Northern Lights Knitting & Quilting Cruise

Another successful Arena holiday combining knitting with Jane Crowfoot and quilting with Karin Hellaby.

Here are some of Karin’s photos for you to enjoy.

So What Happens at the Queen Convention?

Here is what one fan had to say:

A weekend gathering of fans of the renowned champion band of the world Queen takes place annually during the Spring in the UK at a British seaside holiday resort. The next event takes place in Great Yarmouth between 27^th-30^th April 2012.

If you’re an avid fan of the group or just an admirer this could be the weekend for you as the whole weekend is centred around the music of Queen.

On offer are the very best world tribute bands as well as special guest bands to suit all tastes. We have had master classes from the likes of Jamie Moses. Brian May’s Red Special guitar has made an appearance as well as Roger Taylor’s drum kit! These have created many photo opportunities.

A plethora of guests come along to talk about their time with Queen and many from pre-Queen bands have attended to re-live the history such as Bruce Murray from Freddie’s first band The Hectics, a reunion of Ibex and Smile with Tim Staffell, the late Dave Dilloway from 1984, Brian’s first band, Rick Penrose from Roger’s early band Reaction, trucker Edwin Shirley, Queen’s roadcrew Chris Taylor, Pete Malandrone and Brian Zellis, Mike Moran who worked with Freddie on the Barcelona project, Peter Freestone, Freddie’s P.A. and close friend, the late Jim Hutton, Richard Gray Queen’s art designer, Spike Edney who played with Queen and The Cross, Clayton Moss from The Cross, fan club secretaries, Tim Staffell from Smile, Ken Testi Queen’s first manager. We were lucky to have a very special guest Kash Cooke, Freddie Mercury’s sister join us.

The weekend is packed full of activities and many are Queen orientated. TV shows are adapted to a Queen theme and we have had Mastermind, Question of Queen Quiz, Play Your Cards Right, Bullseye and Queenheads to name but a few! So if you want some fun join in and test your Queen knowledge.

Queens unreleased concerts are shown such as their legendary Hyde Park Show, their Silver Jubilee Earls Court Show and their stadium shows from Argentina, Brazil and Japan. The well known popular videos are also shown and many in the nightly Queen discos. We also show all the popular solo videos of which many are unreleased such as Roger Taylors Man On Fire and Strange Frontier, The Cross Power To Love and New Dark Ages and John Deacons Immortals No Turning Back as well as Brian May’s Resurrection with Cozy Powell and Back To The Light and many many more.

We have also been treated to unreleased songs and unseen footage which always goes down well.

Fancy Dress parties are one of the highlights of the weekend. Let your hair down!

Talented fans have shown what they’re worth and performed in our very own Q Factor competition and joined in the jam session.

If sport is your speciality there a few sporting activites for you to take part in too.

So come and join like minded people and have a weekend that will certainly be a kind of magic for everybody there.

Northern Lights Patchwork Cruise

As a disabled traveler, with mobility problems, I cannot praise Arena Travel high enough.

On the recent Northern Lights Hurtigruten cruise, the service and help we received was over and beyond the call of any travel agent.

From the minute we decided to book the help and advice we got was fantastic. While traveling the extra help we got was also fantastic and all with a smile no matter how many problems I managed to cause.

Even when everything went wrong the Tour Manager (Mr David Caddick) was fantastic keeping in consent touch with us and trying to help in any way possible – even the office back in UK, went to over and above to help us.
I f you travel with Arena please use their recommended insurance – we used S**a, and after numerous phone calls they finally helped, but we had to fight every step and we still are fighting to get all the money back, not worth the cheaper cost, so please use Arena’s recommended one and get the extra special service they offer.

Elvis in Germany

Your tours are excellent. We go because you and your tour managers are friendly. It feels like we are going on holiday with our family. We are all there for Elvis and we are loyal to Arena Travel and Elvis. You are doing a fantastic job and don’t let anyone tell you any different.

Caron T.

Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show July 2010

So many quilts. I enjoyed seeing the teachers’ quilts and aspire to emulating their skills. Fabulous holiday – 100 things to do before you die – well I’ve done another one. Visiting Sisters quilt show. It was all and more than I expected, inspiring in all areas – you must go (Lesley)

Sisters is wonderfully scenic; three snow clad peaks in the background, plus blue skies and pine trees. The trip has been fantastic; loads to see, eg the High Desert museum, as well as quilts galore. The quilt show was amazing- so many quilts and it was good to be a hostess, and talk to other visitors. Now we are at the Pacific- I have walked to my first lighthouse, and I have bought a lighthouse pattern, and hope to make an Oregon lighthouse quilt. (Pippa)

A truly amazing experience- everyone we met was so friendly and the quilts were such a wonderful mixture of every technique. Sisters will live on in my memory for a long time. (Jill)

What organisation! Such a brilliant experience. Such talent – a really great holiday. (Alison)

Every morning I woke up to discover the snow capped mountains were still there- it was stunning (Sylvia).

An absolutely fantastic day! Although out early in the morning till late in the afternoon I am sure I did not see everything.

Being a volunteer hostess was very entertaining especially when the quilt rescue team came running.

It has been a great holiday; well organised, lots to see and I enjoyed the time in Sisters before the Quilt Show on Saturday. This allowed us to enjoy and feel part of the whole event.

Quilt show! – you can even play at quilt police.

A unique quilt show experience.

Patchwork & Quilting at Bernina in Switzerland

Another lovely lunch at Bernina and back to Chop Suey & Delectable Mountains.  Sew A Row is great fun.  I think I could become addicted!!! Maureen D.

Having an exponential experience. Joan and Marion.

Lynda, Sheila and I are having mucho fun here in Steckborn.  We have made many lovely new friends, all Bernina addicts like we are! The tour of the factory was completely fascinating, the tutors are working us hard but they are patient, kind and very knowledgeable.  Thank you Karin and Jackie  for such a fab holiday.  Liz

Bernina is a wonderful place and far exceeds my expectations – it is so good working with these creative ladies in such a lovely creative centre. I want to stay here for ever and just sew all day -thank you to everyone concerned for organising this holiday    Margery

After a very jolly evening at the Restaurant Sonne, this morning we are all enjoying  more exploration of these amazing Bernina machines.  Jackie – Tour Manager Arena.

Well after the lovely meal and a couple of glasses of wine, we walked slowly back to the hotel.  As we neared the lake Annie and I decided to go for a short walk, but we were distracted by the  inviting hotel terrace. We veered off course and knocked on the restaurant  door, having obtained  another glass of wine  we sat by the lake watching the lights across the water!!!  Pam H.

From RHS RCM group member (rhododendrons)

‘…thank you for your kind help and assistance during the R.C.M tour in Germany. It was very interesting to explore Eastern Germany and tour the parks, gardens and palaces. Especially, of course, Schloss Pillnitz which lived up to your inspiring description. Thank you for taking the members to the Bellevue Garden on Saturday as well…’ (RL)

From Elvis Fans
‘My daughter and I have just recently returned from a Graceland holiday organised by your company. May I through this e.mail congratulate everyone involved in organising what for me became a trip of a lifetime. The flights via Delta Airways were excellent. The hotel in Memphis and the coach trip to Tupelo were both top quality. Special mention must also go to the tour manager,Andy Bacon,who right from the start was very freindly and helpful also very informative of the whole tour. Once again thankyou Arena for a most enjoyable holiday which i would fully recommend to anyone.’

‘Another great weekend (Weymouth)  was had by all but why did i go so quick???? Not long to Mabe (Mablethorp)’ . Mark

From Quilters
‘We all agreed it had been a wonderful and stress-free holiday, with good company, excellent food, great excursions and very enjoyable.’

‘I know we will fondly remember our quilting experience in Carcassonne with a smile and a sigh, the new friends, perfect weather, wonderful setting, superb tuition and lots of laughter and fun.’

‘Karin could not have been more helpful, and included all of us in the different techniques she was showing.’

‘My thanks to Karin who is an accomplished teacher, and helped those of less ability in an unobtrusive manner. I happily recommend this holiday to fellow quilters.’

From Queen fans
‘Hi just coming round from a fantastic weekend at the 25th Queen convention Thanks to all the team and their helpers it was yet again a BRILLIANT weekend.’

‘Hi Cheryl,
Just a quick thank you for making me feel welcome at the convention this year, You and all your staff are really nice people and I’m looking forward to meeting you all again next year.’

‘Hi Cheryl,
Many thanks for another brill weekend, the highlight was Queenkings on Sunday with the opera singer it was the best cover band we have ever seen and heard, you must get them back again as they rounded off a very good time and everybody must have gone home on a high.
Well done to all the gang at Arena,
Thanks again’

The 25th Queen Convention

NOW IT’S ALL OVER….
By Jacky
Mar 30, 2010,

And I’m finally stone cold sober!!!!

Well what a brilliant weekend our convention was!! Three fantastic – the brilliant Stillyano kicked off with a set of great rock songs and some Queeny ones, with a great ‘rock’ version of Barcelona, superb! In fact this lot have a new CD coming out soon, so I’ll bring you details on that when I know!

Saturday were the excellent Flash Harry, always a great pleasure to see and hear these guys – and good luck in your election Harry!!

Sunday… well, what can I say? QueenKings were stunning, just stunning. Their set was so varied – and there was not a dry eye in the house after Guide Me Home!

We had games, quizzes (oh Jim and I really cocked that one up didn’t we? Queenheads was a laugh, but a shambles!!), we had dvd’s, auction, raffle, sports, merchandise, market place….. it was packed in pretty tight! One of the highlights for me were the video outtakes that Greg Brookes and Gary Taylor organised – I laughed a lot and cried at the end, wonderful stuff, and as long as no one bootlegged it we can have some more of the same next year!

Jim and I were surprised at our own ‘25th presentation’ of flowers, a bucket full of cash and a dvd of our ‘highlights’ – presented by my daughter Sophie, son James, my daughters best friend Emily and my mate Kath along with all the Arena team of course!

It’s so so hard to describe a convention – if you try and do so to someone who has never been, they look at you like you’re some kind of weirdo! But if you were there, you will understand what I mean when I say it is one of the best best weekends in the whole year.

I loved the new venue, it was a little hard to get to for some people, but in all it was worth it – clean, friendly, compact and a great ballroom and “V Lounge”.

But the thing that makes it special, no matter where we are, are the fans. The atmosphere, from the moment we opened the ballroom doors Friday night, was amazing. We laughed, we drank, we laughed some more, we danced, we talked and shouted and sang and laughed. We met old friends, we made new ones, I am pretty sure new romances were begun and new friendships forged forever. We had little kids and big kids, and I think they had as good a time as the grownups! They were certainly well behaved and a pleasure to meet – they are the new generation of Queen fans!

I hope you all had as great a time as I did – and I think most of you did as I kept hearing shouts of “only 365 days to go til next year” as I was leaving!

Send me links to your photos and I will post them here, although I am sure many of you have already posted these on the Members forum (this years messages and interviews will be on the Members Website exclusively soon).

THANKYOU for being there and coming back and making the last 25 conventions so enjoyable – I am sure I will see many of you at our other events this year, if not, see you in Great Yarmouth in 2011!!!

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