UK DUer meetup, anyone?

[Taxloss]

I think this might be a fun idea. London seems the obvious choice of venue, but let's not tie ourselves down. We're not a big group, but we're friendly, and I'd like to put names to faces.

OK, shoot me down now.

[RogueTrooper]

1. I would love too

but I would need enough notice to get over from Ireland to visit.

[Taxloss]

5. I'm thinking a couple of months' notice.

So you'll have time to arrange your visit.

[RogueTrooper]

7. and get extreemly cheap flights

with budget flightmeisters RyanAir.

[Skittles]

2. my brother works in Piccadilly Circus

I will let you know next time I am there :D

[Taxloss]

4. The time will be chosen enough in advance

for people who don't live in the capital to plan a visit, if they want.

[D-Notice]

3. Yeah, it'd be a good idea

But you know what public transport's like in this country!

[Taxloss]

6. Nice to have you on board!

I see it as being much the same the the UK bloggers party last year. We'll set a date in the summer, choose a pub, and away we go.

[Vladimir]

8. Why the hell not?

sounds like a fun evening, assuming I'm in the country at the time.

[Taxloss]

9. Well, we can plan it in advance.

I don't know how this can be done, but I'll propose a date in future and people can quibble with it. Then we try something else. Anyway, we'll figure it out.

[mr blur]

10. Excellent idea! (nt)

[Taxloss]

11. A kick.

We should be able to muster more support than this.

[D-Notice]

12. How many UK DU'ers are there?

I'm sure there's more than who's registered an interest...

I think the main problem would be the logistics - we're probably scattered around the country & the trains are shit so people might have problems getting to a meet-up, which could be why there hasn't been that many replies...

[Taxloss]

13. I get the impression there's about 20 regularly active UK DUers.

Maybe more, maybe less.

But I thought there'd be enough for a meeting of a dozen in a pub in London, although I can understand people not wanting to travel as it's not the most attractive night out in the world.

[Englander]

14. Lets have the meeting in Boston,or Cambridge...

Massachusetts,that is..

:bounce: :evilgrin: :toast: :bounce:

[Taxloss]

15. I was rather hoping I wouldn't have to leave Zone One.

[D-Notice]

16. Zone One?

Is that something to do with ID cards?

It sounds a bit 1984...

[Taxloss]

17. It's something to do with the London transport system.

There are six zones, and a handful of special zones. "Zone One" is central London.

[bennywhale]

18. I'm from the North East

so its the cost for me. I'm happy to meet in the toon however

[sweetheart]

19. I'm game

Perhaps around the summer solstice some time? It would also be
kinda fun if it coincided with the Democrats Abroad event in oxford
where josephy Nye is speaking.... Friday june 17th... how about
18th june in oxford somewhere... it lets you londonites get the
hell out of the maze.

Perhaps it could be fun to do it somewhere not so typical, maybe
like newcastle?

There is also some columnist called "mat miller" speaking for
democrats abroad in N1 london, on 22 june... I've got 700 miles to
get to london, but would enjoy a pint. :-)

[bennywhale]

20. I've heard my home city classed as some things before but

"not so typical" is the best. I like it. I'm not sure what you mean but i like it.

[sweetheart]

21. typical london

I have friends who visit the Uk from the USA, and i get an email like
a week in advance, saying, "hey, why don't we meet up in .... London."
And I send one back, saying, "Hey, why don't we meet up in Orkney."
Then they research it, and discover the travel costs of getting from
one end of the UK to the other and decline... so what do they expect
me to do?

Its as if the country only has 1 place, and its "L".... i find it very
unfortunate, as the richness of the Uk, IMO, is in the OTHER cities that
are less travelled, like Bath, Newcastle, Carlysle and Inverness.
I think its a bummer, as these cities are the real depth of the UK,
much more than London, and that the political and economic institutions
of the UK are SO SO concentrated in to london strangles the UK both
economically and culturally.... so i revel in the alternate "less typical"
places.... as well, people are more friendly and its more fun in the
pubs... (and hotels are usually cheaper), considering some of us
don't have places to stay in london.

I realize it's futile, as london is like a meeting magnet, perhaps
just as well, given airports and whatnot...

democrats abroad has a similar view, as most americans are in london
and they've little or no experience outside the london megaplex...
so rather than consider shifting meetings about the UK, to get in
touch with other parts, they opt for convenience... and EVEN go so
far afield as oxford!!

The Uk parliament similarly, IMO, is out of touch with the country
because they hang too much in Belgravia. They should hold travelling
parliaments in various cities around the UK, that ALL parliamentarians
get exposed to the regional conditions that REAL persons in the UK
have to live with... and i'd really have to chuckle when they tried
to do it on Sheland, Skye, Penrith, Perth, Thurso, Milton Keynes
and such, as they'd be in for a shock that life ain't mayfair...
They'd discover that petrol is 95 pence per litre in Thurso!! and
listen to their cab driver bitch about it on the way to committee.

They'd discover that air-links and rail travel are complex to
coordinate outside london because THEY have done a crap job at
managing transport infrastructure... and i'd love to see all of
parliament stuck in a traffic jam on the M6 in Manchester, just so
they could get a real feeling for the rail/roads problem their
policies are creating. Woof!

So, yes, newcastle is not typical.. nobody says, "Hey, lets meet up
in Newcastle."... and for that very reason... its a perfect place
to meet up.

[bennywhale]

22. Too true the real England lies outside the metropolis. And thats before

we start taking Brits to mean the same thing. The differing culture, dialects and way of life i think would take some Americans by surprise in the industrial North (or post-industrial). The history of the North is also less known and in my bias opinion more fascinating to learn. The visible signs of the past from Hadrians wall, Holy Island, Durham Cathedral, York etc are amazing and a real taste of Britain will not be found in just visiting London.

Similar i imagine if one only went New York. you couldn't really say you'd experienced anything other than New York.

[mr blur]

24. Do you mean Carlisle?

Nearest city to where I grew up in the Lake District. But you're right - I've lived in The Lakes, Bath, London and now Chichester and know Durham, Newcastle and York. After over 20 years in London (which I love), I'd rather arrange to meet up with people almost anywhere else. Although London is a great place to do things, I think all of the other cities I've lived in are greater places to be. But it may be that the majority of people who want to meet up are around the London area...

[tenshi816]

28. I spent last July 4 not far from Newcastle

at Washington Old Hall, George Washington's ancestral home, which has a 4th of July celebration there every year.

I've lived in Yorkshire for years and agree with your post. I'm an American myself and used to live in London (for 4 years) but it was only after moving out of London that I began to discover the joys of the rest of the country. I still love visiting London on occasion, but it really annoys me that the rest of the UK is seemingly considered not as important.

It's funny, I'm a big fan of horse racing and have heard no end of complaining from people I know "down south" about Royal Ascot being moved to York while the Ascot course is being redeveloped, because it's so "inconvenient" for them to travel to. Well, that's what the rest of us have to deal with all the time.

[T_i_B]

29. Quick bit of trivia

George Washington's Grandfather was expelled from the town of Maldon in Essex for drunkeness! I used to work down in Maldon and that little bit of trivia is something the locals are quite proud of.

[tenshi816]

31. Hee! Wonder if that's why they emigrated? n/t

[non sociopath skin]

26. Newcastle or Carlisle would be just dandy for me ....

... York would be another interesting possibility.

The Skin

[tenshi816]

30. York could be really, really good

or my house in Ilkley...:-)

[Menshevik]

23. sounds fun

I'm a Yank that lives in London...in zone 1 (barely) :)

[Pert_UK]

25. I will make it if I can, but I'm afraid it's not very likely........

I've got so many weddings, stag parties and family commitments this year that I doubt that I could find a spare weekend before October!

It doesn't help that work keep sending me abroad with little or no notice.

So.........count me as an "enthusiastic potential but unlikely" attendee.

Sorry - it WOULD be great to catch up with a few fellow DUers.

London is easiest for me, and actually weekdays are probably better than weekends. Cambridge in the week would also be doable.

P.

[tenshi816]

27. I love the idea

but why does London have to be the obvious choice for a venue? I'm in Yorkshire, so it's not the first place that comes to my mind. Why does everything have to be centred around London?

It seems to me that if all agree in principle to get together, it would make sense to find out where everybody is and try to find a venue that is a reasonable distance for everyone to get to.

In the short term, I don't know if anyone's interested, but Scott Ritter is speaking at an "Independence from America" demonstration outside the entrance to the Menwith Hill military (NSA "listening") base in North Yorkshire on July 4, with music (Chumbawumba) and food (by "Veggies of Nottingham"), 12-4/5p.m. I'm planning to attend, and if any UK DUers would like to meet up at the Black Bull Inn near Menwith Hill for a drink or two beforehand, that would be great.

[sweetheart]

32. sweetheart's dinner offer

Rather than wait for a meetup, i'll offer an open invitation. You
are welcome to stop in and have a home cooked dinner if you are ever
round the scottish far north.

So of anyone is on holiday in the scottish highlands north of inverness, theres good food fare to be had. I make an excellent stew, an excellent
vegetarian soup along with some good vibes for all.

IM if you feel the impulse.

This is not to displace any other "meetup", just to create some variety
and spice. :-)

cheers,
-s

[Pert_UK]

33. Hey, that's a lovely offer!

If I ever make it up that far then I'll be in touch......I was in Edinburgh last weekend, and I have relatives in Stranraer, but that's not really North enough, is it!

:toast:

Is there any whisky included with the dinner? I brought back a lovely bottle of Bowmore's Mariner on the last trip....

P.

[Taxloss]

34. Fantastic offer!

I'm ashamed to say I've never been further north than Hadrian's Wall, but I'm sure my time will come ... and when it does ...

I'm also slightly embarrassed to see this thread kicked after I let its momentum ebb ... I'll figure out a proposal for a London meetup.