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Original poster

If I'm attending a conference in Dumbarton?

110 replies

Madcatgirl · 18/01/2015 19:59

I'm hoping to attend a conference in Dumbarton, I'll be using public transport. Where should I stay? I've not been up that for years and my geography is a little hazy.

I'll travel up the day before and back the afternoon that it finishes. I will be travelling from manchester.

Thanks.

OP posts:
3nationsfamily · 19/01/2015 11:05

You should take the train from Manchester (Transpennine express) to Glasgow Central (3 hrs 13 mins) then 5 minute walk to change stations in Glasgow to Queen Street for direct train to Dumbarton (38 minutes). You could either stay in Glasgow city centre and take the train out as there are frequent trains on that line and obviously more night life/ restaurants in the city, but if your conference includes evening networking then stay locally in Dumbarton

Original poster
Madcatgirl · 19/01/2015 12:55

Thanks for that information. I'll see what deals I can find now I know more where I'm looking. Smile

OP posts:
MWestie · 19/01/2015 22:39

Can I ask where the conference is being held? Dumbarton's not a place I'd usually associate with business travel!

Spartak · 19/01/2015 22:43

I'd recommend the Premier Inn at Buchanan Galleries. Three minute walk from Queen Street station, spotlessly clean as it's fairly new and in a good location for exploring Glasgow City Centre if you have the time.

TheRealMaryMillington · 19/01/2015 22:48

Citizen M is fun, and sometimes good deals. 10 mins Queen Street.

I've no idea where you'd stay in Dumbarton

KissMyFatArse · 19/01/2015 22:54

If your staying in Dumbarton then there's a premier inn there. Relatively New and has a brewers fare attached for dinner/brekkie.

There's also the travelogue at Dumbarton too but the premier inn is probably better. And more central.

I grew up there and family still live there so know the area well.

annaban · 19/01/2015 22:58

OP - just a note to add to the helpful posts received so far...

The transpennine is usually a pretty small train, it's often pretty cramped with crap luggage storage (despite being a v popular route between Glasgow and manchester airport...)

Anyway, I would take it as far as Preston and then change onto the Virgin train (make sure it's Glasgow and not Edinburgh!!) roughly same total journey time and price but usually more comfortable,

AB

KatoPotato · 19/01/2015 23:00

There's the abbotsford hotel or the dumbuck hotel, both in Dumbarton and both fairly decent.

Shenanagins · 19/01/2015 23:03

In addition to the suggestions above, you could also look into Cameron house and duck bay marina. Slightly out of the way and you would need to get a 10 min taxi journey down to the northern edge of Dumbarton (aggrekko?). Both of which are on the banks of Loch Lomond.

Squtternutbaush · 19/01/2015 23:08

Kissmyfatarse are you me?

I grew up in Dumbarton too and lots of my family are still there :o

OP the Abotsford hotel and Premier Inn are pretty central with easy access to most areas nearby.

The Dumbuck hotel, Travel Lodge and Cameron house are all nearby but are a little less easy to access.

Costacoffeeplease · 19/01/2015 23:10

Cameron house is lovely though, I'd stay there and live with the taxi/transport issue!

KatoPotato · 19/01/2015 23:42

I also grew up in Dumbarton and my dad still lives there.... Ooohh

Tootssweet · 19/01/2015 23:49

I grew up in Dumbarton too! OP where is the conference in Dumbarton? A lot of the hotels that are being suggested are on the outskirts of the town so might need a taxi to your conference destination. If you have to do that then the staying in Glasgow idea might work better for you?

As an aside - can you not get a train from Central to Dumbarton any more?

MWestie · 19/01/2015 23:50

Another Dumbarton escapee...who knew there'd be so many of us?

Squtternutbaush · 20/01/2015 00:00

Argh I wish I could ask if I knew any of you :o

MWestie · 20/01/2015 00:05

We were probably all in the same class at school Grin

Tootssweet · 20/01/2015 00:06

Squatter - that's what pm's are for!

Fabulassie · 20/01/2015 00:09

How will you get around Dumbarton? Where in Dumbarton will you need to be? The Premiere Inn and Travelodge are sort of out of the town centre. I don't think I remember anyplace nice down in the town centre (which is a rather grim place.)

Squtternutbaush · 20/01/2015 00:10

Oh dear... I don't want to tell any of you then because I was an arsehole devil child Wink

Fabulassie · 20/01/2015 06:35

I'm an escapee too! The police said we should just move after we were bullied and I was attacked by one of the notorious families of troublemakers in Castle Hill. I have very few pleasant memories of my time living there. That is one messed up town.

Squtternutbaush · 20/01/2015 07:35

My DH is from C'Hill and I'm from the Myre, definately not a nice place although I do have a lot of happy memories from growing up I didn't want the same for my kids.

KatoPotato · 20/01/2015 10:38

I'm from B'hill and I did my street corner drinking up the 'Myre! - Gads I'm barely recognisable now! Dh does like a good laugh at my 6th year school photo every now again - think BIG FRINGE and heather shimmer!

Love that we were all drawn to the very concept of a 'conference' in Dumbarton! - Ahahaha!

Fabulassie · 20/01/2015 10:49

I won't do it here, obviously, but all I have to do to elicit a bug-eyed "oh my!" is name my next door neighbour in Castle Hill. "I lived next door to " and the response is always, "Oh my god!"

And she wasn't the worst neighbour by far. She was actually never any particular trouble to me. It was a family of drug-dealers and their kids and cousins on the street were the real problem.

When we moved, the many nice neighbours were really upset. They felt that the awful family had just succeeded in making the neighbourhood just that little bit worse and I was told that their kids were insufferable for the rest of the summer, bragging about how they could do what they wanted. We left at night with the help of neighbours who helped us transport our things through their back gardens and up to the car parked at Hilltop Community Farm so that the bullies wouldn't see us go.

Fabulassie · 20/01/2015 10:51

When I tell my friends back in my home country how screwed-up Castle Hill is, I tell them how the community farm was frequently vandalised, with the animals attacked and once even a pony set on fire.

I have lived in a really bad part of Oakland, California - straight out of a Tupac video. I have laid down on my living room floor because bullets were flying outside. I have seen people shot. But I can say with near certainty that nobody in Oakland would ever set a pony on fire.

Fabulassie · 20/01/2015 10:56

Oh wow... it just occurred to me that my posts may upset someone from Dumbarton. I'm sorry if I get a bit ranty on the subject. My experience there was very, very bad but I will say again that there were some very nice people there, some of whom I am still in touch with today. The nice people were truly lovely and they are stuck there with the rotten apples.