2010 UnConvention

[MsPix]

Good idea!

 

[DrPaulLee]

Great idea David. I'd attend!

 

[escargot]

Would there be a nice singalong? With Agadoo and The Music Man?

 

[Anome]

Evening event: Yes.
Sing-a-long: Great Fort, no.

 

[CarlosTheDJ]

Evening event: Yes.
Sing-a-long: Great Fort, no.

Agreed, sir.

A DJ would be much better

 

[Anome]

Only if they play quiet background music. I want to be able to hear the people I'm standing next to, and the old ears aren't what they used to be.

I think one of them used to be my right kneecap.

 

[CarlosTheDJ]

Only if they play quiet background music. I want to be able to hear the people I'm standing next to, and the old ears aren't what they used to be.

I think one of them used to be my right kneecap.

"Mantovani Plays Fort" it is then!

 

[Anome]

That may be going a bit far. I just said I wanted to be able to hear people, not put them to sleep. Well, not with the background music, at any rate. I'm quite capable of putting people to sleep on my own.

 

[Beakmoo]

I'm sorry, you'll have to move Uncon, I have to be in Switzerland that weekend. Sorry for the inconvenience but you can't have such a good sounding Uncon without this small parrot. :sob:

 

[Anome]

They could always move it to Switzerland.

 

[Beakmoo]

I'm fully expecting it to. They could combine it with whatever-the-fuck music festival I have to be at.

 

[lordmongrove]

Have we got a venue yet?

 

[lordmongrove]

They have used an awful picture of me. I look like a rabid Bill Bailey!

 

[cherryhinton]

The saintly OH bought my weekend ticket yesterday, as I couldn't afford it myself. He then almost instantly won the exact ticket price on a lottery scratchcard. I'm sure there's a good Fortean explanation for that. He has so far resisted my suggestions that he test any correlation by buying me a house, a big telly and a kitten.
Anyway, looking forward to it immensely - what happened to Gary Lachman though? I'm sure he was named as a speaker earlier, and now isn't?

 

[zarathustraspake]

I booked my ticket today.

I was feeling a bit torn at first, as I'd been planning to go to see the Manic Street Preachers in Newport on October 23rd. But I've just heard the new Manics single, and suddenly I'm more than happy to skip the gig and go to UnCon.

 

[Pietro_Mercurios]

We're getting more and more keen on the idea of doing a special Evening UInCon on Saturday 23rd Oct after the main event.

Idea would be to adjourn to a pub/club/venue we've hired for the night and enjoy an evening of entertainment in a more informal atmosphere than the lecture-based trad UnCon.

We're talking live bands and performers, stand-up, readings, DJs, a pub quiz - the sort of weird stuff that doesn't really fit into the ususal weekend line-up. I think it would be a fun, sociable sort of evening with suitably off-kilter entertainment and a chance to just drink a lot of alcohol, kick back and chat. Better than everyone just disappearing off into the autumn night to different pubs around London...

We're already talking to FT-reading musicians and others who are keen to get involved.

I'm guessing that if we can keep costs down we could probably do this for £10 a head for all UnCon-goers, maybe a bit more for non-attendees. It would be ticketed seperately from the main event and I'd imagine we'd be able to sell tickets up to the last minute, depending on size of venue.

If it actually worked, then it might be the start of something fun, and we'd be able to host special FT nights like this again, hopefully not just in London but elsewhere around the UK.

Would appreciate your thoughts, suggestions, questions - we'd like to get this off the ground, but if nobody wants it, then there's no point in trying - please let us know what you think and whether you'd support an event like this.

(Bump!) I´d be up for it!

 

[lordmongrove]

Do we have a venue yet? For that matter do we know what hotel the speakers are at?

 

[Pietro_Mercurios]

The venue is to be the University of Westminster, opposite Madame Tussaud's and the visiting information is here:
http://www.forteantimes.com/events/uncon2010/3955/visiting_information.html

As to the speakers' hotel, this I know not.

 

[lordmongrove]

Sorry i worded that badly. I meant a venue for Dave's evening bash.

 

[ramonmercado]

Sorry i worded that badly. I meant a venue for Dave's evening bash.

How about Madame Tussads?

 

[lordmongrove]

You could hold a Fortean quiz and call it Goblin University Challenge (with Bamber Madgassercoin as the host)

 

[mutant_camel]

Hmm isn't the convention a tad expensive this time round?

 

[original_fLeebLe]

it was 36 last time! i wasn't happy at the price, but i thought it was worth an investment as i am positive i am owed a drink or three by people :lol:

 

[gordonrutter]

Seems quite reasonable to me when compared to eg Dr Who conventions or TAM the weekend before

Gordon

 

[PaulStott]

Two questions from me.

I can only make the Sunday (can't miss the Anarchist bookfair on the Saturday I'm afraid) is there a list of the talks/events etc that are on the Sunday only?

Secondly is it possible to buy tickets on the door, and if so what is the price? I don't see the point in buying tickets in advance online, with booking fee, if they are available on the door?

 

[oll_lewis]

Hmm isn't the convention a tad expensive this time round?

It's worth it, believe me. Weird Weekend is cheeper but we can do that because it's not in London. Remember that FT and other London based coventions have to pay a lot more for their venue due to the location. However although more expensive it comes with the advantages of easier and more frequent transport and more places to stay and eat/drink. So what you lose on the swings you gain on the roundabouts.

 

[Pietro_Mercurios]

Two questions from me.

I can only make the Sunday (can't miss the Anarchist bookfair on the Saturday I'm afraid) is there a list of the talks/events etc that are on the Sunday only?

Secondly is it possible to buy tickets on the door, and if so what is the price? I don't see the point in buying tickets in advance online, with booking fee, if they are available on the door?

It's usually possible to buy tickets on the door, I think. I'll check.

 

[Jen_O]

Yep, there'll be a limited number of tickets available on the door - £35 for one-day tickets, £60 for the weekend.

And we haven't worked out an exact schedule yet, but there's a list of who's speaking on which day here - http://www.forteantimes.com/events/unco ... akers.html

Hopefully see you there!

 

[PaulStott]

Jen - Thanks.

 

[Dr_David_Sutton]

Looking forward to seeing lots of you tomorrow - remember to come and say hello to me and the team.

Remember that London Transport have screwed us over royally, with closed tubes, diverted buses and Lord knows what else - so probably worth venturing out a bit earlier than you may have planned...

And if you're planning to turn up and get tickets on the door - it's CASH ONLY, as is the FT stall - so visit a hole in the wall before you arrive!

And don't forget our friends at Hand of Glory have a lovely musical evening lined up near Euston - with cheap entry for all Undelegates and FT types. See the UnCon in the evening tread for more on that.

Cheers,

DS