Brussels Army Museum - any suggestions?

If there's a way to reach Bovvie by public transportation from the nearest airport, then we could hold this meeting there? To accomodate the amazing sacrifice by Zhukov right there!

 

Simon and I have discussed everyone getting to Brussels and we are more than prepared to let anyone stay overnight at our house in Ashford in Kent the night or 2 before and after.

We have lots of floor space and 5 bedrooms that can easily be made available for the more shy ones of you. Our children can camp the night on our bedroom floor. Which they love to do anyway..

This is a serious offer so please feel free to take us up on it. It would be great to meet you all. I won't be going to the museum but Simon will.

 

Disclaimer: Actual bedspace may be determined on a "Bring a Bottle basis", the better the bottle, the greater the sleeping space. A 1litre Bottle of Smirnoff may well be enough to buy you the whole living room, a can of Clausthaller or Kaliber (alcohol free beer) and you're sharing bed space in the rabbit hutch. :lol:

 

Thanks very much for this generous offer! No doubt all the Brits and especially those from beyond the pond will greatly appreciate it.

Just to get it straight, you're offering people sleeping space as a kind of assembly point before moving on to Brussels, right?

 

Spot on. We live in Ashford, Kent, UK (England). We are offering sleeping space (It may be an actual bed, it may just be a blanket on the floor, it all depends on how many bodies want to take us up on the offer) to anyone who wants to use this as a stop off point to go to Brussels. As a distinct bonus Ashford Train station has an international service via the Eurostar/Channel Tunnel directly to Brussels International Railway Station.

I think tickets need to be booked for and paid for in advance, and that obviously will be up to individuals to arrange. Nearer the time I'll see if I can provide a website or something similar, but it may be easier for British members to travel down to Ashford, stay over night and move on from here, it will almost certainly be a lot easier for international members to fly over, stay at ours then get the Eurostar to Brussels.

I've already agreed to pick Zhukov up from whichever London airport he arrives at (Gatwick or Heathrow are easier for me, I can get from my home to Gatwick in about an hour in good traffic and no police), if anyone else was to come from abroad perhaps we could try and arrange pickups if the flights are reasonably close together. Otherwise the Rail Network isn't too bad, honestly...

If North American (US/Canadian) based members would like to spend a couple of days here getting used to European times that's a possibility (Jet-lag's a bitch!).

Just to make it clear, this is Caroline's suggestion too and she is fine with this.

 

PM or email either me or Caroline if you're interested in taking up this offer.

 

What a generous offer

God bless your philanthropic hearts.

 

It would be practical if people were to post the possible dates at which they have time to go anywhere next Summer as soon as they know them, so that we have at least some time to sort out a good common date. I am aware that this will probably take until well into 2006 for most to find out, but please keep it in mind when you do.

 

If you are wishing to stay at the Toastinators abode then I would like to keep the first week in September guest free as my daughter will be starting primary school then and I think it is only fair to her to keep things as calm as possible.

Obviously If you all decide that is the best time for the get-together then you are still welcome.

Also are you planning on making it 1 or 2 day trip fom Britain?? (I just want to know if Simon will be away overnight so I can have a girly night in)

 

I reckon actually that sometime in the summer holidays would be best (July? Early August?)
Anybody agree with me, or is September the preferred month?

Caroline - are you not coming with us to look at tanks?

 

Thank you so much for the very kind and considerate invitation to join you all on this trip. But I think that 1 of the Toastinators will have tostay at home and look after the little Toasties. (I thank God for this great excuse in more ways than 1) :lol:

July or August would be better for us too.

 

Perhaps at this stage it may be better for people to post dates that they're definitely not available (For example, Ricky probably wouldn't be too popular if he missed his wedding anniversary!), then we can use that as a starting point to work out when people will be available.

 

Theoretically I am free from July 3rd to August 11th. In practice, however, some of these weeks will be covered by family holidays, holidays with friends etcetera; on the other hand there will probably some weeks before July 3rd and after August 11th in which I will be free, depending on my test results (so I can't say anything yet).

 

we dont have that much in the US,




hmmmmm the patton musiums cool i guess but thats like 10 hours away from me

 

For me, May is my best choice. A ticket in May costs 1/2 as much as a ticket in June/July/August. Even the fall would be better I'm sure.

I really don't mean to sound cheap here, but with college and all that fun stuff my budget will be tight. Maybe I can build a raft and float over there....

 

For me, May is good but sadly only if it's for tankfest at Bovington. I plan on being there and hopefully meeting some online buddies there. I hear they plan on calling next years show Panzerfest, maybe they hope to get more axis stuff out in the arena, hope so.

 

I might be heading to London and France over easter, I might be able to reach some of you by phone , but thats kinda stupid.

 

Not at all, depending on how you're travelling between London and Paris you may well be either travelling over Ashford (Plane), whizzing through Ashford (Eurostar Train) or past Ashford (Driving to the Channel Tunnel), so you may be pretty near me and Caroline at some points.

Let's us know when you're likely to be in the area if you want.

 

Well , if I were to got to London, I'll probably be all over the city and looking at landmarks , and if i go on the trip I'll be getting to Paris by the Eurostar Train , that's all the info sheet says regarding means of transportation between London and Paris.

 

You'll probably go through Ashford then, unless your train is one of the ones that actually stops here though if you blink you'll probably miss it.