[SoggyCornFlakes]

Hmmmmmm, this could be interesting !! Right, as organisers we do listen, we do want to know what was good and what can be improved.

Last year we listened maybe to those who shouted the most and maybe by doing so we didn't get it right for the majority, maybe we did, but we'd like to know. Last year folks wanted a more glamorous location and to be held further North - personally I think that fell flat but what do you think?

There were a number of issues that we are aware of and are taking up with Shrigley Hall, but we would value your constructive feedback too. We've read about what a great time folks had so some stuff must have been right.

So.............. let us know what you thought was good, what was not so good, and also what else you'd like to see - put yourself in the shoes of the organisers for next year and think away.

As organisers we will listen, some things we will be able to change, some we wont - you'd not believe some of he stuff that goes on behind the scenes to get these events running.

So ............ no Roulade a la Garlic Jus next year

[Speedd]

Ok,

Firstly I do think that having the venue this year up north was a bit of a let down. The turnout should have been a lot higher tbh!! So many people moaned for it being down south last year....

Food is always going to be a problem and can't please everyone but a good effort was made after last years comment.
I think we should have an everyday menu for next year (Chips, Pies, Fish Fingers, Vegetables.. maybe a school dinners theme )

And how about fancy dress with a theme? Films and TV

[Vicki2]

I had an ace time and for the first time ever, felt like Cinderella LOL .... so you did something right! .....

Shrigley hall was a gorgeous place and the staff were lovely ............. It was a pig and a half to find tho!!!!! lol

the only major thing i think about the place was .......... the dancefloor was no way near big enough for everyone who wanted to dance, i had to dance most of the nite by my table and not on the dancefloor ........... seems as though everyone wanted to dance so maybe take dancefloor size into consideration for the next ball, once the music started, most tables were empty and we were all packed onto a tiny dancelfoor lol.

the only other thing was, if it wasnt for sharing with Clare then i wouldnt of been able to afford the hotel for the night, you can get glam places for less than what we paid for the room, i'd much rather have a cheaper place to stop in and put more of a donation in the donation bucket- as i think everyone else should too seeing as its for charity- why should we bother about getting a top class place for us when the whole point of the event is to give to charity! ........

think thats all i have to say, hope i dont upset any of the organisers, you all did a FANTASTIC job and i cant fault you at all .......... although sham ...... you didnt keep your promise of a 4sum

[RVW]

Hmmm
In general we enjoyed the whole weekend.
The location was certainly spectacular.Although having said that did not really think it was worth £90 per night If we had not had the discount I think there may have been a lot of complaints.The rooms IMO were no better than last year, or Ibis/Holiday Inn etc.
The dance floor could have been bigger.The meal was more than acceptable for us anyway.
Believe we were ripped off with the booze prices, although this did not stop some, it certainly slowed me down. £9 for a pint and a glass of wine
Thought breakfast was good, and the general service was good even if sometimes it was difficult to make the staff understand.
Possibly for me at least fri night and helping on sat was the bonus for the weekend.

Having said the above we should not forget that organising an event such as this in your SPARE TIME is no mean achievement. All the organisers efforts should not go unrewarded, they have once again done a remarkable job trying to please a whole lot of DIFFERENT people with DIFFERENT aspirations, my hat goes off to them.
We will attend next years all being well, as there is no other better excuse for a good get together.

[Minnie Mouse]

"You can't please everyone all of the time"

I agree with what has been said about the hotel....it was lovely but for me I would never have said it was a 4* hotel. 3* yes, but then I am a fussy moo about hotels.
Food was okish but then again, catering for lots of people can't be easy but in saying that it could have been better. The prices of the drink were disgustingly high. Living in London we are used to paying perhaps higher prices than anyone else in the country for things but nearly £8 for a vodka and a mixer is awful....sadly we were all captive and had no choice but to pay up or stay sober.

The car park security was a bit of a worry as was discovered.....something perhaps to be looked at for the next hotel? There are a lot of lovely cars that folk want looking after 24/7. The floral arrangements and balloons were lovely

Breakfast was great even though we are still waiting for our numerous pots of tea and toast that we ordered on Saturday morning!

At the end of the day we all had the most fantastic time and we appreciate the efforts that went into the organisation of the weekend. In a sense the hotel was booked in good faith and it isn't until you are actually there for the event that you get the real sense of it all and then it can be too late to do anything about it if it isn't up to scratch!

Many thanks to you all!

[anib]

Being first timers, we had an excellent time and met some great people.

The whole thing was very well organised. The tables were very well thought out and the room was decorated beautifully. The timings worked really well and the auction and raffle were real cliff hangers!!! Leaving loads of time for a boogie.

After reading previous threads and seeing the pictures I know you guys didn't have a lot of time to get things ready on the day, but you wouldn't have know that. It all looked fab.

I was pretty glad to learn that the ball was held on our doorstep, however after attending I feel totally disappointed with the Hall. The hotel has a reputation as being one of the best one in the area and prices to match, but after Saturday it will not be somewhere I will be recommending in a hurry. The whole suite was a bit shabby, threadbare carpets don't always give the right impression, the food was pot luck, not something I would have expected from Shrigley Hall.

So well done for all your hard work, it paid off. It was a shame the hotel couldn't follow your lead!

[KPKalle]

The only complaint we had was the food. Is it possible for the organisers to get a sampler next time?

[minisoopercooper]

Quote: Originally Posted by Speedd

Ok,

Firstly I do think that having the venue this year up north was a bit of a let down. The turnout should have been a lot higher tbh!! So many people moaned for it being down south last year....

Food is always going to be a problem and can't please everyone but a good effort was made after last years comment.
I think we should have an everyday menu for next year (Chips, Pies, Fish Fingers, Vegetables.. maybe a school dinners theme )

And how about fancy dress with a theme? Films and TV

Although I didnt go this year (but did last year) I agree with what speedd has said.

Last year the evening cost me over £200 and this is what stopped me going this year as it was even more expensive because of the venue.

For me to consider going again the cost would have to come down considerably and not go up! I think downgrading the dress code from black tie to smart would be a good start and would save me £35 alone. Then the price of the ticket could stay the same or even increase to get more money in for the charity, which is afterall, what it's all about. The evening left me skint last year so had no extra cash to donate or to bid on any really nice auction lots so the charity lost out

How about not just a school dinners theme for the food but school as a theme - fancy dress as well St tirrians style (just think Soggy you could be headmaster and cane all the bad boys - ie Rakey! )

I think the midlands is the best place for the ball - if I can travel up from the south then the northerns can travel down from the north I would say that personally I would prefer Birmingham as the road links are that much bettter and more central than Northampton (yes I know the M1 passes Soggy but its a pain getting over to the M1 if you live in the south, where as all motorways pass through or link directly to Birmingham )

Love the idea Speedd had for the food - I say bangers and mash All this lahdi dah stuff hotels serve for a fortune with a compot of this and a drissle of that is overpriced crap IMHO. We want good honest English grub that matches our good honest English cars

Paul

[Paul]

Quote: Originally Posted by Minnie Mouse

"You can't please everyone all of the time"

I agree with what has been said about the hotel....it was lovely but for me I would never have said it was a 4* hotel. 3* yes, but then I am a fussy moo about hotels.

Stars, as far as I know, relate to facilities more than quality.

[Hat]

ok bad points first, get them out of the way:
- the hotel didn't live up to its promise. i can see why the organisers booked it, amazing setting & the lobby area looked amazing but the sad truth is its seen its best days. indifferent staff, grubby rooms & the bar prices tell a story of a a hotel that is only surviving on the back of events like ours.

- lack of northern support. no excuses really. this is supposed to be the opportunity of the year to put something back & to celebrate this great community we have. next year i'll travel south happily

good points:
- i know i said it on the night but its worth saying again - the room looked amazing. from walking into an empty room at 2pm to what we walked into at 7pm was outstanding.

- great organisation in keeping the night moving along. when you consider everyone who played a part has a full time job & a family it makes you appreciate how hard they worked.
- the auction went well, despite some low bidding. not sure how you change that really though

- having a room away from the rest of the hotel with its own bar meant everybody stayed & didn't drift off

- formal dress made it feel really special & it would be a shame to lose that, although fancy dress could be a fun alternative


things to consider changing
- like others have said, maybe make the meal less formal. i wouldn't want to go all the way down to a cold buffet but maybe something inbetween the two. something fast!

- overall there's not much else i would have changed other than the venue & the meal format

[KPKalle]

Quote: Originally Posted by Hat

- formal dress made it feel really special & it would be a shame to lose that, although fancy dress could be a fun alternative

I agree we have to keep to formal dress. I forked out for a monkey suit now

[northandy]

Venue - I thought the hall itself wasnt too bad... £100 a night wasnt too bad, but I think I probably wouldnt have had that opinion had we had to pay anymore than that...

Food - well I was a bit surprised how slow the service was, I ordered the salad starter but everyone had finished their starters before mine even showed up... and the pork with tomato soup dressing .. likes been said the drinks were pricey...

Location - better for us, but It was probably still 3 hour drive... but tbh we would come down to wherever it was next year... I guess the old adage you cant please all of the people all of the time springs to mind...

Organisation - very well done and obviously a lot of care and attention had gone into it, a great achievement for a group of organisers who already have full time jobs and lives...

Overall it was a great night

[mini motoring]

Hello.

Would like to say a big thank you to the organisers of the ball.

Good points
Great company
well organised from mini 2 side
great location ( only 40 mins from home )
great aution prizes ( skint so didn't bid )
great raffle prizes ( crap at raffles so didn't win )
great breakie on Sunday morning.
Better half enjoyed shopping for outfit .

Bad points.
Dissapointed with the hotel room, did pay alot for this but looking slightly passed it's best.
Expensive booze ( always a bummer )
Food was just ok ( Table service very slow )
Small dance floor. ( very bad dancer so need lots of room )
Felt slightly rough the next day day must be the cheshire air .

But thanks again to the organisers and if held down south will still go anyway.

cheers

[:: Jon ::]

Right then.,.. where to start..

First of all the night wouldnt have been a success without those who turned up & without those who organised it

The location who good for me as its only 20mins away but i wouldnt had minded travelling..
But for the price of the room and the photos online i think i was expecting more

The daytime drinkg session was also top class...

Watching peoples faces as we got the cars in also...



the bar was expensive but hotels normally are so

not sure about the dance floor as didnt make it that far sort of stayed talking to everyone by the bar

think the parking could have been better tho.. CCTV next time..

but overall a great night and a great bunch of peeps..

[il-mostro]

My 50p worth

Hotel
Bad points. A little expensive, £115 for a single room nearly stopped me coming at all. Not really a **** Hotel. Was worried when i parked in the back car park and saw car glass on the floor, hopefully no-one from here had any issues?
Good points. Lovely location, not too far from home (45 minutes to gey home on sunday)

Food + Drink
Bad points. My meal was a little hit and miss, i've had better, but also had worse and paid more too! The drinks were expensive but i was only drinking beer thankfully. I kinda expected this from the type of hotel it was.
Good points. The staff must have been pushed on an evening like this and i thought the evening staff did well, 15 large tables to manage can't be easy.

Location.
Bad points. None.
Good points. Close to home, although i would travel further to this event again. The Midlands seems to be a good idea.

Dress code.
Bad points. Had to buy a DJ as it made more sense then renting!
Good points. Had to buy a DJ as it made more sense then renting! Fancy dress might be fun???

Overall i has a smashing time and would travel to this event again to meet up with the fab people from this site who made it such an entertaining evening.

Thanks, Mark.

[Luverly Lesley]

ok......... the food was a bit iffy and you would have needed step by step instruction to get back to your room! but the company was good and thats whats important!

only problem i had......... by the time the girl behind the bar had got the order right it was time to order another drink

i can't comment on possible venue changes cos i'd have to get across the water anyway!

[Minnie Mouse]

Quote: Originally Posted by Paul Mullett

Stars, as far as I know, relate to facilities more than quality.

There are lots of things that are looked for when giving star ratings Paul so yes your right!

[Lorraine]

Quote: Originally Posted by Paul Mullett

Stars, as far as I know, relate to facilities more than quality.

The tennis courts weren't safe to play on

[Paul]

Stolen from about.com:

• 1 Star
• Very basic. Includes a large proportion of rooms without en-suite bath or shower. Will not have a Restaurant for Lunch or Dinner.
• 2 Stars
• Very basic. Includes a large proportion of rooms without en-suite bath or shower. Will not have a Restaurant for Lunch or Dinner. Can include a lesser proportion of rooms without en-suite bath or shower, though in many cases are fully en-suite. Probably does not have a Restaurant for Lunch or Dinner. At this level you can find some small, sometimes family run, and very friendly gems can often be found.
• 3 Stars
• Fully en-suite and with a Restaurant for cooked breakfast and Dinner, at the very minimum. Often smallish with 50-80 bedrooms and friendlier places to stay. 24 hour Reception cover enables you to stay out late.
• 4 Stars
• Everything at 3 star level plus the refinements of 24 hour room service, minibars in bedrooms and so on. Public areas will be larger than in 3 star. Tend to be focused on business travellers. When business is brisk, are generally pricey for the services offered.
• 5 Stars
• Very few hotels achieve this standard and most are household names: The Ritz, the Savoy Hotel, the Dorchester to name a few. Almost without exception, large hotels with terribly polite but not so personal service.

But that's not set in stone I believe there's more to it than that.

[minicabrio]

First and Foremost, I had a brilliant time!! A big thank you to everyone who helped with organising, and to everyone who came.

The hotel setting was very nice. I did think the rooms were a tad expensive considering the size/facilities of the room. My room was tiny (walking sideways past the beds) with a television that looked fresh out of the 70s. The ballroom was stunning.

I was actually quite satisfied with my meal, but then I am extremely unfussy when it comes to food, and I like everything.

The actual ball went very well. The auction was a little slow (in terms of not many people bidding) but other than that, all was well. Maybe have to get people a bit more tiddled next year!

Mikeys car was in prime position, and provided a few tunes for folks in the bar... that was great!

The bar was shockingly expensive! In fairness that didn't stop me though!


So what would I change?? Maybe a bit more south next year... It was a good idea to move it up north to attract the northern members, but they didn't seem to go for it en mass.

I don't really agree with lowering the dress code, its a formal event after all. Maybe some more general food choices wouldn't be a bad choice... anything but Bettys Hotpot!

I think the venue is key to the whole evening... so really thats all i would change...