Sussex BCUK Meet for DECEMBER: weekend of 14th/15th - Full Xmass dinner on a campfire

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Neumo

Full Member
Jul 16, 2009
1,675
0
West Sussex
Time for the Christmas meet, as another year rolls round. The plan with this one is to celebrate the Christmas holiday with a full turkey dinner, with stuffing, multi vegetables, gravy & with Christmas pudding for dinner. We have done this twice before now. It would be good to get an idea of who can come, so we know what we will need for the group meal on the Saturday night.

The plan is to have a list of things we think we will need to feed everyone, with each person putting their name against something that they will bring along. We can chip in for the big things like the turkey if we want to. So there will be a list below the usual attendees list of things that I think we will need. Please pick some things from the list if you are coming & want to share in the meal, putting your name against it. Please feel free to add anything else to the list if you think it will be popular (within the bounds of good taste).

We will need lots of Dutch Ovens to cook things in; we had several in a stack last year & could have done with more, so if you have one can you bring it. We will also need lots of other pots to cook veggies in, make gravy etc.. Plus we will need lots of charcoal when we do the dutch oven tower again and for Trashcan Turkey if do that method, so if you can bring a bag of charcoal with you (briquettes preferred) then that would help a lot. We will probably need 4 or 5 bags of it & I have a couple to get things started.

We need to decide on how we cook the turkey, which could be inside a big container (like last years Trash-can Turkey), we could do a crown in a large dutch oven, spit roast it on my electric spit (would takes a long time) etc... Let me know what you think. I liked last years one if we can find a suitable container to act as a huge Dutch Oven.


The usual rules & regulations are here:




Pitch A13, which is a new pitch. PLEASE SEE MAP FOR LOCATION:

http://www.broadstonewarren.org.uk/index.php/site_plan/


General Details
Location of the Campsite & details of the Venue Broadstone Warren is a Scout site situated in the Ashdown Forest in the North of Sussex, midway between the South Coast and London. The site which is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) comprises 386 acres of the Ashdown Forest with campsites situated throughout the woodland in many of the glades.




How to get there
http://www.broadstonewarren.org.uk/index.php/find_us/




By Road
From the M25 - Leave the M25 at junction 8 following the M23 southbound towards Brighton. Leave the M23 at junction 10, and take the first exit on the roundabout along the A264 towards East Grinstead. When you get into East Grinstead, follow the A22 southbound towards Eastbourne. Remain on the A22, straight through Forest Row. Broadstone Warren is on the left-hand side approximately 2 miles south of Forest Row.
From the South - Follow the A22 northbound crossing the crossroads at Wych Cross (just after the Roebuck Hotel). The main entrance is approximately 500 metres after the junction on the right-hand side.




SAT-NAV - If using Sat-Nav, the postcode for the site is RH18 5JS. As you get close to the site, you need to look out for the signs as the same postcode is used for a number of local properties.




By Rail: The nearest train station is at East Grinstead, which is approximately a fifty minute train journey from London Victoria. When arriving at East Grinstead Broadstone Warren is a bus journey or ten minute taxi ride away.




By Bus: Bus services pass Broadstone Warren from East Grinstead, Uckfield and Haywards Heath.




Times & Car Parking
You can stay the Friday night if you want, although the main meet starts on Saturday Morning & normally goes to lunchtime or mid afternoon on the Sunday.When you arrive on site you can drive to the pitch to unload but then please put your car back in the main car park; unless we have a pitch near the Ranger's car park at the end of the main dirt road in which case use that. Please be aware that you need to pay for each 24 hour period you are on site, so if you arrive at 12am on Friday & stay after 12am on Sunday then you need to pay for 3 days.


Fees
We have managed to get the discounted day rate of £4.92. Please note that this is charged on a 24 hour basis , so if you arrive on the Saturday & leave on the Sunday after being there for more than 24 hours then you need to pay for 2 days. Sorry but that is their rules. They like the organiser to collect all the fees & pay the bill, which Neumo normally does, but if he is not around then one of the regulars needs to sort this out.




You are welcome to come down for the day if you can't stay over, for which the site charges a day visit fee of £2.50


What we do at the meets
This is an opportunity to meet some local(ish) Bushcrafters, camp out with like minded people & practice/learn some skills. We have had a handful of these meets before, some at other venues, but they mostly follow the same pattern. We tend to do as much or as little as you want but try to have a few sessions where anyone can take part if they want; these are usually things like different ways to make fires, carving, tree id etc.. We cook on the shared fire, often having a communal meal & have tea on the go all the time. We have a few beers round the campfire in the evening but tend not to stay up too much past midnight as others are often asleep by then & we tend to get up early when you wake up in the woods, usually round 7 (although some sleep on for a bit).




What to bring & Food
We spend quite a lot of time sitting round the fire under the parachute or a tarp, so a CHAIR is a good thing to have. Tea/Coffee making stuff & a mug are the other essential things to have. People tend to self cater so bring enough food to feed yourself for the weekend. There are shops in Forest Row where you can resupply if needed.




The other important stuff


WATER: Standpipes are located at various points around the site. Sometimes in winter there is no water on a pitch but that is rare. Brining a water container is not a bad idea as sometimes we pitch up the hill from the taps.


FIREWOOD: There is ample wood for burning lying around the forest. Under NO circumstances is live wood to be cut or damaged. Chain saws are NOT permitted on the site. Some pitches are better than others but we always find enough wood. Bringing a bow saw is a good idea if you have one.


PITS: Due to the nature of the ground on site NO pits of any type may be dug.


VEHICLES: NO vehicles are to be driven onto the camp sites or parked on the rides other than with the Duty Manager’s permission. On arrival you may be allowed to unload your equipment at your site after which you must park your vehicle in the car park allocated. At the end of your stay, after receiving the Duty Manager’s permission, you will be allowed to take your vehicle to your site to load up your equipment. Please note that if it has been raining a lot then the office may decide to close access to the pitches by locking the gates; this is done to protect the rides.


CYCLES: To comply with the Forestry Commissions Laws and Natural England, cycles are NOT permitted on the site.


DOGS: NO pets of any description are allowed on site. Sorry but that is the site rules.


NOISE / NUISANCE / Anti-social Behaviour: As the consideration for other users is paramount, music players, radios and the like must not be audible off your own site. Noise must be kept to a minimum between 11pm and 7.30am. Unacceptable behaviour by any users on site will not be tolerated. Unacceptable behaviour includes: Bad language that causes others to be seriously offend; Trespassing; Vandalism; Consumption of alcohol by minors/excessive consumption by adults; Illegal substance use; Setting fires (with the intent to cause damage); Acting in a way that may cause danger to self or others.


Verbal, Emotional, Physical or Sexual Abuse etc... will not be tolerated, neither will people who constantly bring these topics up in conversation. This is a scout site full of children so participants need to realise that what they say round a campfire may be overheard & reacted to in a very different way from how they think their 'banter' will be recieved by the people they are talking to. We are not trying stop people enjoying themselves but some topics of conversation are not appropriate for a scout camp, so we are asking that common sense be used here. Please see the disclaimer below. We will be keeping an eye on this from now on.


SECURITY: In the interest of security we would recommend that you do not leave any valuables in tents or buildings.


RUBBISH: Recycling facilities for glass, cans and tins are located at Camp Centre. Please clean all glassware, cans and tins before disposal. All combustible rubbish, where practicable should be burned. All other rubbish should be brought to camp centre and placed in the bins provided, or taken home for disposal.


FIRE: Fire is to stay within the main fireplace, unless people are being taught how to make fire under appropriate adult supervision. This is mainly aimed at kids, as we need to be careful where embers land away from the main fire for obvious reasons. This excludes personal hobos, gas cookers etc.. which are the owners responsibility when operating.


Bringing Guests: If you bring a guest to a meet or invite them then you are responsible for them until they become an established member of the group, which will be after 2 visits. We have been asked to add this rule in by BCUK. This especially applies to bringing other peoples children. The person who brings the children to the meet are responsible for them & their safety at all times.


Disclaimer:
In the highly unlikely event that we need to make use of this ... we reserve the right to stop any individual(s) from attending a Meet.
Any individual(s) who we feel endanger our future use of the site will be required to leave the site; outstanding fees will still be owed. This also applies if the site staff have problems with an individual. This is needed to protect BCUK, the organisers and the other attendees of these meets if someone does something that is felt to be dangerous to the any of the above groups or could stop us using the site in the future. If someone is banned then please respect the decision, even if you do not agree with it, as it will be have been discussed with the Mods whose decision is final.


* Forum members are responsible for themselves, the kit they use and their own actions (and any non member accompanying them) at the Meet.


* Under 18's must be accompanied by at least one parent (or appointed guardian).


Please note: Camping at the site by registering using the Sussex BCUK name when not at one of the advertised meets is not allowed. Sorry but you should only be able to book a pitch on Broadstone Warren as a registered user of the site & we don't want to lose our use of the site due to anything happening outside of a regular monthly meet.


Hope to see you round the campfire soon
 
Last edited:

Neumo

Full Member
Jul 16, 2009
1,675
0
West Sussex
As per usual, please add your name to the list after you have copied the last version:

1 Neumo
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

------------------------------
* Christmas Dinner items *
------------------------------
Can you pick one or more of these, put your name against it & bring it along. I will look at getting a Suitable Turkey when I have an idea of numbers...

Turkey (Big) - Neumo
Potatoes -
Peas -
Sprouts -
Other Veg -
Stuffing -
Sausages in Bacon -
Gravey -
+
Christmas Pudding (Big) -
Brandy Butter -
Brandy Sauce -
+
Mince Pies -
other Christmas food -

Muld wine (Big..) -










 

Dave-the-rave

Settler
Feb 14, 2013
638
1
minsk
Well if the beer's going to be served that warm I'm not coming.
th
 

spandit

Bushcrafter through and through
Jul 6, 2011
5,594
308
East Sussex, UK
As per usual, please add your name to the list after you have copied the last version:

1 Neumo
2 spandit (probably) - can bring my big stainless barrel again or lend it if I'm not there
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

------------------------------
* Christmas Dinner items *
------------------------------
Can you pick one or more of these, put your name against it & bring it along. I will look at getting a Suitable Turkey when I have an idea of numbers...

Turkey (Big) - Neumo
Potatoes -
Peas -
Sprouts -
Other Veg -
Stuffing -
Sausages in Bacon - spandit
Gravy -
+
Christmas Pudding (Big) -
Brandy Butter -
Brandy Sauce -
+
Mince Pies -
other Christmas food -

Mulled wine (Big..) -
 

Neumo

Full Member
Jul 16, 2009
1,675
0
West Sussex
spandit (probably) - can bring my big stainless barrel again or lend it if I'm not there

That would be fantastic if we could borrow that, as last years turkey was very nice. You don't happen to remember what that bird weighed do you?
 

Shadyady

Tenderfoot
Aug 21, 2013
63
0
Brighton
OK, Jo and I will bring the veg - we should be there circa 2-230 as usual. If we eat at 6/6:30 should be plenty of time to cook it all. Will bring stuffing and gravy also but it will be the instant type - if there are any bushcrafters coming who have Michelin Stars then do feel free to make your own and take over these items.

1 Neumo
2 spandit (probably) - can bring my big stainless barrel again or lend it if I'm not there
3 Adrian Sat/Sun
4 Jo Sat/Sun
5
6
7
8
9
10

------------------------------
* Christmas Dinner items *
------------------------------
Can you pick one or more of these, put your name against it & bring it along. I will look at getting a Suitable Turkey when I have an idea of numbers...

Turkey (Big) - Neumo
Potatoes - Adrian/Jo
Peas - Adrian/Jo
Sprouts - Adrian/Jo
Other Veg - Adrian/Jo - carrots/parsnips
Stuffing - Adrian/Jo
Sausages in Bacon - spandit
Gravy - Adrian/Jo
+
Christmas Pudding (Big) -
Brandy Butter -
Brandy Sauce -
+
Mince Pies - Adrian/Jo
other Christmas food -

Mulled wine (Big..) -
 

veryWildbill

Nomad
Aug 15, 2010
325
0
west sussex
1 Neumo
2 spandit (probably) - can bring my big stainless barrel again or lend it if I'm not there
3 Adrian Sat/Sun
4 Jo Sat/Sun
5 Bill
6
7
8
9
10

------------------------------
* Christmas Dinner items *
------------------------------
Can you pick one or more of these, put your name against it & bring it along. I will look at getting a Suitable Turkey when I have an idea of numbers...

Turkey (Big) - Neumo
Potatoes - Adrian/Jo
Peas - Adrian/Jo
Sprouts - Adrian/Jo
Other Veg - Adrian/Jo - carrots/parsnips
Stuffing - Adrian/Jo
Sausages in Bacon - spandit
Gravy - Adrian/Jo
+
Christmas Pudding (Big) -
Brandy Butter -
Brandy Sauce -
+
Mince Pies - Adrian/Jo
other Christmas food - sausage rolls- Bill

Mulled wine (Big..) -
 

spandit

Bushcrafter through and through
Jul 6, 2011
5,594
308
East Sussex, UK
My (probably) has come to fruition unfortunately, so I can't be there on Saturday. An evening meal was not what I expected anyway or are you having Sunday lunch?

1 Neumo
2 - can't make Saturday now -
3 Adrian Sat/Sun
4 Jo Sat/Sun
5 Bill
6
7
8
9
10

------------------------------
* Christmas Dinner items *
------------------------------
Can you pick one or more of these, put your name against it & bring it along. I will look at getting a Suitable Turkey when I have an idea of numbers...

Turkey (Big) - Neumo
Potatoes - Adrian/Jo
Peas - Adrian/Jo
Sprouts - Adrian/Jo
Other Veg - Adrian/Jo - carrots/parsnips
Stuffing - Adrian/Jo
Sausages in Bacon -
Gravy - Adrian/Jo
+
Christmas Pudding (Big) -
Brandy Butter -
Brandy Sauce -
+
Mince Pies - Adrian/Jo
other Christmas food - sausage rolls- Bill

Mulled wine (Big..) -
 

Leather Owl

Full Member
Jan 7, 2013
38
0
Arundel, West Sussex
Hi Guys, Just thought I would let you know that I will have to take a rain check on the December meet. I was looking forward to it especially with the Christmas meal. I having spent the last 3 days in bed with Flu and now I have a chest infection. Can not see this clearing up by the weekend plus sleeping out would not be a sensible thing to do.......so I'm told! Anyway guys hope you have a great meal and enjoy the meet!
Tony
 

veryWildbill

Nomad
Aug 15, 2010
325
0
west sussex
Sorry to hear you'r poorly Tony, I know what thats like. Get well soon.

Robin: Shame about your probably. I think there may be an ointment you can get

Dave: I'll book the dancing girls for 7 on saturday. That'll be 2 each at this rate
:)


1 Neumo
2 - can't make Saturday now -
3 Adrian Sat/Sun
4 Jo Sat/Sun
5 Bill
6
7
8
9
10

------------------------------
* Christmas Dinner items *
------------------------------
Can you pick one or more of these, put your name against it & bring it along. I will look at getting a Suitable Turkey when I have an idea of numbers...

Turkey (Big) - Neumo
Potatoes - Adrian/Jo
Peas - Adrian/Jo
Sprouts - Adrian/Jo
Other Veg - Adrian/Jo - carrots/parsnips
Stuffing - Adrian/Jo
Sausages in Bacon - Bill
Gravy - Adrian/Jo
+
Christmas Pudding (Big) -
Brandy Butter -
Brandy Sauce -
+
Mince Pies - Bill
other Christmas food - sausage rolls- Bill

Mulled wine (Big..) -
 

Neumo

Full Member
Jul 16, 2009
1,675
0
West Sussex
Shame you can not come & hope you get well soon Tony. There is a lot of nasty flue around at the moment, as a few friends are down with it.

Looks like it might be a quiet gathering if there will only be 4 of us. If Adrian & Joe are coming on the Saturday then I may arrive on the Saturady as well, depending on what Bill's plans are. Just a thought.
 

Shadyady

Tenderfoot
Aug 21, 2013
63
0
Brighton
Indeed,

Jo and I will get the veg today probably so we'll buy for 4. With Bills mince Pies do we need a Christmas pudding ?

There are some great pics up from the surrey group btw, much as I think you guys did last year,

Adrian
 

Dark Horse Dave

Full Member
Apr 5, 2007
1,739
71
Surrey / South West London
Indeed,

Jo and I will get the veg today probably so we'll buy for 4. With Bills mince Pies do we need a Christmas pudding ?

There are some great pics up from the surrey group btw, much as I think you guys did last year,

Adrian

Surrey group Adrian? I haven't come across that lot. Can you tell me anything about them?

Have a great Xmas dinner btw one and all, and sorry I can't join you

Regards

Dave
 

Shadyady

Tenderfoot
Aug 21, 2013
63
0
Brighton
Bill reliably informs me he has been pitched on a13 for any last minute peoples who might be foraging for a Christmas meal this weekend.

Adrian
 

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