Astrofest on Saturday - Underground line closures

[SteveL]

Beware that over the weekend, TFL are trying really hard to stop anyone getting to Astrofest Plan in advance so you dont get stuck...

Planned engineering works for this weekend

[Rob]

Thanks for the heads up Steve.. would have been real annoyed as traveling on the underground from Richmond to Kensington High St

[MG1]

Thanks for the heads up Steve....Looks as though the route from Paddington is okay on the district to High Street Kensington.

So any folk from way out West heading into Paddington should be fine....

Touch wood!

[dlp]

I think it's an easy walk from Paddington anyway!

[russ]

How is parking at Astrofest?

I've been told the congestion charge doesn't apply on a Saturday. It could be that the cost of parking at Richmond + tube will be more than parking at Kensington, or at least close.

[RobB]

Thanks Steve

Was planning on using the tube but given I was stuck in the Jubillee tunnel at Canary Wharf this morning for more than 90mins I was thinking a nice walk overground would be a pleasant change!

[Ford Prefect]

Don’t worry Steve, I’ve asked Jeves to polish the Bentley, so we can arrive in style

[russ]

Thanks Steve

Was planning on using the tube but given I was stuck in the Jubillee tunnel at Canary Wharf this morning for more than 90mins I was thinking a nice walk overground would be a pleasant change!

That's my plan C at the moment. Train to Waterloo, walk the rest. Could be poop if it's raining though?

[S.A.M]

Thanks Steve for the info, might have to change some of my plans in getting to Astrofest.

Peter

[TheThing]

Congestion Charge

There is parking nearby, but expect to pay an arm and a leg for it!

[russ]

Thanks Hugh. So no congestion charge for tomorrow but expensive parking. I notice on the Astrofest main thread, the price quoted for parking is £17.50.

[Deneb]

Get off Nottinghill Gate & walkdown to the Highstreet Kensington for me..

Nadeem.

[Woody]

Parking is a little cheaper on and around Ladbroke grove, still only a few minutes walk down Campden hill road and your there.

[malc-c]

Thanks for the heads up - Bit stuffed for me as most direct routes from Kings X on the tube are affected. Best I could come up with is Piccadilly to Earls Court and then double back on the District line - either that or bus - or an arm and a leg for taxi

[davew]

Thanks Steve. I would have been caught out. Nottinghill Gate for me too.

Dave.

[AWR]

Kensington is not in the congestion zone anymore so no problems there. The parking below the town hall is expensive at £17.50 for 4 hours. The pay and display meters on the Hammersmith side of Kensington have gone up to £2.20 per hour and you will pay more for pay and display on the roads off from the High Street.

If you're coming by train from the south - you can get a train from Clapham Junction to Kensington Olympia (10 mins, 4 times an hour) avoiding the tube and it is only a short walk along the High Street to the venue.

HTH

Andrew

[AWR]

Thanks for the heads up - Bit stuffed for me as most direct routes from Kings X on the tube are affected. Best I could come up with is Piccadilly to Earls Court and then double back on the District line - either that or bus - or an arm and a leg for taxi

It is less than a mile from Earls court to Kensington! (and about the same from Notting Hill Gate)

Andrew

[malc-c]

Andrew, thanks for the reply...

[malc-c]

It is less than a mile from Earls court to Kensington! (and about the same from Notting Hill Gate)

Andrew

Just booted up the PDA and loaded tomtom - 0.7m approx 13min walk

Thanks again...

[NickK]

Got up late, so unfortunately I won't make it in time to be worthwhile

[malc-c]

Got up late, so unfortunately I won't make it in time to be worthwhile

Sorry to hear that. I've just got back and for me as someone who is just getting back into the hobby felt that Astrofest catered for the enthusiast rather than the beginner as a good 90% of the scopes on show were all the high end stuff. - Some good discounts and from what I saw a lot of orders were been taken. I arrived there at around 11 after a nightmare 2 hrs journey due to the closures on the underground, and have just got home again so i didn't stay long - at one point it was heaving with everyone packed in like sardines between the stands.. and you had no choice but to go with the flow, making it hard to actually get to the stands and chat with anyone. It was OK but I don't think I'll be going to the next one at that venue

[AWR]

I was much more lucky - we got there very early (there has to be some benefit to living in London!). We left just as the morning talks finished and the surge began. Before that, it was very pleasant wandering around and chatting to the various stalls.

Andrew