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Post by QueueMistressMags on Oct 15, 2014 17:53:36 GMT
From discussions I've had offline with various people, I don't think the Waterloo thing is really going to happen. It's a little too spendy, being in high season (unlike Trafalgar, which obligingly happened during shoulder season). Anyone disagree?
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HMSCody
Lieutenant
Happy to be of service, as ever.
Posts: 427
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Post by HMSCody on Oct 16, 2014 0:14:59 GMT
We could meet in Waterloo, Iowa, or in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada... HMSCody
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Post by shipoftheline on Oct 16, 2014 1:46:35 GMT
While I think it would be great to partake of the Waterloo celebrations, it would be a shame not to be able to do so with all our horatian buddies if they were not able to go.
I am open to whatever the group wants to do... except maybe a cruise.
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Post by Bucky on Oct 16, 2014 3:13:59 GMT
Hmmm, well that is what I thought too. It would cost a lot of money to do that trip between the flights, tours, hotels, etc.
I know Niagara Falls was mentioned for 2016. Also, lately Tracy (Saucehead) and I were kicking around doing an informal get together next Fall in Baltimore, where the fun all started. We were not meaning for it to compete with HH2015 in Belgium in any shape or form. Her and I have been talking about meeting up for forever and we thought it was a no-brainer! Waterloo would have been in June and we were moving towards September/October anyway, so there was no thought of usurping the powers that be that were planning a Belgium gathering.
So that is a thought and throwing it out there.
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Post by captsueb on Oct 16, 2014 3:20:03 GMT
I'm in agreement with you Mags. Unless someone wins the lottery and treats everyone to airfare ( which appears to be the cost prohibitive factor more than anything else) I don't see it happening. What's the next major European historical event we can plan for? And what locations do we want to narrow down for HHUS 2015?
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Post by Ensign Sandra on Oct 16, 2014 16:52:39 GMT
I'm also of the opinion that a mass trip to Europe next summer isn't going to happen. I'm supposed to be attending a conference in Edinburgh in the middle of June and would love to meet up afterwards with any UK friends who might be available--not necessarily all at the same place or time.
Would totally love Baltimore or Buffalo in the fall.
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Post by Academic Fangirl on Oct 16, 2014 17:16:15 GMT
Sandra.. Would love to meet up with you in June....and you might even get to meet little AF I am unlikely to make any US gatherings for a few years for obvious reasons but anytime people come over to thsi damp foggy island they are always welcome to come and find me in 'Gods Own County'
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Post by Bucky on Oct 16, 2014 19:27:22 GMT
To clarify, Saucehead and I were going to pitch a Balty trip not as a full blown convention, but as a kind of reunion to see one another, explore the city and harbor. This was because at the time we were thinking about doing it, the proposed Waterloo convention idea was (a) to be in June and not in the Fall and (b) as an alternative to those who could not go to Belgium but still jonesed for a HH-related shindig. Meaning no goodie bags or registration fee (unless there is an interest to watch the movies, thereby necessitating a conference room and projector rental); just a weekend of fun. Some planned group events but nothing mandatory.
We can see what transpires here and what suggestions are made.
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Post by LadyJamers on Oct 16, 2014 20:42:12 GMT
One thing we noticed this past year is that we just enjoy each other's company. A couple of people were saying that we could find a place and then see if there was places people wanted to go and instead of a group tour, we would just go. We could do that with Baltimore. Many people in our group were not with us when we went.
It's an idea.
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HMSCody
Lieutenant
Happy to be of service, as ever.
Posts: 427
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Post by HMSCody on Oct 17, 2014 0:37:59 GMT
I'd love to see Baltimore with good company, especially smart cookies like this bunch. Heck, I'd love to see a lot of places with this bunch, but the four or five day cons are hard to do when you teach. I could do a long weekend, though.
HMSCody
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Post by shipoftheline on Oct 17, 2014 2:25:31 GMT
To clarify, Saucehead and I were going to pitch a Balty trip not as a full blown convention, but as a kind of reunion to see one another, explore the city and harbor. Bucky, like Jamers said, the general consensus was that it is time for some changes to our yearly get togethers. Everyone seems to feel that there is too much stuff that is not needed for the small group we have become. I'll try to list some of the ideas we kicked around in St. Augustine and other people can chime in. Conference room: When we did San Diego, this was the most expensive item and for the amount of time we are now spending watching movies, we could do away with it all together. We can explore chipping in for a suite to hang out instead. One night we hung out in the Captain's suite to 'play whist' but spent most of the time just having a lovely time chatting and spending time together. All the stuff that gets passed around every year: We've accumulated a huge amount of stuff. At the end of the con, we tried to get rid of some of it by having people take whatever they wanted of the left over prizes and photos. Some people took other items with the commitment to bring them to future get togethers in order to minimize what the Captain has to cart around, one example was Pamski taking the 'Wetter is Better' banners. Suanne was going to try to contact the original owners of items such as the flags, telescope and The One Chair to try to return them. We need to decide as a group what to do with other things like Matthew's shirt and the rest of the items. If anyone is the owner of some of these larger items, please feel free to chime in. Goodie bags: We enjoyed them while we had them, but it is time to let go of them. If anyone wants to gift everyone with something (like me with the buttons or calendars) they can do so but otherwise we wouldn't have them. Door prizes/moldy canvas bag gifts: No more of these either. Website: For the few people attending every year, we really can just post information here or come up with a simplified version. Registration fees: Probably not needed unless there was a special tour or group activity that needed to be paid for in advance. We felt all these changes would make it easier for people to volunteer to organize something, not having to cart all that stuff around, having to procure video equipment and do all that other stuff. I was very happy to see how many potential future sites were being mentioned by those present, willing to keep our get togethers going. So let's discuss.
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Post by Bucky on Oct 17, 2014 12:40:52 GMT
Good points brought up. That was one of the things that Saucehead and I talked about ~ getting away from the superfulous stuff and sticking to the heart of the matter: getting together to enjoy each other's company and explore! I think we all would rather put money towards our travel or sight seeing.
As far as the returning of stuff goes, when all is said and done (hopefully not any time soon!), I would like the HH telescope back as I paid for that our of my own pocket before HH2002 when I passed it to the Desert Rats.
So with that said, I love the idea of circling back to Baltimore or Niagara Falls. Both are great places to explore.
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Post by saucehead on Oct 17, 2014 13:32:09 GMT
Ahoy mates! Thanks Bucky for spearheading the Balty reunion idea. I haven't been in the Hornblower con circulation in quite some time, but since Ioan is on TV, (fingers crossed that the show gets a 2nd season nod), my Hornblower mojo has been reborn, along with the throwback Hornblower pic that Bucky posted a few days ago. That photo brought forth not only terrific memories of how we all came to be friends and kindred souls, but a discussion of some kind of reunion in Baltimore, where it all began. I live in Doylestown, PA now, but would be willing do the planning for this reunion, if the majority of those would like to do a quasi con in Baltimore. As posted above, I wouldn't include any superfluous items, such as goodie bags, etc. Just a very casual gathering. If the majority is more interested in Niagra for 2015, that's fine, we can always do Balty in 2016.
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Post by QueueMistressMags on Oct 17, 2014 14:51:12 GMT
I'm happy with either Baltimore or Niagara Falls for 2015 and/or 2016.
I previously made some oblique suggestions about an Erie con, with the centerpiece being a day sail on the Brig Niagara (which I did this past summer and was an amazing experience that I think a lot of Horatians would just love). Thing is, there's not much else to do in Erie. I checked out one of the historic houses and a museum and they were not that great. The house was just neglected and sad. But, then the people who can only stay a few days wouldn't have to feel like they missed anything. ;-) It would have to happen in late spring/summer/early autumn because of the Niagara's schedule, and there is a beach on Presque Isle that faces Lake Erie, which is part of a large state park (you would have to drive there from Erie, it's not really walking distance, but it's a short drive). The water was on the chilly side, I'm told (I stuck with the hotel pool). Also, Erie has a minor league baseball team, the SeaWolves (AA affiliate of the Detroit Tigers) and I went to a game and had a fine time, paying the princely sum of $12 for a seat behind home plate. Another disadvantage is that the hotel I stayed at, which was wonderful and right on the bay, doesn't seem to have any suites, just regular hotel rooms. But I would be happy to investigate further for a future year, and make arrangements for a group rate at a hotel and for tickets on the day sail or to a ballgame if anyone wants to go.
The Niagara also sometimes sails out of Buffalo, but I'm not sure how much in advance they schedule it, so there might not be much advance notice. But that could be possibly combined with a Niagara Falls gathering.
We need a new name--not convention. Reunion? Horatians Reunion, or something? It seems like if someone is willing to be captain still, it would mostly entail getting a room block at a hotel and possibly arranging for a suite. When the hotels hear the word "convention," the bells start going ching-ching in their heads. "IT'S JUST A REUNION" might put a stop to that.
P.S. That being said, I hope we still manage the Sunday night pizza-and-a-movie. Doesn't matter what movie, really. But it's one of my favorite parts of the con REUNION. I suppose it doesn't really have to be SUNDAY night.
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Post by Academic Fangirl on Oct 17, 2014 21:18:03 GMT
Think one of flags is a battle white ensign that came from me. I would like it back if possible but may need someone who is coming over to UK to transport it. From memory I brought it to US in 2006. Flag came from grandfather I lost just before 2005 con.
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