#HELP AN IDIOT
17 messages in this thread
Hi Jim, how are you these days? Been a long while since you were over this
side of the pond.
All the best,
Pete
From Dorset in Englands westcountry
Has been a while indeed, Pete. I have vague plans to drag my 5-year-old
daughter over to England sometime soon .. while there are still a few relatives
in Yorkshire to be visited (they may not last too much longer). One of these
days, I'll be passing your way. Maybe soon.
–Jim p.s. John & Janet B continue to hustle me for new
articles. I know, I know .. I'll hang a few together soon.
Pete tells me he is having TWO AMiga bashes at his place this spring,
and another this fall!
I often wonder if there's a mechanism for handling the overflow from
Pete's tiny Charmouth hotel (perhaps in Lyme Regis), or if attendance
is STRICTLY controlled. They sound like quite an Amiga party.
What'd I miss? What Amiga party?
— Dale L. Larson, Intangible Assets Manufacturing
— INTERNET:dale@iam.com
A periodic gathering of Amiga maniacs at a small hotel in Dorset, England.
It's a function of the UK user group, ICPUG.
There are some formal presentations over a weekend but there is also reported
to be a good deal of carousing.
If you're really interested, I could give dates; but attendance would have to
be arranged through ICPUG, and there's limited accommodation available.
(Betty Clay is dying to visit one of these).
–Jim
Dale,
Peter Miles, one of our members from the UK, runs a small hotel at a
little town called Charmouth, right on the coastline in Dorset. The town
of Lyme Regis, two or three miles west of Peter, is a bit better known,
but no less charming, than Charmouth. Peter's hotel is very small, having
once been a manor house. Several hundred years ago, a member or two of
the British royalty stayed there (usually when running for their lives),
but that was in the manor house days. Currently, Peter and his wife,
Jenny, run the hotel. Jenny prepares delicious meals, and Peter is an
excellent host.
For the past several years, Peter has set aside one or two weekends a year
for the members of ICPUG, the Independent Commodore Products User Group,
of England to hold meetings in his hotel. These meetings begin on Friday
afternoon with check-in, greetings, partying, etc. On Saturday morning
after breakfast, all of the tables are cleared from the dining room,
chairs put out, and the room made ready for lectures (if you want to call
them that.) The computers are all set up along the inner wall, and there
is a narrow aisle between the seated guests and the computers where the
speakers can stand – or sit, as many prefer to do. The speakers are
almost always members of ICPUG, and many of them are *very*
knowledgeable.
There are usually about three speakers before lunch, three more after
lunch, and then the tables must be put out for dinner. More partying
after dinner, of course. Sundays are much the same as Saturdays, except
that most people must leave after the afternoon speakers are finished in
order to get home for work on Monday.
I've only been able to get over to England for one of these meetings, but
I had a wonderful time. They even let me speak! I told them about the
genealogy programs that were available for the Amiga, and how they
compared to some available on other platforms, and then Mike Todd and I
combined forces to tell them about CompuServe. We signed on and gave a
demonstration. Had even made arrangements for a few people to be in CO,
including Khalid. Other speakers told us of programs they were writing
for the Amiga, of neat tricks they had learned, of unusual applications
they had made, etc. One or two who have now moved (reluctantly) to MSDOS
machines spoke of their new equipment. All of the sessions were of very
high quality.
So – if you're going to be in England when Peter is having one of his
Amiga weekends, and if you can manage to get one of the limited
reservations – be sure to go! They are well worth it.
—Betty
When are these weekends?
I've got several other deductable excuses to go that way, and several
friends to visit. I just need the kind of excuse that sets a date…
— Dale L. Larson, Intangible Assets Manufacturing
— INTERNET:dale@iam.com
Dale,
The next weekend of fun, excesses of computers and Vintage Port is April
22nd for 2 or 3 days whichever you prefer.
I don't have large hotel only 11 rooms and often find I have to board folk
outside at other places. Never the less we do have fun and are given
several quite interesting talks on various computing subjects. Betty Clay
gave us a talk 2 yrs ago on genealogy. This was very well received. We
have aslo had Jim Butterfield over on 2 occasions. We start at breakfast
and go on to around 3/4am in the morning so you can see we dont over do it
🙂
Pete
From Dorset in Englands westcountry
Considering that you said in the message immediately previous that "I'm
selling my Amiga and buying a dos box" would I be correct to assume that
the next "weekend of fun" is to be the last?
-sja
And give up an overflow crowd for two or three weekends a year? Not a
chance, Steve. Peter runs the hotel – he doesn't do the presentations.
And he can still do that, no matter what kind of computer he has back in
the office. Matter of fact, he has three already planned for this year.
Mostly, Peter takes care of the accommodations and other ICPUG members
plan the programs, do presentations, etc.
—Betty
Destroy and profit, huh? Sounds more like the American way.
Good Lord no!!. We shall continue to have these cosy meetings until we get
fed up with them. The Dos box thing is a purely business decision. But
having said that the Amiga ( Ihave an A3000) knocks spots off the average
Windows box. The Amiga as you well know is much more sophisticated and
streamlined.
Pete
From Dorset in Englands westcountry
Dale, I don't have an exact set of dates for them. I believe there is one
around the first of April, I recall that there is one about May 13, and
the next planned is October, but no firm date set. If you are going to be
over and would like to go, you would be MOST welcome, I am sure! Be
prepared to make a speech or two. And contact Peter Miles, 100025,1055,
for the dates and other information. He's the one who runs the hotel,
though some other club officers usually plan the programs.
—Betty
When I was last there, Pete had made arrangements for several guests to
stay at another hotel down the street. The problem is that he can only
accept as many people as he can fit into his dining room for the meetings.
I think the maximum number of guests in the hotel is around 25-30. Some
local people come in for the meetings, and I suspect he would be hard
pressed to make room for even 50 chairs in that dining room and still
leave room for the computers and speakers at the front.
Have you not attended one? I thought you were there once. In fact, I
thought I recalled the bunch of you calling me on a speaker-phone from one
of them quite a while back.
—Betty
I've stayed at Pete's hotel, but not during one of the great Amiga assemblies.
Rather, there was a meeting of the local user group on one of the occasions I
was there. Still made for a crowded dining room.
–Jim
I attended one of the Amiga weekends during my last trip to England –
1992. We had a really fine time. Pete's hotel was full, and there were
at least a half-dozen staying down the road with his friend. Of course, I
was also treated to a Dorset cream tea, a Devon cream tea, a Somerset
cream tea, a West Sussex cream tea………. (wonder why I gained
weight?)
—Betty