Friday 14th February 2014

Join us at the PH birthday party

Celebrate 15 years of PH at Black Tie and Pie

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As you'll know by now, it's our birthday party in April. Thank you to all of you that have bought tickets so far, it's set to be a great evening and for those of you yet to buy, here are all the details as to why you should.

Where? Tortworth Court Hotel, Wotton-under-Edge, Gloucestershire.

When:Saturday 5 Aprill 2014. Pre-dinner drinks at 1900, seats for dinner at 1945.

What's it about: Put simply, it is an opportunity for PHers to get together in the real world to share a laugh, put faces to usernames in a nice environment enjoying some great food and maybe a drink or three.

What goes on: We will have plenty of things to keep you entertained such as a table/ close up magic, fun speeches (not the 'normal' boring stuff as Garlick normally does them drunk), A raffle with some great prizes, after dinner poker tables, pre and post dinner drinks. Breathalysers are offered the morning after to ensure you are safe to drive home.

Why go: It's the perfect chance to enjoy an evening with the people you have a laugh with on the Forums and to meet new like-minded people.

Dress code: Black Tie (in case you hadn't guessed). Excuse the cheese but here's a guide on how to tie a bow tie.

Price: £75.00 per person.

What's included: Three Course meal including Table Wine (details below) and the entertainment listed above.

 

Starters

Pea and Ham Hock soup with baked cheese croutons

Pea and Mint soup with baked cheese croutons (v)

Main Courses

Venison with Butternut Squash pie and Caramelised Onion, served with gravy

Mushroom and Spinach pie with Hazelnuts and White Truffle Oil, with a white wine sauce (v)

Desserts

Apple and Sultana Crumble with ginger ice cream, and a drizzle of créme anglaise

Tea, coffee and mints

Wine

Riva Leona Gavi (Italian White)

Pinot Noir de L'Hospitalet (French Red)

 

Tickets on sale here

We look forward to seeing you there.

[Johnny 89]

Will all the cars be parked together? Are people planning on turning up early to have a look around whats on show before dinner?
Or does this generally happen the next morning while everyone is sobering up

[Tom_C76]

Tempted, but the O/H is allergic to pie (well, gluten really...). Can the hotel cope with such difficult people?

[Newro]

I would love to join. A 6 hour drive from Edinburgh and 6 hours back is hard to sell to the O/H though. Any plans for Friday or Sunday?

[eybic]

Johnny: Parking is on a first come first served basis but normally all the cars are parekd together.

Tom: I'll find out for you.

Nathan

[eybic]

Tom_C76 said:

Tempted, but the O/H is allergic to pie (well, gluten really...). Can the hotel cope with such difficult people?

They can indeed cope, my Brother is the same so I know how awkward "they" can be

[jeremyc]

Newro said:

I would love to join. A 6 hour drive from Edinburgh and 6 hours back is hard to sell to the O/H though. Any plans for Friday or Sunday?

You wouldn't be the first to have travelled from Edinburgh to attend BTaP.

I think the record distance rests with BobThePlanner who came from Australia to be there one year.

[I WISH]

I know that people are often prepared to travel ..... but it might be nice to make some attempt to rotate these events around the rest of the UK in future.

[Mark.]

I WISH said:

I know that people are often prepared to travel ..... but it might be nice to make some attempt to rotate these events around the rest of the UK in future.

I'm all for this, get to see different places too

[da_murphster]

Where has the link gone to buy tickets?

And why is this so bloody hard to find info about - I had to search 'birthday' just to figure out where the advert is?

Be keen to know how many have signed up (and what cars they may be bringing to puruse)

[Mark.]

It's gone disturbingly quiet again.

[Mark.]

See what I mean?

[eybic]

I’m sorry to say that we’ve been forced to cancel BTaP yet again, we tried last year and tried again this year but unfortunately due to poor ticket sales we have had to cancel it and move on. We had a great few years with the event and it seems that it just doesn’t work any more, sad but true.

Thank you to those of you that had booked tickets, we appreciate the support but it just wasn’t turning out to be the event it should be and the hard decision to cancel was made.

Much head scratching has gone on with regards to a new and improved BTaP with new venues and menu’s (poetry on a Thursday, who’d of thought it?) and we are currently at the drawing board for this and we will update you as soon as we have any more information. We should say that the format will be all new, while BTaP may be dead it isn’t the end of PH black tie parties...that’s a given.

Sorry (again)

The PH Team

[Mark.]

Thanks for the update. It's a shame it never finally happened and I guess there will be plenty of discussions within PH Towers about what went wrong. And there will be plenty more discussions here - mostly helpful but the inevitable unhelpful too that will rumble on forever - you can't please all the people all the time etc. etc.

So for BTaPv2 how about throwing ideas open to the masses a bit like on the Sunday Service thread. Or a committee to pool ideas for a broad range of PH'ers both old and new who may be able to guide as to what folks want from this gathering because I feel sure there is an appetite for something on this scale, but for whatever reasons it's gone a bit stale for some.

So while I've not been to all the BTaP's (I've missed 2 or 3) I went to the first and the last and the vast majority in between I'll throw my hat in to the ring for a productive discussion around it. As long as it doesn't degenerate in to a public slanging match.

[sunbeam alpine]

Sorry to hear that it's not going ahead, although we hadn't booked - unfortunately the April date fell on the weekend we're doing a classic rally in France.

I feel a tiny bit sorry as I've posted a couple of times in previous years' threads lamenting the fact it always seemed to fall on Remembrance weekend - as I blow the Last Post in our village each year on Remembrance Sunday - and I don't think I'd manage it (or even get there) after BTAP!

Hope it will reappear in some form.

[ali_kat]

That’s a real shame

After the last one in 2012, Garlick gave us the date for 2013 and 90% of us booked our rooms there & then. However, time went on, and despite repeated questions, we weren’t told of any further developments until 3rd October; 5 weeks before the event.

With no confirmation, people had organised other things And 5 weeks notice to spend that sort of money is not feasible to many of us

So, we put that behind us & looked forward to this years. I know that I and most of the regulars that I’ve spoken with pencilled aside the weekends in November to keep it free, as we do every year.

Then we get told it was in April. That is still Skiing season and the week before the Easter Holidays which a lot of people go away for so is more expense in the same month.

I’m sure if had been announced when it was but for November it would have been the resounding success it always is!

In previous years there has always been this HUGE build up to it.

A buzz about it was created, anticipation and demand - the date was announced, the date and time tickets will go on sale was announced (and as they were smaller venues so you HAD to get in quick to get a ticket). We were sat there pressing F5 at Midday and joyously posting in the forum that we had booked; then the was the demand for our Logo, so that people could see who was going; which in turn made others think – “I wonder what that is?”; or “Oh, I’ve always wanted to meet XXX”; or “he’s a good laugh, I’d enjoy a pint or 2 with him”; etc

There has been none of this for the last 2 events

If it had been booked for November 1st to avoid Bonfire Night & Remembrance Sunday - I think it would have been back up there as THE event of the year as it always has been.

[Podie]

Good job we were assured it would not be cancelled and that ticket sales were going well.

We'll put our original plans back in order and cancel the hotel then.

[nonuts]

ali_kat said:

I’m sure if had been announced when it was but for November it would have been the resounding success it always is!

This is exactly how I feel, will be a shame if that's the end of BTaP.

[burriana]

Exactly as Alison says. There was no lack of support for the event, simply lack of organisation.
A great great shame. It was one of the highlights of the year for many of us.

[da_murphster]

Must say I agree with the above comments.

I went last year and enjoyed it and was umming and ahhhing about going this year. Things that stopped me booking:

- The cost £75 is expensive, really expensive. You also need a room on top of this so a minimum of an additional £60. Maybe downscale the venue if thats the major cost?

- Advertising. I really struggled to find details about this even when I was actively searching. Certainly there was nothing really promoting it to me.

- Information. What is it, where is it, whos going, whats happening, what cars? There was nothing that helped tip me over the edge and book.

- Value. I would feel I was getting better value if you could make a day of this. Unless you stay at the (expensive) venue it will likly be late/dark by the time you rock up and thus can't really mooch round the cars. Can you not do something low key to make a day of it?

I'll be keeping an eye open for this next year, hopefully.

[Podie]

da_murphster said:

- The cost £75 is expensive, really expensive.

Really? Just over a tank of fuel?