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Mid-season get-together


After we'd finished up the other week there was a discussion about the
desirability of a mid-season get-together since next June seems a long way
off. The idea was, I think, to have something with a technical and social
orientation rather than a full competition. Several offers were made by
people who might speak. I'd be very happy to organise something here and
Janet (one of our administrators) has been looking at the possibilities.
Now I need some indication of potential interest.

Organising a one-day, daytime only event is easy. We can do that
essentially any time on a weekend day and lay on the usual lecture room
and/or laboratory setting. Only v. light electronics though as we don't
have any real engineering presence at Royal Holloway. (Tragically, our
College postgraduate workshop which used to house a very nice lathe along
with a drill press and a bandsaw was shut down years ago as soon as HSE
felt that teenagers were no longer to be trusted with tools that went
round on their own.) This kind of event would be free if you brought your
own sandwiches, just like the competition day.

Some people suggested a residential meeting with an overnight stay which
might be modelled on the sort of mini-conferences that I've organised here
in the past. We have an off-campus hall of residence at the top of
Cooper's Hill which overlooks the Thames and Runnymede. It is just at the
top of the wooded slopes that house the JFK memorial and the American Bar
Association Magna Carta memorial for those of you who know the
Windsor/Staines area. It's a nice secluded place for a small gathering
because there are two large rooms, a bar and conservatory style dining
area all next to each other, and Marissa, the spanish hall manager always
produces pleasing food. An all day meeting with one of Marissa's dinners
the night before and an overnight stay in a good quality hall with
breakfast and lunch would cost about 50-60 pounds a head. We can only do
this kind of residential meeting during the student vacations because, of
course, when the students are here we don't have the rooms.

Then we have timing. Our Christmas break is very compressed now, and
whilst we could organise the residential option in the first week of the
new year it would have to be split across a variety of on-campus rooms and
halls and would not be so sociable. We could use Kingswood in the Easter
break, but then that is getting close to the June competition date. On the
other hand, some people might like a meeting just a few months before the
competition so as to get the enthusiasm flowing... Finally, the
non-residential option can be pretty much done any time.

So, I'd like advice and expressions of interest or non-interest. Could you
respond with some kind of prioritised vote against these options:

A: no interest at all
B: free one-day meeting
C: overnight stop in early January (poorer accommodation and catering) 
D: overnight stop in late March (good accomodation and catering)

Offers of speakers and suggestions for activities would also be very
welcome, of course.

                             Adrian



Dr Adrian Johnstone, Senior Lecturer in Computing, Computer Science Dep, 
Royal Holloway, University of London,  Egham, Surrey, TW20 0EX, England.
Email a.johnstone@rhbnc.ac.uk Tel:+44(0)1784 443425 Fax:+44(0)1784 439786