First Class CW Operators' Club

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80th Anniversary AGM and Annual Dinner

Girton College, Cambridge, England

Saturday, 8 September 2018


Girton College

Girton College, Cambridge University

Details for Members & guests: 

Download a copy of the PDF agenda for the weekend (updated 4 Sept)

View a list of who is attending


The occasion:

The First Class CW Operators' Club is celebrating its 80th Anniversary in 2018, and to mark the occasion requests the company of all Members and their guests for the AGM, Annual Dinner and other social events in and around Cambridge.

When: Saturday, 8 September 2018

Where: Girton College, Huntingdon Road, Cambridge, CB3 0JG

AGM: The AGM will be held at 4.30pm in the Stanley Library. It is anticipated it will be complete by 5.30pm.

Drinks Reception: A drinks reception will be held after the AGM in the Fellows' Lounge. A bar service will be available.

Dinner: A four-course gala dinner will be served in the Great Hall at 7.45pm for 8pm. 

Master Of Ceremonies: Bob Beebe, GU4YOX

Door prize: a custom-made, engraved Begali CW paddle

Ticket price: £55 per head. The ticket price includes a glass of wine and entry into the door prize draw.

After Dinner: Coffee and mints will be served in the Fellows' Lounge after speeches and presentations are complete. A bar service will be available until approximately midnight.


The Great Hall, Girton College, Cambridge


Dress Guidance (Gala Dinner only):

The Great Hall is a formal setting in a traditional Cambridge college. Members are invited to wear black tie, national dress or other formal wear, or a dark suit and tie. Ladies are invited to wear ballgowns or cocktail dresses. These notes are a recommendation, but the Club does not wish to place any burden on its international visitors by imposing a dress code.

Booking:

Booking for this event is now closed. For any last-minute availability, please contact Michael, G7VJR.


Photography:

A professional group photograph will be taken at the start of the dinner, with high-quality prints offered for delivery to your home, optionally framed. Details and pricing will be circulated to all in attendance.


Accommodation Suggestions

Accommodation is at your preference (including on-site at the College if desired). Please note that your dinner ticket does not include accommodation!

Girton College has en-suite accommodation available for conference guests in Ash Court, which are modern and fully accessible, having been built in in the last 3 years. Most rooms are single, however. Rooms rates include breakfast in the College's impressive refectory. Full details are available on the Girton College web site, here. A limited number of double rooms are available, on dates to suit your plans (not only the weekend of our dinner). To book a room at Girton College, please contact the College directly by email to conferences@girton.cam.ac.uk, stating that you are booking for the FOC Annual Dinner event in September.

There is a Premier Inn Hotel within walking distance of Girton College. Prices for rooms may be slightly less than the College's own accommodation. For full details or to book, please visit the Premier Inn Cambridge North (Girton) web site.

Also within walking distance of Girton College, you may find availability at the up-market, luxury Hotel Felix. Rooms are limited and if you intend to stay there, you are advised to book immediately via their web site.

Further afield, there are many more accommodation options available in the City of Cambridge. All areas of the city are easy to reach with local taxis. Budget options include Travelodge and Ibis hotels, and there are many intermediate hotels including the Holiday Inn, the independent Arundel House Hotel, as well as luxury brands such as the Hilton. Bookings can be made conveniently through Hotels.com, Booking.com or you can quickly find the hotels with availability on this map provided by Google.


Transport Notes


Here is a Google Map link showing the location of the college:


Airports

Short haul (from Europe):

European airlines often fly to London Stansted Airport. If you have the choice, it's recommended that you fly to Stansted as you will be able to use the Stansted to Cambridge railway line, which runs from the terminal building directly to Cambridge. 

Flights from Europe may also be offered to Luton Airport. Luton is approximately one hour by car from Cambridge, but there is no airport railway connection.

Long Haul:

International flights to London will generally land at either London Heathrow, or London Gatwick. If you have a choice, London Heathrow is closer to Cambridge by road, but Gatwick Airport has a rail link directly with Cambridge which has just opened and will be very convenient.

Be aware that Heathrow Terminal 5 is separate from the other terminals at the airport (but a free shuttle will connect between them if you need to transfer for any reason). Please also be aware that although you can get from Gatwick to Heathrow, it is not a convenient journey to make. 

From June 2018, Emirates will have flights into Stansted from Dubai.


Rail services from London Heathrow to Cambridge

First, book a ticket on the Heathrow Express. This will take you from the airport terminals into central London, Paddington Station.

Next, take the London Underground from Paddington Station to King's Cross (using either the Circle Line (yellow) or Hammersmith and City line (pink)). Here is a London Tube Map, and some advice on using the Tube for visitors.

Finally, take the overground train service from London King's Cross to Cambridge. The journey takes just under an hour. Trains depart regularly, and can be booked in advance on The Train Line or bought at the station.

There is a taxi rank outside Cambridge station. The journey to Girton College will take around 15 minutes. All taxis display a meter and their charges are regulated.


Rail services from London Gatwick to Cambridge

There is a direct rail link from Gatwick Airport to Cambridge, which has only just opened. This will be very convenient if you arrive at Gatwick, and is highly recommended (Bob, G3PJT reports). The journey takes under 2 hours with no changes needed. You can book tickets, here.

There is a taxi rank outside Cambridge station. The journey to Girton College will take around 15 minutes. All taxis display a meter and their charges are regulated.


Rail services from London Stansted to Cambridge

Cambridge is one stop from Stansted (although occasionally trains will stop at Whittlesford - just listen for announcements). To book rail tickets, visit The Train Line. Tickets can be booked up to six months in advance or bought on the day.

There is a taxi rank outside Cambridge station. The journey to Girton College will take around 15 minutes. All taxis display a meter and their charges are regulated.


Airport bus services to and from Cambridge

To reach Cambridge from any of the London airports, you may find it convenient to use the National Express bus service. This is very affordable and runs regularly all day, every day. 


Car rental

If you are planning to visit friends and family, or to tour around the UK, you may find it convenient to hire a car. All of the major rental companies operate from the airports. They also have offices in Cambridge (if you prefer to rent there instead, having cleared any jet lag). Please use Google to search for your favourite brand and book accordingly. VisitBritain has a comprehensive guide to driving in the UK which may put your mind at ease if you are unsure about anything.

It is inadvisable to take a car into central London. Cambridge is not a problem for cars around the area of our event at Girton, but parking in the centre of the historic city will need to be planned ahead. The ancient streets of the city have been extensively pedestrianised. 

Taxis

Using taxis from the international airports will be expensive if not booked in advance. If you plan to use a taxi or chauffeured car service, you might like to consider booking ahead with Cambridge Airport Taxi or a similar service of your choice. Don't forget, you might be able to coordinate your plans with other Members. It's recommended that you post your itinerary in the FOC Reflector and see if you can align your journey by sharing.

Local taxi services around Cambridge are very easy to book and use. A1 CabCo is available on 01223 313131 and also offers affordable airport transfers.

On-site parking

Girton College has ample, free on-site parking for private cars. The free car park is at the north east side of the college grounds, at Mare's Run. This is indicated on this map of Girton College.

Local repeater access

Cambridge has a superb 70cm repeater which offers ideal coverage throughout the city and surrounding areas. It may help you keep in touch around town (and much further afield) if you have a handheld radio. For details, please click here.

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