Arriving in the UK

[pensnest]

A quick note for those of you who'll be coming in to Heathrow for Camp Sparkle: I'll be doing the usual Stansted run on the Friday, so if humanly possible, please arrive on Thursday instead and come and spend the night chez Pen. We'll go straight on to Camp after the Stansted pick-up.

nopseud says: If anyone is travelling via Birmingham or East Midlands, then they're very welcome to stay with me either side of Camp Sparkle, if it helps with getting better/cheaper flights. I have plenty of bed space.

Comments

[trumpeterofdoom.livejournal.com]

I was thinking the *exact* same thing a couple of days ago. I'll be coming in from Heathrow if I book, and I'll probably have to spend Thursday night at yours to get over the horrible jet lag I always get.

[pensnest]

It would be *great* to have you there. Hope you can make it. And I have nice new comfy guest beds.

[trumpeterofdoom.livejournal.com]

I'm about 60% sure I'm going. The other 40% is appeasing the parental grumbling.

[pensnest]

*crosses fingers*

[trumpeterofdoom.livejournal.com]

As an FYI, I've tentatively got my eye on a flight that gets into Heathrow at 15.30 on Thur 6th May, and one leaving on either 18.30 or 22.05 Friday 14th May. Unfortunately I've got a wedding to attend on the Sunday the 16th or else I'd stay longer either with you or nopsued.

[nopseud]

Unfortunately I've got a wedding to attend on the Sunday the 16th or else I'd stay longer either with you or nopseud.

You could always come a bit earlier rather than stay later!

[trumpeterofdoom.livejournal.com]

Okay, I have a couple of choices here. Would it be better if I arrived at Heathrow on Thur 6th May at 15.30 or 19.10?

[pensnest]

*squees* THe earlier one would be slightly preferable, I think.

[trumpeterofdoom.livejournal.com]

Hmmm. The later one is a more swish plane (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A380), but the later flight back at 22.05 on Fri 14th is the swish one too. I don't need a swish plane for both ways, right?

[pensnest]

I'd say it's definitely a good idea to go for the later plane home - but really, if you want to go for the later arrival as well, it's not a problem. :-) I don't know yet what time other people may be arriving at Heathrow (or Luton) so pickup times are a mystery anyway! And it's a long way, so be comfortable!

[trumpeterofdoom.livejournal.com]

Heh, I used to do those flights several times a year, so hopefully my body still remembers how to cope with 13 hour flights.

Question. Have you guys paid and booked the place yet? I'm just looking at the website again and May 7th- May 14th are still showing up as available.

[pensnest]

Ahaha. I sent the booking form last week, but they don't seem to have had it yet. If they haven't emailed me by the end of today that the first one arrived, I'll send another. However, they do know we want those dates and are holding them for us. I think it's the Post Office's fault we haven't got this locked down yet. Grrr.

[pensnest]

By which I mean to say, we've been in email communication and I've confirmed that we want the booking and have sent the money.

[trumpeterofdoom.livejournal.com]

Awesome, because I'm going to book my tickets on a credit card offer, and one of the T&Cs is that my tickets are non-refundable and non-cancellable, so I just wanted to make sure. On the other hand, *if* something does cock up I could probably spend the week at either yours or nopseud's, but without the rest of the campers. :( WHICH I'M SURE WON'T HAPPEN.

I'm actually *nervous* to book my flights now, I'm that excited.

[pensnest]

This is very true! And I'm sure we could rustle up a few more - but Camp Sparkle *will* happen. In fact, I shall run off the duplicate booking form now and stick it in the post tonight. I want to get this in writing!

[trumpeterofdoom.livejournal.com]

I have booked my flights. :) I get in at Heathrow on Thur 6th May at 15.30, and my flight home is at Heathrow on Fri 14th May at 22.05.

[ninjetti75.livejournal.com]

W0000t!

Of course, I arrive six freakin' hours before you do, but ah well. I lurk well, or perhaps multiple trips will be made, as they were last year. We'll both be at Pen's Nest that evening, regardless!!! :D :D :D

[rikes]

Oh Pen, what would we do without you. ♥

Hey, was it Luton that was close-ish to your house? I'm having serious trouble finding flights because the one we've usually taken doesn't exist anymore and I can't find any others to Stansted. And I can't leave before 2pm on Thusday, so even if I somehow managed to find a flight to Heathrow it would be very very late (because of layovers or having to get to Helsinki first).

The Luton flight would probably also be fairly late though. AAARRRRRGHHHHH.

[pensnest]

Luton is *good* - it's only about twenty minutes up the motorway from my house, so I'd have no problem even if you do have to get a late flight.

[rikes]

Also, this is just a guess since I haven't talked to her yet, but iconis *might* be interested in the same flight to Luton. I have no clue what her plans are though.

[pensnest]

Is cool. It'd be ideal if *everyone* could fly in to Luton, it's on a more direct route to Beech Hill House, but I don't think that'll be possible. I shall have 'Camp Sparkle: The Annexe' at my house!

[rikes]

OMG, you're a lifesaver. I'll keep looking, but it's good to know that's also an option. :)

You'll have half of Camp Sparkle in your house before *and* after. :D

[turlough]

If I can come I will probably arrive a couple of days early and visit my sister but if it turns out like last year I might be interested in some place to stay Friday night after Camp Sparkle. The last cheap flight of the day to Copenhagen seems to always leave so late that I'll miss the last train home.

[pensnest]

You'll be very welcome to stay with me.

[turlough]

Thank you! I'm keeping my fingers crossed they've changed the departure times this year but I'm not very hopefull.

[nopseud]

If anyone is travelling via Birmingham or East Midlands, then they're very welcome to stay with me either side of Camp Sparkle, if it helps with getting better/cheaper flights. I have plenty of bed space.

Pen, you can edit this into the main post if you like.

[pensnest]

Thanks, have edited to add.

[ninjetti75.livejournal.com]

Huzzah!

I just booked my flight, and lo and behold, the appropriate post has been made at the CS comm, yay!

I'm flying in to Heathrow on Thursday the 6th,as requested. I'm on American Airlines Flight 98, scheduled to land at 11:25am. I have no problem lounging about the airport for a few hours waiting on JM if need be, though I might well pass out without anyone keeping me company...if sleeping ninja are invisible and security thinks my luggage has been abandoned, that could get messy, heh. Though if Jenny or KC (or maybe even Donna or Lincoln, I shall Pester Them!) also comes in through Heathrow, then plans shall of course modify accordingly.

My return flight departs from Heathrow at 16:45 on Friday the 14th, so it's earlier than JM's return either way, sorry.

[trumpeterofdoom.livejournal.com]

Oh dear, I might be changing the timing of my flights because the SG-LDN flights are one of the few in the world to be done on the Airbus A380, which is very very swish and which I'd like to see!

[ninjetti75.livejournal.com]

Hey, no biggie.

Last year, KC got in HOURS before I did, then Julian picked us up and Pen swung by that afternoon to fetch Jenny, so really, we'll make whatever happens work, heh.

[pensnest]

Excellent! (For some reason I didn't see this before.)

We'll wait and see who else might be coming in to Heathrow, and figure out suitable pickups. Plenty of time yet.

*squees discreetly*

[stellamira]

Do you know when you'll do the Stansted run on Friday? I have so little vacation days left unplanned, which I'd rather save for around Christmas, but I fear it won't be possible without at least taking Friday off. Also, is there some means to get back to the airport (whichever, but most likely one of the London ones) on Sunday?

[pensnest]

In the last couple of years everyone coming into Stansted has been there by lunchtime on Friday, which works out handily as we can then get straight on to the cottage.

Have you investigated any of the other local airports at all? The very best, in terms of journey time, would be the East Midlands Airport, which is only about a half hour's drive from the cottage, which would certainly make life easier when it comes to returning you on the Sunday, and there's almost certainly an easy train option as well. After that, Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds Bradford are under an hour and a half away, and Luton is two hours by car. Stansted is two hours and forty minutes. I'm pretty sure someone travelled via East Midlands Airport last time, and it seemed to work out quite well. If you are able to fly in to there, you could probably do an evening trip if you wanted, and get the train to Alfreton, about an hour's journey.

[stellamira]

East Midlands isn't an option, the nearest flights to there leave from Berlin, which is about 6 hours from me. Birmingham looks doable, though. But I don't know which would be better: Arrive Thursday night and leave Sunday afternoon or arrive Friday night and leave Monday afternoon?