Meeting in Holland, 25-26/11

[rcutler]

So, is anyone from the UK going apart from Rick and Myself?

WHICH ONE IS YOU BOB, THE OTHER ONE HAS TO BE RICK

Well seing as I am half DUTCH I would have to be the dutch flag boy! Sorry Bob

[Fran]

Nope - surely the Dutch one is the one wearing clogs!   

[Paddy_NL]

...or yellow Dutch Army boots

[Steve Pyro]

So, is anyone from the UK going apart from Rick and Myself?

It's looking promising.  I've lodged a request with the relevant domestic authority.  I've looked into either flying from Stansted to Rotterdam or taking the Stena ferry.  I'll firm up things in a couple of weeks, hopefully.

[Andy Zarse]

I'll firm up things in a couple of weeks, hopefully.

Is that how you got permission to go Steve?

And in a highly worrying developement, The Gimp and myself are giving serious consideration to the practicalities of attending. Whilst he doesn't mind going Dove-Calais and driving, The Gimp does suffer terribly from seasickness; it's no fun getting a blowback of diced carrot through the little mouthole. Has anyone looked at Ryanair for prices?

[rcutler]

I'll firm up things in a couple of weeks, hopefully.

Is that how you got permission to go Steve?

And in a highly worrying developement, The Gimp and myself are giving serious consideration to the practicalities of attending. Whilst he doesn't mind going Dove-Calais and driving, The Gimp does suffer terribly from seasickness; it's no fun getting a blowback of diced carrot through the little mouthole. Has anyone looked at Ryanair for prices?

The ferry that me and bob are planning on taking is a HUGE catermaran so you should not have any problems with sea sickness.

[Andy Zarse]

The ferry that me and bob are planning on taking is a HUGE catermaran so you should not have any problems with sea sickness.

Rick and Bob take note.

http://www.clubarnage.com/forum/index.php?topic=74.0

That is more or less identical to the Vomit Comet we used in 2002 and which had the Gimp and his brother rolling around on the floor, green in the face, spraying sick up the back of the people in the seat in front due to the uncomfortable motion and stink of burn diesel. It was also on this boat I slipped over in a pool of spew in the toilets and ended up being covered in it, it even got into my watch strap. And all that on a slightly choppy english channel in June. Wild horses would not gets us on that thing on the North Sea in November.

[Fran]

LOL - I went to Guernsey on the "wave piercing supercat" a few times... never seen so many people heaving their guts up!!

My friend and I were getting waitress service of the stewardess for our drinks because everyone was confined to their seats it was so rough!  All the other stewardesses were going round distributing bags and kitchen roll, then going round collecting the full ones!!   

What a laugh, we were taking bets on who was gonna be sick next.... 

Mind you that wasnt as bad as the Condor from Guernsey to St Malo.

[rcutler]

The ferry that me and bob are planning on taking is a HUGE catermaran so you should not have any problems with sea sickness.

Rick and Bob take note.

http://www.clubarnage.com/forum/index.php?topic=74.0

That is more or less identical to the Vomit Comet we used in 2002 and which had the Gimp and his brother rolling around on the floor, green in the face, spraying sick up the back of the people in the seat in front due to the uncomfortable motion and stink of burn diesel. It was also on this boat I slipped over in a pool of spew in the toilets and ended up being covered in it, it even got into my watch strap. And all that on a slightly choppy english channel in June. Wild horses would not gets us on that thing on the North Sea in November.

I know the vomit comets don't like them either but this boat is HUGE:-

Technical information
Route: Hoek van Holland - Harwich
Class of vessel: Catamaran
(High-speed Sea Service 1500)
Breadth: 40 m
Length: 127 m
Sailing time: approx. 3:40
Speed: 40 knots
Capacity: 1500 passengers
375 cars

[Andy Zarse]

Rick, it's not that big, look at the car in proportion. Anyhow, that will not matter as it's the speed of the thing that makes it so choppy. Good help you, take a bucket. 3.40 is a bloody long time to be trapped on the damn thing and if it's quiet they close daown an engine and it goes slower thereby dragging out the torture longer.

And Easyjet is £49 from Gatwick; we know which we're going on.

[rcutler]

Ahh yes but me and Bob will start drinking at 0800 and probably will not stop until we are home on Sunday night! You don't have to stop drinking while checking in, passport control, baggage control, take off, landing, passport control, collecting baggage, airport transfer.

Enjoy flying but it is way too much hassle now for a short flight!

[Andy Zarse]

Ah yes but when one member of Team Zarse is in charge of Gatwick airport, one finds that one is whisked through the formalities rather snappily. And one gets a bargain afternoon in Amsterdam thrown in for good measure, although I'm at a loss as to what to do there. I hear the Van Gogh exhibition is quite pleasant.

Anyway, I tell you, you will not be doing much drinking on that boat except for swallowing mouthfuls of your own bile and stomach acid. And what about the driving? Who will stay sober if you're taking the car?

[rcutler]

We are going on foot as the price include rail transfers from anwhere in East Anglia (Including Liverpool Street St) to any station in Holland for £50.

[Andy Zarse]

We are going on foot as the price include rail transfers from anwhere in East Anglia (Including Liverpool Street St) to any station in Holland for £50.

Ok it's a good price, but will you too not be going through check-in, passport control, customs, bag checks, boarding etc? Surely you won't be allowed to drink at these points? How is it any different to flying?

[Bob U]

What a bunch of landlubbers, and there's me thinking that us British were a sea faring nation.

Shame on you Andy, it's a bloody good job that the likes of Drake, Raleigh, Cooke and and all the other great British explorers didn't suffer from the same namby pamby attitude.

Where would we be then? The British empire wouldn't have excisted, we would have no potatoes or tobacco and the Spanish and Portugese would have bagged all the good colonies and we would have only been left with Wales.

Were's your sense of adventure, only poofs are seasick