2016 Eisteddfod - House Share - Mini Bootcamp?

Fancy visiting the 2016 Eisteddfod Genedlaethol in Y Fenni/Abergavenny? Fancy staying for the week? Fancy an enjoyable
mini Bootcamp experience? Fancy getting together with other SSiW learners for a fun and social week?

On a couple of occasions in the past, a handful of SSiWers have come together for the week of the Eisteddfod and rented their own self catering house. They’ve had a good social time of it, visiting the Maes, going to gigs and having a sort of ‘mini bootcamp’ experience full of games and quizzes and some wonderful social evenings.

This above idea seems particularly beneficial for anyone traveling from abroad to be in Wales for a late summer (official) SSiW Bootcamp and want to extend their stay to include the Eisteddfod.

But all the best accommodation in the Eisteddfod area, usually gets booked up VERY QUICKLY, usually about 12 - 15 months - long before the previous year’s festival has even begun.

Self catering houses suitable for large groups get booked up even quicker, because of there being many companies/institutions/organisations having stalls at the Eisteddfod and needing to accommodate their staff/volunteers.

So to all intents and purposes now is the time to look and book! So if you fancy staying in a shared house with other SSiWers for the Eisteddfod week in 2016, then it’s a good idea to begin collecting names NOW and start looking for large self catering properties before they all disappear - seriously, they’re already being booked up! :open_mouth:

Here is where the National Eisteddfod is in 2016 -
http://www.eisteddfod.org.uk/english/2016/

We came home from a week at the Eisteddfod yesterday and this morning I booked a house for next year. But many houses were already unavailable.

A tip - the deposit fposfolarge self catering house is likely to be around £300 - £400, with the remainder to be paid usually about 2 months before arrival.

Here are some useful accommodation websites -

http://www.sykescottages.co.uk/

http://www.walestouristsonline.co.uk/

http://www.walesinstyle.com/welcome

http://www.allwales.co.uk/

http://www.stayinginwales.com/

http://www.bestofwales.co.uk/ - who allow you to search for Welsh-speaking owners

BUT, as I mentioned before, I’m guessing that the most desirable properties (especially those nearest the Maes) won’t hang around for long.

So if you’re interested then please give this some serious consideration right now and see if you can make a commitment - after all, when it comes down to Eisteddfod accommodation - you snooze, you loose! :wink:

If interested then please use this thread to discuss plans, and please note that an immediate deposit will be required from all involved to secure a place in the house share - I’m guessing that this is the only fair way of doing it.

If you need help in organising or advertising, then please let me know. :slight_smile:

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I would be interested - problem is that I walk with w combination of wheelchair and crutches - if it’s a Problem don’t worry xxx

There are lots of cottages/houses available with ground floor rooms Debbie. I’m sure it wouldn’t be a problem at all. X

What about non-welsh speaking spouses? Are they welcome? :smiley:

Here are some possibilities to get you started. Some are more expensive than others, some closer to Abergavenny than others and there are some which sleep 10, some 12 and some up to 20. It’s always a good idea to check numbers of and types of beds, as twins and bunks are obviously more favourable than doubles and kings when it comes to a large group sharing…

I’m guessing that this would be absolutely fine as long as whoever took the reins with regards to booking and organising wasn’t looking to recreate a Bootcamp situation for the week. :wink:

I can walk upstairs with my crutches and a handrail - I just didn’t want anyone to feel embarrassed or awkward - can you tell me what o need to do next please - I have a disabled car with three seats and a space for my chair so u am able to transport two people in addition to myself with my car and I am very independent xxx thank you Mrs Aran :rose::rose::rose:

Fabulous! Are you wanting to take the lead on this?

I think that the first step would be to set up quick poll to find out who would definitely be interested - we can do this here for you and put a link to it on the SSiW Facebook group as well.

You would then need to aquire a non refundable deposit from everyone who is definite about going, to secure a place - possibly through PayPal.

Then once the deposit has been paid to secure the booking with the holiday companyhouse owners, it’s then just a matter of getting everyone to pay the full amount before the holiday company/owners require the balance.

I think that would depend on the group - if it was a group of early stage learners who were looking to enjoy the Eisteddfod and do the odd bit of practising, then I can’t imagine it would be a problem at all - if it was a group of advanced learners who were going to be speaking Welsh for the entire week, then it would probably feel awkward for everyone.

If you like the idea of sharing a house as Catrin describes here, maybe the best thing would be to start a thread seeing if there are other people who’d like to share for the week but don’t want to be trying to have a Welsh only experience? :sunny:

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I shall be very jealous from over here in Canada land. One day I’ll make it over the pond. One day!

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What about children?- boot camps aren’t suitable for children but might this be. I have 5 years olds (efeilliaid) who are happily bilingual in Welsh and English (and have certificates for telling people not to chat in English :innocent:).

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No reason why it should be great with kids - if you find the right other learners to house-share with - we do a two-families-together thing for the Eisteddfod - it’s just about finding a few more interested parties for this idea right now, I’d guess… :sunny:

I passed through Y Fenni yesterday, the railway station is in need of a coat of paint, and more, but the panorama around was just magnificeint, I must have been through several hundred times at least in my life but, with the promise of the Eisteddfod in the air,it looked better than ever

Helo bawb!

Just wondering if anyone decided to run with this idea, get a group of learners together and book a house share for the 2016 Eisteddfod?

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Hello Catrin,
I haven’t pursued this because I was planning to attend the April Bootcamp but my plans have changed and I will be In Wales during the Eisteddfod. Do you know if anyone has booked a share house and if they have a place available? I would be keen to share if so.
Thank you,
Lynne

Hi Lynne,

I mentioned this thread in the weekly email a couple of weeks ago, but as there have been no comments posted here at all I rather suspect no one has organised a share house. I can’t make the Eisteddfod this year as I have a family wedding to attend. It will be the first one I’ve missed since I came to Wales in 2008, so I feel a bit sad about that.

I hope you get some interest. It looks like there are still some vacancies with AirBnB for that time.

Dee

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Hi Dee,
Thank you for replying. I’ll do some research. This will be my first Eisteddfod as I live a long way from Wales (Australia). I’m looking forward to it. I’m sorry I’ll miss meeting you there.
Regards,
Lynne

Hi hope you can help I would like to know if there is a ssiw party this year and when and where it will be.
Doilch . Also I would be interested in a mini bootcamp as well

Hi Sally, and welcome to the forum!

We’re hoping to get a party arranged at some point, although we’re not entirely sure when/where just yet - we didn’t want to have it too close to last year’s, but we don’t want to let it run too close to the Eisteddfod again, or we’ll be in the same trap next year! We’ll be announcing on the forum and the email when we do have dates… :sunny:

Diolch Aran,
I will look forward to coming to the party. also I intend to go to the Eisteddfod this year as well. It will be my first time.
Hope to see you there
sally

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