However, what a shame that it is to be held in Portsmouth..
I would have thought that QL 2005 should be held in Birmingham or Manchester - there are just as many nice venues there and plenty of countryside to explore (as opposed to the sea side yet again) - plus you might get to see some of the conservation work I do !! If enough people want to learn how to hedgelay - I am sure I could organise something - that WOULD be something different for those who don't want to spend all day at the show.
So why not Portsmouth??
a) The last big UK QL Show was held there - all the users north of Birmingham probably missed out as it is too far to travel and fear having to navigate London / M25 to get there. Its time the northern users were given an opportunity. They could travel by train, but then still have to change in London so far as I know (or go via Bristol)....
b) Overseas visitors have to fly into one of the London airports which are extremely busy. Plus, they then have to catch a train into London, navigate the London Underground and then catch another train to Portsmouth (at least I don't think that there is a station in London which serves Heathrow, Gatwick AND Portsmouth, or even two of those locations).
c) Portsmouth is too far from the airports to make any option other than train or coach viable. It is at least a couple of hours travel from the airport, as well as probably 3 or 4 trains.
On the other hand, Manchester and Birmingham both have their own international airport (one in each city), with a simple train linkn from the airport to the city, and you should then be able to catch another train to the venue, leaving from the same station. You could probably find a cheap venue not too far from the airport, making taxis a viable option.
-- Rich Mellor RWAP Services 26 Oak Road, Shelfield, Walsall, West Midlands WS4 1RQ
http://www.rwapservices.co.uk/
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