Lords and Ladies, serfs and peasants all, welcome to our most glorious city of Leeds.
Some of you may not have experienced the city in recent times but over the last 20 years it has been transformed from a fading textile and administrative city into a modern, lively place with a rich diversity of culture and heritage, some of which we will show you over conference weekend.
Leeds is centrally placed in the UK and road, rail and air travel is easy and quick. The people too are a friendly bunch and visitors from all over the UK and further afield will enjoy the great atmosphere, bubbling city life and character which Leeds now offers.
We’ve prepared the peasants, washed the wenches, buffed the breastplates and brewed the beer. The banquet is ready and Her Majesty’s armouries are on display. We have prepared a feast fit for Royalty, which is fitting as you will be surrounded by the contents of HM’s “medieval dressing up box”.
The finest Court entertainment will be on hand to help you make merry and ease the burden of all that crusading. But don’t be content with just the delights of the “Tournament”, the streets of Leeds await you, adorned with the finest wares of merchants from strange and foreign lands. The drinking dens and eateries are brimming with the finest wines and produce from as far away as the New Worlde.
The ducking stool has been put away, the stocks sold and we’ve had the river scrubbed clean ahead of your arrival so join us for a weekend of merriment the likes of which have never been sampled before in Olde Englande.
Yours in Table, Martin “Gundog” Gunson Conference Chairman 2008
Gadzooks! Our 2008 conference comes to merry olde Leeds. And what better place for the Knights of the Round Table to gather. There are many fine taverns where you can meet old and new friends to sup the local brew and recount stories of past glory. The finest troubadours will entertain you and, of course, there will be banquets fit for a king!
Conference Chairman, Martin “Gundog” Gunson, and his merry band have put together a truly special experience that will blend the best of the old and the new in Leeds: top class entertainment, fantastic food and all in a brand new venue at the Leeds Armouries.
Yorkshire hospitality is renowned around the world and the lads and lasses of Leeds are waiting to welcome you to a city that combines a great history with some of the smartest modern restaurants and bars in Britain.
My mission is to make sure you have fun in all you do in Table this year and what more fun way to round off the year than a great value trip to Leeds for a party that will go down in history!
Yours in Table, Graham Drummond National President 2007/8
Welcome, on behalf of NALC, to the historic city of Leeds and our annual conference. A truly sumptuous medieval experience awaits you, the like of which has not been seen since the Middle Ages!
Leeds offers a warm Yorkshire welcome set in a truly cosmopolitan city and an entertainment package to rival any royal banquet!
This conference completes a full circle tour of my national travelling over the last few years. I first caught the national bug in Glasgow; was elected Vice President in Killarney; took up the reins of the Presidency in Cardiff and now it’s time to hand over back in England.
I am certain that the knights and the fair ladies of the conference team along with Conference Chairman, Martin Gunson, will make this an historic event for us all to remember.
So dust off your wimples, doublets and tights and join the minstrels, jesters and other members of the “royal court” of RTBI and NALC for what will be a weekend of fun and friendship, old and new. Book your carriages, saddle up the horses (but leave your jousting sticks at home) and make your way to Leeds – you don’t want to miss it!
Yours in friendship, Michelle Taylor National President 2007/8