Ray (much higher up) said:

music song dance and storytelling yes impossible really in week end

I haven't been (for a number of complicated reasons) since it started calling itself the 'national' but was there from the beginning when the EFDSS ran it at Keele and then Loughborough. I know only from hearsay how it has evolved but back then we managed all the above plus 24-hour sessions under the stairs.

And I agree with McGrath about how unrealistic (and expensive) it is to insist on a venue with bedrooms on tap (as it were). OK, in the past we piled in, 19 or so to a room, but I suppose H&S/Fire Regs have put a stop to that. And because of changes in academic terms, it only going to become more and more difficult (and thus more expensive) to secure this sort of campus venue.

What dance teams tend to do is, in addition to campsite accommodation, is to block-book backpackers' hostels which are cheap, cheerful and adequate. York, for example, a 'northern' city easily accessible from everywhere (but two hours by train from London), has several of these, many excellent performance venues and a thriving local scene.

Just some thoughts. Nowt to do with me, really.