Greetings, soon-to-be partakers of a very exciting celebration! As promised (though a little late due to the stresses and strains of dress adjustments and the all-important shoe hunting), here are directions for both venues, and hopefully all the little idiosyncrasies of Kenilworth's traffic system you may need to know...
Unless you live very nearby (and therefore probably need no directions), you will most likely be approaching Kenilworth from the A46, either having come North via the M5/M40, or south via the M1/M6/M42.
***Part One***In Which We Find Our Way To The Church***
Exit the A46 at the Leamington Junction (also signposted Kenilworth nearer the exit). If you're coming from the south, this is the SECOND exit signposted Leamington, so make sure not to come off too early. From the south, take the first exit on the roundabout; if you're travelling from the north, it's the third exit.
This road takes you directly into the bottom of town after less than a minute's drive. You'll hit a large roundabout with a garage in the middle of it; take the second exit which is signposted "town centre". Town centre traffic can be rather stop-start, but it is a straightforward drive right up to the clock tower where you also take the second exit straight across the roundabout and up a hill.
The road curves sharply to the right past a war memorial, and will take you around the outside of Abbey Fields with another curve to the left down the hill. St Nicholas Church is on your left shortly after the zebra crossing; turn left onto the track and then take an immediate right into the carpark. There is plenty of space for parking, and the vergers/ushers will help you if you get stuck!
***Part Two***In Which We Find Our Way To Bearley Village Hall***
The village of Bearley is a twenty minute drive from Kenilworth, and it will take another five minutes to get out of the town, so we suggest that those attending the reception leave fairly soon after the ceremony in order to get there before all the mulled wine goes cold! (Well, it will be being kept warm, but you know what I mean...) Don't be worried about the distance; it's a very straightforward journey.
Firstly, head back to the A46 junction at the bottom of Kenilworth, and join the A46 heading south toward Stratford and Warwick.
After a few miles the road divides - take the right fork for Stratford. The road curves around under a bridge; when you reach the roundabout you need to go straight across, continuing to follow the A46 toward Stratford.
Once you have driven over the motorway bridge you'll come to another, smaller roundabout, at which you also need to follow the A46 (second exit).
Less than two miles from this point, you need to take the right turn signposted Snitterfield/Norton Lindsey (it's as you go up a hill). Once you've turned off the main road, take an immediate left and follow the road a short way to the Memorial where you take the right turn into the village of Snitterfield.
The route is very straightforward from here - follow the road right through the village, into the countryside where you'll pass a Gliding Club, and into the village of Bearley itself. The Village Hall is right at the end of the road, through the village, on the right. There will be a large sign up outside, but if you get to a T-junction you've gone a little too far and need to turn around. Hopefully the lights and sign will help you get it right first time!
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We're counting down the days now (15!) until we get to share our day with you all, and we really can't wait to see you there. Lots of love,
Stan and Amber
Thursday 25 November 2010
Tuesday 9 November 2010
Gift List
Hi everyone,
just a quick post to let you know that we've finally got our gift list together - we really couldn't think of many things to put on it, as our flat is only small and we had to consider what we could fit in! Here is the link:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/registry/wedding/2VC2YSEBGZUOK
Alternatively you can log on to amazon.co.uk and search for our list by surname (Coakes or Barker will work). If you can't find anything you want to get us on the list but would still like to give us something, any monetary gifts will be very gratefully received and put toward bigger bits of furniture that we need in the future.
Looking forward to seeing you all in just over a month!
just a quick post to let you know that we've finally got our gift list together - we really couldn't think of many things to put on it, as our flat is only small and we had to consider what we could fit in! Here is the link:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/registry/wedding/2VC2YSEBGZUOK
Alternatively you can log on to amazon.co.uk and search for our list by surname (Coakes or Barker will work). If you can't find anything you want to get us on the list but would still like to give us something, any monetary gifts will be very gratefully received and put toward bigger bits of furniture that we need in the future.
Looking forward to seeing you all in just over a month!
Thursday 28 October 2010
FAQ - timing, dancing, etc
Hello all,
As is inevitable with any event, there are certain details which it does not occur to one to divulge, until someone comes along and asks about them. So for all you uber-organised people out there who prefer an itinerary to a rough sketch, hopefully you'll find your questions answered here. If not, please feel free to give us a call or add your question(s) as a comment to this post.
What's happening in the evening?
The plan is for all those guests who are not at the reception to join us at Bearley Village Hall any time from 7pm. We will have drinks, seasonal nibbles, a disco, and if you're lucky you might witness something terribly embarrassing like a first dance or a cake-cutting episode gone wrong...
Will there be live music?
Sadly the band we wanted were not free and we couldn't book another, but we will have a fantastic DJ, and possibly a few special performances from some of our musically-gifted friends.
What time will everything be finishing?
We have the hall booked until midnight, but as the party starts at 7pm and time needs to be left for the lovely people who are clearing up, things will probably wind down about 10.30pm. The offshoot of the 7pm start is that, should you need to leave early to relieve babysitters or return home for work the next day, you shouldn't miss out on much.
Can I get there by train?
Both Leamington Spa and Coventry Stations are only a 15min drive from the wedding venue, and regular services run from most parts of the country. You'll need to get a taxi or bus into Kenilworth itself, but if you ask nicely a friend who's going may be able to pick you up :) We recommend the Cross Country Trains website for booking and good ticket deals.
Is there going to be a bar?
Our venue doesn't have a bar, but we will of course be providing soft drinks throughout the afternoon and evening, and mulled wine on arrival for those coming to the reception. If you would like wine or beer etc then you are welcome to bring your own.
That's all on the FAQ for now, but if there's anything we've missed, let us know!
As is inevitable with any event, there are certain details which it does not occur to one to divulge, until someone comes along and asks about them. So for all you uber-organised people out there who prefer an itinerary to a rough sketch, hopefully you'll find your questions answered here. If not, please feel free to give us a call or add your question(s) as a comment to this post.
What's happening in the evening?
The plan is for all those guests who are not at the reception to join us at Bearley Village Hall any time from 7pm. We will have drinks, seasonal nibbles, a disco, and if you're lucky you might witness something terribly embarrassing like a first dance or a cake-cutting episode gone wrong...
Will there be live music?
Sadly the band we wanted were not free and we couldn't book another, but we will have a fantastic DJ, and possibly a few special performances from some of our musically-gifted friends.
What time will everything be finishing?
We have the hall booked until midnight, but as the party starts at 7pm and time needs to be left for the lovely people who are clearing up, things will probably wind down about 10.30pm. The offshoot of the 7pm start is that, should you need to leave early to relieve babysitters or return home for work the next day, you shouldn't miss out on much.
Can I get there by train?
Both Leamington Spa and Coventry Stations are only a 15min drive from the wedding venue, and regular services run from most parts of the country. You'll need to get a taxi or bus into Kenilworth itself, but if you ask nicely a friend who's going may be able to pick you up :) We recommend the Cross Country Trains website for booking and good ticket deals.
Is there going to be a bar?
Our venue doesn't have a bar, but we will of course be providing soft drinks throughout the afternoon and evening, and mulled wine on arrival for those coming to the reception. If you would like wine or beer etc then you are welcome to bring your own.
That's all on the FAQ for now, but if there's anything we've missed, let us know!
Monday 25 October 2010
Hello! and Places to Stay
Hi everyone, and welcome to the cyber-home of our wedding preparations. Sorry to you keen beans who got here before I did and found it empty – I could use last week’s business trip as an excuse but that one’s wearing thin now. (Although if anyone’s interested, evening flights into Stansted are not recommended unless you have a pre-determined plan for getting home. And we will NOT be flying Ryanair for our honeymoon).
Anyway, first post, general info – what would you like to know? Date time and venue are pretty clear by now, I hope, but I’ll be putting up some general directions for both in due course. Perhaps more urgently for those travelling any distance, a few places you can stay. The following come recommended either from people up here or research I’ve already done:
The
The Holiday Inn – a bit more modern, obviously, and with 4 stars (no idea if it has something to do with what they call an ‘a la carte pillow menu’). You definitely won’t get lost trying to find it as it’s the tallest building on the main street, situated right at the top of town just across Abbey Fields from the church. It also has an on-site Starbucks – just don’t get coffee on your glad-rags.
Castle Laurels Guest House – another little historical spot, this time Victorian, very close to
Ramada Hotel
Hollyhurst Guest House – this is a cute little B&B which also has a family room, and is only a ten-minute walk from the church. All the bedrooms and facilities are on the first floor, so if you have mobility problems you may be better off somewhere else. Website: http://www.hollyhurstguesthouse.co.uk/index.html
Abbey Guest House – also only a ten-minute walk from the church, this place has off-street parking which most of the B&Bs don’t (if that’s the sort of thing that makes you happy!). They’re also quite flexible about arrival and departure times, which is handy if you need a post-wedding lie-in… Website: http://www.abbeyguesthouse.com/index.html
Well I hope that’s enough to help you all out! If you’ll excuse me, I need to go and sort out the menu…
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