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The Durham University Treasure Trap Banquet 2014

The Durham University Treasure Trap Banquet 2014

Durham University Treasure Trap is proud to present a weekend of events to complement our annual banquet.

When and where?

The events will be taking place on the weekend of 21st-23rd February at Yorkshire Museum of Farming, Murton Park, York, YO19 5UF.

We will have full exclusive use of the site from Friday evening through to Sunday, including the Danelaw village, Roman fort and Tudor croft as well as the banquet hall and cafe.

Sleeping

Sleeping space will be available in two forms on each night:

  • Authentic accommodation in the Danelaw Village and Roman Fort;
  • crash-space in the centrally-heated main building.

If you would like to sleep in the Danelaw Village or Roman Fort, Bring warm clothes to sleep in, a good sleeping bag, as many furs and blankets as you own. There will be plenty of firewood available for building fires in the huts, and we will be appointing a fire officer to help people build fires. If you think that nevertheless you won’t be able to keep warm in an authentic building in February, we would recommend sleeping over in the main building.

Matthew Longworth has offered to sleep by the door of the main building with keys on Saturday night and to have his phone with him and number published, so emergency access to and from the main building will be possible throughout the night.

Quiet space

We have been given access to the museum’s library, which is upstairs in the main building and will be a quiet, warm retreat space for those who want it. Food and drink cannot be taken here and shoes must be removed. This is not a sleeping space. If you need a warm quiet space in the longer term, the fire officer will be able to help you build a fire in one of the houses; but once built you will be responsibile for monitoring the fire, which cannot be left unattended.

Pre-Banquet Bash

To make best use of the space, we are planning a non-linear event with multiple character parties and long-running NPCs. We’d like to know in advance if you would like to be part of this – let us know on the form. Also let us know if you’d be interested in helping to run this.

Clearup

To be able to make the event work, we expect all attendees to help clear up on Sunday to the best of their ability, and to help with setup if asked on Friday and Saturday. As with all Treasure Trap events, the banquet is run, staffed and cooked for by volunteers; some people pay less because they work instead of enjoying the banquet itself, but clearing up at the end of the event is everyone’s responsibility.

Capacity

Attendance will be strictly limited to 100 attendees due to venue size, so we encourage you to book early!

See more photos of the site.

Draft Weekend Schedule

Friday 21 February (optional)

  • Village access from 3pm, main building access from 4:30pm
  • Socialising, games, etc. in the main building and around the fire in the Tudor tavern
  • Wide games – Rebecca Lewis plans to run some games using the fields and fort if there are sufficient people
  • Sleep in the main building, the Danelaw village, the Roman fort

Saturday 22 February

  • 10am: Breakfast Cold breakfast foods will be available in the cafe for those who wish it.
  • Noon: Pre-banquet bash An epic adventure run on-site, specially written to use the Danelaw village, Tudor croft and Roman fort
  • 6pm: Reception Mulled cider, mulled apple juice, and medieval hors d’ouevres
  • 6.30pm: Dancing Traditional ceilidh dancing with Chris Wagstaffe and the St Nicholas Ceilidh Band
  • 8pm: The Banquet! Served by Durham’s expert medieval caterers, Serve It Forth. See an example of a Serve It Forth menu.
  • 11pm: Fire Display by Robbie Glendinning, Will Thorley and their team
  • Eventually: Sleep either in the centrally heated banquet building; or in the Danelaw village, Tudor croft and Roman fort

Sunday 23 February

  • 10am: Breakfast A cooked breakfast will be served in the cafe.
  • 10:30am: Clearup – we need to leave the site as we found it, so will expect everyone’s help insofar as possible in undoing whatever mess we have made.
  • Noon (or when enough clearup is done): The Tournament, featuring epic battles of might between the finest sword-arms of Durholme – who will take the title of Champion and Weaponsmaster?
  • Throughout: Site clearup
  • As you please: Depart