drive out the hotel car park.

I have a friend with his M3 (and family) who are interested, will let you know if he confirms.

Well, I may be getting a little off-topic:

Gary: Yes, I did leave on time - Stu left early!
Brynt: I think there was gravel involved at the top. I was just lucky to find you all at the top in the mist.

I know going up (and subsequently down) that hill that the Z was very tail happy (very worn tyres, greasy roads, hairpins - not a particularly good mix). Not only was the back end wanting to come round going through the hairpins when under power but under braking the back end was wanting to swap. I can fully assure you that the DSC warning light was very, very active.

Great fun though

John.

JohnM wrote:You were lucky. I had to give chase to the whole group. Loads of fun though.

Thats cos you had bald tyres???????????????

hi giles and all the rest of you guys from last year

me n sue will be there booked into keswick hotel this year

the birch how is a good b & b to stay at and its only down the road from the keswick hotel stayed there last year

see you all up there

phil n sue

boston green 1.9i see pictures posted by martyn

Minglee2....cheadle as in Stoke or Manchester?

Giles,

Lynda and I will be there. Booked into the KCHH.

Simon

An update (and bump for the topic!) I will be running routes with Stu in a few weeks time.

just booked and another room left too @ £19pppn tel 01768 773 404.

stu wrote:just booked and another room left too @ £19pppn tel 01768 773 404.

So does this mean the Sunday "Dawn Raid" is up a mountain again??

Sorry everyone, but I won't make this year's Lakes.

As some of you may know, I decided to go back to University at the end of last year. I've held off letting you know if I could attend, as I was waiting for the the dates of when my courseworks are to be handed in and unfortunately it is for the end of May.

I've enjoyed past years and I'm gutted I'm going to miss out. I look forward to seeing the photos and hearing the stories ...

Have a good one

Our attendance is currently "doubtfull" again it seems

It was all OK a few months ago, but there is unfortunately a good chance that we may not be able to make it due to foreign work commitments/travel. The bugger is that this may also apply to the Wales weekend....but like to hope that we can make at least one of those.. We have not cancelled either of our hotels in Wales/Lakes yet.

fingers crossed..

Thinking about coming over for this again (had great craic last year )

Can anyone tell me where and what time the run will end on Sunday, I would have to make it back to Holyhead for 19.45 to catch the ferry and don't really want to cut and run too early.

Cheers
Jon

Jon.

Check the post at the top of page 1 of this thread.
Original plan is to depart after lunch on the Sunday, so you should be fine for your boat.

Most people are already booked in to hotels, so you might need to shop around a bit to find accomodation. The base is the Keswick Country House Hotel, but I think you'll find this is fully booked.

Good luck!

A.