413 replies to this topic

[Alan Curragh]

The third annual Great War Forum conference will be at the Tally Ho in Birmingham again, on 24th March 2012 with the same format as the previous conferences - five speakers, starting at 10.30, finishing at 5.30, followed by dinner. The speakers are :

Gary Sheffield - "Douglas Haig in 1915: Commander of First Army"

Richard Van Emden - "The Quick and the Dead: Fallen Soldiers and Their Families in the Great War"

Andy Robertshaw - "Arms and the Man: The development of British infantry weapons and small unit tactics 1914-18"

Chris Baker - "The Battle for Flanders: German defeat on the Lys, 1918"

Chris Pugsley - "Ashmead-Bartlett's Gallipoli Film - the first filmed amphibious landing in history"

The cost will be £26 per person, covering the conference, lunch and tea and coffee. Dinner will be £22.

As with last year's event, pals will be more than welcome to bring along books to sell, or any display material you have.

Please can you let me know you want to attend, by the payment of a £10 deposit. You can make your deposit either via a cheque or by using the Paypal link - details of both are here, and can also be accessed by the link in my signature -

http://1914-1918.inv...howtopic=169635

Any questions, please let me know

Many thanks

Alan

Update - the conference is now "sold out"

[brucehubbard]

Please put Ayesha and I down for two places, including dinner.

When do you want paying?

Bruce

[egbert]

Yes a large improvement would be to convene in the middle - in Belgium. This forum lives also from/with French, Belgian, Luxemburg, Dutch and German members!

[Bardess]

Egbert, surely the middle would be Saudi Arabia

[Rockdoc]

Not so much an improvement, Alan, but I did like Jack's talk for giving us a view from the other side of the lines. It's too easy, though quite natural, to concentrate on British and Imperial troops and see things from that perspective. I think that one of the talks should be on a different army's viewpoint, whether it's one of the Entente or the Central Powers.

Keith

[Alan Curragh]

egbert, on 05 April 2011 - 11:27 AM, said:

Yes a large improvement would be to convene in the middle - in Belgium. This forum lives also from/with French, Belgian, Luxemburg, Dutch and German members!

Egbert - please feel free to organise the GWF Continental Conference! You'll have to forgive me for sticking with a venue that I know does a d*mn good job

Alan

[Staffsyeoman]

You can certainly put a provisional marker down for me and Helen, Alan.

Improvements? Few are needed.  But a roving microphone for the Q&A - and a wireless one
for the speakers (like Pete used) would be of use in what is a moderately cavernous hall.  

Fair point about 'the other side of the hill', but it is the scarcity of good speakers from that
perspective which makes it difficult.

[Alan Curragh]

Phil - we actually did have a roving mike - but it didn't seem to work too well. I think Pete used it?

[Bardess]

With just less than 12 months to get things rolling - how about designing a sweatshirt [M/F] with GWF Conference 2012 and badge on the front and use iron-on letters for Forum/real names on the back?

[MartinBennitt]

put me down provisionally as well. We did have quite a chat at dinner over what topics we might like to see covered at future conferences (and I hope there'll be many more), e.g. the navy, the Italian front,

Mespot, the women's services, notably medical and nursing, etc, etc.

Re actual improvements on the ground, anything would be really minor and technical, as has been suggested with the sound system. Otherwise, real ale at the bar?  

cheers, and thanks again for the good work

Martin B

[Staffsyeoman]

I think Pete had the wireless pack - which was certainly intermittent but better than none. Perhaps Pete's rahter kinetic style overwhelmed it!

For a roving mike, I think more of the wireless handset where a willing volunteer dashes into the audience
so that the questioner can be heard. If they can provide one, good oh, if not, fair enough.

[burlington]

Alan

Just a hint.

If we still use Tally Ho! (marvelous venue) may I suggest that the rows of chairs are offset, one row from the other.

This would help those of us of a shorter physique to see a bit more than if we were stuck behind a largish person.

Not a criticism, just a thought.

Roll on 2012!

Regards

Martin

[Staffsyeoman]

Oh, and in response to Martin... Birmingham  in general (I know there are exceptions) has always been something of a real ale wasteland, ever since I started to drink there in the years... when I looked older than I was  

[Chris_Baker]

I'd try to theme the selection of speakers talks. This might not be a bad thing for 2014 and onward, maybe concentrating on each of 1914, 1915 etc in turn. Perhaps for 2012 and 2013 we could examine the build-up to the war.

[squirrel]

24th March - I'll put that in my diary.

As for speakers...........

Could Allen cover Mesopotamia?

What about the Egypt/Palestine camapign?

RFC?

And, as has been suggested, Royal Navy-Jutland perhaps?

I appreciate that it is not always easy to find speakers who know the subjects and are available, but just thought I would put the suggestions up.

[Roger H]

MartinBennitt, on 05 April 2011 - 12:07 PM, said:

the women's services, notably medical and nursing, etc, etc.
Martin B

Yes, I would second that.

Roger

Staffsyeoman, on 05 April 2011 - 12:13 PM, said:

Birmingham  in general (I know there are exceptions) has always been something of a real ale wasteland

Not anymore - there are many pubs in the City Centre which have a good selection.

Roger

[MartinBennitt]

egbert, on 05 April 2011 - 11:27 AM, said:

Yes a large improvement would be to convene in the middle - in Belgium. This forum lives also from/with French, Belgian, Luxemburg, Dutch and German members!

Indeed, Egbert, but I made it to Birmingham from Paris and Jim Smithson from Germany, with no great difficulty. A bigger overseas contingent would be good. Now you're retired you can go anywhere you like,

whenever you like. And if you could find romm for your grandpa's trunk, or at least some of the contents thereof, you could give us all a really interesting talk, I'm sure. Looking forward to meeting you

cheers Martin B

[ianw]

egbert, on 05 April 2011 - 11:27 AM, said:

Yes a large improvement would be to convene in the middle - in Belgium. This forum lives also from/with French, Belgian, Luxemburg, Dutch and German members!

I quite agree that a gathering in Belgium would be a good idea. But in my opinion , it would have to be a satellite event and organised locally. Perhaps an event in October would balance the year nicely.

We have had a Forum dinner at Varlet Farm a long while ago and I organised a quite well attended dinner in Ypres to express our gratitude to the Last Post Association. No doubt UK based Pals would attend a Belgian conference - British penury permitting - time for you to step up to the plate, Egbert and get organising!

[burlington]

MartinBennitt, on 05 April 2011 - 02:45 PM, said:

Now you're retired you can go anywhere you like,

Eh? I wish!

[egbert]

Ok a compromise could be a satellite conference in Belgium or France, definitely it should be a location there close to the battlefields. For the ease of organisation this really must be done from somebody local with knowledge of the environment, reserving hotels/B&B i.e. Varlet Farm, conference room/hall, local museum and battlefield knowledge, etc.

So if somebody with let's say Ypres (or Somme) knowledge (any Belgians out there?)could step up -I would be happy to assist pals like Cnock, Aurel, AOK4, Regulus from some 300km away where I come from.

If such a conference will ever be held/wished in/near Cologne/Bonn where I live, I volunteer to organise such an event here as I know my environment 100% of course!

[Ian Murphy]

Alan,

Please mark me down as a definite for 24th March 2012.

Best regards,

Ian.

[Bardess]

I can't remember seeing a plan of the day and wondered if, perhaps pre/post dinner, a small concert might be performed. Kate could you rustle up a few blokes, songs and costumes? Would be great on the DVD! How is that coming along BTW.

[Bardess]

Silence

[Brian_Curragh]

Diane

Alan is currently enjoying a well-earned break in Italy to recover from the stresses and strains of conference organising!

Regards
Brian

[Bardess]

Thanks Brian [but there are others who ... ah, never mind]