Lake Bala Rally 15/16 June

Started by Graham W, 10 Mar 2013, 19:17

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Tony

Hmm. Thanks for the info, Graham. Better make sure I Have plenty of coffe after my lunch, then!
Tony:   CBL#1 "Four Sisters"
www.sailing-in-circles.blogspot.com
http://compare-a-sail.blogspot.com/

steve jones

HELLO BALA ORGANISER,

  PLEASE BOOK ME IN ( IF I NOT ALREADY DONE SO).
 
  STEVE JONES

BR17 NONA ME


Graham W

Steve,

You're now on the list.  Ten boats have registered provisional interest so far.
Gunter-rigged GRP BR20 No.59 'Turaco III'

Graham W

Quote from: Tony on 07 Mar 2013, 02:29
Hmm. Thanks for the info, Graham. Better make sure I Have plenty of coffe after my lunch, then!
Tony,

This may not be a definite 'no' - I have opened negotiations with the park warden to see if we can get a dispensation for sleepovers on a limited number of boats, probably moored alongside on the BSC pontoon.  Watch this space!
Gunter-rigged GRP BR20 No.59 'Turaco III'

garethrow

Graham

Good to see you are organising a rally at Bala, I confess to not being a forum addict so have only just spotted this. I organise the annual rally on the Teifi Estuary (29th and 30th June this year) and will soon be sending out details to anyone who is interested.

Like you I enjoyed the 2009 rally 'organized' by Matt. Last year I went back to Bala and sailed there for the W/E ans based myself at the campsite in the SE corner of the lake (not far from where we lunched in 2009). The facilities there are fine and the beach is excellent for launch and recovery at no extra cost. Booking at the site is recommended as it is popular,

I am not sure that I will be able to join you in June as I am using my away days ration by going up to Ullswater for the Drascombe rally there in early July.

Regards

Gareth Rowlands

Michael Rogers

Gareth

Welcome! And I'm tempted to say, about time (in general forum terms)! Your post has saved me from having to drop you a line about the dates for the Teifi Rally, and gives an opportunity to extol the pleasures of the Teifi Rally on the forum. It really is great fun, in a beautiful spot and based at a really friendly boat club. Highly recommended.

Michael

Graham W

I have successfully negotiated an exemption from the Park authority's ban on sleeping on boats on Lake Bala.  Four boats maximum may moor alongside the BSC's pontoon overnight on Saturday 15th June with sleepers aboard, using the club's ablution facilities. I have reserved one of these places for Tony, who started this ball rolling, so there are three other places available on a first come, first served basis. To reserve a place, contact me here, by pm on this forum or, less reliably, at graham wickenden at btopenworld com, with dots in all the usual places.

There are two possible eating options on Saturday evening - Bala is not over-endowed with good eateries.  We could eat at the club itself or at Eagles Inn, quite a good pub about 10 minutes away by car http://yr-eagles.co.uk/Saesneg.html  If we're doing the latter, we'll need to make reservations.  Let me know what you think.
Gunter-rigged GRP BR20 No.59 'Turaco III'

Michael Rogers

Not sure of the best way for you to conduct a referendum on the forum, Graham. I don't know the Bala set-up, but on balance I'd go for the Eagles. I hope the beer is decent: for reasons I can't now remember, I 'owe' Tony several pints.

Michael

Graham W

I'd be in favour of the Eagles as well. So far, we have two cars at our disposal to ferry people there - mine and Matthew's.
Gunter-rigged GRP BR20 No.59 'Turaco III'

steve jones

Hello Graham,
  I've eaten  and drunk in the Eagles and various pubs in Bala, in my opinion there is little difference  between them, none are Corden Blue, or egg on ronnies, but quite reasonable.
The main advantage of the Bala pubs being that they are within staggering distance from the boats/camp/club.
   One pub served only lager, so I avoided that one, another had a Cornish beer which is quite popular.
  Hope this doesn't confuse the issue.

Steve   BR17 Nona Me

Graham W

Hi Steve,

The only other place that rates a mention (on Tripadvisor) is Plas Yn Dre in Bala, which some judge to be overpriced.  Eagles comes out ahead in the Good Pub Guide as "worth a visit".  Several people mention the Welsh atmosphere and it is usually full of locals.  The real problem is that Bala is not spoilt for choice.....
Gunter-rigged GRP BR20 No.59 'Turaco III'

Tony

Quote from: Michael Rogers on 17 Mar 2013, 23:58
Not sure of the best way for you to conduct a referendum on the forum, Graham. I don't know the Bala set-up, but on balance I'd go for the Eagles. I hope the beer is decent: for reasons I can't now remember, I 'owe' Tony several pints.

Michael
Hi, Michael.

I cant remember the reasons, either.....but hey, "Any pint in a Storm". (Er.. It's supposed to be "Any Port in a Storm" I think   but I cant stand the stuff.    Much prefer bitter or a decent IPA.
Seem to think I owe Steve Jones a pint or two but, again, haven't a clue why. I dare say it'll all come back to us after a few.
Tony:   CBL#1 "Four Sisters"
www.sailing-in-circles.blogspot.com
http://compare-a-sail.blogspot.com/

Michael Rogers

Agree about good bitter, Tony, but since I experienced a micro-brewery IPA in Seattle which was, by a nautical mile, the best beer I have EVER tasted anywhere, any IPAs here have been unimpressive (I am, by the way, not an uncritical fan of things-USA: far too many guns and funny ideas about them, for starters. And their big-brewery beers are well nigh undrinkable). Still, doubtless recommendations as well as decent beer will flow at Bala.

The pints I owe - I do now recollect 1) your ideas which led to a very useful re-design of the topping lift on 'Cavatina': 2) acknowledgement of having been bested by you in the field of wormology. Anyway, who needs excuses. Cheers in anticipation.

Tony

I'm sorry to hear that it takes a ten hour flight to Seattle for you to get a decent beer! Where do you live? Surrey?
I live in a blessed part of the world - well, it is now - thanks to the advent of :- http://www.welbeckabbeybrewery.co.uk/

Until I met Claire I thought that brewers were either a dying breed of ancient craftsmen or the sort of bloated capitalists that gave us Watneys Red Barrel...   Keg bitter! Ugh! The liquid equivalent of thin white sliced bread and a triumph of marketing and shelf-life over taste and quality... and who stole the word "lager" to describe the gnats water they fob off on Friday night Heroes and alcoholics.
This brilliant young Master Brewer is producing a range of beers, from "Portland Black", a porter-like dark beer, to "Cavendish" a citrus blonde. "...a blonde to make a bishop kick a hole in a stained-glass window.."
My favourite, everyday beer is "Henrietta", a four gallon pin of which habitually lives in my garage. If I've run out, I can totter the few hundred yards to my preferred local* http://www.forestlodgehotel.co.uk/ who have a version of it as their house beer (along with at least four other guest beers)
* the village has five other pubs, one of the advantages of still having a working colliery.

I'll bring a selection of her bottled stuff to Bala for you to try but I can't guarantee how well it travels -  as any that has ever made it in through my back door has never seen light of day again!
Claire is what we call round here  "A Good Lass". Not only does she brew great beer (traditionally a womans job, don't forget)   but fund raises for local charities, sponsors Bolsover football team and even lets me have spent hops for my allotment - in exchange for a few leeks or a couple of cabbages.
(I'm trying to organise a "French beans for Beer" exchange scheme but she drives a hard bargain.  Ay, Lad! It's grim oop North! They don't  breed owt in way of wiltin' violets 'round 'ere! )
Tony:   CBL#1 "Four Sisters"
www.sailing-in-circles.blogspot.com
http://compare-a-sail.blogspot.com/

Michael Rogers

The IPA experience was serendipitous - we went to Seattle while our son was at the Uni there for a year. Also memorable were two visits to the Wooden Boat Center (I have to grit my teeth to spell it their way), where, among other things they were restoring a Herreshof (?spelling) 12 1/2 - I think the most beautiful small boat I have ever seen.

But good grief, Tony, your post is one of the most blatant bits of advertising for your local micro-brewery one could imagine. I'm with you about microbreweries in general though, we've several round here. And I believe we have a Gordon-Brown-taxbreak to thank for their recent burgeoning. It's a funny old world!

Please will other prospective Bala Rally participants, however, rest assured that I, for one, am coming in order to SAIL. And between us we have a good chance of keeping Tony in order - ?

Michael

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