TZW, also known as the TimeZone Warriors, is a very old gaming group which has been around since the dawn of time (i.e. before OFP); every year TZW has two LANs, and the Winter one tends to be held at my family's farm in Herefordshire, UK. This is going to be the 5th TZW WinterLAN of all time, and there have been TZW LANs for about a decade now!
So what is this post about?
This is the obligatory information post for TZW WinterLAN 2010, based on the excellent original written by a chap called Steve (Zorlac) for the TZW EasterLANs. PLEASE READ ALL OF IT INCLUDING THE NEXT STEPS AT THE END!
What are the key dates?
- Start: Friday 29th October 2010
- End: Monday 1st November 2010
What's the location?
Bernithan Court Farm
Llangarron
Ross-on-Wye
Herefordshire
HR9 6NG
Are there any contact numbers?
- Fer's Mobile: +44 (0) 7802 761570
- House (during the LAN): +44 (0) 1989 770 337 (ask for Alan Richardson)
As Steve (Zorlac) says of the EasterLAN event: "Any Tizzie or VVS504 member is welcome, whether you are staying the whole weekend or just popping in for an hour or two to say hello. Bring your kit if you want, or just come along to sample the atmosphere of Tizzies/504 going wild, and of course to watch the incredible eating man(tm)." This year, I'm extending also the invitation to anyone who has played with Folk (which means there might just be guests from Ukrainian Tactical Group, Tactical Gamer, MARSOC and Shack Tactical).
What things should I bring?
- 4-way mains extension leads (its 220-240V in the UK, so Euro kit should work if you have an adapter)
- If you can, bring a table or something else to put your kit on. Would be really helpful.
- Sleeping bag + crash mat
- Loo roll (seriously!)
- Ear plugs (if you are a light sleeper)
- Headphones!! Speakers are fine, but not when we're in-game.
- Cameras, CDR/CDRWs, Webcams, all are welcome
- Bring anything you might want to let others have / share.
Bring beer, pepsi, coke, redbull, etc if you want, but we have a choice of supermarkets (Morrisons, Waitrose) 10 minutes drive away. Same for food. Bring anything that you need that you can't get anywhere else, such as coffee cartridges or veggie options (no veggie options on-site). The supermarkets will be open almost all the weekend, so no need to bulk buy, you can get stuff as you need it. There are takeaways in the next towns (Ross-on-Wye and Monmouth), but bear in mind both are a 10 minute drive from the farm. Realistically, we're going to be eating a lot of oven pizzas! More on that next ...
Will there be a kitty for communist bulk-buying of food?
Most years we have ran a kitty for food, which meant that shopping was a lot easier and nobody starved to death. It isn't obligatory, but we'll probably do this again.
Are there any other costs?
The house belongs to my extended family, so I don't have to pay any rent for the weekend. However, I do have to contribute to the costs of heat and electricity. That works out at GBP 120/night (or GBP 360 for the whole weekend). What I'd like to ask is that guests contribute GBP 5 per night, so if you're only there for a night you won't pay as much as someone who stays for longer. I'm sorry I can't cover all of this myself.
What about rules - are there any rules for the house and farm?
- Please don't smoke in the house, other than on the ground floor.
- Never leave a fire unattended or without a fireguard, and even better put it out / bury it if you are going to be away from the room.
- Build sensible fires - chimneys actually 'catch fire' (very bad) if your fire is too big.
- Leave the cows / sheep alone, and they'll leave you alone (better still, the farmer won't shoot you).
- Ask Fer before wandering off around the farm, as there are places which are strictly 'out of bounds' (due to farmers, dragons etc.).
- Generally, keep your wits about you - it's remarkably easy to hurt / kill yourself on a farm. Really.
We have 2Mb BT broadband installed, and a standard BT wireless router serving the ground and first floors of the house. There will also be a LAN built using cable, so don't worry if you haven't got wireless.
Got some map links? I'm a very visual person, y'know What about transport links?
- By Rail: Gloucester Station is about 25 mins away by car/taxi.
- By Coach: Ross-on-Wye and Monmouth are both about 10 mins away by car/taxi.
- By Air: Bristol Airport is about an hour away by car/taxi. You can also get a cheap bus to Bristol, and from there a cheap train to Gloucester Station.
- By Car: Is the easiest way to get there!
If you know you are coming (or it is very likely) please can you post ONCE in this thread, stating:
- Your estimated arrival date and time
- Your estimated departure date and time
- How you are getting to the LAN
