An approximation of my mood when ...

[dizzojay]

... I found out that Asylum 18 was being held at BLACKPOOL!!!!!



No offence to anyone that was born or raised in or around Blackpool, but seriously??!!??

I've only ever been to Blackpool once in my life, and that was because - I went to Blackpool.

I swore blind I'd never go back.

So I've got a six hour train journey ahead of me if I want to go to the con; there's no way I'm driving - I like my wheels where they are.

The minis, those unsupportive little gits, have already told me they're washing Sam's hair that weekend - All ten of them!!!!



Hey ho!  The things I do for my Supernatural!!!

Comments

[metallidean-grl.livejournal.com]

OK. So, I'm a Yank and totally clueless when you talk about never wanting to go to Blackfoot again. Please enlighten those of us that are clueless on the other side of the pond about your aversion to this city. I can understand not wanting to step foot in a town you don't care for, though. I have a few of those myself.

[dizzojay.livejournal.com]

Oh, it's just naff and tacky and horrible. It's a coastal town full of flashing lights and amusement arcades and drunken hen parties. Think Las Vegas on a budget with no class.

It stinks of burger vans and the one and only time I went there, I stayed in this fossilised hotel which seemed to be held together with mould and pigeon shit instead of cement. :P

[chellexxx.livejournal.com]

hehehe you should write travel brochures!!!

xxx

[metallidean-grl.livejournal.com]

Yea, that does sound a little unpleasant and not a place that you would want to frequent. At least at a Convention you are there for the Con and inside most of the time. So you could go in and out of the city real quick and not have to subject yourself to the tackiness of the city. As for hotels, I would think they would have the Con at a fairly decent and more upscale location so you can hopefully stay away from the fossilized hotels of the region. Good luck with that.

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

I'd hardly count Blackpool as a city... and the convention hotel is kind of typical of the place. It has terrible reviews on TripAdvisor! LOL

[metallidean-grl.livejournal.com]

Well, that well and truly does suck for you guys. I read some of the other comments, and given how terrible and low class the city is, it is hard to understand what made the Con organizers pick out such a city for this convention. Like someone said, what guests would even want to attend the convention in such a city. And if it is not close by to a major airport, the convenience factor of getting in and out is nil. Which again, makes me wonder what guest would want to even attend. I am so sorry for you guys to have to endure that. That well and truly does suck.

[heavenli24.livejournal.com]

Exactly - you've hit the nail on the head!

I'm thinking I probably won't go to Asylum 18 - I've never been to Blackpool and I've never had any desire to go there :P. It's also much more inconvenient for me to get to than Birmingham, where Asylum is usually held.

Birmingham is 90 miles away, straight down the motorway/major roads (so I can drive at 70 mph all the way), so it takes about 1.5 hours to get there. It's on my way back to my parents' house so I drive that way fairly often... which was my main reason for going to Asylum in the first place, because it was cheap and I had already ended up driving past the con twice while it was happening (while Jared and Misha were both inside) but didn't have a ticket for it!

Blackpool on the other hand is about 150 miles away in the opposite direction... it's cross-country and is not a quick or easy route. It would take me 3.5 to 4 hours to drive it (or take the train) and is completely out of my way - I don't think I've ever even been to that part of the country before!

Then you've got the reputation of the town to contend with too... it's a seaside resort, and is billed as being the holiday hotspot of England, but from what I've heard it's just pretty tacky and seedy, and filled with drunken stag and hen parties.

Asylum might be cheap, but at the moment I think I'd rather just stick to spending my money on JIBCon instead... in fact, it takes me less time to fly from London to Rome than it does to drive from Lincoln to Blackpool :P.

[metallidean-grl.livejournal.com]

Given as to how difficult it is to get to the location, and how disliked it is from what I have seen on this post, it will be interesting to see how many people actually sign up to attend, and what guests they get as well. If I were a guest coming in from the States, and saw that it was not exactly a straight shot from the airport to the venue, I don't think I'd go. That has always been the trouble when booking the guests, especially J2 for Creation events here, especially when they are filming. They need to make sure the city and venue where the Con is booked is near an airport so they can get in and out quickly for filming. Even though this is during the summer I would still think wanting to be nearer an airport would be important for them. This one will be interesting to see how guests and attendees all unfold. Definitely something to watch.

[dizzojay.livejournal.com]

I'm going to go, I booked my ticket yesterday; I'm willing to give it a chance, although I sincerely hope it's going to be a one off. But it's going to be a pain; I need to have three days off work instead of just one, because I can't travel up Friday morning and back Sunday night like I do from Birmingham now, I have to spend the day before and the day after travelling instead.

I think I've just got such a strong dislike for Blackpool because I had such a horrible experience the one and only time I went there. The hotel we stayed in was barely fit for human habitation and then we went out into the town (as seedy and tacky as you've been led to believe Kirsten), and it was only quick reflexes that prevented me from being coated when some drunken yob projectile spewed all over the street as he was walking past me.

We shall see!

[metallidean-grl.livejournal.com]

I definitely hope that this next time you go to this city is a better experience for you this time around than the last time. If no announcements are made are far as guests you'll have to keep us updated as to who actually signs up. I will definitely be curious.

[sasha-dragon.livejournal.com]

Six hours! And I thought two hours on the train was bad enough, so it looks like it might just be the two of us then? You're right the things we do for Supernatural!

[dizzojay.livejournal.com]

At the moment, I think we are - I think Wayne may have dropped a monumental whoopsie with this one! I haven't heard anyone that's happy about it - even the people that live up that way!!!

[sasha-dragon.livejournal.com]

I think Wayne has really dropped a major clanger. Everyone liked the Hilton and moving the con to Blackpool is not popular. If it goes wrong A18 might be the last one, as I don't think Wayne is going to sell as many tickets as he thinks he will.

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

There are a load of comments on the entry on FB that are very excited about it being up North. As I pointed out, bloody Newcastle would be easier to get to than Blackpool.

[chellexxx.livejournal.com]

Yeah OK .... but Blackpool?!?

I like Blackpool, after all i'm originally from that end of the world, but Asylum will definitely have a different feel to it. More kitsch than classy.


Accommodation will have to be a big consideration if i want to go next year ......


xxx

[dizzojay.livejournal.com]

It's just not for me, I'm afraid!

I have no objection with Rogue holding a convention 'up north', there's lots of great cities up that way - what's wrong with Liverpool or Manchester?

Somewhere that's not in the arse end of slot machine and burger van hell!

[chellexxx.livejournal.com]

I can't see the actors in Blackpool ... I don't believe that there is enough of a pull for them to come to a town like that.

xxx

[dizzojay.livejournal.com]

No, like I said to Alison, I think Wayne has dropped a monumental whoopsie with this one!

[chellexxx.livejournal.com]

It's not even got an International airport close by. What is he thinking??? How does he plan to get the guests there??

Now Liverpool, Manchester, hell Edinburgh or Glasgow, they make sense ....

xxx

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

Yeah, the Americans tend to fly into Heathrow, then they ferry them up to the venue by train. Birmingham that's easy, and not a bad journey, first class on Virgin trains is ok. But to Blackpool? Mmm, not so great for the actors. Even the 'lesser lights' aren't going to do it again once they realise what it's like!

[chellexxx.livejournal.com]

It will probably be an experiment they only try once!

xxx

[theymp.livejournal.com]

My main concern is the hotel - I know some people whinge about anything, but the number of 'terrible' reviews outnumbers the total numbers of 'excellent', 'good', and 'average' added together!

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

Exactly. I suppose we could try and stay somewhere else but what a faff. I'm really not keen on spending more for the journey in order to spend less at a crappy hotel

[herminekurotowa.livejournal.com]

That was what I thought too :(

Birmingham is one hour by plane, for Blackpool I'd need to fly to Manchester and then go by train.

Maybe we can share a room, but I still have to think about which con to visit: JiB or A18. And then they'll sell tickets for Purcon3 in February and just about EVERYBODY wants money from me *throws hands in air*

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

I'm thinking next May will be JIB and no Asylum.

[herminekurotowa.livejournal.com]

I'll be working next May (I hope) so I won't be able to attend both cons abroad. I wanted to skip on JIB, but now with the new venue... IDK. It wouldn't be too bad if we could have a fangirl meet-up next year though.

[amberdreams.livejournal.com]

Oh I'm sure we can arrange a couple of fangirl meet ups ourselves. Us UK bods are trying to meet up every couple of months regardless.

[wings128.livejournal.com]

I was scrolling through my inbox and listening to "All Out of Love" and your first pic fits that song perfectly, LOL! Thanks for the smile, hun :D

[kinkthatwinked.livejournal.com]

I've been reading the comments, and damn. I'm sorry.

I take it Wayne is the convention organizer? Do you think any of the people already complaining will get his attention? Maybe there's time to change the venue?

Man, I would go to Liverpool just as a Beatles fan. I'd have an excellent time touring the city before the SPN convention even began! It's a shame it's not being held there.

(Ironically, I bet the guests and attendees would have a fabulous time in the real Las Vegas.)

[milly-gal.livejournal.com]

Really?!?! They've moved it? Why?! And to Blackpool of all places! Did Wayne think it'd be cheaper for them so cheaper in general or will he up the price a few quid and then make *that* profit? O_O

[katwoman76.livejournal.com]

I have no real thoughts on Blackpool. Never been there, but just looking at the map it doesn't seem so bad with the coast and the Manchester airport close by.
And it looked as if the hotel will be a lot cheaper than usual.
Not that I have made any plans at all yet about 2017 cons.