Photos
Dave McGuire’s Photos (Password to View The Album = Bruges)
Location
Dates
Bruges, Belgium.
Thursday 27th May 2010 to Monday 31st May 2010.
Hotel
IBIS BRUGGE CENTRUM KATELIJNESTRAAT 65 a 8000 BRUGGE Phone = +32-50-33 75 75 Fax = +32-50-33 64 19
Playing Kit
Game 1 Game 2 Light Blue Polo Shirt, White Shorts, Aardvark Socks Light Blue Polo Shirt, White Shorts, Aardvark SocksGame 1 Game 2Fri 28th May: Start 18:30 Sat 29th May: Start 14:30To Be Played. Result W5-2.Scorers: Matt Stokes, Tolley, Taylor, Pittaway, ANOther To Be Played. Result L3-1.Scorers: Pittaway
Tourists
Allott, Dick & Laura Burnett, Nick & Brenda Cuey, Helen & Rob Pates Donnolly, John Luther, (Adrian) father of, and Linda Mayou, Harry & Chris McGuire, Dave & Jo Pittaway, Derek & Mags Stokes, Matt, Iain & Hilary Taylor, Col & Aptar Tolley, Ian & Sarah Hurd Wilks, JonMore Details03/06/10 – HilaryAll, another good w/e. Matt’s told all his pal’s about his “Yard of Ale in a Oner” – no idea where he gets the hyperbole from. He also still can’t get over what planet Wilks lives on to even contemplate wanting to go on the balcony to lead a sing song.02/06/10 – DaveI’ve added a load of pictures now. It’s dead easy to use, and the slide show button is really good. Unfortunately there are adverts on the home page.01/06/10 – Dave
Hi, all. Hope you all got home ok. It was a blast, as always. After talking with Laura on Monday, I’ve created an Aardvarks account on the photo-sharing website “Photobucket.com”. I’ve just put a couple of photos up at the moment, but I’ll put some more up tonight. It’s a shared account, so feel free to upload your own pictures if you want, into the Album I’ve started, called “Bruges2010”. Or you can create your own album in the same account. It looks pretty easy to use.
Account Details here:
Username = Aardvarks_hockey
Acct password = Belgium
email address = dave.mcguire@o2.co.uk
Shared Album details:
Album name = Bruges2010
Album URL = http://photobucket.com/belgium_2010
Password to view the album = Bruges
(I’ve protected the album, so you need the URL and the Password to view it). Give it a go, there must be loads of great photos.
Cheers, Dave Mags Gorgeous Mad-dog
18/03/10 – Nick
Afternoon all …
Firstly, I must say how honoured I feel to be given the permission from our ‘chef de mission’ to write to you direct on this occasion. Of course, it may be something to do with the fact that he’s currently very busy packing his trusty holdall for his journey into deepest Asia and so hasn’t got time!!
Anyway, I am pleased to confirm that the accommodation in Bruges is all sorted and confirmed. We will be staying at the IBIS hotel in the centre and Natascha and Mirelle are really looking forward to meeting us all (especially Mr Wilks). Whilst they did say that they were happy to take our booking, they were a bit mystified as to where we going to find ice in May – I told them that that Mr Wilks was a man of many talents!!
So DETAILS of the hotel are as follows;-
IBIS BRUGGE CENTRUM
KATELIJNESTRAAT 65 a
8000 BRUGGE
Tel: +32-50-33 75 75
Fax: +32-50-33 64 19
http://www.ibishotel.com/gb/hotel-1047-ibis-brugge-centrum/index.shtml
and COSTS are ;-
Note these are the daily ROOM rates agreed for our party, which are a bit less than the website rates;
Thurs 27th and Sun 30th – 89 Euros including breakfast (for Double/Twin rooms)
– 82 Euros including breakfast (for Single rooms)
Fri 28th and Sat 29th – 99 Euros including breakfast (for Double/Twin rooms)
– 92 Euros including breakfast (for Single rooms)
So you can work it out for yourselves, or look at the attached list where I have done it for you.
One other thing … PAYMENT …
Not more money I hear you cry … well, no, not yet … but …
There is a slight complication this year on the finance front … which is that the IBIS now want all our money for the rooms up front before we go.
The deposit is paid and remarkably is covered by the deposits that you have already sent me … I hope!
However, I shall need the balances by FRIDAY 7th MAY please, which gives me time to obtain the best conversion rate I can on the money markets, prior to paying the hotel.
Please do not worry about the workings out, I will do that in due course and let you know how much to pay in good old pounds sterling.
You will be pleased to know that I do have a bit of a slush fund up my sleeve from the Amsterdam coach negotiation … don’t ask … so any real sudden changes in exchange rates can be smoothed out. There should also be a bit left for a starter beer kitty … hooray!!!!
This should only leave you to pay any extras at the hotel upon leaving.
Finally for now if there are any questions about the above or changes to the attached then please let me know ASAP … otherwise get back to practising your Flemish!!
Nick
Bruges Hotel Room Allocation And Costs
25/01/10 – Col
OK – we’re sorted.
We’re going to Brugge. Henk has been in touch a couple of times and will arrange the games for us – he does sound a can-do kind of chap!
In terms of timing. The results of the survey point to a compromise between options A and B and so this is the plan.
Depart Thurs 27th May
Fri 28th – game early evening
Sat 29th & Sun 30th games during the day
Mon 31st May – return.
Obviously, the final choice of dates may be a problem for some – apologies for that, but it the best we can do and seems to suit the majority. as with Amsterdam in 08, some people only came over for 3 nights instead of the four … whatever suits.
Travel is your own responsibility. Whilst its likely that some of us will depart from the same place at the same time, travel is up to you to sort out.
First thing I need to know is:
a) that you’re going followed by a deposit of £50 per person paid into Mr Burnetts aardvark account.
Account name: NIB / AVKS acct.
Bank: Barclays, Northwich
Sort Code: 20 – 24 – 09
Branch: 20510904
Alternatively bung a cheque in the post to Nick Burnett at: No. 1, Chapel Street (not Road), Moulton, Northwich, Cheshire CW9 8PN
b) the nights you’ll be there.
I need the answer to this by … Mon 16th Feb – 3 weeks time. We can then get on and sort out the accommodation – we’ll be going for city centre convenience rather than countryside opulance. probably some known chain with a bar close by. Equally, it would help to know if you sadly can’t make it.
Getting there
The airport to travel to is Brussels and either train or hire a car. Alternatively Eurostar go direct to the correct Brussels rail station and then twice hourly local trains to Brugge. There is also the tunnel for those who fancy a drive.
Right – thats the lot for now. Any queries give me a call.
Col
04/01/10 – Col
All,
Sorry for the apparent silence from Tour HQ since we decided to try for Barcelona at the end of May 2010. I am reliably informed by Mr Wilks that he has been trying to make contact with anyone involved in Hockey in Barcelona for a while now. We’ve had several conversations about the lack of response from their Association, the big club in Barcelona (Polo Club) and others to who Wilksy has emailed a request….but to date all have met with no response. Only today, we have discovered another email address and we’ll try that one – but unless someone out there waves back – Barcelona looks unlikely.
However…..we have a Plan B !!!! and its called Bruges in Belgium. Not previously on my radar i must admit, but I’m told it is quite a picturesque and historic city – see http://www.brugge.be/internet/en/toerisme/index.htm
I am also reliably informed they have restaurants, bars and all the usual attractions a testosterone-driven bunch of athletes such as ourselves look for.
Moreover, Wilks has a contact who plays Vets Hockey there – some called ‘Henk’.
So this is the first question…..if Barca fall through, as seems likely, are you still OK for Bruges ?
The second question is about dates. Initially we had thought that we would repeat the dates we had for the last tour (Amsterdam in 2008) when we visited between the Weds and Sat leading up to Whitsun bank holiday weekend. If we were to follow this, we are looking at departing Weds 26th (though some of you might come over on the Thu 27th) with games on Thu, Fri & Sat returning Sunday 30th May. Mon 31st is the bank holiday.
Having thought about it though, it occurred to me that kids Whitsun holidays would be starting on Mon 31st for that week. some people I guess may struggle to get additional time off work if they are supposed to be looking after kids during that week. Equally that might suit some people as well. Kids eh !
So the way I see it we have three options for the actual dates:
Option A – Weds 26th – Sun 30th. as previously considered.
Option B – Fri28th or Sat 29th – Tues1st/Weds 2nd June. Over the Bank Holiday weekend itself.
Option C – Weds 2nd June – Sunday 6th June. Entirely within the school hols.
I realise that we’re probably not going to satisfy everyone and i guess those with kids (who may or may not be planning to bring them with you), are viewing the tour.
So i need to know if your travelling alone, or with kids? and then your preference of the above options and we’ll try to accommodate everyone, or as many as we can. Equally I need to know if Option A, B or C is a definite non-starter for you.
We can’t really let this drift as Wilksy and myself are very mindful of the need to get this sorted and so could you let me have your preferences (if you have any) by Mon 11th Jan and then we can get back to you confirming everything. Hopefully by then either ‘Henk’ or someone from Spain will have contacted us.
As you can see from the email distribution list, we have loads of the usual aardvarks up for this one and so it looks a good do.
Any questions give me a ring, Col, 07990 971190