Meetup in London, Jan. 12, 2007

January 5, 2007 12:13 AM

London, UK meetup. Attempt at organising a venue and activities thread. hugsnkisses proposed and it looks like Friday 12th January is go (that's a week today). So the food and drink...what & where?
posted by i_cola to MetaFilter gatherings at 12:13 AM (50 comments total)

The only venues proposed in the original thread were:

There's a few cheap AYCE buffet places on Greek Street with plentious pubs nearby (e.g. Pillars of Hercules).

One of the Belgo/Beirdrome places. Covent Garden. Chalk Farm

Some weird backstreets of Mayfair pub.

Is that Spanish pub/tapas place on Hanway Street (runs between Ox St & TCR) still going?

The Yorkshire Grey on the corner of Theobalds Road & Grays Inn Road.

I also thought of The Pineapple in Kentish Town.

Anything else?!?
posted by i_cola at 12:20 AM on January 5, 2007

I like Greek Street. I dislike those Belgo/Bierdrome hellholes. The last time I checked, the Spanish Hanway Street experience was still going strong. Anything with the phrase "weird backstreets" in it is good.

I like beer.
posted by flashboy at 1:11 AM on January 5, 2007

Something not too far from London Bridge/Waterloo East/Charing Cross would be helpful, but not essential. Otherwise I lose precious drinking time.
posted by TheDonF at 2:21 AM on January 5, 2007

I vote for Greek Street, or the tape-ass place. Haven't been to either of them but they both sound good. And if the last couple of meet-ups are anything to go by, the TCR region seems to be convenient for most people.
posted by chrismear at 4:25 AM on January 5, 2007

I've just checked out Bradley's (the Spanish pub on Hanway St) and it doesn't do tapas anymore. And on a Friday it will be a bit rammed as it is teeny. But then so will most places in London! Then again, we're probably picking one of the quieter Friday nights of the year...
posted by i_cola at 5:09 AM on January 5, 2007

Greek Street sounds good to me.
posted by sueinnyc at 5:32 AM on January 5, 2007

A belated "count me in" - missed the earlier thread. I'm not so fussed about venue but somewhere relatively uncrowded, if such a thing is possible, or alternatively somewhere we can reserve a table or two, would be good.
posted by greycap at 5:36 AM on January 5, 2007

Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese!
posted by randomination at 5:43 AM on January 5, 2007

For what it's worth, I arrive in London on the 16th and will be there til the 22nd.
posted by Marquis at 5:43 AM on January 5, 2007

I'll second Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese. Downstairs is a good place for a meet.
posted by MrMustard at 5:54 AM on January 5, 2007

Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese looks great, and I guess it might be a bit quieter in the long run than Greek Street. So I'll third it, if I may.
posted by sueinnyc at 5:59 AM on January 5, 2007

Ye Olde is great (I work next door) and has the magic Sam Smith's tag but it'll be rammed on Friday as well. There are places around Waterloo or Southwark tube that'll be quieter (though that's because they're hard to get to and quite crap).
posted by patricio at 6:12 AM on January 5, 2007

It'll be full of lawyers but it's a great pub with food. Easy for me as I'm using Liverpool Street that night.

I'll fourth it. What time? 6.30 onwards?

There are two rooms downstairs: Best for meeting is probably the one with the fireplace? Google map here.

Buses: 4, 11, 15, 23, 26, 76, 172 along Fleet Street or 17 & 100 to Ludgate Circus, or 341 New Fetter Lane.
Tubes: Blackfriars, Chancery Lane, St Pauls or Temple.
Trains: City Thameslink or Blackfriars
posted by i_cola at 6:16 AM on January 5, 2007

*shakes fist at patrico* ;-)
posted by i_cola at 6:17 AM on January 5, 2007

I'm in. See you guys there!
posted by armoured-ant at 6:42 AM on January 5, 2007

Bring signage!
posted by TheDonF at 7:30 AM on January 5, 2007

Man, the London people sure are meeting up a lot, which is utterly fantastic. Don't know about Friday though, will have just returned to Cambridge from the States.
posted by grouse at 7:34 AM on January 5, 2007

Yay, meetup!
posted by chrismear at 7:45 AM on January 5, 2007

I may have run out of excuses not to turn up, which would be terrible news for everyone.
posted by NinjaTadpole at 7:47 AM on January 5, 2007

"hugsnkisses proposed?" Sounds like a kinky meetup!
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 8:22 AM on January 5, 2007

Gah, I'm going to have to go now. :p

I'd recommend getting into YOCC fairly early if a table is required.

Patricio, the number 4 goes from Waterloo station and Waterloo bridge to outside the pub, I know that because I'll be taking that bus.
posted by randomination at 8:38 AM on January 5, 2007

patricio TheDonF
posted by randomination at 8:39 AM on January 5, 2007

Can we book a table? How about a roll call metatalk thread next Wednesday and I can book if possible.
posted by i_cola at 8:56 AM on January 5, 2007

I am likely to be a late arrival again. Should be there for 8ish. Bloody kids.
posted by MrMustard at 9:37 AM on January 5, 2007

I'll be there you lucky people. I shall try to arrive sober by getting up late. Huzzah!
posted by econous at 9:41 AM on January 5, 2007

Right, that's the venue sorted. Now, what about these activities?
posted by chrismear at 10:14 AM on January 5, 2007

Have a pint for me - I will come to the next one if possible, however this one Im on call for work and cannot be out of town.
Gissa a shoutout!
posted by dash_slot- at 10:43 AM on January 5, 2007

I think I'm destined to NEVER be able to attend one of these things - heading back to Cardiff and my degree on Monday.
posted by Lotto at 12:54 PM on January 5, 2007

The Cheese is, I think, one of the very few Sam Smiths in London (useful map) that I've never been to. As such: yay.
posted by flashboy at 5:13 PM on January 5, 2007 [1 favorite]

Thank god I wasn't the one to make another MeTa post. My comment:post ratio is getting slightly ridiculous.

Would booking a table require an exact number count? At every Mefi meetup I've been to we've had someone turn up unexpectedly, the London meetups have been especially crowded recently. But then if we're going to a Sam Smiths on another Friday night then we're going to need all the help we can get in clawing some space out.

(6.30pm starts have worked out fine for us before.)
posted by hugsnkisses at 7:37 PM on January 5, 2007

I didn't even know you could book tables at pubs. Or are you talking about booking a table for food?

I'd offer to turn up early and try to hold a table, but I'm not very assertive and I think I'd probably end up in the fireplace.
posted by chrismear at 2:27 AM on January 6, 2007

I'm working the following morning, but might try to visit. I'd get there around 7/8ish as well. Then again, this would probably be the 4th one I say I might visit and wuss out of at the last minute.

I like to keep you guessing.
posted by slimepuppy at 4:41 AM on January 6, 2007

I will, of course, be there.
posted by atrazine at 5:58 AM on January 6, 2007

I'll be able to get there early and hold the fort - now that I only work three days a week. Muhahaha!

Thinking about it, I'll get there at 11am to secure a table. You'll know which table it is because I'll be asleep and drooling on it. No signage required.
posted by armoured-ant at 7:46 AM on January 6, 2007

Update Sunday am.

I rang YOCC & they might be able to let us use the Annexe upstairs to meet & eat (so much for not booking a function room!) which holds up to 15 people at one table for eating. This might work well as the pub is a right rabbit warren with lots of getting lost potential ;-)

I'll report back when I get a call back from the pub.

Numbers-wise we're looking at around 15 so could work well. We can always descend into the rest of the pub once we've fed...
posted by i_cola at 4:12 AM on January 7, 2007

That sounds great to me (but of course I was pro-function-room to begin with!).
posted by sueinnyc at 5:23 AM on January 7, 2007

Well you know how it goes. Female suggests perfectly sensible and practical option, males pooh-pooh it, go round the houses and then come up with pretty much the same idea and take the credit for it ;-)

YOCC rang back and I've booked a table in the Johnson Annexe in the name of Metafilter from 6-6.30 on Friday 12th January.

Basically we've got a table in a room off the Johnson restaurant on the 2nd floor that holds up to 15 people. If we get more then there's room at other tables in the room. So not quite a function room ;-)

Can someone post a reminder thread on Thursday morning?
posted by i_cola at 9:18 AM on January 7, 2007

Fabulous. I'll be there.
posted by cillit bang at 12:31 PM on January 7, 2007

I'm in.
posted by Optamystic at 3:03 AM on January 8, 2007

i'm in - will be in London for work, so will be good to meet some non-work types!
posted by darsh at 10:05 AM on January 8, 2007

Don't wuss out slimepuppy, these guys are lovely, just look at their comment history. Plus, there's a table! With chairs? The Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese. I'll be dressed, there and soberish at 18:30 Friday the 12th of January 2007.
posted by econous at 12:56 PM on January 8, 2007

I'm in too but I'll be there around 8. I was wavering but the promise of tables and chairs swung me.
posted by Ugandan Discussions at 3:32 PM on January 8, 2007

I'm in. C'mon, let's go for the record
posted by blag at 5:26 PM on January 8, 2007

Count me as one more thirsty mouth to feed, if anyone is keeping track.
posted by louigi at 2:00 PM on January 9, 2007

This is going to be HUGE. Epic, perhaps.
posted by chrismear at 2:36 PM on January 9, 2007

Shit, I've jinxed it now, haven't I?
posted by chrismear at 2:36 PM on January 9, 2007

Crap, I'm bringing my gf and three other friends too. Maybe we should go & take over a country or something...
posted by i_cola at 3:13 PM on January 9, 2007

I bought a new camera JUST for this meetup (I swear!)
posted by armoured-ant at 5:44 PM on January 9, 2007

Aaah, but can you bless it with DaShiv-levels of beautification?
posted by blag at 6:09 PM on January 9, 2007

Alas, ladies and gentlemen, I will not be able to join you that night. Not wussying out this time though, just real life throwing an epic spanner in the works.

Have a grand night out.
posted by slimepuppy at 7:15 AM on January 10, 2007