Thanks to everyone who has pre-registered. We currently have 17 registered delegates, from four nations (counting the UK as just one!). The maximum number of delegates will be limited by venue, so it will may not exceed 50, but we are happy with 30 to 40 our current estimate.
The wiki and foum are stil updated regularly so do check there, ro email me with questions. 
Thanks, cj
I hope people won't mind if i just revive this topic! IN many ways all is going well. I have managed to check the hall out, and while not glamorous, it's pretty good for our needs. Sadly I subsequently found I could have had a 13th century castle with full catering and beds for £35 a head, but hey maybe next year! As people had already booked accomodation before the cancellation which made that, my preferred venue possible, I could not do anything. It's about an hour further from everywhere than Chelt as well, so I'm glad I stuck with the current venue, which is easier to get with. We have six Ars Magica authors confirmed as in attendance now, though sadly not David who is of course in Japan. 
We have found a printer for the souvenir programmes, and welcome content for that, and amusingly also will have sets of coasters and keyrings for the event! Shape & Material bonuses for attendees!
I'm still concerned about the low numbers - we are curently hoping for 25 to 30, but pre-booking is about the 12 mark! Please bear in mind there is an upper limit of 50 delegates, and if you want to come do let me know. I'll fore off another email from the sagalocator forum in the next few days, but just wanted to let you know!
cj x
[size=150][color=blue]
Grand Tribunal 2007
Saturday November 17th
Cheltenham, UK
A Festival of Ars Magica[/size]
Including a freeform ars larp, ars boardgames, ars rpg sessions, medieval music and food and a Ars raffle of rarities!
People are welcome to arrive on the Friday night, and I will ensure that those staying till Sunday have plenty to do, but the main events are on the Saturday. It's possibly the first Ars Magica dedicated rpg convention ever, unless you know better?
Getting here
Trains from BRISTOL, CARDIFF and BIRMINGHAM are frequent, and all three have good AIRPORTS. A return railway ticket from these locations is currently about 18 Euro, and the trip takes under an hour and is simple with frequent trains. STANSTED and HEATHROW connect to Cheltenham via National Express coaches, but services are infrequent and difficult, and trains from London are expensive. From London Cheltenham is one and a half to two hours via car - M4 to Swindon turn off, then Cirencester, then Cheltenham. By bus there are many cut price deals available, and hopefully lifts can be arranged via the website when I get that far...
The Venues
Cheltenham is a sizeable town with excellent shopping and many superb bars and restaurants. We are currently arranging the friday night pub venue, where the storyteller and folk music will be in a private room, with a blues band upstairs we believe. The main gaming venue is a sizeable community centre with severla gaming rooms, situated five minutes from a 24 hour Tesco an ten minutes walk from teh city centre. We will endeavour to meet trains by request...
Accomodation
The forum below and wiki have notes on this.
Planned Itinerary - subject to change
Friday 16th - Ars Pub Meet - down the pub to talk Ars, with a folk band, a storyteller, and good real ale! Gaming space available.
Saturday 17th --GRAND TRIBUNAL
Morning will involve gathering in Cheltenham for a light lunch and a decent discussion. The event will now commence formally at 12 noon.
Afternoon Session 12 pm till 6pm
Choose from
6 pm Dinner - with Ars Panel discussion! Harass authors as they eat! Throw bread rolls at them for what they did to your fave house or tribunal! Also the Raffle for Ars and Atlas rarities is drawn
7pm : Ars Authors Panel Discussion
Various well know Ars folks (and CJ) discuss their favourite game! Featuring Sheila Thomas, Neil Taylor, CJ, Erik Dahl and Matt Ryan!
8pm till late - the Night session
Late night gaming, singing of Festive songs down the phone to David Chart , burning of authors you don't like in effigy, beer, and well Ars Magica or other Atlas games!
Midnight Ghost Walk For those interested on a spooky tour of Cheltenham by night!
Sunday Morning - the hangover session
8am till 12 noon - last minute gaming, meet for breakfast and general shopping for neglected WAGS and S'O's. Or last minute rpg gaming - you decide!
You can help!
if you would like to attend, or have an idea or event to hemp making this a "magical" experience do not hesitate to post it on the forum or email cj at chris.romer@blueyonder.co.uk (note new email address)
There will be a small charge for the actual con. Following much discussion we have finally decided to charge £5 pre-registration before October 31st, £8 on door. This supercedes all previously advertised prices. Pre-registered folks will receive some complimentary con goodies and be immortalised in the brochure as con supporters! Payment should be by paypal to chris.romer@blueyonder.co.uk and clearly marked with your name, email and Grand Tribunal!
Hope this is of interest - apologies for taking up list time! For those reading this on another format or forum, the site forum is part of my Saga Locator project at grandtribunal.ekkaia.org/
Do register if interested!
all the best
cj x
A subtle way of inviting our Dutch brethren to the event no doubt? 
That's certainly one way of making it a "magical" experience though! 
!
Hi chaps, just a very quick reminder that the event is now just one month away. Thanks to everyone who has pre-registered, our UK and USA guests of honour and the eagerly awaited Norwegian contingent! Planning is at an advanced stage, and I'm trying to work out how many folks will be there on the Friday night before the Con itself to see if i should get the decent folk band and storytellers i have planned. (it's costing me over £100 so I want to make sure a few people at least will enjoy this! )
So if you are coming, please do let me know - and I'm sure the forum will forgive a little discussion. Looking forward to it!
grandtribunal.ekkaia.org/ - wiki
cj x
Right chaps, it's less than a month away, and if you are coming on the event then we really must try and sort you out with characters for the freeform, and with goodies, and work out what we need for the raffle, and so forth. It's worse if you want to stay - accommodation has now filled up in the whole region, so we are having to spend a long time ringing round to find people places to stay. I'll happily do any of this for you, but I need to know if you are coming! Email chris.romer@blueyonder.co.uk or pm me. Cheers!
cj x
Just a quick update to say we are now in the final stages of preparation for the event in November in the UK, and our pleased to confirm some twenty plus delegates will be in attendance, including a sizeable international presence. Guests of Honour include Sheila Thomas, Neil Taylor, Erik Dahl, Matt Ryan and other well known Atlas writers and this will be the first ever Ars Magica dedicated con!
I won't name others attending in case they do not wish their Covenants to learn of their dealings with the Cheltenham mystae, but if you are coming please feel free to post here and say so! We have Norwegian, German and other delegates as well as those coming from the USA, and look forward to a fantastic weekend.
If you are interested in learning more check out earlier in this thread or pm or email me your questions!
cheers
cj x
Finally I do not seem able to come to such an event. I was hoping to be able to make room for it, but alas, it has not been possible 
Best wishes to all of you that can assist. And kudos to CJ again for preparing it!! All hail CJ! Next time..... 
Cheers,
Xavi
I'm sorry to hear that Xaxi, but I guess you are busy and it's expensive from Spain. Next year! If it's a success this year next year we plan to use a 13th century real castle with Youth Hostel accommodation inside and a nice hotel for those who want something more round the corner. Of course that assume I do not have a breakdown this time.
For those not familiar with the UK, or especially Gloucestershire, might I recommend the recent UK film Hot Fuzz (filmed in Wells just over the border down in Somerset actually, but set in Gloucestershire) which gives you a good idea of what rural England is like. It's practically a documentary in fact.
"For the Greater Good..."
cj x
You'll supply the packets of ketchup, I presume?
Matt
Bonum Commune Communitatis... Bonum Commune Communitatis... Bonum Commune Communitatis...
Well obviously Matt and Erik know exactly what to expect here in rural Gloucestershire already! Good to see they are well researched! Now I have a few problems with a living statue, oh that was last week - a bunch of live roleplayers wandering round town...
Yes, that film gives you a pretty good idea of the local scene.
cj x
Part of the verbal component for your Ritual spell to conjure a completely out of place Peace Officer perchance, Erik?
OK, just writing up the characters for the LARP. We have 22 registered folks - anyone else attending?
cj x