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Posted: 21-06-2008 10:12 Post subject: UnCon 08

*updated*

1-2 november 10am-5pm
'two days of talks, performances, workshops, exhibits, stalls and screenings in one of londons most historic venues'

featuring:-
full bar and cafe facilities
two continuous streams of talks
fortean publishing workshop with Patrick Huyghe
special panel on spring heeled jack
live parapsychology experiments with the association for the scientific study of anomalous phenomena
dealer room and fortean exhibits

confirmed speakers are:-
Gail-Nina Andereson : dracula's bats
Jan Bondeson : toads in the hole & animal showers
David Clarke : opening britains x-files
Mike Dash : spring-heeled jack
Jon Downes : re-evaluating chupacabra
Patrick Huyghe : ufos & national security
Theo Paijmans : the woman in black
Ian Simmons : extraterrestrial myths in modern music
Andy Roberts : psychedelia forteana
Mark Pilkington : the minus men
John Lundberg : the minus men
Gordon Rutter : spirit photography
Richard Wiseman : the cottingley fairies
Ivan Mackerle : the golem of prague
Alan Murdie : fatal ghost encounters

more to be announced

Kittie Klaw : is not in the list this issue

tickets available at http://www.forteantimes.com/uncon08
1 day pass £20
2 day pass £36
prices in advance and there is a booking fee

Posted: 21-06-2008 13:40 Post subject:

You can add me to the list as well

Gordon

Posted: 21-06-2008 21:25 Post subject:

added one mr Rutter.
are we allowed to know what subject you will be talking about Gordon?

Posted: 21-06-2008 21:31 Post subject:

I won't be there as that time of year has a deep religious significance for me and I intend to celebrate in a suitable way, for which I need to be at home.

Dressed as a witch. With a pumpkin. And big bag of sweets.

Posted: 21-06-2008 21:59 Post subject:

Posted: 21-06-2008 22:29 Post subject:

cool, now to add mr Wiseman to the list.
i can't wait to go, hotel is all booked and tickets purchased Smile

Posted: 22-06-2008 12:25 Post subject:

I haven't booked yet. I have to weigh things up. There's Weird Weekend in August. Uncon November. Now - which speakers will be at both, which subject will be doubled up, and how much money have I got?

Posted: 23-06-2008 22:26 Post subject:

Well, after browsing hotel prices, all I can say is bugger that for a game of chocolate soldiers! I went to a Ripper conference last year, where the all-in price - full board, accommodation, an excellent brochure, and all talks - cost £240 for the whole weekend! I can't find anything nearby for less than £100 per freakin' night!!!

Posted: 24-06-2008 09:28 Post subject:

We're working on securing some kind of cheap hotel deal for Uncon visitors; can't promise anything, but we are looking into it.

DS

Posted: 24-06-2008 18:14 Post subject:

Well, that would be nice. I've got some suggestions now, thankfully, so I've calmed down a bit. But still - three hours I was searching last night, and £300 per night was a bit bloody ridiculous!

Couldn't FT look into something like the Ripper conference package for any future Uncons? I mean, there were 90 of us in this hotel. It's every other year. They just about managed to pull even, fair enough, but conventions aren't really about profit, are they? And yet, at £240, I couldn't see any corners cut or cheap options. It was great. Lovely food, wonderful clean hotel, friendly staff - brilliant.

Everything sorted out for you. Made it so incredibly easy. And this isn't any real organisation doing it. It's a couple who sort it out. Well, they used to. I don't think they're doing next year's. And they do it in their spare time. Remarkable really.

Posted: 24-06-2008 22:42 Post subject:

That's because it's on Regent Street. Rich imbeciles tend to stay in hotels directly on Regent Street.

I just did a search for "b&b london" and found a website called London30.com which has scores of places from 30 quid per person, per night, all in and around the centre, no more than 30 mins walk (most places) or 3 or 4 stops on the tube. Where were you looking for a place at 300 quid a night? The Mandarin Oriental?

Posted: 25-06-2008 19:52 Post subject:

I just put 'hotels regent street' in the search engine. Along with 'university of westminster' 'cheap hotels' 'hostels' and 'hotels westminster'. I kept getting Thisislondon or some site with a name like that, listing some listed Georgian and Victorian hotels.

Bloody useless, in point of fact.

Posted: 26-06-2008 00:14 Post subject:

I once stayed in a hotel on Regent Street because it was free and I was reviewing it, for one night. It was excellent, and so nice to be able to get up 20 mins before I had to be in work, and there was a Gary Rhodes restaurant downstairs (with quite average food), but meh, I won't be doing it again unless I marry an oil billionaire, which is unlikely.

Here you go:
http://london30.com/

Posted: 26-06-2008 17:54 Post subject:

Posted: 28-06-2008 02:11 Post subject:

I've been having similar problems finding somewhere to stay, but I'll be wanting slightly longer than the weekend.

I got really lucky last time, and kind of unlucky at the same time. (One really good place for the weekend, and somewhere not so good for the rest of the stay.)