Cannington is a small village with no currency exchange facilities. There are limited ATM facilities in the local store but not all international credit and debit cards are accepted. The nearest banks/ATMs are at Bridgwater, approximately 5 miles distant. International visitors are recommended to bear this in mind when planning currency exchange.
WiFi will be available in your room An internet access key will be provided with the conference information pack on arrival.
In common with other conference centres, Cannington has encountered problems with viruses brought in on data sticks, and operates a strict anti-virus scanning procedure.
Computer Use: There will be a computer room with PC's connected online. If you want to load a file onto their computer system for printing your data stick will need to be scanned and white-listed before it can operate. Scanning needs to be repeated if the data stick has changed in any way since a previous scan. We cannot guarantee that scanning will be available at all times. A set time each day will be announced for scanning.
The lecture rooms have good PC compatible projection facilities, and
PowerPoint is welcome. Please if at all possible email your PowerPoint files to
conference@friendsofcoleridge.com by Monday 16 July so these can be scanned
for viruses and loaded onto the Cannington network and tested ready for use.
If you are a MAC user please ensure the files are provided in a compatible
format.
We will not refuse PowerPoint files after that date, or if they are
brought on data sticks, but they will be subject to the scanning procedure
described and we strongly advise and will appreciate advance submission.
Vodafone and O2 work the best around Cannington. Most other networks have very poor coverage.
A coach will be provided for travel between Bridgwater Railway Station and
Cannington at a set time at the start and end of the conference.
See train
times.
For independent travel between Bridgwater and Cannington taxis are available
from the following Bridgwater companies:
Details of rail fares, timetables and booking facilities can be found at
Thetrainline.com. There is a facility to arrange collection of your rail tickets from a machine at
most stations (e.g. Paddington Station, London), but check this is available at
the station you are starting from.
NOTE: Rail tickets bought in advance online can be less than a quarter of the cost of fares
bought at the station, on the day.
The conference is on a campus at Cannington, 5 miles out of Bridgwater, Somerset TA5 2LS. (Cannington-Centre is a satellite of Bridgwater College). For those making their own way direct to the conference venue the college website has good directions: A map of the wider area can be viewed at streetmap.co.uk The registration site will be clearly signposted in Cannington village.
Bristol International Airport - When planning travel from the US, it is worth checking out connections to this airport as an alternative to London Heathrow or Gatwick.
If you are arriving at Heathrow Airport - this is the link for the Heathrow Express to Paddington (a 15 minute shuttle journey). This journey is not covered by thetrainline.com's rail network and must be bought separately. There is a small saving if you buy online.
If you are flying into London Gatwick Airport, rail tickets from Gatwick Airport to Bridgwater (this goes via Reading) can be bought at thetrainline.com.
The conference programme includes opportunities for walks on the Quantock Hills and the coast by Porlock, so outdoor clothing and hiking boots or similar are recommended. Temperatures are generally mild in the west country but clothing should allow for the possibility of rain and wind.
The conference style is relaxed and informal; so is the dress-code.
Timing is crucial to the smooth running of a conference and out of courtesy to fellow speakers (and to spare the embarrassment of being cut short by the panel chair) we ask delegates to kindly ensure their paper does not exceed 20 minutes. --This means a paper should not exceed 2750 words in length.
Admission to the conference is at the discretion of the organisers. In the event of any behaviour deemed detrimental to the conference, a participant may be required to leave, or barred from attending future conferences, or both.
It is traditional to buy rounds of foaming ale for the conference organisers. We recommend the local Rose & Crown pub in Cannington who serve excellent local beers and have been very welcoming to our conference in past years, but there are several other village pubs to choose from.