IMPORTANT SGL Star Party Cancelled due to Flooding

[Steve]

Not good news I am afraid 😥

Due to heavy rain and flooding, half of Lucksall campsite (mostly the half used for the Star Party!) is underwater and more rain is forecast later this week.  Unfortunately we are unable to proceed with this year's SGL Star Party. 

All pitch and meal bookings will be refunded in full this week. 

SGL Star Parties are an opportunity for us all to meet, face to face, in the real world so are an important part of the SGL calendar.  We will do our best to arrange an additional SGL Star Party next year. 

Thank-you for your understanding. 

[Steve]

We will email everybody who booked a pitch ASAP but please help us spread the word.  

If you know someone who has booked please check they are aware it has been cancelled.  Then hopefully nobody will unknowingly make the journey.  

[lulu57]

We're gutted!

But we appreciate you making the decision earlier rather than later.

[Steve]

We are gutted too.  Not just because we won't be able to meet everyone but because it takes a tremendous amount of thought and energy to put together an event like this.  Am especially thinking of you @Grant and those who helped you. 

[johninderby]

I wasn’t goining to be attending but just so so sorry for those that had been looking forward to it so much and those that spent the many, many hours organising it.🙁🙁

Edited October 28, 2019 by johninderby

[AdeKing]

Totally gutted, not just for myself but more for all of you guys who have put in so much effort to organise it and make it happen.

Thanks for putting the message out earlier rather than later.

[michaelmorris]

Gutted!  Thanks for the rapid update and thanks for all your hard work.

[SteveL]

Nooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!

[Jonk]

Also gutted - hopefully I can get a refund on the caravan hire.

Thanks for the update at the earliest possibility.

[teoria_del_big_bang]

Just now, Jonk said:

Also gutted - hopefully I can get a refund on the caravan hire.

Thanks for the update at the earliest possibility.

I hope you can but unfortunately I am £450 down as I can't get the motorhome hire back. Gutted but I guess we can't control the weather (well not in the UK anyway)

Steve

[upahill]

Oh no what a shame was getting very excited, even got the caravan dragged out and clean today.

Probably for the best though, floating is a nightmare for P.A.

Thanks for the notice and sorry to everyone who worked hard putting it all together. 😥

[Ally8446]

I'm totally gutted but fully understand. A massive thank you to everyone involved in the organising of SGLSP and thank you to Lucksall for the early warning. 

Best wishes to all. 

Al

[PhotoGav]

Oh drat... that is a huge disappointment, but after being more than mildly panicky last year about flooding, I'm so not surprised with all this recent weather. Here's to a substitute event very soon. Should the star party revert to a springtime event?

Thanks to all the organisers and for the early cancellation.

[upahill]

9 minutes ago, teoria_del_big_bang said:

I hope you can but unfortunately I am £450 down as I can't get the motorhome hire back. Gutted but I guess we can't control the weather (well not in the UK anyway)

Steve

Sorry to hear this, it might be worth checking to see if you have an travel insurance policies that would cover you, sometimes you get policies included with things like bank accounts and it might help.

Hopefully due to the flooding/weather the hire company will show some leniency.

 

[Dave]

Really sorry to hear this. I know how much work goes into organising something like this. 

[Ouroboros]

So sorry to hear this. I wasn't going - I'm not really a social astronomer, nor am I into camping - but I know a lot of people will be disappointed.  

[DaveS]

Oh [lots of very bad removed words] I was really looking forward to this, having missed the last two through circumstance and my own stupidity.

Was looking forward to meeting up with members again, and some new ones, @AdeKing especially.

Well, at least I'll save some money on the baking I was going to do, got a batch of choc chip shortbread in the oven now, and was planning loads of fudge (As we would need the calories in the cold).

TBH, looking at the weather forecasts I'm not that surprised, just gutted.

[Mark at Beaufort]

Its a real shame but Herefordshire has experienced the worst flooding in 20 years. To give you an idea here are two photos showing Hereford yesterday. The height of the river at the old bridge was 5.5 metres. I have never known this bridge closed but the Police and Council were worried about its safety and close it to vehicles and pedestrians.

If anyone wants one of these photos to use as evidence when making an insurance claim then let me know.

[teoria_del_big_bang]

24 minutes ago, upahill said:

Sorry to hear this, it might be worth checking to see if you have an travel insurance policies that would cover you, sometimes you get policies included with things like bank accounts and it might help.

Hopefully due to the flooding/weather the hire company will show some leniency.

 

I am just about to ring them now and see and I did mean to take some insurance out but forgot.

If I do not get anything back then I will be gutted but I am more upset that I didn't get to meet everyone for the first time.

Nothing we can do about the weather and a lot of people will not be happy but as I always say not big deal in the bigger picture of things, nobody got hurt and nothing can be done.

Steve

[cjdawson]

Oh wow.  Sorry to hear, that it's had to be called off

Still, I remember last year we spent more time river gazing than star gazing.   And the one night that it was clear for any length of time, a woman decided to go into the river after her dog in the dark, which messed everything up.   He husband went in after her whilst the emergency services came.   Luckily, everyone was pulled out, and carted off by the ambulance crews.

[reddoss]

Very disappointed indeed. I was so looking forward to seeing everyone again. 

I may go the Fforest Fields campsite  near Builth Wells instead.

 

[upahill]

10 minutes ago, Mark at Beaufort said:

Its a real shame but Herefordshire has experienced the worst flooding in 20 years. To give you an idea here are two photos showing Hereford yesterday. The height of the river at the old bridge was 5.5 metres. I have never known this bridge closed but the Police and Council were worried about its safety and close it to vehicles and pedestrians.

If anyone wants one of these photos to use as evidence when making an insurance claim then let me know.

Thats incredible, the sheer volume of water is difficult to think about.

We didnt open our shop in Hereford today as we didnt think we would get there from Monmouth, everyone in Ross is warning the water levels are still rising (im guessing it takes a few days to seep through everything and drain in the waterways.)

7 minutes ago, cjdawson said:

Oh wow.  Sorry to hear, that it's had to be called off

Still, I remember last year we spent more time river gazing than star gazing.   And the one night that it was clear for any length of time, a woman decided to go into the river after her dog in the dark, which messed everything up.   He husband went in after her whilst the emergency services came.   Luckily, everyone was pulled out, and carted off by the ambulance crews.

I must have left before that, or slept through it - but yes it was quite unsettling being so close to the river and wondering if we would have to make a mad dash for it.

[Tomatobro]

I guess with the kind of weather of late we all knew this was a possibility.

[AstroGnome]

😥😥

Say it ain't so!

I'm going to go somewhere anyway, I NEED A HOLIDAY!!!!!

[Alan White]

18 minutes ago, Mark at Beaufort said:

Its a real shame but Herefordshire has experienced the worst flooding in 20 years. To give you an idea here are two photos showing Hereford yesterday. The height of the river at the old bridge was 5.5 metres. I have never known this bridge closed but the Police and Council were worried about its safety and close it to vehicles and pedestrians.

If anyone wants one of these photos to use as evidence when making an insurance claim then let me know.

Sorry to see the event cancelled guys,

but knowing the area rather well, blimey that water is soooo high!  

I think cancelling was a good call.