London meetup, Saturday

We've decided that because it'll probably rain on Sunday, we should have it tomorrow instead. Previous thread.

We're meeting in Green Park. As you come out of the tube station, there's a snack bar thingy, and we'll be somewhere immediately beyond that.
posted by cillit bang at 6:58 AM on May 4, 2007

Gah, typical! I'm baby sitting my niece tomorrow.
posted by TheDonF at 8:01 AM on May 4, 2007

Ah dammit, can't go.
posted by essexjan at 8:35 AM on May 4, 2007

This is just great. You Brits do everything with class. When we have meetups over here, they are always in some dank, seedy bar after work when everyone is burned out. At the end of it we spill out onto the streets and into cabs clammy and drunk from the one token Becks we had and the twelve Coors Lights we chased it down with.

But you? You have picnics. No wonder you had an Empire. I don't even know anyone who's been on a picnic.

Hey, on this picnic, are you going to have those little tea sandwiches? You know the little squre ones cut into diagonal quarters? Please tell me you are going to have li'l cucumber sandwiches and li'l bacon sandwiches. I wish I could have one. I bet they'll have the crusts cut off.

Do you think you'll have tea on your picnic? Not iced tea, but that four o'clock kind of tea you folks drink? Is someone going to bring hot tea in a thermos? That's really great, you should do that.

Hold on, I just pictured it! You're having this picnic near a stream, aren't you? Or the Thames? I knew it! It's the Thames, isn't it, the big river thing? Tell me there will be a little rowboat! Tell me one of you guys are going to row a little rowboat down a stream while you chat with a girl riding along reading a book and wearing a big sun hat. That's completely brilliant!

Man, cucumber sandwiches and tea and reading poetry on a little rowboat - that's living right there.

/self-loathing
posted by Pastabagel at 8:41 AM on May 4, 2007 [11 favorites]

Short of taking a rowing boat onto the Thames, yeah that sounds about right.

(Paging girl in a sun hat, girl in a sun hat please report to the picnic aisle.)
posted by chrismear at 8:46 AM on May 4, 2007

You forgot parasols. I bet they'll have parasols.
posted by ND¢ at 8:50 AM on May 4, 2007

Parasols! Nice one, ND¢.

So chrismear is rowing the boat making chit-chat, while the girl, who has some Jane Austen novel open on her lap, watches the banks of the stream without a care in the world. Then he starts in with "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?" And he's sort of half kidding and half not, right, and she twirls the parasol a bit and says "tee hee," and they laugh.

Meanwhile 4100 miles away and 13 floors up, I'll be stuck in an office because my considerable tax dollars aren't enough to pay for health insurance, decent schools, or unwinnable wars.
posted by Pastabagel at 9:09 AM on May 4, 2007 [2 favorites]

well I could make it but have two little tykes of 7&9 to look after. Can we create a creche? ( I mean dig a big hole in green park and ....) oh never mind.
posted by Wilder at 9:16 AM on May 4, 2007

Can I be the guy who, halfway through the afternoon, bounds up in a pair of cream-coloured linen trousers, a short sleeved shirt and a boater - tennis racquet tucked under one arm and a thin-lipped smile - and says "I say you chaps, has anyone seen Letitia?"

...and then chokes to death on his own sub-clauses
posted by Jofus at 9:23 AM on May 4, 2007

Can I be the guy who, halfway through the afternoon, bounds up in a pair of cream-coloured linen trousers, a short sleeved shirt and a boater - tennis racquet tucked under one arm and a thin-lipped smile - and says "I say you chaps, has anyone seen Letitia?"

Oh my God, you saw that episode of Dr. Who too!
posted by Pastabagel at 9:29 AM on May 4, 2007

Well, we'll definitely have Pimm's, because I will be bringing it.
posted by atrazine at 9:32 AM on May 4, 2007

I thought we'd already established that it was ok to bring any tykes along? It is a picnic after all. The more the merrier.

That goes for TheDonF's niece and whatever it is that's keeping essexjan in essex as well. Plenty of room for nieces and unspecified prior engagements in green park.
posted by fvw at 9:34 AM on May 4, 2007

I sprained my ankle a few hours ago, so I doubt I'll make it. I was hoping it would heal a bit by Monday, but tomorrow seems unlikely.

Enjoy your cucumber sandwiches, and don't skimp on the cream cheese. I trust that the butler has been informed that he is to provide the silver service?
posted by Optamystic at 10:05 AM on May 4, 2007

Of course, if it had healed by Monday, I would have gone out to Regents Park expecting to meet all of you, only to realize that the picnic was scheduled for Sunday.

I'm beginning to suspect that my ankle is the least of my problems.
posted by Optamystic at 10:14 AM on May 4, 2007

Well, we'll definitely have Pimm's, because I will be bringing it.

Good call. Don't forget the lemonade and the fruit and veg to go in it.
posted by chrismear at 10:23 AM on May 4, 2007

It's been a while since my last visit to our fair capital (I was 8, I think), so perhaps someone more acquainted with its transport "system" could tell me if, to get from Liverpool St station to Green Park, it's worth faffing around with the tube, or if I should just walk.

Also, how are we going to meet one another? I gather from Google maps that the park is pretty big.

Optamystic: Wouldn't you be doubly screwed if you had "gone out to Regents Park expecting to meet all of you" on Monday, since we're meeting at Green Park? I'm probably not being helpful here.
posted by Aloysius Bear at 10:39 AM on May 4, 2007 [1 favorite]

Liverpool Street to Green Park would be a two or three mile walk, I think. The Tube journey's fairly simple, and I don't think you'll hit any engineering works this weekend. Personally, I'd get the Tube unless I particularly fancied the walk (especially if I was laden with food, drink and goodies).

We're meeting just beyond the snack bar thingy as you come out of Green Park station. Past meetup photos for handy recognition purposes.
posted by chrismear at 10:52 AM on May 4, 2007

Central Line to Oxford Circus, Victoria Line to Green Park. Buy a combined train ticket/day Travelcard, as cash singles on the tube are £4 each way these days.

The tube station has an exit facing the park. A completely unnecessary diagram.
posted by cillit bang at 11:26 AM on May 4, 2007

Completely necessary, you mean! That's awesome.

(Currently putting together a playlist called "Summery?!". Bring your own iPods too unless you want to be subjected to my music all afternoon.)
posted by chrismear at 11:34 AM on May 4, 2007

You Brits do everything with class. When we have meetups over here, they are always in some dank, seedy bar after work when everyone is burned out.

Jessamyn's meetup on Sunday is at her house and it is supposed to be a lovely day.
posted by terrapin at 12:13 PM on May 4, 2007

Oooh, I was going to go to London around 4:30pm tomorrow anyway, so I could just arrive a few hours earlier... and Green Park is right on the way to where I was going. Hmmm.
posted by EndsOfInvention at 12:43 PM on May 4, 2007

I'm considering it now. Will be doing my Daddy Daycare bit as Mrs Mustard is working, but am tempted to bring the girls along for a spot of fresh air. I'll see how the day goes, but keep an eye out for an extremely stressed looking bloke pushing a double buggy!
posted by MrMustard at 1:11 PM on May 4, 2007

Oh yeah, and as kids tend to enjoy playing with/entertaining/looking after toddlers, I wholeheartedly second the more tyles the merrier idea!
posted by MrMustard at 1:19 PM on May 4, 2007

So we still need to bring food, right?
posted by EndsOfInvention at 2:01 PM on May 4, 2007

Yeah. I was planning on bringing a bunch of basic picnicky staples, like bread, cheese, ham, salad... unless someone else was going to do that?

I've also got plates/cutlery/glasses for 4, and three blankets I can bring.
posted by chrismear at 3:14 PM on May 4, 2007

I'm baking a MeFi cake, right now.
posted by atrazine at 4:36 PM on May 4, 2007

I may look in. It depends on the schedule of Mrs W. But Green Park is very convenient for me, so I have no excuse.
posted by WPW at 5:51 PM on May 4, 2007

I'm bringing 437 Scotch eggs.
(not really)
posted by MrMustard at 11:54 PM on May 4, 2007

If this cloud doesn't start dispersing soon, I'm going to get quite annoyed.
posted by chrismear at 4:14 AM on May 5, 2007

Not looking too clever is it? I bet it's a beauty tomorrow!
posted by MrMustard at 5:13 AM on May 5, 2007

Crap, I woke up late and I have tons of stuff to do so I won't be able to make it :(
Still, it's nice and sunny down here in Brighton :D
posted by EndsOfInvention at 5:21 AM on May 5, 2007

I can't make it, either, but I hope you're having fun.
posted by chuckdarwin at 5:26 AM on May 5, 2007

Turns out my other reason to go to London this evening was canceled anyway. Oh well.
posted by EndsOfInvention at 7:41 AM on May 5, 2007

Good work chaps. Thanks for the Pimms. Marvelous stuff.

(And if you're still there cillit, remote posting is obviously not working for you!)
posted by MrMustard at 12:10 PM on May 5, 2007

Sorry I missed it, guys. I had planned by return from Lancashire to leave ample time for a picnic tomorrow, but not today. How did it go? Can we have another one soon?
posted by sueinnyc at 2:08 PM on May 5, 2007

Yes, this one went well and we should all look forward to seeing Chris do his fish and loaves trick again later this year.

Atrazine is sipping cream in this photo
posted by cillit bang at 3:51 PM on May 5, 2007

I took a small number of photos here. Was too busy eating.
posted by chrismear at 4:07 PM on May 5, 2007

Where did you guys end up? Looks like another Sam Smiths. Thanks again for putting up with my wayward offspring.
posted by MrMustard at 4:18 PM on May 5, 2007

I think it was the Glasshouse Stores. We had fruit beer and played cards.

I did bring far too much food, but not enough bread. Consider this a excellent trial run, and we'll get the proportions just right next time.
posted by chrismear at 3:34 AM on May 6, 2007

A wonderful trial run indeed, a huge thanks to everyone for the lovely food and drink they brought (apart from chrismear who made a mockery of the whole affair by bringing enough excquisite food to feed an army).

A few more pics
posted by fvw at 5:28 AM on May 6, 2007

Of course, atrazine totally outdid us all with his awesome home-baked banana bread, asparagus dippy thing, Pimm's and cucumber sandwiches. Top show.
posted by chrismear at 6:52 AM on May 6, 2007

I'm sorry I missed it. As it happens, had I known my afternoon was going to pan out the way it did, I'd have shown up. But I'll be at the next one, I hope, bearing gifts of food.
posted by essexjan at 7:17 AM on May 6, 2007

I'm sorry I missed it, but on the other hand baby sitting my niece was awesomely cool, although insanely tiring. How much energy can one 22-month old child have? Lots, apparently.
posted by TheDonF at 11:01 AM on May 6, 2007

That green glow emanating from Western Canada? Yep, that's me.
posted by deborah at 2:49 PM on May 6, 2007

And look, here's that rain that was predicted for today.
posted by fvw at 4:22 PM on May 6, 2007

TheDonF - You really should have brought her along. She could have expended some of that energy chasing after my two.
posted by MrMustard at 12:05 AM on May 7, 2007

I am sad I missed it but am laughing out loud at thedonF. You didn't know the energy levles of a 22 month old? Oh Boy, you could have asked!
Its insane, moi is happily in Ireland and there are loads of people to help out ---am having a ball.
Come on down, tykes welcome y'all!
posted by Wilder at 12:07 PM on May 7, 2007

London meetup, Saturday May 4, 2007 6:55 AM Subscribe

London meetup, Saturday
May 4, 2007 6:55 AM Subscribe