London Meets

June 13, 2007 3:51 AM

I will be traveling across a plethora of hemispheres, and will be in London between the 19 of June and the 8th of July. I'm normally of southern hemisphere so if anyone wants to meet for a drink - that would be lovely. Name a date (and possibly a place as I don't know the geography terribly well) and I will be there.
posted by Sparx to MetaFilter Gatherings at 3:51 AM (38 comments total)

A London meetup? With drinking? Surely you must know that we would never do such a thing!


Can I request that it not happen between the 19th and the 25th, because I'll be in a field then.
posted by flashboy at 4:48 AM on June 13, 2007

You're going on Tuesday? That's hardcore.

Though I guess you need the extra time to forget the sins of your day job
posted by cillit bang at 6:08 AM on June 13, 2007

Okay, I might not be in a field on the Tuesday. I will merely be preparing for fieldhood. Fieldom. Fieldosity. Whatever.

And MrMustard's job is definitely more evil than mine.

Maybe.
posted by flashboy at 6:27 AM on June 13, 2007

Just remember that in the northern hemisphere what you call left is what we call right. So if someone gives you directions to a bar, make the opposite turns each time.
posted by shmegegge at 8:30 AM on June 13, 2007

Picnic re-run one weekend? Or will you two have had enough of fields?
posted by chrismear at 9:21 AM on June 13, 2007

Hair of the dog, Chris.
posted by cillit bang at 10:12 AM on June 13, 2007

Picnic re-run one weekend? Or will you two have had enough of fields?
posted by chrismear at 5:21 PM on June 13 [+] [!]

I would love that, if we could do it the weekend of the 7th (I'll be at sea the other weekend).
posted by sueinnyc at 1:16 PM on June 13, 2007

I'm going to be in London (from California) from June 27 am until July 2 am -- busy only on Friday night (6/29). If there's any chance of scheduling me into this meetup, that would be awesome.
posted by obliquicity at 7:43 PM on June 13, 2007

I read that as "any chance of seducing me into this meetup..."
posted by flashboy at 12:19 AM on June 14, 2007

heck, I'd take that, too.
posted by obliquicity at 11:39 PM on June 14, 2007

It really seems like every time I enter a thread it dies... so in a bold attempt to entertain myself in London, can I suggest Saturday, the 30th of June, either daytime or eveningtime? I am going to be staying in Richmond, but to be honest I don't recommend it for meeting up -- and besides, I've already overstepped my bounds by suggesting a date.
posted by obliquicity at 5:00 PM on June 15, 2007

I live near Richmond, so I'd definitely be up for that.
posted by randomination at 9:37 AM on June 16, 2007

You know, obliquicity, the 30th actually works for me. We'll never be able to please everyone, so we could pencil it in for then, pehaps.

The next question is where? I hear there is this series of tubes by which travel may be eventuated, similar to the internet, which can end up near drinking establisments of an early evening, but I don't know what would be a good one as such.

(ps - sorry to have abandoned my own thread - I had my timezones and tickets confused, so I am in the UK even as I type after a looooong flight)
posted by Sparx at 9:40 AM on June 16, 2007

Richmond's not so bad, although it could be a bit of an arse for some people to get to particularly if the District line disappears up its own chuff.

May I suggest the Dove, in Hammersmith? It's on the river, and all, and has Europe's smallest bar. Nearest tube is Hammersmith / Ravenscourt Park.

The afternoon might be quite nice.
posted by randomination at 10:44 AM on June 16, 2007

Okay, so the Dove, the late afternoon/early evening of the 30th? Now, how does one add that to the meetups list up front?
posted by obliquicity at 1:03 AM on June 17, 2007

[added to sidebar]
posted by obliquicity at 1:29 AM on June 17, 2007

This is pub, not picnic, right?
posted by cillit bang at 6:43 AM on June 17, 2007

They do food.

If you're really hungry, you can go across the river and hunt swans at the Barnes Wetland Centre.
posted by randomination at 8:11 AM on June 17, 2007

A shall bring my crossbow.
posted by cillit bang at 10:53 AM on June 17, 2007

Sadly I definitely can't make this one, as I shall be weekending in dear old Brum. The Dove is a groovy little pub though, so have fun.

While my job may be evil, I would like to point out that I, in fact, am not.
posted by MrMustard at 12:45 AM on June 19, 2007

I'm going to pin a post-it note on the virtual wall that says "Sparx will be arriving at the Dove sometime around 4:30-5:00 unless mass dissension occurs". I'll be the lad with the incomprehensible Kiwi brogue, medium length scruffy hair, looking very much like yesterday was his birthday around the eyes, and possibly grumbling about warm beer.
posted by Sparx at 11:02 AM on June 20, 2007

Okay, I'll be the American-sounding girl with longish scruffy hair, looking like she's spent a few days with family and doesn't care at all if the beer is warm, as long as it exists.

I'd link to the picture that Dashiv took of me at a Peninsula meetup, but unfortunately it is far too flattering to be useful as an actual identification tool.
posted by obliquicity at 5:37 PM on June 20, 2007

I'll be the one who arrives bearing cupcakes.
posted by chrismear at 7:58 PM on June 23, 2007

Just out of interest, is anybody interested in the mass Bookcrossing on the South Bank on that afternoon? It starts at noon and is free. (This is an explanation.)

I'll be going if anybody else is. We can then grab lunch, mooch around and then amble down to Hammersmith.
posted by randomination at 9:06 AM on June 24, 2007

randomination - That's another thing I'd have been at were I not spending the weekend in Britain's Second City. I'm reasonably active on the bookcrossing site under the same name as here.
posted by MrMustard at 12:49 AM on June 25, 2007

I'm up for that. Signed up at BookCrossing ages ago, and never did anything. (Possibly because I can't bear to part with my precioussss bookssss. Maybe this is the wrong movement for me?)
posted by chrismear at 6:31 AM on June 25, 2007

chris, don't part with the precious ones, part with the crap ones. Ideally, part with them in exchange for more precious ones.
posted by MrMustard at 7:00 AM on June 25, 2007

Ah, of course, one man's meat, and so forth.
posted by chrismear at 1:08 PM on June 25, 2007

So, if one happened to be at this BookCrossing (because although I empathize with chris's possessive tendencies, I love the thought), how would one find the others of us?
posted by obliquicity at 9:17 AM on June 26, 2007

Seconded. I have a few (alas, only a few owing to brutal book weight while travelling on airlines) books I've read enough - brought for airline service on the trip over. And the idea is something well worth supporting.

I'd be in for that as a starting point if an easily locatable point can be found for the itinerant traveller who knows little of London. (Hint: Close to intertube is very locatable)
posted by Sparx at 10:46 AM on June 26, 2007

Waterloo railway station, under the clock on the concourse? That's a fairly easily locatable spot, five minutes' from the South Bank, and a famous London meeting place.

I do need to be there for the start of the event, though...
posted by randomination at 12:15 PM on June 26, 2007

Correct me if I'm wrong - but the start of the bookcrossing event is at 12 Noon? It might require some bouncing around on the oyster card to get there, but if you can spot me a few minutes on either side of, say, 11:45 to counteract my inability to predict timetables, and then meet beneath said clock outside the station...well it sounds like fun. Please let me know if my timescale is craptacular.

I will, of course, demand that any readings from found books must be fully and loudly declaimed in public and with a drink in hand.
posted by Sparx at 2:17 PM on June 26, 2007

Yes, yes! We should scour the South Bank Centre for books, and then read to each other. It'll be a delightful afternoon.
posted by chrismear at 2:23 PM on June 26, 2007

Eeek! Sparx -- the clock is INSIDE the station... not outside.

I might need to arrive at 11.30 and head down at 11.45.
posted by randomination at 4:06 PM on June 26, 2007

I can do this one. No honestly. I know I always say that but the stars are correctly aligned.
posted by oh pollo! at 7:30 AM on June 27, 2007

Okay, 11:30 sharp under the clock on main concourse at Waterloo, for the BookCrossers.

What time should everyone else hit the Dove?
posted by chrismear at 8:17 AM on June 27, 2007

I'm going to be under the clock at Waterloo from about 11.15 onwards. It'll be busy, but you will be able to see and identify me because I will be holding a shiny gold balloon.

This is what the clock looks like.

I will leave at 11.45, but I will take a few spare gold balloons if anybody else wants to hang back and pick up any latecomers.

There's some fun stuff going on on the South Bank that afternoon (ballroom dancing, for instance), but I think 4.30-5 is a good time to get to the Dove.

The weather looks like it's going to be terrible though, which might put pay to a summer evening on the balcony watching the sunset over Hammersmith bridge...
posted by randomination at 3:15 PM on June 28, 2007

Possibly because I can't bear to part with my precioussss bookssss.


You are a man after my own heart, chrismear.
posted by brujita at 9:41 AM on July 1, 2007