The Southern England Regional Council is proud to present
The Great Britain Championships
Butlins Resort, Bognor Regis
Friday 19th - Monday 22nd October, 2012
Booking - 2012 :: Note that ALL bookings for this year's Great Britain Championships MUST be made on the special paper GBs booking form, which will be made available shortly. Online and telephone bookings will NOT be available for this event. See the booking page for full details.
New for 2012 :: Butlins are proud to announce the opening of the new Wave Hotel, providing fabulous accommodation for all family groups. Watch this space for details!
The "GBs" is the second-oldest major Irish dancing championship in the World -- only the All Irelands is older -- and we are immensely proud to be the custodians of its traditions.
Having moved to the Butlins Resort in Bognor Regis in 2008, the Southern England Regional Council has worked hard to continue the Great Britain Championships as a unique event in the Irish dancing calendar. Always known as the 'friendly championships', the GBs has long had a reputation for coupling amazing standards of dancing with a real opportunity to renew acquaintances and to make new friends. We sincerely hope you will join us for a fabulous long weekend of Irish dancing and fun.
You should find all the information you need on this dedicated website. Use the navigation menu, left, to browse other pages.
If there is anything you can't find, or need clarification on, please use the contact form to get in touch with us. We will answer your question(s) as quickly as possible.
We have just been advised that the new Wave Hotel includes a number of 'Reef Apartments' that are not included on our booking form.
Anybody wishing to stay in one of these larger units should complete the booking form but add a note saying they would like a Reef Apartment.
The rates are as follows:
- A Reef apartment in the Wave Hotel at £139.00 per person Self Catering
- The 2 bedroom apartment is based on 4 sharing = £556
- The 3 bedroom apartment is based on 6 sharing = £834
Note that if a Reef Apartment is not fully occupied there will be an under-occupancy charge.
A number of people have asked which dances will be performed at this year's GBs.
Barring unforeseen circumstances, the dances needed for the GBs 2012 will be those required for the World Championships in 2013 for any particular age group. For example, the "12 and Under 13" age group at this year's GBs will perform the dances they will need in the "13 and Under 14" age group at Oireachtas Rince Na Cruinne 2013.
The dances required for the Worlds do not (normally) change from year to year - the dancers go up an age group - so the dances required for any particular age group can be found from this year's World Championships syllabus.
It is often the case that Teachers have to travel on their own to the GBs to watch their dancers, and a couple of people have asked the same question about under-occupancy rules this year.
These are basically the same as in previous years: Teachers who book during the 'reserved' period (starting 16 April) and who quote their CLRG number on the booking form, will NOT be charged an under-occupancy fee. This waiver is restricted to one booking per teacher, and only applies to smaller accommodation such as double rooms, rather than family-sized rooms.
We are happy to announce our judges and musicians for this year's Great Britain Championships. See our Professionals page for details.
You will find details of accommodation booking on our Accommodation page, along with a downloadable booking form. Teachers may book from 16th April, and general booking opens 30th April. Please make sure you read the booking instructions carefully.
You will now find this year's provisional days of competition on our Timetable page. The full final timetable will follow nearer to the event, when entries are all in.
You can now find our Facebook page by going to www.facebook.com/gbchamps
The GBs now has both Facebook and Twitter accounts, so you can follow us using all your favourite devices - your PC, tablet or smartphone. Use the 'Community' block on the right to Like and Follow us.
And please, please, please spread the word - the more people Like/Follow us, the better we can stay in touch with news and updates.
Please note that all bookings for this years event will be by a hard copy booking form. No phone or internet booking will be available for this years Championships.
The Friday night will only be used if entries are such that all competitions cannot be completed on Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
Booking information will be made available in late March with options this year to pay by instalments.
Finally, Butlins are delighted to announce the opening of their new "Wave" hotel in time for this years event.
Further details will be provided on this website very soon.
