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Phone or e mail with
your details of dates / workshop required with your credit card details (
below )
Please have your credit card details at
hand when you make the call.
We will make the charges
described below and confirm with an e mail
It is as simple as that.
We may do things a
little differently to other venues, but then, we are not like other venues.
We do not take American Express
after they lied and bullshitted us - which was blatantly obvious to a child -
and acted in an obnoxiously unprofessional and amateurish manner unbecoming - or
typical of - big business, so we refuse to accept their card. They may be big,
but they are arrogantly unfriendly to small business. We call them Asshole
Express.
Credit / Debit
/ Switch Card details required
We must have all the details
listed below for a confirmed reservation.
This is for your protection and
that of everyone else. Please respect this.
1) Card
number.
2) Cardholders
name as it appears on the card.
3) Expiry date.
4)
Security number on the reverse of
the card.
see below
5) Solo /
Maestro/ Switch cards - the Issue Number.
6) Return
billing address with your house number and post code.
7) Home /
Mobile phone number.
8) Details of
your required reservation.
9) Your e mail
address to send a confirmation e mail to.
If in doubt, phone us,
otherwise please follow our
payment instructions as stated.
for more on credit cards - see below
We charge between 50-100% of the full amount at the time the reservation is
made as confirmation of your booking, depending on the length of your stay.
All the details of the
reservation will be confirmed either in writing or by e mail.
The remaining amount
owed for your stay is to be paid on arrival in cash please - as we are trying to
cut down on our ever increasing bank charges.
please read
B&B - Between 11am and
1pm -
and 6pm - 8pm
Workshops - Between 4pm
- 6.30pm
If you are going to
arrive outside of these times, it is no problem as long as you have given us
plenty of notice and NOTIFIED US
IN ADVANCE of a vague arrival time - and we will then be here with the
kettle on. We have no reception or staff manning the non existent
reception and we do not sit at the front door waiting...
This is because
we also like a private life and need to get out and see the sea occasionally and
walk the dog. If you are still later than advised and/or we have to sit in and
wait for you and we waste more hours of our precious 'off time' then we may well
charge you £25 per hour - so PLEASE have some consideration of others and simply
arrive between the hours advised or wait. It's that simple and is called BEING
THOUGHTFUL OF OTHERS.
We may be an
hotel, but some people have REALLY taken advantage and abused our generosity and
kind hearted approach and we have now had to pull up the draw bridge, place some
guidelines and made some decisions about taking control of the time we have
available and how we designate it so we an have some 'off time'. If you do
not respect or value that, then please stay elsewhere.
Check Out is
usually by 11am - and we can store your bags and look after them if
you want to go to the beach or hang around until your train time.
Payment by credit card
Please either phone 01202-399227 or e mail us with your details.
We charge a minimum of 75% of the workshop charge against your credit card at the time the reservation is made as
confirmation and ask you to please pay the remainder in cash on arrival.
If on arrival you pay the remainder on your credit card we add
10% of the entire bill as we are trying to cut down our costly banking charges - so PLEASE
remember to
bring cash.
We no longer accept cheques
unless this method of payment has been discussed with Hamilton Hall in
advance.
A simple phone call is all it takes.
HOWEVER: IF this has been discussed and agreed, then we ask you to pay the full amount at the time the
reservation is made and send your cheque to our address above with all your
details:- dates required, function booked, your address and phone details etc.
and allow at least 3 weeks before the reservation so we have time to bank the
cheque. Please - we follow strict banking guidelines to avoid being conned
and having cheques bounce on us. If you cannot respect this and act in an
unprofessional manner then we will
ask for a different method of payment that IS confirmed instantly.
If you
send a cheque with no address and personal details, then we will bank the cheque
and require photo proof of ID when you arrive including home address and phone
number. If you cannot provide this, then you may find we do not accept
your reservation and no refund will be forthcoming. We do not allow guests
into the building who hide their identity. If you cannot be open and
honest with us, we do not offer you a place here. This protects us
from the media and those who wish to spy on us and is for your own protection.
( cheque made payable to Hamilton Hall. ) Too many
people like to play financial games with us and we do not play these childish
games.
PLEASE: Use the
same e mail address every time you contact us.
Press RETURN every time
you e mail us so all past e mails are returned and we can just scan down and see
what has been said before - otherwise we have to find you in the system which w astes
valuable time.
State your SURNAME
CLEARLY on every communication and the DATE and/or NAME of the workshop / B&B
period you are requesting information about.
It is also redundant to
send a letter or e mail with no details. We receive hundreds of phone and e
mails every single day so PLEASE do not expect us to remember...especially when
my mind is on doughnuts....
If we waste a lot of
time through this - we may bill you for our time as some people make a habit out
of being prats and annoying time wasters and we do not appreciate this manner of
business. You would be gobsmacked how many people think it funny to waste
our time.
Christmas / New Year / Bank Holiday periods are charged in full at the time
of reservation.
We will send by e mail or post a
confirmation of your booking.
We do not send duplicates or reminders.
A credit card booking confirms a reservation immediately and is the preferred
method of payment as cheques have to be banked.
(Believe me, we get loads of time wasters)
Credit cards are charged as Hamilton Hall.
If at any time a mistake has been made, please inform us immediately and we will
correct it where possible.
Watch closely to the £10 note below
and see how the Queen winks at you ....
( for B&B cancellations see below )
Less than 14 days notice of cancellation:
We are unable to offer a refund
and all outstanding amounts owed to pay the full price will be charged against
your credit card so we are fully paid. These Workshops and Special
Events are a huge responsibility to organise and to keep the numbers correct.
Please respect that Hamilton Hall is a NOT FOR PROFIT VENUE and your facilitator
and host DOES NOT TAKE A WAGE while working between 12 and 18 hours a day.
In the case of a workshop weekend, we also charge a £50
Facilitators Fee as this means our numbers are wrong and the facilitator has
to join in the workshop as well as facilitating and we hope this is an incentive
NOT to cancel.
If enough time is given and we can fill your space, then the
Facilitators Fee is waived and 50% of the weekend cost is returned.
The Facilitators Fee also applies in all
situations where someone, once started, leaves the
workshop resulting in the wrong number to work in pairs and the facilitator has
to join in.
More than 14 days notice of cancellation:
50% of the amount paid is returned and the remainder kept by
Hamilton Hall to cover our staff, admin. and exorbitant banking charges.
Christmas / New Year and Bank Holiday Workshop periods. No refunds are
available under any circumstances and we strongly suggest Holiday Insurance to
cover any potential for cancellation. This is our busy time and we cannot have
empty spaces under any conditions and the responsibility is yours. If you
cancel at these times, regardless of reasons, the full amount is charged.
As a small venue, we cannot afford to have our Special Events empty of people
canceling at the last minute or to loose the income so needed by this NOT FOR
PROFIT VENUE.
Changed dates:
If you change the date of an event you are booked in for, less than 14 days
prior to the event itself, this will be seen as a cancellation and the charges
detailed above will apply.
If you allow more than 14 days notice,
then a Date Change Fee is charged at £25 per person. If you change the dates a
second time, we charge a further £50 per person. A third alteration will mean we
keep all moneys paid and cancel the reservation.
All funds owed for a Date Change Fee are to be paid at the
time the date is changed and not paid on arrival for the event.
In all correspondence with Hamilton Hall,
please ALWAYS state your surname and date of booking. This eases confusion. If
sending an e mail or a letter through the mail service, PLEASE be aware
that not all e mails or mail, arrives at their destinations. If you are
cancelling and you do not hear within 5 days from us, PLEASE confirm
receipt with a simple phone call.
If you do not turn up for your reservation and we hear
absolutely nothing, we charge the full amount owed.
Less than 14 days notice of cancellation:
Nothing is returned and the full amount is charged so we are fully paid.
More than 14 days notice of cancellation: £30 per person is kept by Hamilton Hall to
cover our staff, admin. and exorbitant banking charges and the remainder is
returned. If you have a group booking then the amount retained against our
costs will vary as to the size of your reservation and the amount so far charged
against your credit / debit card. Please ask for details.
Cancellation & late arrival
Please telephone Hamilton Hall on 01202-399227 and advise us, in person, of any
cancellation or late arrival and please follow that up in writing, either through e mail or
letter.
When you write or e mail us, please check within 5 days that your mail / e
mail has been received if you have not heard from us in return.
If you do not and we have not received your e mail, which can
happen, we may charge you for your entire stay.
If you ask your secretary or someone else
to phone and cancel, and s/he forgets - you are responsible.
If you use a medical condition / work / as cause for cancellation, we may ask
for evidence if a refund is available and/or expected.
If you do not turn up on the day of
arrival, and we do not hear from you by phone or e mail on
that day, we will telephone you once to see if you are
okay and to set a new arrival time. If we get
your answer phone, we will leave a discreet message,
and if we still do not hear back from you within 24 hours
- we will hold the reservation for a maximum of a further 24
hours only if your reservation is for more than 2 nights.
If a new day of arrival is made ( we are
aware that sometimes circumstances beyond your control could
cause a delay ) and you still do not arrive, then we will cancel
the entire reservation and no refund will be forthcoming.
Should there be any outstanding funds owed, we will charge
this against your credit / debit card so we are fully paid.
We appreciate accidents and circumstances
change and believe that you are very capable of simply
phoning and keeping us informed.
Please be responsible and professional .
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We will not enter into dialogue if we are not treated equally, fairly,
truthfully and with respect.
Hamilton Hall is very open to discuss cancellation or a date change with you, as
nothing is set in stone.
 
You'd be shocked how some people use dying parents,
sick children, cancer, Hep A and an assortment of excuses when canceling
and trying to get their money back when the truth is often very different, they
just forgot the reservation or have chosen to do something else instead.
So please, if you are going to try and pass a fast one on us, get up early, as
we have just about heard it all before and were not born yesterday. We
trust our intuition and have never been failed by it so far. Please - be honest
with us and ultimately, honest with yourself. Be brave enough to admit an honest
mistake and don't lie.
Just recently, ( June 2007 ) Alexander N. reserved a triple
room for the weekend and then did not turn up and we waited in all day from
midday to midnight for their arrival, left repeated phone messages
and never heard a whisper. So I charged his credit card according to our
contractual small print and sent a polite and professional e mail informing him
of such, and got a very childish and unprofessional e mail in response. He
turned bitchy and all because of his own shortcomings. Then again ( July
2007 ) 24 hours before a special bears weekend I am told on the phone that e
mails sent 6 weeks ago had not been answered in response to a cancellation, and
I was blamed as was my British Telecom server. The truth was that the
customer had never e mailed 6 weeks prior or sent anything at all and was just
lying - bullshitting me by attacking me and my server - and once again,
he was charged the full price. He wasn't mature enough or professional enough to
take responsibility for his own childish behaviour towards us in a business like
manner. He tried complaining through his bank and we sent evidence and
information as to his behaviour and his bank agreed with us and allowed the full
charge to go ahead, so he made a fool of himself even to his bank.
Please... don't think I am a fool and insult my intelligence.
If you make a mistake, as we all make them, be brave enough to admit it and move
on with your life... a little poorer ( ha ha ) but honest. It's the grown
up thing to do and anything else... well.. you already know the answer to
that... huh ?
Contacting us by e mail indicates permission to add your e mail
address to our multi e mail package for the occasional advertising by e mail.
To opt out, please return any offending e mail and we will take you off the
register within 24 hours but you MUST return the offending e mail.
For health and safety
reasons, as a venue with naked gay and
bisexual men, if we refuse your reservation, no offense is meant. We
cater to the individual and we must always be conscious and aware of
the group setting, and to this aim, if we refuse your reservation, please
try and be understanding and respectful.
WHY DO WE NEED A SMALL
PRINT PAGE
Sadly - because there are those who seem unable to grasp the concept of
acting in a business like manner and offering respect - not only to us, but to
others, - we have had to put this 'small print page' together. This protects
ourselves and our guests alike. There are still those out there who never cease
to amaze and horrify, and who expect everything for nothing and who expect the
world - while offering nothing in return, and so this page continues to change
and grow to encompass all the possibilities that are thrown at us.
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We mean no offense by having these guidelines, as sadly, it is a fact of life
that any business needs to protect itself. It saddens us greatly that we have to
be so business like and have these conditions in place and cannot fathom why
people cannot act in a responsible, adult and respectful manner towards others
at all times and in all circumstances, but sadly it seems some cannot / do not -
offer this.
.
We once had a Mother and Father abandon their 'special needs' 36 year old gay
son on us one Christmas as they wanted rid of him for a period so they could
have some fun without him ( of which we knew nothing of this until afterwards )
and he not only wet his bed repeatedly, but he completely ruined 2 beds, 6
pillows, 3 duvets and 2 chairs - all of which had to be replaced with new ones,
and the carpet in his room needed cleaning right down to the underlay, which was
a great deal of work. We didn't discover any of this until the night before he
was to leave and it cost a small fortune to put right. His parents claimed no
responsibility and said it was not their business to inform us that he might /
would wet the bed.
His local Social Services
- who we complained to, stated that this man's lifestyle was a 'chosen
lifestyle' - even though - as I pointed out... ' This man has been wallowing
around in a piss soaked bed for 5 days and you claim this is a chosen lifestyle
when the man has obvious special needs' - the point is, Social Services
often are not worthy as they are all too often under trained, under
staffed, over worked and under funded and central government expects them
to work miracles. We hear repeatedly of the horrendous mistakes made and this
was one of those instances when his local Social Services simply didn't want to
know, and the general public and his family are abused because of their lack of
interest in a care package for a man who had desperate special needs.
- After all the hard work over the Christmas period, almost
every penny we may have made to see us through the winter, was lost. It was
truly heartbreaking.
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This sort of abuse - of us and of their own son, is sad, I felt deeply for all concerned
but it was me who had to foot the bill for all the damage. But no more. If this
was to happen again, we would have to take court action and reclaim the
expenses, especially as our insurance company states that any claim - we have to
pay the first £500 ( and you would be right in saying - 'What's the use of
having insurance then ?' - except it's the law.)
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So, apologies for this small print - it is aimed at the few who are incapable of
acting in a decent manner.
LOST KEYS If you loose your hotel keys we make a
charge of £25 to cover the expense of having more cut and the staff time
running around sorting this out. If we are busy and have other guests coming
in and now find ourselves short of keys, it causes problems. Please be
responsible for your keys or this charge will be made.
FORGET TO TURN UP
If after you have made a reservation you forget to turn up, we bill you for the
full cost of the weekend plus the Facilitator Fee.
( Someone forgot to attend a workshop booked some months prior and then
blamed us. As I pointed out, I am not his Mother or his secretary and that he
was responsible.)
BAD WEATHER CANCELLATION
If cancellation is because of adverse weather conditions - making the journey
impossible or dangerous, please understand that Hamilton Hall's ongoing costs
and outgoings do not stop because the weather restricts how our guests get here,
or not. If you have booked for a weekend / period at Hamilton Hall and the
weather / trains / motorways - in some manner - restricts your travel plans, our
cancellation policy above still stands firm and charges will be levied. We
completely appreciate how this may seem unfair under certain conditions, and
understand how frustrating this may be, and as we still have to heat and
maintain Hamilton Hall, especially during adverse weather conditions, your
appreciation of our position is invited.
UTILITY CHARGES:
As reported in the media, the price of our
gas and electricity has sky rocketed. This is then taxed with
Climate Levy Tax which then has VAT charged against the tax. Although we keep Hamilton Hall toasty warm with our central
heating, some of the bedrooms may appear cooler or some people may feel
the cold easier than others, and we now offer extra electric radiators for the
rooms at £10 per night. March 2008 - Our trash collection which we have to
pay for, went up by 33% - and we cannot pass all these extras onto you - we have
to absorb these extra costs.
It is our intention to keep the ambient
temperature warm and comfortable, BUT: where weather conditions are severe
and the threat of power cuts, fuel shortages etc. hit us all, we will do what we
can to keep the venue warm and the rest is up to you.
This comes about because some people have badly abused our kind offer
and good will with supplying extra heaters and have left them on full, all
day, even when not in the hotel let alone not in their room, and the room has
been like a sauna, and this is thoughtless.
Our prices are extremely good value and taking advantage in this manner spoils
it for others, so we have introduced this charge and taken the extra heaters out
until requested and paid for.
If costs keep spiraling beyond the rate of
inflation and beyond our control, we shall add a surcharge to the winter weekend
workshops to help offset these outrageous price hikes, and if you want to
complain then do so to the government who caused these middle east wars and so
causing chaos in the utility markets. British Airways sometimes adds
a fuel surcharge and no-one says a word, and if we have to do the same,
your appreciation and payment towards this, is appreciated.
HOT WEATHER
We maintain our prices and offer special
deals for bed and breakfast and our charges are extremely low for what you get
in return. If the weather is adversely hot and you require a fan in your
room, we charge £5 a day and expect you to appreciate and understand our
position
WE RECOMMEND
HOLIDAY INSURANCE
DISCOUNTS
All discounts are discretionary and if you give us a hard time, then the
discount will be stopped and the price will revert to the full price and no
discount will be offered. (As experienced with a guest who was attending the
Conservative Party Conference - October 2004 ) As a busy venue throughout the
year, we offer discounts in order that everyone can enjoy our facilities
regardless of financial ability.
If a single person has a twin room and uses both beds, then we charge for the
second bed as if two people were using the room.. This will automatically be
charged against your credit card and an explanation will be posted with the
credit card receipt. All staff members within Hamilton Hall at the time will be
asked to witness the fact that more that one bed has been used.
If a hotel key is taken - it can be returned in a padded envelope with a
first class stamp.
Please be aware - pay attention and be responsible.
3 nights for
£75 / £90 is
available per person, per 7 day period. Extra days can be added at the usual
B&B price and any (extra) discount offered is between John Bellamy and his intuition.
This is available all year ( except Workshop / Christmas / New Year and Bank
Holiday periods and when any special event is planned. )
To receive these discounts, pre booking and pre payment must be made and
arranged with Hamilton Hall at the time of enquiry and reservation, in advance
of your stay. All special deals are discretionary and we have the right to
withdraw any special offers and we will inform you of our reasons why.
This deal is only available to credit card bookings, No special price
will be offered on the phone if you have not seen the web site and know of our
special deals.
Please mention you
saw this offer on our web page.
If using this special offer on a weekend,
a Friday and Saturday night must be used
together.
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All payments and deposits made to Hamilton Hall,
is an indication that you have read and understood and agree upon, our terms and
conditions
Cancellation & late arrival / no-show charges
& credit difficulties.
Declined Card Cost
Unlike many venues, we do not charge a
surcharge if paying by credit card, and if we make several attempts to charge
monies to your credit card and it is repeatedly declined, and we
may even have to phone you back for another card number, we bill you £15 for
our time and costs involved. As a not for profit venue, we cannot afford
extras added to our banking charges in this manner. Please use cards that have enough funds available and are current
and not nearly out of date. Our time is valuable to us.
Your personal and credit card details are not
stored on computer except your e mail will/may be kept on file for some years
before being deleted. Any credit details phoned through are kept on
paper in our Diary of Events against the date of your reservation and is kept
on file. If at any time in the future you owe us monies, do not turn up for a
reservation or leave your room damaged, costs incurred will be charged against
your card and you will be notified accordingly.
We expect you to be responsible
and accountable for your own credit card bills and for checking that these are
correct. There are many fraudsters out there who try and play games with
us and we do not play those games and warn our customers to keep an eye on
their account as to whom and what has been charged against their credit card.
We expect you to be responsible for your own accounting.
cancellation:
If you ask your secretary or someone else to phone and cancel, and s/he
forgets - you are responsible.
If you use a medical condition / work / as cause for cancellation, we may ask
for evidence if a refund is available and/or expected.
We will not enter into dialogue if we are not treated equally, fairly,
truthfully and with respect.
Hamilton Hall is very open to discuss cancellation or a date change with you, as
nothing is set in stone.
We may request evidence in order to facilitate a rebate; otherwise -
Cancellation:
Hamilton Hall is very open to discuss cancellation or a date change with you, as
nothing is set in stone.
We may request evidence in order to facilitate a rebate; otherwise -
WORKSHOP & SPECIAL EVENTS
Less than 7 days notice of cancellation: no refund is
available and all outstanding amounts owed to pay the full price will be charged
against your credit card so we are fully paid.
More than 7 days notice of cancellation: 50% of the amount paid is returned and
the remainder kept by Hamilton Hall to cover our staff, admin. and exorbitant banking
charges. More than 14 days notice of cancellation, we retain £50 against our
costs and return the remainder.
SHORT NOTICE CANCELLATION: If you reserve a room on credit card and cancel
within 24 hours, then we refund your monies and retain a percentage to cover our
admin and banking charges. We have no control over the bank charging us monies
regardless of how quickly you cancel your reservation.
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Changed dates:
If you change the date of an event you are booked in for, less than 7 days prior
to the event itself, this will be seen as a cancellation and Hamilton Hall has
the right to retain all of the funds paid.
If you allow more than 14 days notice, then a Date Change Fee is charged at £25
per person. If you change the dates a second time, we charge a further £50 per
person. A third alteration will mean we keep all moneys paid and cancel the
reservation.
All funds owed for a Date Change Fee are to be paid at the time the date is
changed and not paid on arrival for the event.
In all correspondence with Hamilton Hall, please ALWAYS state your surname
and date of booking. This eases confusion. If sending an e mail or a letter
through the mail service, PLEASE be aware that not all e mails or mail,
arrives at their destinations. If you are canceling and you do not hear within 5
days from us, PLEASE confirm receipt with a simple phone call.
CANCELLATION: For Group Bookings where the entire venue has been reserved.
More that 28 days cancellation: 50% ( the deposit ) is retained by Hamilton
Hall.
Less than 28 days notice of cancellation : The deposit is retained PLUS 30% of
the entire amount remaining, is owed,
making a total of 80% of the entire sum.
If less than 14 days notice of cancellation: The deposit is retained PLUS 40% of
the entire amount remaining, is owed,
making a total of 90% of the entire sum owed.
For full terms and conditions of renting the entire venue, please ask.
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We suggest if in any doubt, you take out Holiday Insurance
which should cover you against loss, delay and cancellation.
If Hamilton Hall cancels an event we will advise you on the phone or through
e mail and arrange to either send you a cheque in return for the full amount
paid, refund against your credit card, or if you prefer, we can carry your funds over for a different date that
is agreeable with all parties. In all instances of Hamilton Hall canceling, all
funds are repaid fully and with our apologies. We also often offer a discount on
a future booking as a gesture of good will.
LATE ARRIVALS
If we do not hear and we wait around for more than 4 hours, we may make a
charge for our time regardless of the room being paid for.
Please read below...
If you do not turn up on the first day/ night of your reservation, and we hear
nothing from you, the remainder of your
reservation will be cancelled and no refund will be forthcoming. As my Mother
always says... 'There's always a phone dear,
just call and let me know what's going on so I don't worry.'
On some occasions when someone states they will arrive at 10am ( for instance
) and they do not arrive until 7pm because they decided to go straight to the
beach or take a later flight without bothering to inform us, we are then here
all day waiting when we could go out and do things. As a very busy venue - we
have a great deal to do and we truly value what time we do have off and do not
want our time wasted when a simple phone call is all it takes. We do not employ
reception staff as we are a small venue and we appreciate being kept informed of
arrival times, - it's not too much to ask and is a very simple thing... a phone
call takes 2 minutes and saves us waiting around for hours.
During the summer of 2005 I had some old friends staying
from Portugal who I have known for years and on their last day I wanted to take
them to the river for a picnic, and as soon as our one new guest had arrived ---
off we would go. Except we waited in ALL DAY and he did not turn up at all, even
though we called his mobile many times and left messages, he was a 'no show'
that day and the next day and the next. He had paid his money for the room, and
being the bank holiday the room would have been fully booked anyway, but more to
the point, my time and that of my friends, on the last day of their holiday, had
been spoiled, and it is really thoughtless. He never did return my calls and
never did turn up, so whatever the reasons were, I don't know, and I have full
sympathy if something important, an emergency or whatever, had cropped up, and I
do appreciate that sometimes it is difficult to call or it just slips your mind
if a family emergency comes up... of course, family comes first and I TRULY
value that, but he had a mobile and it was switched off.
FREE PICK UP
Hamilton Hall offers a Free ‘Pick-Up’ and ‘Drop-Off’ Service to
and from the local coach and train stations and to and from Studland Beach.
Please phone on arrival and we can collect you.
Studland drop off and pick up is available at 10.30am and collection around
4.30pm. Donations towards the cost of petrol etc. can be made in the hall's
Donation Box. ( usual cost for a cab to the ferry - £15
EACH WAY - so please - PUT A DONATION IN THE BOX ...)
If you are flying into Bournemouth Airport, with advance booking, we can also
arrange to collect you, but charge a small donation of £5 to cover car park
costs etc.
THIS IS NOT AN INSURED TAXI SERVICE
and is only offered as a friendly gesture,
staff and time permitting.
IF IN ANY DOUBT TAKE AN INSURED TAXI OR A BUS
We accept no responsibility what-so-ever for your journey to and from
Bournemouth or Hamilton Hall. Donations towards our costs can be placed in the
box within the front door of Hamilton Hall.
DISABILITIES
People who are blind or partially sighted - or who are deaf or hard of hearing
People who have heart conditions - and those with Epilepsy
People who have problems with continence - and people who have insulin dependent
diabetes
People with Downs Syndrome - Dyslexia - and those who have Arthritis
People who are wheelchair users
People who have experienced mental health problems and those who have learning
disabilities.
Hamilton Hall does not have a Hearing Loop. We also do not have disabled
toilet facilities or a ground floor bedroom. According to the law, introduced on
1st October 2004, we are suppose to ask and evaluate every single customer if
they have special needs / a disability, and to be honest, I find this law, as
usual, to be an ass. EVERYBODY - according to this law, is disabled, as EVERYONE
has had a mental disability at some time or another ( depressed, mood swings,
bereavement, broken heart - are all mental health issues...) so what is the
point in this neurotic law ? ( do you get the joke there...??? ) All it does is cost businesses like mine more money
and makes for more jobs for civil servants and gives us all something else to
worry about and another silly little label to wear and pin on ourselves and for
what... Nothing. They claim it's because of discrimination,- well how about the
man whose business has to close because he hasn't got wheelchair access and the
building is an historic one and cannot be altered, and he is now forced to close
because one of the 640,000 people in wheelchairs in the UK wants to buy a 80p
ice cream and cannot gain access.
I am often asked by short elderly ladies in Tesco's to reach for something on a
high shelf - which I do with pleasure and a laugh - and are we now to make
legislation lowering the height of shelves and then have people complaining that
Top Shelf Magazines are now too low and children will get hold of them and
because everything is lower, the shop is twice the size and prices will reflect
this ???
You can't win. As usual, what probably started as a good idea has grown into an
unworkable situation for councils and officials to monitor and where hundreds of
thousands of business properties will not / cannot adapt their properties for
various logistical as well as financial reasons and they will either be forced
to close or the authorities will evaluate each venue on its own merit and act
accordingly. In that case hundreds of thousands of venues will simply not bother
and this makes an ass out of the law.
PLEASE
If you have a disability that you feel may cause you some concern during your
stay at Hamilton Hall, please tell us when you make the reservation. I know MANY
people who - if asked - would tell me where to shove it and to mind my own
business. The government is fast becoming a NANNY STATE if it expects mature and
educated adults to NEED to be asked such a thing, and this is indicating that if
people have a disability, they are incapable of telling me for themselves
without me having to ask, or that I need to know they are diabetic, have
arthritis or can't read.
We do not discriminate against disabilities or judge you according to your
disability as we see you as a human being and not a disability, and it does help
us if we at least know in advance, if - and only if - you think it may cause you
concern during your visit. Otherwise I believe that if you are dyslexic - or if
you have arthritis etc. this is your own and very personal concern and not for
every Tom, Dick and Harry to keep pestering you with asking about it all the
time, especially as there is bugger all I can do for you if you are....
If you have a problem with wetting the bed, then obviously, we can take
precautions and need to be informed in advance, as any damage is to be paid for.
However, most of the other disabilities listed;- there is very little we can do
to assist - so what's the point in telling us ???
We cannot be held responsible if you have not informed us of a health problem or
disability in advance and it then becomes a problem for you.
PLEASE BE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR OWN WELL BEING. I know it's not
fashionable to take personal responsibility, but at Hamilton Hall, that's
exactly how we work. If you are not responsible for your own actions, then
who is...??? Certainly not me.
With your help, we can all have a wonderful time, disabled or not.
As usual, the law is an ass.
FOOD: If you are a vegetarian or vegan please inform us at the time you make
the reservation or at least 4 days in advance of your stay , as we can offer
these alternatives.
GLUTEN FREE & OTHER SPECIAL DIETS: If you are attending an event and require Gluten Free meals
or some other special dietary requirement, ( full
board catering only ) then we charge an extra £20 per day or £50 for a weekend
event, towards the huge expense and time in purchasing expensive products and
cooking a separate meal. This is time consuming and as a NOT FOR PROFIT
VENUE with limited staffing levels and where all the catering is done 'in house'
- the extra workload is to be paid for.
If you surprise us at the last minute by stating you need a special diet, then
the food supplied will not be the best we could have offered and if you do not
make advance arrangements you might not be offered anything other than the
standard food available. . We do not shop
once a weekend has commenced..
GM FOODS. It appears the government expects us to know exactly what is in the
food stuff we purchase and use even though it is recognized that many GM
products are not clearly marked on the label and things like Soya from the USA
is hidden in with non GM Soya - so who would know. I am suppose to mark all
foods that have GM products in them, yet the government itself needs to tighten
up on food labeling in order for the general public to know how to find these
products, what the label says clearly and in English instead of all in coded
wording and E numbers etc. and then and ONLY then, we the ignorant masses ( most
of us are not scientists ) will know what we are looking at when we pick these
products up in the supermarket. So please... be responsible for yourself and
where we can, we do not buy GM foods, but as we are no more aware of what is in
some food products that anyone else, if you have concerns about this, please
either ask and where we can - we will figure it out together, or eat somewhere
else.
It's just another excuse by the government to 'pass the buck' down the line to
the 'little man' at the end of the chain rather than taking responsibility for
it themselves, at the top,- the government who makes this silly legislation that
no-one in the street can possibly follow.
We are not licensed, and you are welcome to bring your own booze and whatever
helps you to relax. We are a NON SMOKING VENUE by law, and
our smoking area indoors has not been cleaned and de-smoked. You will be able to smoke in
the garden, although in the winter this will be f-f-f-freeeeezing cold.
You are welcome to bring whatever helps you to chill out and relax - i.e.: your
worry beads, knitting, herbal remedies, teddy bear or fluffy bunny slippers.
( Business is not allowed to build a shelter with 4 walls
and a ceiling for a smoking area. It cannot be enclosed, so the law is saying
you must get wet, shiver and freeze your balls off if you want a fag. The
nanny state has gone mad and I am watching to see when the same is applied
to alcohol, as more people die from throat cancer die to binge drinking than
they do from smoking, and the highest - biggest cause of throat cancer is....
URBAN LIVING ... so when is the government going to give us a decent transport
system so we can leave the car at home and clean up the environment. THAT is the
danger, not cigarettes. )
Boundaries and LimitationsBoundaries and limitations are to be adhered to and respected in, and during,
all workshops and any period spent at Hamilton Hall.
You need to bring a huge sense of humor and a
broad minded approach to life, love and the universe.
If you are easily offended, then some of our
workshops are not for you.
We offer a broad minded approach to life, love and the universe, and anyone
acting in an inappropriate manner will be asked discretely to curb their
behavior, and if this is not forthcoming, they will be asked to leave and no
refund will be offered. We adhere to the law and offer a safe space for everyone
attending and ask everyone to adhere to, and respect, our guidelines at Hamilton
Hall.
Please read all material relevant to your workshop, clearly, as any mistake made
in your interpretation of our written word, - is your responsibility and is not
the responsibility of Hamilton Hall. If in doubt, ask when you make the booking.
If you decide during a workshop that the contents are not for you, and you
choose not to continue, please wait until the next break and speak to your
facilitator quietly.
For various reasons, you may choose to miss one section of the workshop. More
than one section missed and we ask you not to return to the workshop.
We reserve the right to ask you to check-out of Hamilton Hall if it is felt you
are not taking the work seriously or respecting those who wish to continue with
the training.
No refund is then forthcoming.
For obvious reasons, we restrict those staying at Hamilton Hall during a
workshop / training to those taking part in the course. We do not allow non
participating customers into the building as this introduces confusion and a
very different energy within the work space.
Nothing is set in stone, and we ask that you please speak to John Bellamy
concerning any concerns you may have, in private, and please do not disturb the
remainder of the group.
We all create our own reality and are responsible for what we want and expect,-
to bring to - and take from - the workshop trainings.
It is never our intention to cause emotional or physical stress and/or
discomfort for anyone and if at any time anything within a workshop becomes too
graphic, too much to handle or simply not your cup of tea, then you are welcome
to sit one section of the workshop out, and return afterwards.
Please be responsible for your own well being at all times.
We may touch on deeply held belief structures from a very different angle, and
it is not our intention to cause emotional stress or discomfort by doing so.
Only through open and honest discussion can anything me learned. We do not
appreciate arguing as this stifles conversation and growth and is usually
offered from a place of anger, frustration and one of domination. Heated debate,
where respect is offered by both parties, is valued and in some cases,
encouraged.
We may talk about Recreational drugs - Pedophilia and other abuses, Alcohol,
Viagra, the Church and numerous esoteric topics, BUT WE DO NOT PROMOTE ANY OF
THESE ITEMS AND JUST BECAUSE WE SHARE SOME ALTERNATIVE TRUTHS ON THESE - AND
OTHER SUBJECTS - DOES NOT MEAN WE INVITE YOU TO TRY THEM OR THAT THEY ARE
CORRECT. Please take responsibility for the fact that all too often, what you
know on these subjects, is usually in error. Mainstream media manipulates and
misinforms and when we share some alternative truths, we are NOT PROMOTING,
ENCOURAGING OR INVITING ANYONE to take part in, to swallow, inject, sniff, sit
on, suck, eat, listen to or believe, as gospel, ANYTHING. YOU ALONE ARE
RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT YOU CHOOSE TO BELIEVE AND PUT INTO PRACTICE. NO-ONE ELSE.
PLEASE take responsibility for your own self.
As we always say - Believe nothing you hear, see or read, unless it resonates
within you as a truth, and then find out for yourself. Read a couple of
different books on the same subject and do not just blindly read and believe the
first one,- try and find several different angles to the same topic and get a
general overview. Never blindly believe or trust anyone or anything unless your
soul - your inner guide - your intuition - your gut reaction, tells you it is to
be trusted and is safe. And then, never doubt your intuition.
Many say that Hamilton Hall feels very
therapeutic, and on many levels - people are healed,-
but - we do NOT offer or administer therapy.
Dogs ( and I don't mean your Ex boyfriend ) are allowed with permission and
advance notice and with a credit card as confirmation. Any damage is charged at
'new for old' and carries a 25% surcharge to cover staff time shopping for new.
We have an old pussy who stays out of the way and be prepared for me making
a fuss of your dog for hours and hours....
DAMAGE - LOSS and/or THEFT - LEFT BEHIND ITEMS
TAKING ADVANTAGEDAMAGE please read
Damage: ( if you break a nail, tough...) However caused, is to be paid for by the person responsible or whoever
has paid for their visit. If you wet or soil the bed, be prepared to pay for a
new mattress and bedding. If you spill your coffee all over the beige carpet,
then a cleaning machine and labor will be charged. We expect you to respect our
facilities as if they were your own.
We respect that accidents happen and make allowances for this, but where
stupidity or thoughtless behavior has meant that Hamilton Hall's property is
damaged, we will make a charge for repair / cleaning, replacement etc.
( Recently, someone spilt the entire contents of the powdered coffee
container in the
dining room, all over the carpet some 6 feet away from where he was suppose to
be making coffee, and we never did quite fathom why he was carrying it across
the room. He was staying on a 3 nights for 2 basis and paying just £60 - and it
ended up costing us £57 to clean up his mess besides staff time and petrol going
to rent the carpet cleaner. So we were at a huge loss... 3 nights B&B where we
were not paid... so in theory we had a guest stay for nothing and it actually
COST US to have him stay here... and we cannot - and will not - allow that to
happen again. We are a NOT FOR PROFIT VENUE and if you are clumsy - be prepared
to pay for your clumsiness.). He was everso apologetic and I really do
appreciate accidents happen, but some things are thoughtless and will be
charged for.
Sadly we have had those who have abused and stolen from us here at Hamilton Hall
and we have to have this in place to protect ourselves.
.
If after you have checked out from Hamilton Hall we discover items missing from
your room, we charge 'new for old' plus a 25% surcharge, against your credit
card for a replacement item. We will send you the credit card receipt and inform
you of why we have done this. You are welcome to enter into dialogue concerning
the missing items, but if items are missing, the charge will stand.
Our rooms have that very special 'home from home' feel and have many of the
finishing touches not usually found, and we ask that this is respected.
All rooms are inspected before and after a customer arrives and leaves and
anything missing is noted.
SMOKING / NON SMOKING
If you smoke in the bedrooms we
will bill you for the cleaning involved as the smell of smoke can linger
and as non smoking rooms, please do not assume we cannot tell as soon as
we walk in the room. If we have to wash curtains, bedding, cushion
covers and wash down windows to rid the room of the smell of
smoke, then we will bill you a minimum of £50 for the cost as all rooms
are NON SMOKING AND ALWAYS HAVE BEEN.
ITEMS LEFT AT HAMILTON HALL
.
If you leave items at Hamilton Hall after you check out, please phone to
ascertain the items have been found. If they have, you are to send a Post
Office Pre Paid Box to us here at Hamilton Hall big enough for the items, otherwise we
will hold the items for a max. of 6 weeks pending your pick-up, and after that
it will either be thrown or given to a charity shop.
SOCIAL WORKER
We ask that anyone visiting who
has 'special needs' where a social worker or carer should be in attendance,
please notify us in advance and supply us with the social worker / carers name
and phone number and advise us as to needs and requirements. If no social worker
or career is in attendance, we are not responsible for the welfare of the person
involved and take no responsibility. If we receive any damage to our property,
this will be billed to the person responsible and/or the social services
administrator, as 'new for old' plus a 25% extra charge towards staff time and
any extra expenses incurred. We are not a care facility and we are not trained
as such. Please do not expect us to be more than we are.
Bookings such as this must always be paid with a
credit card.
Hamilton Hall is an ADULT ONLY VENUE
to finish
We try and run Hamilton Hall in a professional and friendly manner and hope that
you will respect and value that we may work a little differently to other
venues, but then, we are not like other venues and we work the way that is best
for us. If this means we do things a little differently, then so be it.
If you should get us on a bad day, when we are rushed, panicked, stressed or
simply distracted by thought, our apologies if we are a little short. This is
called 'being human' and no-one regrets it more than we do. In defense - we get
a great many time wasters who seem to think it funny to waste our time over and
over again, and as a venue with HUGE overheads, we cannot afford extra staff to
cope with these time wasters and - at times - it does annoy us, just as it would
any of you.
We try our very best and if that is not good enough for you, then find another
venue.
Having said that:-
We offer a very laid back - relaxed and friendly environment and ask that you
respect this and hope you will chill out and enjoy your stay here.
We will do whatever we can to make you happy and enjoy your time with us an
experience to remember. Hamilton Hall has certain legal responsibilities and
moral guidelines to adhere to, and if in any doubt, these can be found in the
vestibule (lobby) at Hamilton Hall.
Hamilton Hall is privately owned and run by John Bellamy, who put his money
where his mouth is, and chose to open a self and spiritual development retreat
for the gay community, the only such venue in the country.
We do not tolerate racism, elitist behavior, ageism, arrogance, intellectual
and educational snobbery, homophobic or heterophobic behavior, brutish behavior,
intolerance, bigotry of any kind or anything which may cause annoyance or
offense to anyone present. Most of all, we find quite offensive and a ruination
to many - POLITICAL CORRECTNESS. It limits growth. It labels everyone with
another label, which divides and separates, it does NOT unite and consolidate.
PC behavior is boring and dangerous and has brought nothing but confusion and
heartache for many who are now worried about 'should I call her woman or
lady.... lesbian or dyke .... ' etc. etc. etc. while the newspapers are legally
allowed to still call us 'queer and puff.' - and we get completely lost in words
and the pathetic ness of needing a label so we will feel included. How sad. There
are, of course, obvious exceptions concerning respect and decency, but alas,
very few.
Running a small business in this country is very hard and although the
government claims to support small business, it really seems not to. On all
business gas and electricity bills, we now have to pay something called the
'Climate Levy Tax' which is designed to make business use less gas and
electricity, and the horrifying thing is , that this TAX to business, then has
VAT added to it... so the tax is taxed.
I wouldn't mind if the Climate Levy Tax was then put aside for spending on
cleaning up the rivers, the air, the environment etc. but it is not... it's just
another tax.
Having said all this.
You have GOT to laugh... life is too short to get bogged down in red tape,
conspiracy theories ( which I adore) and negative energies.
Laugh, and the world laughs with you.
Laugh, and the healing begins.
Laugh, and you'll live for ever.
Everyone is welcome.
In Peace
John Bellamy
me, after writing all this
out, checking, checking and checking again and again and yet I am sure there are
mistakes even now....
If you have read right to the end here... have you nothing better to do...?
© Hamilton Hall Promotions / John Bellamy / 100804
If you
wish to use any of our articles or writings elsewhere, we believe in the
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