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I am seriously considering going to Blackpool this year. I have the opportunity and thanks to a good set of Christmas bookings, the means (I assume I can claim this as a legit business expense!). But it is still a big commitment and I am debating with myself what I would get out of it.

How many TMers go? What is the honest opinon of the event? The programme looks brilliant, I can't even see where you get time to eat, from personal experiences I would like to know if it is as good as it sounds.

Also I am looking at accomodation fairly close at £29 a night room only, is this reasonable? I used to know Blackpool as a place well but that was 30 plus years ago and a s a summer resosort so I am pretty out of touch now.

The timetable is so crowded that you won't be able to see everything and choices have to be made about which bits to miss when they clash with each other. For this reason I buy the Gold Pass but never the VIP one as there are extra seminars and events for VIPs but they also clash with the regular stuff. You'll learn plenty from the lectures and spend even more in the Dealer Halls - dozens and dozens of tempting reasons to spend on those 'must have' items. Eating, of course, is always optional! There's a very reasonable cafe in the Winter Gardens so there's no need to starve, plenty of restaurants, McDs KFC, Harry Ramsdens, Pizza Hut, Italian and other eateries galore. Again, there may not be a lot of spare time to go out and eat as there's usually a queue and the next lecture always seems to be too soon. There are also a couple of Gregg's serving the usual hot/cold sarnies and baguettes.

The evening are taken up with the Shows except Friday which is pretty much the first excuse for a pub crawl or networking/bonding/getting rat arsed in the bars at the Ruskin. Be wary of a suggestion to go to the 'Funny Girls' club - as a bit of a hint, they ain't funny and .... (good fun though !).

By the end of the after show gala on Sunday evening you'll feel as though you never want to see or hear anything to do with magic again but that wears off after a day or two!

Sent my order for a Gold pass today, hotel and train to book now.

Excellent news! Now you have to start accumulating plenty of cash or at least get your credit cards(s) serviced ready for the battering they're about to take...

Do TMers have any kind of get together?

My financial manager (Mrs Wizz) will not be with me so credit card meltdown is a real prospect!!

We try to meet up but there's so much else going on it's difficult to synchronise such events. The Ruskin is the best chance as that's after hours but it's so crowded that if one guy lifts his pint, we all end up doing the same...

Train booked, £59 return from Oxford, I think thats a good deal. Only drawback is it comes ijn to Blackpool South but I will have plenty of time so Public Transport should be OK.

Working on a Hotel deal now.

I will be there. An would love to catch up witth any TM members.

Great, we will have to make some arrangements

Hotel booked so I am all set! What is the dress code at the convention - I promise NOT to wear any ties or other accessories with decks of cards or magic wands on them!

Thats fine as I think the dress code is clown shoes and sponge noses.

Dress code varies from whatever is handy when you crawl out of bed with the mother and father of all hangovers to smart casual. Evening shows can be more formal if you like but not essential.

Perhaps the best plan for contacting each other is to share mobile numbers by PM, bearing in mind that mobiles need to be off during the lectures and shows, a TXT is probably the most effective way of communicating. By the way, it's usually OK to bring and use cameras during the lectures but not at the shows. You'll see many magi at the lectures scribbling away furiously as they try to take notes so pencil & paper might be worth bringing along as well as something to carry all the magical essentials you buy during the day. A large railway carriage is about the right size....

Last year the drees code was whatever you let the Ruskin in the night (day)
before.

I will be there this year with bells on.

Cant wait. I have no bookings during Blackpool for the first time ever. So I am coming.

Very excited as well.

MM

I will be there. I never miss it, dont intend to miss it either!!


Looking forward to seeing everyone there, who will be there on thursday evening?


Mark