Weekend at the Asylum 2010

[lady sakara]

Also may i enquire as to what speciality of the gold members lounge?...As much as i want the gold pass..i need to know why i should pay that little extra 

[Mister Fox]

Mister Fox,

Ohhh chocolate..... with steampunk tickets ...... yes please.

On the Saturday BBQ at Charlotte House there were two veggie options, A spicy Bean burger and a most tasty vegtable kebab with a minted yogurt dressing which I ate, I cant remember what Fridays option was as I was in a haze of steam from all the lovely people assembled at the Victoria/Castle gate. We had asked that there be a veggie option on both BBQ's and will be making the same request again for the BBQ's and the Buffet.

Yours Lady Elsie.

Ah, I heard rumours of barbecue on Saturday, but they were sadly vague.  The vegetable kebab sounds particularly delicious, and I'm sorry to have missed it.  I won't go on at length about 'vegetarian options', but it's always pleasant to be catered for, instead of simply around.  There's so much more to vegetarian food than veggie burgers, after all!

(If, by some miricle, I have a spare £75 I may just have to hide a ticket in a bar of chocolate.  Wouldn't that be a wonderful thing to do?)

[TimeTinker]

Whilst an avowed meat eater myself Mr Fox we are most certainly aware of our vegetarian friends who choose to avoid carniverous activities through religious, ethical or simple taste grounds.  (You will note I also produce a range of "vegan leather" accessories too.) It will never be the case at VSS events that vegetarians are treated as second class citizens. The Saturday barbecue supplied by an award winning chef from a five star hotel with prices as low as £2.50 should be an example of that when you can pay £5plus for a hideous excuse for a veggie burger from a van at a music festival

By the same token we negotiated with the venues to fix a ceiling on beer prices, arranged for a selection of specialist ciders and perries as well as real ales and so on. rest assured the comfort and satisfaction of our associate members is of paramount importance to us.  

The Gold Members Lounge is fundamentally designed as a place where you can go and be sure of a place to sit down and relax and will include buffet luncehons on both Saturday and Sunday.  We are in negotiations with both Charlotte House and the Lawns about the details but the idea is to allow some people the chance to relax even further.  It is not intended to be elitist or divisive but as an option for some people who like to take things that little bit easier and thus save their energy for the demands of socialising.  Remember the tickets are not on sale and the details are not fixed.  We are publicising the broad strokes in advance as people have asked to allow them to think about their potential options.

[lady sakara]

ooh that sounds perfect for myself...as i often need to rest!

[The Dandy Pirate]

Im afraid the only veggie option on the friday BBQ was onions in a bun. There was two basic options - burger or a sausage. Im afraid my partner and i didnt realise there was another BBQ on the saturday lol..but didnt mind as we'd found a fanatastic tearoom in town lol.

Despite not being on the chalkboard the Friday night BBQ did have veggie sausages.

[lady sakara]

Im afraid the only veggie option on the friday BBQ was onions in a bun. There was two basic options - burger or a sausage. Im afraid my partner and i didnt realise there was another BBQ on the saturday lol..but didnt mind as we'd found a fanatastic tearoom in town lol.

Despite not being on the chalkboard the Friday night BBQ did have veggie sausages.

Ah see...with the long queue i ventured forth and all i could see on the BBQ were normal looking sausages or burgers..Didnt want to queue only to not be able to eat anything. As a 'white meat carnivore', i didnt find the friday offerings that appealing..

[SteamBlast Mary]

By the same token we negotiated with the venues to fix a ceiling on beer prices, arranged for a selection of specialist ciders and perries as well as real ales and so on.

That was your doing?? Well thank you kindly Sir, I commented at the time prices were very reasonable for the venue- and the staff were excellent.

*Burp* you don't have to tell us how good the Saturday BBQ was!

A coule of vegetarians have mentioned in another thread about discovering an excellent Thai place, I'll get the details fir next time.

[Mimsy Beaucoup]

Whilst an avowed meat eater myself Mr Fox we are most certainly aware of our vegetarian friends who choose to avoid carniverous activities through religious, ethical or simple taste grounds.  (You will note I also produce a range of "vegan leather" accessories too.) It will never be the case at VSS events that vegetarians are treated as second class citizens.

This is so lovely to hear..as a veggie myself so often buffets consist of crisps and bits of salad and  nothing else for the vegetarian! Also so many cateres put meat dishes on the same plate as veggie food ( sandwiches being the most 'wronged' food!). I think so many meat eaters forget whilst they are tucking into a cheese cob from the buffet that they have the choice of both meat and veggie...whist the poor veggie leaves the cheese sarnie as it is squashed next to a ham sarnie!

Anyhoo, I will get off my soapbox (I am not someone who has any issue having meat in the same vicinity to veggie stuff, just not on the same plate! Neither am I upset by people eating meat or cooking it). Just wanted to say it is pleasing to know that 'carnies' (not circus folk lol!) can appreciate veggie frustration!

At my wedding many years ago I havd a full veggie buffet, with only 1 plate of chicken wings...no one noticed the distinct lack of meat and everyone complimented the buffet!

[Rockula]

Ok. This will be my one and only post on the subject of the food on the Friday night as I don't want to get anybody 'steamed' up...

I am NOT a vegetarian but I am marrried to one (yes, mixed marriages, eh? Whatever next).

My wife was informed on the Friday AT the barbeque itself that the ONLY vegetarian option was some cheese and onions in a bun as the veggie sausages were gone 10 minutes after the barbeque started.
 However, they could not confirm that the cheese or the bread were 'vegetarian friendly' and seemed unaware that some cheese contains animal rennet and that at least 90 per cent of loaves are made with additives which could include enzymes from the pancreas of pigs.
 Also, to cook vegetarian sausages or nut burgers etc. on the same griddle as the meat automatically makes them unsuitable for vegetarians because of the transference. This would seem quite obvious really.
 As a A 2006 estimate put the number of vegetarians in the UK at 5.6 percent
of the whole population, or 3.5 million vegetarians (and .25 million
vegans) it's hardly a 'fad' diet and it's a rather large and ever growing minority.

 As I say, I am a happy meat eating omnivore but have become somewhat militant on vegetarian rights as my wife encounters these problems everywhere we go and we spend interminable hours hunting sustenance.

 I also believe that one of the events own staff had to resort to living on bags of crisps that evening.

[TimeTinker]

Rockula I am sorry but I do find your tone more than a little terse.  Just who are you being critical of? Us for attempting to make arrangements or the caterers who may not have met the standards we wished of them.  At the moment I will admit to being more than a little annoyed since it sounds that you are criticising us (especially with your final comment).  I am very sorry but I had many other things to do at the time other than checking how people were going on with the barbecue.  We had clearly tried to make arrangements before hand.  The caterers didn't have enough sausages. They had underestimated demand. Their staff may not have been as professional as I would have liked.  What was wrong with putting it all constructively and politely rather than posting a message which sounds unpleasant, critical and hostile.  I am all for standing up and being counted but you can do it without being so unpleasant. At the very least you could have pm'd it or better still raised it as a concern with one of us at the event. I hope that your aggressive tone and insult was unintentional.

I await your response.

[lady sakara]

militant vegitarians...what ever next!! 


breatherians? .......

[Rockula]

Rockula I am sorry but I do find your tone more than a little terse.  Just who are you being critical of? Us for attempting to make arrangements or the caterers who may not of met the standards we wished of them.  At the moment I will admit to being more than a little annoyed since it sounds that you are criticising us (especially with your final comment).  I am very sorry but I had many other things to do at the time other than checking how people were going on with the barbecue.  We had clearly tried to make arrangements before hand.  The caterers didn't have enough sausages. They had underestimated demand. Their staff may not have been as professional as I would have liked.  What was wrong with putting it all constructively and politely rather than posting a message which sounds unpleasant, critical and hostile.  I am all for standing up and being counted but you can do it without being so unpleasant. At the very least you could have pm'd it or better still raised it as a concern with one of us at the event. I hope that your aggressive tone and insult was unintentional.

I await your response.

I apologise if my tone seemed in any way 'aggressive' and I have nothing but the highest regard for the organisors of the WHOLE event. It is, as you say yourself, THE CATERERS who are supposed to be on top of these things. And my reference to the Lady of your staff, who was extremely helpful but who's name sadly aludes me, was a reference in sympathy for her suffering the same plight as my wife Xa (that's pronounced Tsar).
 My comments were, in fact, supposed to be a general statement about the catering standards in this day and age and a simple follow on from the several posts that preceded it.
 As we all know it is difficult to convey through the medium of internet chatter the tone of a voice.
 I apologise, once again, if my 'tone' was misinterpreted.
 I could have pm'd this apology but as it's to everyone....

[Ancient Design]

May I quickly interject with a question, forgive me if this is answered elsewhere, but what is the accepted form of communication to arrange for a stall at 2010's Bazaar? E-mail, PM or Telsa-gram?

[Mimsy Beaucoup]

militant vegitarians...what ever next!! 


breatherians? .......

never been militant ansd never will be, choice is choice

Breatharians...hmmmm....how exactly IS a girl to live without chocolate?

[lady sakara]

militant vegitarians...what ever next!! 


breatherians? .......

never been militant ansd never will be, choice is choice

Breatharians...hmmmm....how exactly IS a girl to live without chocolate?

hehe...i know i cant understand them either!!! breatherians that is ( reference to excellent graphic novel Transmetropolitan.. )

[TimeTinker]

Thank you very much for the apology Rockula. You are perfectly correct that tone is easy to misinterpret in this medium.  Since you were addressing specifically the barbecue at the event there is no way your comments could be taken as generalisations however as you suggest. Please also note that there is no such thing as vegetarians' rights anymore than I have the right to enter a vegetarian establishment and demand meat or require kosher or halal food by right. By all means attempt to get service for your good lady but this is more readily achieved by polite assertion rather than belligerence.  We attempted to accomodate. Evidently the caterers were not as enlightened as I would have liked and indeed as I had been assured they would be when we asked for vegetarian alternatives some weeks before and I will take ths up with the chef personally on our next meeting.

The only requirement we make of people who attend the Asylum (and indeed other VSS events) is the standards of polite behaviour required to ensure people feel comfortable and are treated with respect.  We are happy to attempt to remedy any faillings and indeed improve upon our events but request people to remember we do this as a philanthropic exercise and common courtesy makes the task endurable.  The polite good humour was the key to the event's success and we cannot allow it to be lost since we will all suffer as a result.  I am sorry if this sounds picky or pedantic and this is certainly not aimed personally at you sir but is an explicit generalisation that the code of conduct is essential to the future of the event and is for everyones benefit. We do reserve the right to refuse entry to the discourteous or indeed require them to leave.

Ancient Designs please refer to the page Traders Information on the Asylum website http://steampunk.synthasite.com which specifically lists the information you seek.

[greensteam]

Son and I had the roasted veg pittas on Saturday and they were tasty and cheap but not that filling, so just as well son has small appetite and I am too fat already.

It is my experience from booking loads of buffets at the uni where I work that many (most?) omnivores will hoover up the veggie options, particularly at lunchtimes, even when perfectly reasonable meat is on offer, often leaving the veggies with nothing because they didnt elbow their way to the front quick enough.  Awfully hard to get the balance right, but in the end I stopped ordering any meat at all and no one ever noticed or said anything, and of course the whole thing was cheaper all round!

I like the sound of the all-in Gold ticket. I want 2 please.

And any BGs from Scotland, can we find a way to arrange transport? I had to get son out of school to get to Lincoln before half ten on the Friday night cos of the pathetic train connection and that wont be possible next year, as he will be nose down in his Highers. Minibus anyone?

[Mimsy Beaucoup]

.

It is my experience from booking loads of buffets at the uni where I work that many (most?) omnivores will hoover up the veggie options, particularly at lunchtimes, even when perfectly reasonable meat is on offer, often leaving the veggies with nothing because they didnt elbow their way to the front quick enough.  

My experience too at any buffet I have ever been at LOL! That and the plating issues...you learn the art of elbow jabs or forever starve! ...but then being such a Lady as I am, it is rude to push in...what is a girl to do?

 I think the joke about vegetarians being weak must only stem from them not being able to get to the buffet table in time before the cheesy or mushroom dleights are all snaffled up LOL! 

[greensteam]

Any chance that The Clockwork Quartet might be at Asylum 2010? they seem to be lots of fun. http://www.clockworkquartet.com/ Probably more suited to the Ball-alternative or a Lunchtime Entertainment perhaps.

[TimeTinker]

Please note from the opening of this thread that we had hoped not to have it full of questions, discussion and suggestions but to keep it for information disemmination.  Readers with questions are directed to the event website in the first instance.

Nina - as it makes clear on the Asylum website performers who are interested in taking part at the event are requested to complete a questionaire which helps us immensely in the juggling act of coming up with a bill.  If people have an act they would like to see they are welcome to encourage them to apply.  As it happens the Quartet are being aproached.

[TimeTinker]

After making a new enquiry of the council with regard to keeing them informed and ensure we do not breach any byelaws or similar. I wanted to be able to liaise with them in order to avoid annoying people in the local area, causing a nuisance etc as well as making sure we didn't cause any problems re traffic, in the Lawns area and so on.

I received this response:

"I was aware of your event and am really pleased it was a great success.
Whilst we are very supportive of your efforts and what you are doing for Lincoln, I am afraid our ability to help is quite limited.
The size and nature of your event does not come onto the radar of the safety advisory group, provided you are meeting the licensing and safety issues applicable to the venues you use.
During 2009 the city council has gone through some pretty serious cuts in our staff and budgets, including losing our events advisory role, our arts officer and our tourism marketing service.Which is probably why you struggled to get much engagement.
I am happy to meet with you to discuss what we can and cannot do, and can certainly signpost you to other potential sources of help, including Lincolnshire Tourism , who now provide the tourism marketing role, and Lincoln BIG, who will soon be running our tourist information service. As long as you come at it with realistic (i.e low) expectations of City Council input.  
Timing wise, we are deep into the organisation of our own major event, Lincoln Christmas Market, at the moment, so some time early in the new year would be good for me.
If that is acceptable please feel free to contact me again, and we can get together to discuss."

It really seems as though they don't feel they can help or even offer advice.
The only reason I got this response by the way was because I went through the Events Advisory Safety Group which includes police, NHS etc.

My contact was more of a courtesy than anything else but it seems we are being firmly given the brush off.

Feel free to comment.

[lady sakara]

To me it sounds quite apologetic. It sounds like.."we are screwed, and have little time to organise things in house let alone liase with anything outhouse."
When i worked for Cardiff Council (albeit in the planning dept) this kind of honesty was a rare thing!

If anything touristy has now been moved to the Tourist board and BIG then they may be the best bet to liaise with. Just keep letting the council know of what you are doing..and then they cant say they werent informed.

[TimeTinker]

That was precisely my intent to liaise with them. The email was actually in response to:

"If you could offer any advice or assistance on what we can do to ensure the events success and make sure we are not in any way a burden on the City I would be very grateful.  We would be happy to come over to meet with you in Lincoln to discuss what we would like to do."

This is largely because the council has published a series of heavy handed documents stating that events organisers have to do certain things before running events in Lincoln.  However when you do what they ask you to do they then say they don't actually want to have anything to do with it.

The other problem is the grounds of the Lawns are actually owned by the Council so if we wanted to put anything on there we have to have their permission and support which is not going to be forthcoming.  (That is actually where their Christmas market is sited for example).

Yes it's apologetic but we tell them "we are doing another event, we don't want to cause any problems, can you meet with us to check our plans aren't going to cause problems" and get a  "sorry we don't have time" response. 

Not sure what else I can do.

[lady sakara]

Other than keep them informed, and make sure you have dated records of when you sent them information,So that even if they do not reply but then complain later on you have it all on record.
If they are not going to liaise with you..theres not much else you can do!

Anything vital, phone or appear in person usually gets attention.
scream like a toddler and fall to the ground....it seems to work for them.

[TimeTinker]

Keeping them informed and recording doing so is exactly what I intend to do.

Phone calls don't get through or are voicemailed which don't get replied to.

Turning up in person does not get you in the door since you don't have an appointment.

I've not tried throwing tantrums though so I will keep that one in reserve.