Hello!
I am trying to guage interest in a possible forum concert / event in Blackburn, Lancs. I have a venue lined up with practice facilities and a pretty decent Kwai grand in the concert room. Timing could possibly be one of the may bank holiday weekends in 2011, and it would have to be a sunday, making potential dates either May 1st or May 29th.

Who might be interested in coming along to sunny lancashire and joining in?
Nothing is set in stone yet, just testing the water.
This would be a joint affair with Yamaha and myself doing the organising!
Thanks
SB

Travelling back in time???

I'd be interested (assuming you mean 2011 rather than 2001 )

However, 29th risks being the day after the proposed Paris event. Not sure where the planning is on that one - Barry-Clari, can you give us any idea?

Oh dear...Time I went to bed I think!! Yes, it is of course 2011!!

I think the theme is going to be 'A Space Odyssey'

But being serious just for a moment : it's highly unlikely that Paris will happen in 2011 at least, as freda_bloogs is now closer in distance to me than the Eiffel Tower, so 29/5 is equally fine.

As it stands, I can do either date.

Might be a possible will watch to see how things develop. Unless this is Adult Learners of course....

Isn't the 29th May awfully close to the Players for pleasure event some of us regularly attend?

Won't be going to Paris whther it happens or not.

I'm another 'possible' for either date at the moment

There is almost always a Leeds one (Skylark) on the Saturday, end of half term.

Come on everyone, sign up !!

How would an earlier date work......Jan or Feb ?

Travel's not brilliant at that time of year, so you may not get as many people.

Also I shall be holding the usual Adult Learners Concert in SW London on 19th February. Just waiting to confirm the cost with the venue before I announce it on the Forums.

Travel would be ok mid / late jan and feb surely ? Obviously dont want to step on your toes though

Normally it is, but in 2011 for various reasons it will be in July, either 23rd or 30th (posted about it on the 2011 Calendar thread)

I'd be interested and May would be good for me.

If we get a winter like the one just gone... You are near the Pennines...

In May you (should) get, if not better weather, certainly more amenable weather...

Looks like lots of potential interest...

If both of you are reluctant to travel to the North-West in February, then it stands to reason that you would understand why people living in the North-West might find the 250 miles to Teddington equally uninviting. I don't see why it should be a problem to Teddington to have a Blackburn event in February.

Road travel in Jan/Feb shouldn't be a problem from the Yorkshire end - I used to do a lot of driving across the M62 corridor and they do their utmost to keep it clear, and Blackburn is on the motorway network as well.

I wouldn't want to do two concerts in quick succession but if it was in February which is a few weeks after my Leeds concert, I would be interested in coming. I could fit 4 other people in my car if anyone wanted a lift as Blackburn doesn't look particuarly easy by public transport. You could always have one concert in February and another one in May!

I'm going to Shea Lolin's playday in Manchester on 5/2. I was just thinking that the weather may be an issue further up towards the Pennines...

It may be an issue for those who would need to travel long distances if they didn't want to miss the Blackburn event. As a local person, I wouldn't find it an issue at all. I had relatives who lived in the middle of nowhere, right on the Pennines. The rural roads in the Pennines were kept clear because of the milk deliveries from the the Pennine farms. On the motorway network, I've only once ever had to turn back on the M62, in about two decades.

Fair enough : I shall bow to your greater local knowledge. I probably wouldn't be able to make a Blackburn event in February (unless it was the 6th Feb as I'm already in Manchester), but yeah, if there are two events in the area and sbpiano and yamaha perceive it'll work, great.

just to add my two penceworth on the weather issue, I wouldn't be too keen to make the trip in Jan/Feb either and I'm not hundreds of miles away from Blackburn.

Dear forumites,

Thank you for your interest so far. I am going to stick with May as the month for this event and will confirm a date as soon as possible. It is possible the venue might change if we can find something suitable in Blackpool but it will still also be on a sunday.

I am sorry if this does not suit some people, but clearly it isn't possible to please everybody, and being the organisers, we just have to run with what works best for us.

Thanks

Very well said, that is exactly what i was thinking, surely anyone local to us who is concerned about travel would not be attending the Teddington and/or other events anyway

To be honest, for us, a bank holiday weekend in Blackpool will be more of a non-starter than a February event in Blackburn. The traffic is likely to be horrendous.

Well we haven't decided on a date yet anyway and so may not be a bank holiday at all

I'm interested in coming - whenever it is!

Excellent

I'm probably not attending but ..... My sister's husband is from Blackburn and they now live in Chorley. My niece's birthday is January and even last year in the extreme weather we had we were still able to make it across to see her and my sister was able to reciprocate a few weeks later in Feb for my daughter's birthday, though admittedly it was slower moving as the heavens chose to open on her return trip.

Also I agree with Sklark about the clarity of the M62. I too have had one issue with it in nigh on 20 years - trying to get to Liverpool from Sheffield but past Leeds it cleared up a lot and by Manchester was totally clear.

So I don't see a problem for "locals" or relative "locals" I also agree with NotMusimum that the roads would be much worse for congestion etc on a Bank Holiday.

To the potential organisers though you must go with what suits you best and when you can get most attendees from your neck of the woods after all there are many other events available in other areas. To me it would seem silly to choose a date that didn't suit your more local people. If people are willing and able to travel large distances for musical events there are plenty for them to attend and the occasional clash is inevitable

However, for those not willing or able to travel extended distances there's not that much so accommodate your local people first, then throw it open to the rest.

Just my 2p for what it's worth.

And the best of luck with it.

The issue of planning events around other planned events has been raised before (not very pleasantly either in some cases). It's all rather saddening (though not surprising) that background politics are involved.

I can't see a problem with an event in the north being held on the same day as an event in the south. At the end of the day it's personal choice...I may attend the northern event in preference to the event in the south. Or vice versa. Not everyone can attend every event. For those that are trying, maybe it's time to prioritise.

My main reason for not going to so many now (apart from the fact that I'm not working at the moment) is that the closeness of some of them leaves little time to work on new pieces.

I can imagine there are loads of logistical nightmares in planning events, and I take my hat off to those who have arranged them to great success.

Just to stay on topic though...I may not get to the Blackburn event, but I wish you all the best with it.

I may be able to do the Blackburn/N Lancs event in May, but it may be an either/or with Leeds in July, particularly if there's Chester one in September as well.

As new events have developed I think that this has become an issue for others too..... I know it has for me.
As you say it means we have to start making choices and maybe not attending so many.
Sometimes the choice has to be made because family and other commitments don't allow for more than one or two such outings in a year.
Though there is more participation in events than 2 or 3 years ago these choices can and do have an effect on all events to a greater or lesser degree. This is regardless of geographical location. Some events are now taking in local non forum members which is great as it can reach people who otherwise may not find opportunities to enjoy playing with and to others in a friendly set up. This seems to meet with varying degrees of success with some managing to encourage participation more easily than others. It can be unbelievably difficult to persuade people that it really is fun to join in.

I agree with both of these ladies.
It's not just where they are, but getting things up to performance standard, and family/work loyalties.
BEv

What are the thoughts about this event now? I expect if it's definately going to be May then it's too soon to start planning anything definate. Looking at it I think February would definately be better.

Oh dear...

W

Yes - I fell foul of this one too. My in-box was on fire
Ignored it and Brum Bash should be great (famous last words and all that )

I would definately be interested in coming to this if it were in May. Any excuse to have the day off work the following Monday

Lois

In truth there isn't much overlap of people at these events and it is possible to organise one with a mixture of locals and Forum people and for it still to be a success.