Cost of Accommodation and Courses at the Stanstead Hall?

Just a quick question from a friend.
They are querying the cost of accommondation at Stanstead Hall.
Saw a quote on £420 somewhere but are curious whether that is only for accommondation or incuding the cost of the course they would like to take.
That's all I was asked,haven't a clue which course they are talking about.

they quote the price all in petal.x.x

16th to 23rd June
•Course Organiser Minister Val Williams
•Course Type Mediumship
•Ability Intermediate/Advanced
•Course Tutors Minister Janet Gay
Julie Grist CSNU

Details:
Number of Nights: 7
Arrive after 3.00pm for 5.00pm start on Saturday 16th June

Depart after breakfast on Saturday 23rd June

Cost Per Person:
•SNU Member: £440.00
•Non Member: £450.00
...
That's fully inclusive of meals etc. Still very steep. Having said that your friend could get to meet a Sunday Times reporter and get her piccy in the Sunday papers too. Happened to one group at AFC recently. No one seems to now if the reporter was introduced as such to the students or not.

Actually doesn't sound bad to me, with meals and accommodations included.

Jim

That's because you are a rich American Jim.

£450 is about three weeks pension money over here.

For the 2011/12 tax year, the basic single state pension is £102.15 per week which many may find is insufficient in meeting even ordinary everyday expenses such as grocery and utility bills. When holidays, presents and other extras are taken into account, relying entirely on this sum may require a significant change in lifestyle.

Such as starving

KatyKing wrote:That's because you are a rich American Jim.

£450 is about three weeks pension money over here.

Let's see. . . for me, 450 pounds would come out to about 750 dollars: and that actually WOULD be nearly half my monthly pension.

But forgetting about the exchange rate, and us poor pensioners on either side of the Pond. . . when my late wife and I visited England, we frequently commented how similar prices - for books, meals, etc. - were in the US and the UK. The exchange rate, of course, made the REAL costs, to us, about 2/3 more than the sticker price.

But if UK workers are getting paid the same number of pounds as US workers are dollars (and I have no idea whether this is so), it's not so bad.

When I used to have to take continuing legal education courses, it generally cost me $150 - 200 for a day: no accommodations, no lunch or supper: snacks at break, and maybe a breakfast.

And marked rates in hotel rooms in the US generally run from $75 - 200 a night.

Of course, they generally offer you discounts: provided you're a senior citizen, student, teacher, member of any organization you can think of, can show them a library card, etc.!

Jim

I found clothing and food to be much cheaper in US than over here Jim.
Most people don't just get basic pension. if they can't make ends meet and have no assets then there is usually a top up towards rent etc.
No idea what wages are like in USA but over here a bus driver earns about £20K a year and a basic grade classroom teacher from £20K to about £35K depending on length of service (pay increases with years served) and area worked. (London area attracts a premium). Minimum wage for an adult is about £7 an hour I think.

Thanks KK and Bravo.
Not bad then really for a holiday but for a course,rather expensive.
Just my opinion,of course.
Will let her know.

There's always the local 'hostel' to stay. Share a bunk....

There's an idea

KatyKing wrote:There's an idea

Sounds like bunk to me.

Lynwood fellowship is reasonable. Been going for years. Don Galloways teaching, a fine medium he was.

KatyKing wrote:I found clothing and food to be much cheaper in US than over here Jim.

You need to hit the pubs for fish and chips, Peter!

Jim

KatyKing wrote:I found clothing and food to be much cheaper in US than over here Jim.
Most people don't just get basic pension. if they can't make ends meet and have no assets then there is usually a top up towards rent etc.
No idea what wages are like in USA but over here a bus driver earns about £20K a year and a basic grade classroom teacher from £20K to about £35K depending on length of service (pay increases with years served) and area worked. (London area attracts a premium). Minimum wage for an adult is about £7 an hour I think.

That does sound low, by US standards. But not inordinately low.

I'd say the US is cheaper for food and clothing, and probably housing too. Of course, the UK fares better at the beginning of one's working life - not being saddled with such high college debts as we have here - and the medical expenses are much lower there also.

Yes, irrespective of the illness; the medical cover here is free at the point of demand except for spectacles and dentistry (that's subsidised though).
House prices are down but 4 bed detached houses around our semi-rural area are £350K +/-. Cheaper elsewhere and much more expensive in the South East of England.
University ('college') fees are about the same as USA (or will be from September) but young people from poor backgrounds pay little or nothing.

USA is very much the same as Australia.
Clothing is cheaper (some),food is more varied.
Housing is cheaper.
My son sold a 5 bedroomed home,complete with pool,barbie area,etc for just under $500,000
Well under £200,000.
Medical fees were simliar as the US.
As a Veteran's dependant,I received medical treament free.
A Veteran's card got me 15% off most goods.

That's an idea they could do to introduce here 15% off for vets.
I'm all for that.

petal34 wrote:USA is very much the same as Australia.
Clothing is cheaper (some),food is more varied.
Housing is cheaper.
My son sold a 5 bedroomed home,complete with pool,barbie area,etc for just under $500,000
Well under £200,000.
Medical fees were simliar as the US.
As a Veteran's dependant,I received medical treament free.
A Veteran's card got me 15% off most goods.

Perhaps I'm misunderstanding Petal (in which case I apologise), but housing is more expensive in Australia, not cheaper, Petal. AU$500 000 is actually 325000 GBP. It would be very difficult to buy a 5 bedroom house for $500 000 in the metro areas here (unfortunately). We have a Medicare system here, so medical fees are similar to the NHS in the UK rather than the US system.

I spoke to a chap at tea with Spirit last Saturday who had a mind to spend winters in USA in Florida around Cassadaga so he could get involved with the camp activities. He is retired and a widower but because he has a long term health isssue the medical insurance costs were almost as high again as the trip for a stay over three weeks at a time so he's resigned to just going now and then on shorter holidays with more affordable insurance cover for those.

Ira Wagler's dad was one of the founders of Pinecraft in Florida. It's a village where retired Amish and other 'plain' people can get away from hard winters but still be amongst their own. I chat to Ira onllne now and then. He wrote the bestseller 'Growing Up Amish' and has a superbly written blog.
Lots of Spiritualist Amish on the quiet.

Loneblossom wrote:

petal34 wrote:USA is very much the same as Australia.
Clothing is cheaper (some),food is more varied.
Housing is cheaper.
My son sold a 5 bedroomed home,complete with pool,barbie area,etc for just under $500,000
Well under £200,000.
Medical fees were simliar as the US.
As a Veteran's dependant,I received medical treament free.
A Veteran's card got me 15% off most goods.

Perhaps I'm misunderstanding Petal (in which case I apologise), but housing is more expensive in Australia, not cheaper, Petal. AU$500 000 is actually 325000 GBP. It would be very difficult to buy a 5 bedroom house for $500 000 in the metro areas here (unfortunately). We have a Medicare system here, so medical fees are similar to the NHS in the UK rather than the US system.

No problem,Loneblossom.
Son lived in Mackay which as you will know is in North Queensland.
Also depends on the area and they were a good way from the town.
But going by the prices of a 5 bedroom home in the UK,complete with swimming pool would be extremely expensive.
Also apoligise if I have the rate of exchange incorrect.
I was resident in Australia many years ago and at that time house prices were pretty equal to the UK.
On a further note,I have just been told that house prices have now risen considerably in the Mackay area.
I do apoligise for any errors I may have made in facts concerning prices etc in Oz but going from my last residence there which was in 2007.
My assumptions were based from that time.
Medical care was very cheap for me,being the wife of a veteran who did service in Korea.

Hi Petal, currently I could buy a nice place in the UK and put a bit away into Super. Most of that change is exchange rate of course but house prices here have beem much more stable. Only two years ago ir took me $2.50 to buy One "Great" British Pound now I only need $1.50. Similarly my one Oz dollar only bought 75 US cents it now buys 106 US cents. At this date we are the owners of the mighty dollar here in aus

Jim