The Beginners Guide to the NAMSoc Bonfire & BBQ Party

We are very kindly lent Beeston Sailing Club for these events, it is situated on the south side of the River Trent directly across from the Attenburgh Nature Reserve. Primary access to it is via a ferry boat taken from a landing stage on the Attenburgh side, there is also a dirt track that leads to the back of the sailing club but we discourage it's use as it's not a great road, you can't get a motor vehicle on it, and it's a long road that people have goten lost on in the past. So please use the ferry, Beeston marina isn't far from either the bus or train station in Beeston and for those who are driving there is plenty of parking at Beeston Marina and it is only a short walk from the marina to the landing stage.

What to Bring:

• Warm Clothes
• Good Stout Foot Wear
• Torch / Glow Sticks
• Warm Sleeping Bag
• Snack Food
• Soft Drinks (although also available from the bar)

Also: If you require prescription medicine please have it with you and make sure a friend knows where it is in case of emergency, we only have very basic first aid on site.

What Not to Bring:

• Alcohol (there is a bar so if you bring your own we will simply confiscate it)
• Fireworks
• Air soft Stuff
• Weapons
• Candles

If you don't have sleeping stuff, there is some on site that you can borrow, it's not too great in the winter and please ask before you borrow it as some does belong to people there.

We will once again be running a cheap bar on site, now this does mean that you can't bring your own alcohol, but we are very cheap (cheaper than some shops even) and any profits go to NAMSoc so please use us and support your anime club. Can we also request that people do not go behind the bar for any reason (that includes using the fire door in none emergencies) there is a very large amount of kit back there and we don't want stuff spilling on it.

There are two other places that are also off limits, these are behind the BBQ area so that the BBQ Crew actually have space to work, and the generator shed (behind the club) as it's the flammables store.

As we've said there is a ferry boat service across the river, the drivers are volunteers who also want to enjoy the bonfire party. As such they may be drinking, if you want a completely sober ferry man you'll need to be there before 20:00, after this time you can request one as I personally can't drink until the fireworks so up to 21:30 the ferry man will be sober on request (although probabally high on sugar). After this time there is no guarantees of how sober the ferry man will be, but there are two of us there who can land the boat perfectly even after two gallons of beer. If you have any problems with boats please tell the ferry men before you board the boat as different ferry men have different experience and if you have a problem a more experianced ferry man will drive for you. Please do not shine torches at the ferry boat as it is making it's way across the river as this simply kills the ferry men's night vision and doesn't help them. Also please do not grab the boat as it approaches the dock as the boat is strong enough to pull you into the water (I have seen this happen).

In the winter it gets very cold down by the river, and although we are going to be heating the sailing club we do need your help to keep it warm inside, so please don't leave doors open and try and avoid using certain doors. For entry and exit of the club please only use the kitchen door (not the double fire door) on to the front deck or the double doors in the gent changing room. Please do not use the fire doors in the kitchen, sleeping area or behind the bar.

For sleeping there is a large room between the kitchen and sail loft that can be slept in, and the dining area of the kitchen is also for sleeping in. The ladies changing area can also be slept in (by anyone it's considered unisex) but is also used to store boat engines so it's not recommended as there will probably be petrol fumes (you'll choke) or an open window (you'll freeze). Because of two sets of complains we will not allow people to sleep on the seating to the left of the bar, this is because people will sleep at different times and want somewhere inside where they can sit and talk. Please do not sleep in the gents changing room (there's little space and it's mostly full of other peoples kit) or the sail loft.

Please remember that we are lent the sailing club and there is a lot of kit onsite that does not belong to NAMSoc, the owners of this kit do not want people messing about it. We had an incident at another party where a couple made a bed out of someone else’s RIB and put it on top of a lawnmower, thankfully it wasn't damaged but this could have been very expensive for those involved. So basically if it isn't yours leave it alone.

There is no mains power at the sailing club, so please don't bring things that require it (laptops etc) as there isn't any, there will be a generator running for part of the night running the music and some lighting but for the most part the sailing club is not electrically lit. We use paraffin powered hurricane lanterns that provide enough light to see what you are doing, but there will be areas that have no light at all. The only areas electrically lit are going to be behind the bar, and in the BBQ area. Please do not try to plug anything in, at best you'll get told off, at worst the power can be a little iffy and it could fry what you plug in.

While we are happy for people to have torches, eclectic lanterns, glow sticks etc, please do no have candles or paraffin lanterns inside the club house and please do not touch the lanterns that are used inside. The club is very old and made of wood, coupled with the difficulty in road access an unintended fire there would be disastrous, so please don't have these items inside or touch the ones we are using. The ones being used are in fixed safe places that is why there are there, if they go out or you think something is wrong with one of lamps please tell one of the organisers, do not try and fix it yourself.

Also over the years there have been a few questions about cosplay, mostly can people, the answer is yes, if you want to turn up in cosplay that's fine. There are however a few points to remember, mostly that you'll need to be able to move quite well as access requires climbing in to and out of a boat, and that depending on the weather conditions the ground around the sailing club can be very muddy, you've also got to remember we've got a big fire.

Most of all come along and have fun.