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Interest for Autumn Peak District Star Party?


jamespels

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Hi all,

I have been looking for a local star party (North Staffs way) and there doesn't seem to be very much going on without a 100mile + drive. Will try to make SGL6 but timing is lousy for me; the Norfolk one I have heard mentioned is a hell of a trip for a weekend...

Either I am missing something (happy to be enlightened), there is not enough demand around here or this is a missed opportunity!

I am sure somebody will very quickly tell me if I am missing something local so, on the assumption that this is a missed opportunity, I would be happy to start things moving if there are enough people interested.

If I am going to do this, the location would be somewhere near Leek in the Peak District. This is reasonably easily commutable for Derby, Notts, Sheffield, Leeds, Manchester, Cheshire, Shropshire, Staffs, some of North Wales, Stoke and possibly Brum. Lots of walking and good family stuff to do in the day, too. Very dark skies - dark enough to trip over yourself if there is no moon and the lights of Stoke are far enough away and well masked by surrounding hills not to be an issue. Sites I am thinking of are all high up (700 - 1000ft) with excellent southerly aspects and beautiful surrounding scenery.

It is obviously far too late to organise anything for this Spring but Autumn may be doable, I was thinking around the weekend of October 21/22 - Orionids Meteor shower and Jupiter near opposition, followed by school half term. The moon is in last quarter so not ideal but not terrible either; sunset around 6pm. Not that any of this matters because we will have thick cloud the whole time... :). The following weekend (nearly new moon) is another option.

Please reply if this is something you would be interested in; if there is a reasonable response I'll start arranging things (any assistance greatly appreciated!).

If it is not possible to sort anything out in October, Spring next year is another option - we have been getting a patch of decent weather around mid April - early May for the last couple of years.

J.

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I would cetainly consider this. As you say "the Norfolk one I have heard mentioned is a hell of a trip for a weekend..."

I have yet to attend a star party.

I would be travelling from just south of Preston. All depends on family commitments and SHMBO.

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Yep, brand new (at least, I'm nothing to do with any of the others) and I am amazed there hasn't been one in the Peaks since 2007 - we're at the centre of the country, don't you know!!!

Have found a very mice place willing to provide about 30 pitches to a block booking (mixture of tents and campers; excellent facilities) but will need to make a "reasonable" number of firm bookings quite quickly to reserve the spaces at the start of half term. Possibility to expand next year if it proves popular! :)

btw - Kelling is in Norfolk and Kielder is up Sunderland way, I think. I know this clashes with the Kielder SP so a lot of the northern folk will end up there; Kelling is in September.

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Go for it. Nothing to loose but a bit of time. Kielder is way too far North for most of the population. Kelling can be a brute ( Took me over 5 hours to get home last time ) IOW too far South for many. I must try it one year. Think of the South views from there !

One thing of note from your post was the good South view. The best I've been to for that is Dalby.

Facilities on site are important. A drive to a pub is not advisable. Good food would be nice. ( Not a Kelling feature imho ). Security. No campsite lighting ! Things for the kids during the day etc.

If you get the campsite owners onside, you're half way there.

Dave.

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The more the merrier. Better if some do clash... then you won't just get one lot of people filling them all us, allow more people to get to StarParties, which has to be a good thing all round.

Go for it!!

PEterW

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We would be interested in your SP, we live just over the border in Derbyshire. Where are you thinking of?

I seem to think that one was held at Rivendale a couple of years ago. http://www.rivendalecaravanpark.co.uk/index.html

Quote from their website :

BRING A TORCH! Rivendale has minimal lighting so that you can enjoy the night sky. Even the main road and surrounding villages HAVE NO STREET LIGHTING; a good torch and light-coloured or high visibility jacket ARE ESSENTIAL to avoid tripping over or being run over if walking along the lanes at night.

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This sounds very good to me, i had ruled out going to a star party this year, but this is close and i love the peak district, and i do a lot of camping at that time of year, bet i would be the only one in a fishing bivvy:eek: provisionally count me in:cool:

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Glad there seems to be a bit of interest - will put some more work into the exact location.

Number of possible sites but I am concentrating on a triangle formed from Ashbourne, Leek and Buxton. This includes Rivendale, which seems to be an excellent location, and a few other places - will see what availability and offers are like this week.

What are people's preferences, btw? I want to get a good combination of decent facilities, good pub in easy walking distance (possibly put on food if there are enough people), dark skies and few obstructions to the south (plenty of trees make for an attractive camp site but get in the way of the sky!).

Last thing, most of the places I have spoken with so far are cagey about block booking the start of half term without a deposit so I will need to get firm commitments (i.e. some payment!) pretty early on. I'll make arrangements in the next week or so but the whole thing will collapse if people don't commit in advance...

Cheers,

J.

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OK, things are moving forward - slight change in location to Cheshire Plains, a couple of miles from Jodrell Bank. Dates set for 21 - 24 Oct.

Camp / caravan site sorted with exclusive use - fully serviced pitches for 50 campers / caravans and a 4 acre site for tents. Good pub practically on site.

Costs to be announced once final site discount is sorted but in line with other Star Parties. Full details and booking instructions to follow.

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Postcode is WA16 9JD.

You will see a pub called "Drovers Arms" on the A50; the site is brand new on the two large fields immediately behind the pub, to the north and northwest. Suitable security and screening is in place, giving a very dark location and great views of the sky - there are very few villages around and surrounding plains are very flat.

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It would have been a lot easier for me to talk the Missus into a weekend away in Derbyshire/Staffordshire. I'll see how it goes but I'm not holding out much hope for when she asks the inevitable "what's there for me and the kids?"...[cough] pub. Also is the A50 busy?

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