The FiLiA conference is in Cardiff this year …

[EmpressaurusWitchDoesntBurn]

…and it will be BRILLIANT. Saturday 22- Monday 24 October 2022.

It’s a fabulous opportunity to meet, learn from and share with like-minded feminists. If you don’t know anyone when you go, don’t worry - you will by the end!

The website is www.filia.org.uk/ and here’s a video of previous highlights to give you an idea of what to expect. m.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEO6-HW6JdU&feature=youtu.be

Hi Empress, I have tickets and hotel booked but I really need to know what the agenda looks like re the Monday sessions.

I've not read the whole thread so some may have raised this but it is half-term in England from that Monday. Chat on many feminist groups the feeling is that some of us need to know if childcare / holiday clubs need to be booked. The content of the Monday sessions will influence that.

Come on - look after us women with young kids please

I believe they are hoping to have the agenda out by October 1st. There is obviously a lot of work going on behind the scenes, speakers flying in from all corners of the world, the logistics are a nightmare!
The speakers confirmed so far are incredible so I've no doubt the Monday would absolutely be worth going too, it's going to be just as good as any other day.
I'd recommend booking whatever childcare you need for the Monday so you don't miss anything, and of course FiLiA have free childcare available.

Cheers @purpleboy.

I still haven't booked as I didn't get a reply re hotels nearby to the venue. I'd really like to go but will have to take my chances and try to book once we know which venue it is at.

There are lots of cheapish hotels and b&bs about a 5 min bus ride from the centre. I live here so not sure what is booked up or not,but if anyone wants any help working out if a particular place is on an easy bus route to town, or walking distances, or anything like that, feel free to tag me or message me.

Also, I will restate my invitation to meet up with people. I won't be in a hotel so won't be t-shirt spotting at breakfast but I'm always up for meeting up if anyone is worried about going on their own 😁

We'll be staying in a camper van, parked here:

www.cardiffcaravanpark.co.uk

It's pretty central and a flat walk into town. £30 pn.

So excited to be going at last. I had a ticket for 2020, which then became 2021, and had to cancel at the last minute so this has been a long time coming. Can't book anywhere to stay until payday, when I should be getting a little back pay bonus. Hope there's still plenty of choice.

I've got a ticket for Sunday, planning to stay over on Saturday night if I can find somewhere cheapish to stay nearby.
I'm a bit worried about safety after the last few days, I was at filia last year and the protesters were a pretty sad looking bunch not really threatening other than the gross graffiti but things seem to have ramped up since then.
It's a concern as I'm travelling on my own.

I think the conference app will be available from 1st October so it will be easy to link up with other women to actually walk to the venue. And the stewarding is always excellent.

For anyone waiting to find out what the venue is before booking a hotel/airB&B - Cardiff is small (I live here) and we've been told that the venue is a) central and b) near the train station so any option near the centre or the station will be fine.

I realise it's not straightforward for people with kids but I echo Empressaureses (not sure if I've got the right number of 's's there!) - if you can possibly stay for all three days, do! The whole thing is so glorious you won't want to miss a moment. And there's a creche/childcare available too.

See you there!

Thanks Badger!

So looking forward to this! Last year was my first and I met so many fabulous women and learned lots at the workshops. I have used Clubcard points and Blue light card discounts and got 3 nights at the Jury's Inn for a few ££, so a bit of a luxury mini break

There’s a basic agenda now up at www.filia.org.uk/agenda!

Looks great Empressaurus with so many different topics but it will be so hard to decide what sessions to choose.

Oh and I think your exclamation mark may have messed up the link, its
www.filia.org.uk/agenda

Bother, so it has. Thanks Thingybob. I’ll

Does FILIA have a political stance or is it apolitical?

Great thanks. I can only go on the Sunday unfortunately

TERFwithAcat they aren't politically aligned but feminism is a political movement so I wouldn't say they are a-political except in the most narrow sense. Wonder why you ask?

Thanks @Olderbadger1

I ask as politics seems to be dominating feminist discourse ATM, and whilst I have no problem with people discussing politics if they choose, I want to be able to have a variety of chats at FILIA.

@TERFwithAcat
Last year there were representatives from Conservative and Labour women, manning stands next to each other!
The only thing which united us all was being female - there were women of all colours, politics, views, ages, sizes and orientations. Perfect 😍

I’m flying in, but I can’t quite figure out how to get into Cardiff. Looks like the train station is about a half hour walk from the airport? There is a bus too. What do locals recommend? Thanks.

The bus from the airport to Cardiff City Centre takes an hour and 20 minutes because it goes via Barry and picks up / drops off at the various bus stops en route. But once you’re on the bus you won’t have to worry about catching a train. You might be able to track the bus on the NAT website. There’s only one bus every hour.

that is handy for me too.

cant wait!

I’ve had a look at the train option. The shuttle bus from the airport to Rhoose train station is 10min, then the train is 35minutes if you get the direct train to Cardiff. (There seems to be another option of getting the train from Rhoose to Bridgend and then a train back from Bridgend to Cardiff but that’s an hour of travel time.)

There are taxis of course but they’ll be expensive, even though taxis are allowed to use bus lanes and dodge the traffic queues.

The Cardiff Airport website has travel info and links to the bus websites.

The train station is several miles — and several hours walk — from central Cardiff. Pls have offered the available options: bus to Rhoose and then a train or the slow bus via Barry and Lllantwit Major.

That’s what I explained in my two posts. Or thought I had! Maybe I wasn’t clear.

I think the half hour walk to the station which Stealth mentioned in her opening question was the walk to Rhoose station from the airport, which is a ten minute bus ride on the rail-link shuttle bus. She wasn’t talking about walking all the way to Cardiff central rail station.

The slow bus route is from Llantwit to the airport, then on to Barry and onwards to Cardiff.