Venue, Transport & Accommodation
Quick links to:
Conference venue
The Halls, St Andrew’s Plain. Norwich, NR3 1AU
Tel: + 44 (0) 1603 628477
www.standrewshall.co.uk
St Andrew’s and Blackfriars’ Halls were built over 600 years ago and were the home of the Dominican friars. Now fully restored, they make a totally unique setting for the Conference, conveniently located in the city centre, with adjacent car-parking
About the city
The capital of East Anglia is a medieval city which has constantly invested in new architecture. Our Conference venue is amongst the prime examples of historic and interesting buildings which Norwich has to offer. Others include the 900 year old Norman Castle, the art nouveau Royal Arcade and the flint-built Guildhall. The city’s newest public building is the Forum which houses "Origins": a multi-million pound heritage visitor attraction, the finest public library in the country, the tourist information centre and a variety of places to eat.
If buildings aren’t your thing, then perhaps the shops can tempt you? Norwich has one of the highest proportions of small independent shops as well as big names and a new Mall – Chapelfield. Try Digby’s Chocolaterie in the Arcade, Brambles for gifts and Kettle of Fish in St Benedicts for handmade art. Wander through the Rambles of Pottergate and Bedford Street and you will find countless interesting places to shop. The UK’s largest open-air market is in Norwich and is open 6 days a week.
To round it all off there is vast array of restaurants, wine bars, nightclubs and cinemas which have recently burst onto the scene. More traditionally, Norwich is renowned for its plentiful supply of pubs serving ales.
Norwich also provides an ideal base from which to explore the Norfolk Broads, as well as the region’s market towns and villages, coast and attractions. Board trips on the Norfolk Broads are the traditional way to enjoy this picturesque landscape of marshes and fen and there are even city center river trips of Norwich to enjoy.
There is so much to do and enjoy in Norwich that you may well wish to extend your stay and invite your friends and family to join you. Do take this opportunity to visit this lovely area.
Helpful websites
www.visitnorwich.co.uk
www.norwich.gov.uk
www.norfolkcoast.co.uk
Insurance
Neither the Organising Committee, the Conference venue nor the Organisers can accept responsibility for any loss or injury relating to participants. All participants are recommended to obtain their own travel insurance policy for their trip.
Norwich transportation
By Air
Norwich is home to a major regional
airport (Norwich International Airport)
with international connections via
Amsterdam (Schipol) and internal UK
flights from Manchester, Edinburgh,
Aberdeen, Dublin and Cardiff. For more
information contact Norwich Airport on
+ 44 (0) 1603 411923 or refer to
www.norwichairport.co.uk or
www.norwichinternational.com
Norwich International Airport is 4 miles from the city centre with a regular bus service to the city centre (taxi approximately £5).
London Stansted Airport is within easy
reach by road, approximately 65 miles
away. The cost for a taxi to Norwich city
centre is approximately £80 each way
(pre-booked). An airport bus runs to
Norwich every 2 hours at a cost of
approximately £25 return. More
information at
www.nationalexpress.com
By Car
Major trunk roads to the Norwich area
are the M11, A11, A12, A140 and A14
from London, the South East of
England, ferry ports and the Channel
Tunnel. The A14, A11, A47, A17 and A1
serve the Midlands and the North.
Norwich's park and ride service is the
most convenient way of getting into
the city centre. For routes and further
information on the park and ride
scheme please refer to
www.passengertransport.norfolk.gov.uk
To find the best route please refer to
www.multimap.com
www.streetmap.co.uk or
maps.google.co.uk
Parking
A range of carparks in the city centre
are available. Refer to our map below
or to this website address for further
information:
www.norwich.gov.uk/ (pdf)
A new carpark is now available on St Andrew’s Street, very close to our Conference venue, offering 1084 spaces including 52 for the disabled, at a cost of £5 per day (5am to 6.30pm) and £1.50 for the evening (from 6.30pm).
By Coach
Daily services from all major cities are
operated by National Express. For
more information contact
www.nationalexpress.com
By Rail
From London: Trains depart from Liverpool Street at least hourly. Journey time is around 1hr 50 minutes. Connecting services from the Midlands, North of England and Scotland are via Peterborough. 'one' also operates a direct service between Cambridge and Norwich, which takes approximately 70 minutes. The main train companies are Central Trains and one. Please contact the National Railways Enquiry line for more information tel: 08457 48 49 50 or www.nationalrail.co.uk
Accommodation
The Organisers have made block bookings with hotels as local to St Andrew’s and Blackfriars’ Halls as possible. Many of the hotels in Norwich are small, so early booking is recommended. Your mode of travel may also have a large bearing on the style of accommodation that you wish to book: if you are travelling by car, some of the very nice "country" hotels surrounding the city may appeal to you. All requests for accommodation must be received on the Registration Form with appropriate payment (this may be in the form of a credit card guarantee). All rates are inclusive of breakfast and value added tax, unless otherwise stated. To book your accommodation you may provide either:
- your credit card number (the card will NOT be charged by the Conference
Secretariat and will be forwarded to the hotel, who will charge it on your arrival or
departure. If you fail to arrive, a charge may be made by the hotel, according to the
hotel’s cancellation policy)
or - a deposit of 1 night’s stay at your hotel The accommodation account (less the deposit paid including any extras) is payable by you directly to the hotel on your departure. A receipt for all accommodation costs will be available from your hotel on departure.
Please Note:
- Accommodation cannot be guaranteed after 20th March 2006 as allocations will need to be returned to the hotels. Where allocations are filled, the Organisers will make an equivalent substitution if possible
- Cancellations: All accommodation alterations or cancellations must be submitted in writing to the Conference Secretariat. Any cancellations after 20th March will incur a loss of one night’s deposit.
- All guarantees – either one night’s deposit or a credit card number must be received 14 days prior to the Conference. If neither a credit card nor a deposit is received by this date, then your accommodation will be released.
- In order for transfer of funds to hotels to take place, all payments must be received 14 days ahead of the Conference. Payments not received 14 days prior will be refunded to the delegate by the Conference Secretariat and the hotel will have to be paid direct by the delegate.
Guidance on discounted late bookings
The Organisers have endeavoured to obtain the best rates possible. However, it may be possible for individuals to obtain cheaper rates if bookings are made shortly before the Conference, either via agencies on the Internet or direct to a hotel. If you decide to make your own arrangements for accommodation, your request for rates for late bookings should be directed to the hotel of your choice and will be subject to availability.
HOTELS
Our hotels have been selected because they are conveniently situated for the Conference venue (see map). All rooms have en-suite facilities, telephone and other facilities expected of the crown/star rating allocated (see Registration Form). Please note that there are block bookings in place. However bookings will be made on a first come, first served basis. We will aim to provide you with your first choice of hotel, however, this cannot be guaranteed. Please note that all rooms include breakfast, unless otherwise specified.
There is a wide range of bed and breakfast venues also available. For more information on accommodation options, refer to www.visitnorwich.co.uk/HotelSearch.jsp
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