As mentioned elsewhere by Dave, we have been considering alternative venues closer to our original 'spiritual home' at the Fenay Bridge.

These are in close reach of some excellent roads towards The Strines & Ladybower, as well as Holmfirth, Glossop, the Woodhead and Snake passes.

They also provide a good oportunity to meet up with other groups from South Yorks and Lancs/Stockport/Cheshire.

The ones we have recce'd this afternoon include:-

1. The Foxglove, Penistone Road, Kirkburton, Hudds. Nice pub, good car park, good atmosphere, great beer garden, but no specific kids facilities. Good food.

2. The Clothier's Arms, Stocksmoor, Hudds. Excellent car park, very encouraging landlord, nice function room(s) if required (though not exclusive, these are more than big enough to accommodate us in various posse sizes...). Good kid-play areas. Decent food, slightly less 'polished' than The Foxglove, but not bad. Off some side roads, so slightly less easy access to decent roads, but nevertheless pretty good.

3. The Sovereign. Same owners as The Foxglove. Located opposite the BP garage, at the A629/635 (IIRC) junction, so very accessible from Denby Dale and M1 J39. Easy access to roads mentioned in 1 above. Beer garden at front of pub (to listen for aftermarket back boxes...). Nice food, good bar, friendly manager. No specific kid facilities, but young 'uns welcome at all times...

4. The Foresters, Lower Cumberworth, Hudds. Located off one of the roads leading over Emley Moor, past TV mast. Not been in for a while, but good car park, easy access to good roads, good food, nice setting, cows gambolling in field as we went past (certain they were under-age... ).

So, I suggest we head over to try these four on the next free evening next week....

Then we should head back to Amityville Hall and give The Darrington a go shortly after.

Thoughts?

 

As a suggestion, there is THIS Jap car meet at Squires Milk Bar (biker place in Sherbourn) on tuesday night. We could visit this, then go on to the Milford and Darrington. Then it's up to us whether we do the others suggested below Huddersfield in the same night, or possibly do them weds/thurs. If it's all on one night then may I suggest that we eat before meeting so as not to delay things or force time restrictions.

Or am I asking too much of peoples time


Cast your votes :- Copy & Paste

Tuesday - Including a brief visit to the Squires Jap Meet

CB & G

Wednesday

CB & G

Thursday

CB & G

 

Tuesday - Including a brief visit to the Squires Jap Meet

CB & G

Wednesday

CB & G
HB

Thursday

CB & G
HB

 

Alas I will be going for a 4 day tour of the roads that the Lake District have to offer in the middle of the week so won't be able to join in the investigations. I'm sure I can put my trust in your capable hands

 

Go on then mate....

Ambleside meeting point would be nice though....

 

Al - Are we organising a look see for this coming week?

 

I'll be up for a run out to see a few places. . .

 

Just awaiting Chairman Al's decision on the time & date....

 

I can make Tuesday or Thursday, lift dependent.

 

Can't do Tuesday. Thursday fine.

 

I may struggle to make make any day this week... So I will have to leave it up to you check them out and make the asessment.. I will try for Thursday myself, but that seems the best date..

Only Chairman type things I can add are;

Have a beer at Milford Hall and a chat regarding getting some music piped in.. It will be very interesting to hear Chris's views after a revisit that spends more than 30 seconds walking around.. Drive round the back and park up there too as that car park looked ideal if the rear doors were opened.. Check out heating for the winter... Can we hang the banner on club nights outside the marquee? SWRT or other flags (Ralliart etc?) inside to add a little atmosphere??

If I don't make it.. then post your response here.. MF got a good thumbs up all round (excpect one ).. But the Darrington may be as good.. So this will be the final round...

Finally.. We WILL have to make a decsion this week as it's been dragging on and I'd like to get it sorted and finally settled down so that we can concentrate on growing the club some more.. I will try my best to be there as I'd like to check the Darrington..

Remember that the driving is at the top of the priority list.. of course the place/atmosphere is important.. but we are a driving social club with the emphasis on the driving.. I believe that is the main things that everyone wants..

 

Al - the problem is, I can visualise the long-term negatives that MH will bring to the club....

You really need to try the other that we listed, then make a decision...

 

I can see what you're talking about ref MH.. but we'll make our minds up fully on Thursday after a little more time in there.... I agree that I need to go and see these places, but as a last resort, it's a club decision and the majority won't be there to make it.. It's down to us to make the best decision we have with the facts presented..

I can still see lots of potential having it in the marquee with the back door open to the car park and some music piped in, TV going with some driving vids etc... just to give it some of that missing character you mention.. but I think it's up to us to make it feel good as long as it's OK on Thursday and is better overall than the Darrington and any other venue mentioned......

Have to admit that nothing comes close for a good drive there, around and back again..

 

Al, what's the point in agreeing to see them as a last resort when it appears that a decision will be made on Thursday in any event? Surely the common sense way would be to see these places on Thursday, then go and see MH again afterwards?

I can see potential with the driving vids in the marquee on the occasional summer evening, but I can guarantee that the appeal of a freezing "all-weather" marquee will pale into insignificance in the colder winter months.

At the risk of sounding like a stuck 78, the place is dead, dead, dead..... And I can't see any amount of Scoobs in a car park will lift it above the cold, inhospitable venue that it really is. After all, who the hell else was there until we turned up?
I agree that, in that eventuality, we have no choice but to try and make it feel good, but on an average how many people do we get in the TP at any one time? And won't that average number feel uncomfortable and away from the pub atmosphere, rattling around in a marquee that was designed for a bl**dy wedding reception?
Agree again that this is fine on a decent evening. But again, if we are to attract more members to the club, how many people will have a good time doing this in December, January and February, in the cold, rain, snow and dark, with salt on their windscreens...??

Surely, the better idea is to have mid-monthers for this, plus the option for a razz around from where our monthly venue is. If we have no choice but to do miles on unfamiliar roads to some God-forsaken hole, I'm certain it'll put more people off...

Don't want to say 'told ya...' when half the world can't be arsed in the middle of winter mate....

 

Is this The Darrington, BTW? It's a Two For One....

 

So is this on for a run out on Thursday night to check a few places out? And if i'm coming along to some meets, who needs my tenner for the subscriptions for the WYIOC?

 

Yep. Meet at the TP 7:30 this Thursday.. Set of for the drive to Darrington or MH for a pint in each.. then decision time...

 

Waht about the other ones Al - before a decision is made?

 

I can't quite put my finger on it, but something tells me Chris isn't overly keen on MH.

I do think we need to check out the three possibles over to the west. I thought that's what was going to happen on Thursday, not just a re-visit to MH and a trip to the Darrington (Which as HB has already pointed out, is a 2-4-1 pub like the FB)

 

...to add my 2p - rather than just a pint in each place, try to sample the grub as I thought somewhere I reccied in the early days would be fine on a lot of counts but the meal "had room for improvement" IMO when it came as it seemed to be greasy spoon / straight through the microwave

 

It may be me, but we're in danger of debating this to a standstill. We've already nearly come full circle.. I see that we have 2 choices..

1. Keep checking the places out for July and re-stock our choices.
2. Make a decsion in the next two weeks

There are pro's & cons for both, but;

We will not be able to please everyone. There will always be something that someone can find fault with (Chris, this is not aimed at your heartfelt dislike for MH). But our choice should be the one that does cater for the majority.

We cannot all go to every venue to eat & drink. I, like a lot of other members, have simply too many committments that get in the way. We can only take a short list of people's favourites, get as many people to go as possible and take the comments.. at some stage we have to draw a line.

Question is, when do we draw it?

 

Al mate - all I'm asking is for a fair election....

As you know, I'll always abide by the democratic majority decision, as this is the way that the WYIOC has always done things, and I for one wouldn't have it any other way.

It's just that, unless we see these other potential venues before a final decision is made, it's a bit like gagging Michael Howard and pulling the plug on Tory Central Office until the 6th May....

In other words, the outcome may be the same, but the decision making process is flawed unless all candidates get a fair and equal representation in front of the electing members....

So, far from going around in circles, it'll shut up the dissenters until the democratic decision is made to move once again at some future stage.

So, are we gonna look at these others on Thursday?

 

is it just me or is there an air of old married couple about these posts

 

I always intended to. 7.30 at the TP, on to MH, then Darrington. I don't know what else is in between via Nostel and Newmillerdam but then it's down to Hudds for the other 3. Maybe a pint at FB for old times sake and a debrief.

 

It's amazing what missing out a few smilies does to a post!!

Chris put's five in to lighten the perceived mood...

Barry, being the elder statesemen in the club (i.e living through the sixties) there are forces at work between me and Chris you don't understand...


'Forces at work, there are, that not you understand..'



Dave's spot on.. I thought that was the plan.. Agree with Chris that The Darrington should be first..

 

That said, just in case I've got Boxing gloves (Both signed & unsigned!) which I can bring along just in case
ps, Anyone else going to the well lane RR on Sunday? - Nobby is going on to see if it a) blows up or b)makes it's power!

 

I call them PR smilies, Al....
Barry - I think Al means that we fought in Vietnam.....

 

Blimey Steve - are you expecting one of us to be famous at some time....?

 

To me you're already both superstars!

 

You're just trying to get a cheap autograph, mate.....