Return of the Ring and Barrow-Downs Mega-moot - Celebrating Tolkien in 2012

[Oddwen]

My sister Oliphaunts_Rule wants to come as well! Her nerdiness has taken strange forms over the years, but she is still pretty cool.

[Hookbill the Goomba]

I think that the accommodation will probably be booked for all three weeks in the end, just as long as we have a system worked out for there to be someone to help begin the moot and end it.
That way we don't have to get too stressed out about the when and we can be more flexible. It's looking like Week 2 will be the busiest with people, but as long as there are folks around in all three we should still have a blast!

It will be less confusing for there to be only one 'base' as it were, from which to work from, so the decision over the next few weeks (I'd like to get something decided before new year) will be where we want our base of operations to be. Squatter has suggested a cottage hire in Loughborough, as Aganzir mentioned.

I know not everyone is going to RotR, but if enough of us are, I think it makes sense to make our base Loughborough. I personally won't be able to afford RotR, but I will hopefully be able to do other things with whomever is left - I will also hopefully be able to drive and borrow my parents' seven-seater car for adventures.

[Bêthberry]

Folks who aren't on Facebook should be aware that a deposit is required to reserve the cottage. I don't know how Hooky and Squatter are going to handle that.

And also, Hooky, how will it be determined how much each person contributes? For instance, if there are only, say, five Downers around for week 3, that will increase the individual cost, right, for those 5 folks that week (in contrast to say, the10 peeps who are around for weeks 1 or 2).

This is getting complicated.

[The Squatter of Amon Rûdh]

Personally I think that getting all or at least most of the money together by a month before the moot is the best idea. Any later and someone will have to find the sum up front and gather it in after the fact, which is probably not something any of us can afford to do. The third week is one too far in my opinion, but if there are people who are willing to pay the extra to stay on a bit, then far be it from me to say them nay. Perhaps it's best if Hookbill and I confer with other Britishers about engaging the accommodations, since we're on the spot. The sum mentioned shouldn't be too hard to raise.

Incidentally, I'm going for at least the first week and hopefully the second.

[Bêthberry]

Originally Posted by The Squatter of Amon Rûdh

Incidentally, I'm going for at least the first week and hopefully the second.

So you might not attend RotR?

[Lalwendë]

If anyone sees any more cottages that look decent please post the links (here or on fb). Squatter has found a very nice one, but in case of booking problems, it's best to have some contingency plans if folks are coming from other countries! Don't worry about not knowing the area, I do and can see if somewhere is dodgy/nice/isolated etc. Loughborough isn't very nice, and it's not a touristy area, but there are some nice areas slightly further out and it's not far from Sherwood, the Peaks, etc where there's lots on offer.

[Aganzir]

WEEK 1: August 6-12
Nogrod; Oddwen, Eamane & Oliphaunts_Rule; Bêthberry; Estelyn; Aganzir; Squatter

WEEK 2: August 13-15, ROTR 16-19
TheGreatElvenWarrior; Oddwen, Eamane & Oliphaunts_Rule; Bêthberry; Estelyn; Volo; Squatter; Aganzir

ROTR 20, WEEK 3: August 21-26
Oddwen, Eamane & Oliphaunts_Rule; Volo

Originally Posted by Hookbill the Goomba

I think that the accommodation will probably be booked for all three weeks in the end, just as long as we have a system worked out for there to be someone to help begin the moot and end it.

I don't think so. If we have a huge cottage for only a couple of people (while everyone else has either already left or attends the seminar), it's going to be freakish expensive. Personally I think hiring one for weeks 1-2 (or then just until the 16th) would be best. After all we can go to another Downer's/hostel/hotel afterwards: not everyone has to stay in the same place all the time!

I say yes to cottage hire but no to three weeks of it.

Originally Posted by The Squatter of Amon Rûdh

Personally I think that getting all or at least most of the money together by a month before the moot is the best idea.

Agreed.