There's some great stuff here folks thanks ever so. Here's a kind of precis which I will share with committee and keep everyone posted with developments. If you think I've missed anything key or you still want to add please feel free
Cheers - Snoop
Location - OK get the picture
We did ask people to vote on this mind you and it was a close run thing so we decided in favour of a change. Live and learn for sure.
Bus - works....kinda if you live close to the route, but I doubt v much we'll need one next time
Cost - I think we will struggle to get below £30 and deliver something decent, but we can try
Dress - No one is forced to wear black tie, it's optional and when we tried it 3 yrs ago got a good response. The general feeling is we get to scruff about most of the year - make an effort type thing once every 12 months.....we'll never please everyone but if it is putting folk off....and if we didn't go to a hotel next time well it would drift away methinks
Venue - if we did go in a slightly different direction - either locale (Croydon or London) or perhaps book a restaurant en masse then we could consider all kinds of different ideas.
Music/Dancing - Well you don't have to ask me twice
I've never really understood why not before but we'll see if we can manage something and encourage others - but @ the same time this is a cycling club do no?? Dunno - it's all about balance isn't it, and of course fitting it into the proceedings time wise too.
Partners - There were a lot of partners at this year's do - in fact I reckon there were probably around 38 ACC members there out of a group of 60??
Religion - I didn't spot any I musta blinked and missed it.
Cross toasting - I think it worked much better than recent years this time, hell even I had a go. It's a tradition - take it or leave it. I tried to shout out a few inclusive ideas and just had a bit of fun with it, it flies or falls on the night depending on clarity and inclusivity I think. EG if I burbled a cross toast between say me and I dunno, Marco - well who the hell's interested (cept me and Marco and I can cross toast him any time I like
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Timing - tricky this. Before Xmas and we'd just get ripped off - too far after Xmas and it feels to distant to the season we're celebrating. Perhaps we could push back to Feb - but not sure any later would work.