CoBra (Essex) -- Saturday 2 November 2019
Posted: Thu Jul 11, 2019 7:51 pm
FOCAL comes to the market town of Braintree in Essex this November — and this will be the last event on the 2019 circuit before the FOCAL Finals three weeks later.
Date: Saturday 2 November 2019
Venue: White Hart Hotel, Braintree, Essex CM7 9AB [see on map]; [website];
B&B accommodation available.
Admission: £12pp or £20 for two; further discounts available for larger groups
Start time: Doors open 10:30 for Round 1 draw at 11:15
Parking on site? Yes, chargeable
Lunch provided? No
Accommodation available? Yes
Finish time: 18:00
Host: Jeff Clayton – jeff@focalcountdown.co.uk
Games to be played: 6, plus Grand Final
Wheelchair accessible?: Yes
Train connections: Braintree station – direct from London Liverpool Street, or change at Witham off main line services from Ipswich and Norwich.
Bus connections: First 70 from Chelmsford or Colchester, Arriva 133 from Stansted Airport.
This tournament will take place in one of the town’s oldest buildings, the White Hart, dating back to the early 16th century. Its rustic, warming vibe provides the perfect setting for wiling away an autumn day.
Getting to the venue
If you’re coming by car, the pub has parking on site but it is chargeable (and this is enforced). Other car parks are available nearby at ground level on Manor Street (CM7 3HW, by the Town Hall) or George Yard Shopping Centre (CM7 1GF, multi-storey). Both are short walks from the venue.
Braintree has a direct rail service from London Liverpool Street, then it’s a 15-minute walk through the centre of town up to the White Hart. Super off-peak discounted fares are usually available from Abellio Greater Anglia on Saturdays.
If you’re coming from the Midlands, the North, or even further afield, there’s an hourly bus 133 to/from Stansted Airport which stops right by the venue.
When do I need to be there?
Doors open from 10:30 and you can enjoy a hot drink from the bar before we get underway at 11:15. After introductions, we’ll generate a random draw for the first round matches.
How does it work?
We’ll be using what’s the Lincoln format and all matches will consists of nine rounds.
We’ll stop for lunch after Round 1 towards 12:45 — you can either order something off the menu, or take a stroll towards Sainsbury’s, or the High Street, with an array of coffee shops and cafés. The Saturday market will also be in full flow down towards the Town Hall — all a short walk away.
There’ll be another short break after Round 2 towards 14:45, then again after Round 3 at 16:30. Sometime towards 17:00, the two highest performing contestants will contest a Grand Final in front of a captive audience to decide the overall winner.
Grand Final
This will be a longer match — 14 rounds (LLNLLNCLLNLLNC) using big screen graphics.
Where in the pub will the games take place?
We’ve hired out the Braintree and Tudor function rooms, across from each other on the ground floor and just round from the main bar. Each room will be set up with a mixture of tables and chairs, or sofas and coffee tables, so everyone will have the choice of how they want to play their matches.
Timetable for the day:
10:30 Doors open; tea/coffee available from the bar
11:15 Welcome, followed by Round 1 draw.
11:30 Round 1
12:45 Lunchtime
13:45 Round 2
15:00 Break
15:15 Round 3
16:30 Break
17:00 Grand Final (14 rounds)
17:30 Prize giving
18:00 End
Payment
You can book your place with host Jeff using PayPal:
£12 for an individual booking;
£20 for two.
If you wish to book a larger group, please email Jeff to discuss rates.
Remember to select the “family/friends” option, as your contribution is voluntary to help cover Jeff’s personal costs of organising the event.
What’s happening in the evening?
We're arranging a group booking at a curry house in the town centre for 19:30. Let Jeff know if you can join us.
Staying over?
The White Hart offers B&B accommodation which has received good ratings and reviews. At time of writing (July 2019), two nights’ B&B for two adults (staying Friday 1st and Saturday 2nd November) is £100.
There are also two Premier Inns and a Holiday Inn Express, located just out of town off the A120. Parking is free at all of these others, though we would recommend arranging taxis to get to/from the town centre if you’re not coming by car.
Any questions?
jeff@focalcountdown.co.uk
Entrants so far...
1. James Robinson
2. Jon O'Neill
3. Toby Pereira
4. Matt Morrison
5. Heather Badcock
6. Danni Perez
7. Matty Deller
8. Jill Thwaites*
9. Fiona Titcombe
10. Callum Todd
11. Zarte Siempre
12. Tim Down
13. Noel Pereira
14. Jonathan de Souza*
15. Rachel Perkins
16. Tim Goate
17. Mike Brown
18. Rob Foster.
Curry (19:30)
1. Jeff
2. Robbo
3. Gev
4. Gev's Dad
5. Jono
6&7. Morricocks
8. Fiona
9. Rachel
10. Tim G
11. Callum.
Date: Saturday 2 November 2019
Venue: White Hart Hotel, Braintree, Essex CM7 9AB [see on map]; [website];
B&B accommodation available.
Admission: £12pp or £20 for two; further discounts available for larger groups
Start time: Doors open 10:30 for Round 1 draw at 11:15
Parking on site? Yes, chargeable
Lunch provided? No
Accommodation available? Yes
Finish time: 18:00
Host: Jeff Clayton – jeff@focalcountdown.co.uk
Games to be played: 6, plus Grand Final
Wheelchair accessible?: Yes
Train connections: Braintree station – direct from London Liverpool Street, or change at Witham off main line services from Ipswich and Norwich.
Bus connections: First 70 from Chelmsford or Colchester, Arriva 133 from Stansted Airport.
This tournament will take place in one of the town’s oldest buildings, the White Hart, dating back to the early 16th century. Its rustic, warming vibe provides the perfect setting for wiling away an autumn day.
Getting to the venue
If you’re coming by car, the pub has parking on site but it is chargeable (and this is enforced). Other car parks are available nearby at ground level on Manor Street (CM7 3HW, by the Town Hall) or George Yard Shopping Centre (CM7 1GF, multi-storey). Both are short walks from the venue.
Braintree has a direct rail service from London Liverpool Street, then it’s a 15-minute walk through the centre of town up to the White Hart. Super off-peak discounted fares are usually available from Abellio Greater Anglia on Saturdays.
If you’re coming from the Midlands, the North, or even further afield, there’s an hourly bus 133 to/from Stansted Airport which stops right by the venue.
When do I need to be there?
Doors open from 10:30 and you can enjoy a hot drink from the bar before we get underway at 11:15. After introductions, we’ll generate a random draw for the first round matches.
How does it work?
We’ll be using what’s the Lincoln format and all matches will consists of nine rounds.
We’ll stop for lunch after Round 1 towards 12:45 — you can either order something off the menu, or take a stroll towards Sainsbury’s, or the High Street, with an array of coffee shops and cafés. The Saturday market will also be in full flow down towards the Town Hall — all a short walk away.
There’ll be another short break after Round 2 towards 14:45, then again after Round 3 at 16:30. Sometime towards 17:00, the two highest performing contestants will contest a Grand Final in front of a captive audience to decide the overall winner.
Grand Final
This will be a longer match — 14 rounds (LLNLLNCLLNLLNC) using big screen graphics.
Where in the pub will the games take place?
We’ve hired out the Braintree and Tudor function rooms, across from each other on the ground floor and just round from the main bar. Each room will be set up with a mixture of tables and chairs, or sofas and coffee tables, so everyone will have the choice of how they want to play their matches.
Timetable for the day:
10:30 Doors open; tea/coffee available from the bar
11:15 Welcome, followed by Round 1 draw.
11:30 Round 1
12:45 Lunchtime
13:45 Round 2
15:00 Break
15:15 Round 3
16:30 Break
17:00 Grand Final (14 rounds)
17:30 Prize giving
18:00 End
Payment
You can book your place with host Jeff using PayPal:
£12 for an individual booking;
£20 for two.
If you wish to book a larger group, please email Jeff to discuss rates.
Remember to select the “family/friends” option, as your contribution is voluntary to help cover Jeff’s personal costs of organising the event.
What’s happening in the evening?
We're arranging a group booking at a curry house in the town centre for 19:30. Let Jeff know if you can join us.
Staying over?
The White Hart offers B&B accommodation which has received good ratings and reviews. At time of writing (July 2019), two nights’ B&B for two adults (staying Friday 1st and Saturday 2nd November) is £100.
There are also two Premier Inns and a Holiday Inn Express, located just out of town off the A120. Parking is free at all of these others, though we would recommend arranging taxis to get to/from the town centre if you’re not coming by car.
Any questions?
jeff@focalcountdown.co.uk
Entrants so far...
1. James Robinson
2. Jon O'Neill
3. Toby Pereira
4. Matt Morrison
5. Heather Badcock
6. Danni Perez
7. Matty Deller
8. Jill Thwaites*
9. Fiona Titcombe
10. Callum Todd
11. Zarte Siempre
12. Tim Down
13. Noel Pereira
14. Jonathan de Souza*
15. Rachel Perkins
16. Tim Goate
17. Mike Brown
18. Rob Foster.
Curry (19:30)
1. Jeff
2. Robbo
3. Gev
4. Gev's Dad
5. Jono
6&7. Morricocks
8. Fiona
9. Rachel
10. Tim G
11. Callum.
, will let you know if I can't make it .