Non-hippy AT weekenders (UK)?

D

Dave Bailey

Active Member
I'd like to go to a weekender, but I've been put off by the descriptions of all the communal sleeping, washing-up rotas and so on. I'm way too old for that, I want some level of creature comfort. Ideally, a hotel.

So does anyone know of any ones fitting this bill, preferably sometime in summer / autumn?
 
Might want to look into the big events at Bylaugh, that's pretty civilised as far as I have been told.

Hippiness increases the further west you go, but there's nothing to stop you staying in lodgings of your choosing and eating where you please. For example, there are some very fine pubs to be found in the New Forest not so far from my local Bramshaw events.
 
kieronneedscake said:
Might want to look into the big events at Bylaugh, that's pretty civilised as far as I have been told.

Hippiness increases the further west you go, but there's nothing to stop you staying in lodgings of your choosing and eating where you please. For example, there are some very fine pubs to be found in the New Forest not so far from my local Bramshaw events.
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I did the same in Totnes; find a decent B&B or hotel; then go and enjoy the Mango or Tribe workshops and Milongas; the teachers were more to my taste at the Tribe. Bylaugh is very civlised but i did share a room.
 
Bylaugh as far as I know is no longer doing AT weekenders

Yes, you dont have to sleep in a dorm (-:

Otherwise the "washing up" thing is really about sharing the weekend and forming communal spirit. Not compulsory, you can opt out.

Well my personal fave remains Bramshaw.I'll PM B&B suggestions if you want them.
 
Mmmm, love Bramshaw too. Though when we frst started I wasn't keen on the idea of sharing chores, but it is fun to eat together and get to know people a tad better.

We will finally try Tara & Fernando's Small Group w/end this May, everyone I have heard from said this was great, and catered etc., http://www.vidadetango.co.uk/tolearn/page4/page4.html They also do Feasts, where neither board and lodgings are provided. T.
 
There's also some stuff going on in Brighton but if you're going to the Decadence weekender then I guess you'll find out about that.

Cambridge and Oxford are the other places to look out for. I believe Homer Ladas is coming over in May (?) and usually he will go to one or both of those places. However accommodation is a lot more expensive in those towns (so one usually ends up sleeping on people's floors etc - which you dont want to do).

I'd still recommend you try Bramshaw (if they let you in that is :p )
 
kieronneedscake said:
Might want to look into the big events at Bylaugh, that's pretty civilised as far as I have been told.
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I know, and that was my original plan for this year.

But it's cancelled:
Due to the Credit Crunch, there are major changes taking place at Bylaugh and so there will be no tango for the time being. We look forward to being able to let you know when we can be back with the tutors and dancers that we look forward to so much.
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:cry:

kieronneedscake said:
Hippiness increases the further west you go, but there's nothing to stop you staying in lodgings of your choosing and eating where you please. For example, there are some very fine pubs to be found in the New Forest not so far from my local Bramshaw events.
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Yeah - that's plan B.

I'm also wondering if I could treat the September River Tango thing as a weekender - ie. stay overnight, do classes, attend the Ball and so on. Depends on what they do in terms of classes I guess.
 
kieronneedscake said:
Hippiness increases the further west you go
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Cruel but fair. Totnesia is a strange land of multicoloured shoes and Peruvian peasant hats which does tend to be reflected in the events organised in that area. They're fun though and there's no obligation to enter into the communal dining and washing up experience. Personally, when I go to the Mango I find my own fodder - the Riverford farm shop is only 5 minutes drive away and they do awesome ham & leek and smoked chicken tarts, demon chocolate cake and all manner of other good things. There are a multitude of B&Bs in the area and some reasonable pubs for food, though the Sea Trout in Staverton isn't quite as good as it was. Having said that, the "Mango community spirit model" does have it's attractions despite my aversion to washing up - I really don't mind it at Bramshaw.

Tara & Fernando have moved away from the Mango "communal feeding" model. You find your own grub at the Oldway Mansion events and the Christmas "Feast" and small group intensive workshops are catered.

So David, I strongly recommend that you put your Norf Lundin prejudices aside and drag your bones into deepest, darkest Devon. Book into a decent pub/hotel and come and dance with us.
 
JonD said:
Cruel but fair. Totnesia is a strange land of multicoloured shoes and Peruvian peasant hats which does tend to be reflected in the events organised in that area. They're fun though and there's no obligation to enter into the communal dining and washing up experience. Personally, when I go to the Mango I find my own fodder - the Riverford farm shop is only 5 minutes drive away and they do awesome ham & leek and smoked chicken tarts, demon chocolate cake and all manner of other good things. There are a multitude of B&Bs in the area and some reasonable pubs for food, though the Sea Trout in Staverton isn't quite as good as it was. Having said that, the "Mango community spirit model" does have it's attractions despite my aversion to washing up - I really don't mind it at Bramshaw.

Tara & Fernando have moved away from the Mango "communal feeding" model. You find your own grub at the Oldway Mansion events and the Christmas "Feast" and small group intensive workshops are catered.

So David, I strongly recommend that you put your Norf Lundin prejudices aside and drag your bones into deepest, darkest Devon. Book into a decent pub/hotel and come and dance with us.
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also some good Chinese takeway in Totnes plus chip shops and restaurants and supermarkets with plenty of cold cooked food. I did find that the mango food ate up good dancing time what with eating talking clearing up the milongas seemed always to start late.
 
David Bailey said:
Who are you? Didn't you promise to come to Negracha's at one point?
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Mea culpa! My only excuse is that I'm uffering from the after effects of glandular fever - I'm well past the infectious stage but still generally feeling like tripe. I will drag my ancient bones up to London at some stage though: the gatherings on the first Friday of the month sound like a lot of fun. (To be honest, I'm not likely to make a special trip to Negracha if your mob aren't there. Based on my very limited experience of the place - half a dozen visits over the last couple of years - I find I get better dancing if I drive to Bramshaw for TangkAdemy or Super Tangk milongas).

What are Plan A and Plan B? I'm thinking of doing a TangkAdemy with Julie - her leading and me following, which should be interesting (Julie did one on that basis with Kieron recently and it sounded a lot of fun). So, let me know if you're planning a weekend at Bramshaw and we'll try to meet up.

bordertangoman said:
I did find that the mango food ate up good dancing time what with eating talking clearing up the milongas seemed always to start late
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Yup - it's barely worth driving back from Exeter for the milongas at the end of the week as they start later and later: sometimes you end up with only a couple of hours dancing. It'd be great if they could arrange things like the Oldway Mansion "Feast" where the floor is open from 10am to 11pm. Having said that, I love the daytimes at the Mango - a lovely quiet dance floor and fellow addicts to play with from 10.30am until about 1.30pm, a bite to eat then dancing til 4.45pm.
 
JonD said:
(Julie did one on that basis with Kieron recently and it sounded a lot of fun)
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A genuinely valuable experience for both of us I think. Our characters matched very well for learning our opposite roles and respecting each other's needs while learning. I'd follow her lead any time.
 
What were you doing? Hibernating?

Interesting visiting teachers, some faffing outside the Tate, massively overcrowded milongas... knock yourself out.
 
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