Posted: 27 April 2005 at 8:21pm | IP Logged

The venue for Friends Up North - Rising Brook Baptist Church Centre, Stafford - is very convenient and easy to get to. If your driving it's only 2 minutes from Jn 13 on the M6, so easy access from North West as well as Midlands, S West and S East. It's not too bad from East and NEast - via M6, A50 from Derby or across to Manchester. Its on the mainline from Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool.

Directions to Rising Brook Baptist Church Centre

By car from M6:

Leave the M6 at junction 13 and take the A449 north towards Stafford. Continue straight across a mini island. At the traffic lights by the Esso / Tesco garage go straight ahead. Go straight through the next two sets of pedestrian lights and turn next left into John Amery Drive.

RBBCC will be immediately on your left. The car park is at the rear of the building. Beyond that there is also parking at a health centre which should be available by that time of day.

By car from Town Centre:

Take A449 south towards M6. Continue over railway bridge. Go straight on at the next set of traffic lights, then turn right into John Amery Drive.

RBBCC will be immediately on your left. The car park is at the rear of the building. Beyond that there is also parking at a health centre which should be available by that time of day.

By Train:

Stafford is on the main line from Birmingham, Manchester & Liverpool.

There is a taxi rank directly outside the station. Please note that weekend working on the track may result in coaches being laid on for some sections.

By coach:

National Express coaches stop outside the railway station.

By bus:

Catch the number 8 bus “Manor Estate”. The bus stops on John Amery Drive. (Staffs bus hotline: 0990 808080)

For map check out: http://www.streetmap.co.uk/newmap.srf?x=392069&y=321112& amp; amp; amp; amp; amp;z=0&sv=ST17+9LT&st=2&pc=ST17+9LT&mapp=ne wmap.srf&searchp=newsearch.srf

Nearby amenities

The centre is next to a shopping precinct which includes a Co-op store, fish'n'chip shop (unfortunately not open until 5pm on Bank Holiday Monday), butchers selling hot sandwiches at lunch-time (closed on Mondays). Over the road is a pub (which does food during the daytim).

Accommodation

Near Jn 13 check out...

• Express by Holiday Inn (Nr M6 jn 13) http://www.hiexpress.com
• Garth Hotel  (nearest hotel to venue) www.corushotels.com/hotel.asp?hotelID=63 No longer open due to ... er ... demolition?!? Sorry!
• Moat House Hotel, Acton Trussell - luxury hotel, but a bit further out www.moathouse.co.uk

At the north end of Stafford near Jn 14...

• Premier Travel Inn (Nr M6 jn 14) www.premiertravelinn.com/
• Tillington Hall Hotel (Nr M6 jn 14)    http://www.bestwestern.co.uk/content/hotel-details-leisure.a spx?hotel=83643

In the town centre:

• The Swan Hotel  (main hotel in Stafford) http://www.theswanstafford.co.uk/

Also Travelodge nr Stafford Services http://www.travelodge.co.uk/

Make a break of it:

Nearby attractions include:

• Alton Towers www.alton-towers.co.uk/resort/
• Ironbridge Museums www.ironbridge.org.uk/
• Drayton Manor Theme Park www.draytonmanor.co.uk
• The Potteries - various visitors centres www.thepotteries.org/doulton/  and  www.thewedgwoodvisitorcentre.com/homepage_plain.asp
• Birmingham - Bullring Centre www.bullring.co.uk/website/
• National Sea Life Centre  www.sealifeeurope.com/uk/birmingham/home.htm
• Cadbury World  www.cadburyworld.co.uk/
• Thinktank  www.thinktank.ac/news/

...and loads more

Posted: 28 April 2005 at 8:22am | IP Logged

I know this might not be the right place to post but

Would i be a good idea to create a badge for fun day so that we can make it easy to identify each other.

It might be an easier way to break the ice

David

Posted: 28 April 2005 at 8:25am | IP Logged

hey hey - to early in the morning here

"Would it"

Posted: 30 May 2005 at 8:54am | IP Logged

Today's the day

Stafford's the place

Have a safe journey (check back to first post as I've made some revisions)