Euro goodjer meetup in London? (HaakCon 2010 et al)

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I'm planning to go to London again and would love to repeat the awesome meetup we had back in 2008 (greetings to samfisher, Vrikk, Haakon7 and his wife!). So I'm just asking in big advance: I'll be there May 1st - 4th (Saturday - Tuesday), who's up for beer and lots of great discussion? I'll resurrect the thread sufficient time beforehand, don't worry.

Pints and nerdtalk you say? Where do I sign?

Bumgrapes. I have exactly one weekend taken this year, and it's that one

What's our catchment area? Looking at the map most people are spread around London.

Although a different earlier date, there is also this LAN party I'm looking at attending.

I'm interested, but can't give more than a 'maybe' at the moment. I've also added myself to that ace map, thanks for posting it Scratched.

I really just wanted to announce this early, to give interested people enough time to make time. It's not like it's binding or anything, it's just that the last one was really fun:

IMAGE(http://www.oohsometimes.com/images/london/gwjlarge2.jpg)

(That's Vrikk in the red shirt, bespectacled samfisher aka Lord of Leisure - and me in the middle)

IMAGE(http://www.oohsometimes.com/images/london/gwjlarge1.jpg)

(Haakon7 with his lovely wife on the left, Vrikk and me)

DudleySmith wrote:

Bumgrapes. I have exactly one weekend taken this year, and it's that one.

There's still Monday evening in case you come back Sunday.

A necessary bump. Anyone care for a pint?

Sorry I missed this one, WT! Don't know how it slipped by. I think we can definitely do something over the course of that weekend.

I've got our second cricket game - second friendly before season starts - on the Saturday, so that day's out for me. (Unless anyone wants to make the trek down to us! The train from London dumps out almost on our doorstep and Dudley's close by, but it would be a stretch from Cambridge. For those of you brave enough to consider it, we would be really happy to host and cook or take people out to any of the nice pubs in the area, if that tips the scales!)

So the easiest thing would be the Sunday, Monday or Tuesday. We can do dinner and drinks again?

Even if I miss the main S&T, we should meet for lunch or a meal, WT.

I'm interested, but I'll have to cement any plans in the next few days(aka, "run it by the wife").

I've only just noticed that you included Tuesday. Tuesday is possible for me, and I'll make the effort and take a day off work if you're doing something then, but I'm at Durdle Door Friday to Monday.

I have to go to a wedding:( It's not even very close to London, so there goes that excuse too.

Sunday is pretty much the only day for me. I have work on Saturday =/
(Yay, legality! I can drink and be merry!)
I live in a village near Reading - couldn't add self to map due to lack of skills. It's called Crowthorne if you're looking at the map. I can make it up to London no problem. Where is this cricket match?

VDOWhoNeedsDD wrote:

Sunday is pretty much the only day for me. I have work on Saturday =/
(Yay, legality! I can drink and be merry!)
I live in a village near Reading - couldn't add self to map due to lack of skills. It's called Crowthorne if you're looking at the map. I can make it up to London no problem. Where is this cricket match?

I'm on the second page of that map, but looking at the fixture list again, its an away match at South Wilts (Salisbury), so the Saturday may not be the best solution for me.

There is a Sunday afternoon fixture at home though, which they're always short of players for. It would be a real burden, but I would be willing to play cricket while you lot sat in the sun and drank. It would be a real burden and I'm not sure I could handle the stress, but the lengths I would go to for GWJ...

If that doesn't appeal, Sunday or Tuesday sound good to me for a London meet up, and we can sort out a Saturday or Sunday later in the summer for everybody to come down on a cricket afternoon/bbq evening (if there's any interest!)

Haakon7 wrote:

...we can sort out a Saturday or Sunday later in the summer for everybody to come down on a cricket afternoon/bbq evening (if there's any interest!)

I would definitely be on for that. An afternoon/early evening thing would be perfect for me because I could bring the wife and kids, but an evening thing would be fine too, and with a bit of notice we could sort out babysitters. I don't think anyone else has sprogs. If Haakon doesn't have it, I could bring my Xbox and rock band stuff up too, and make HaakonCon 2010 (I like the sound of that) like a UK RabbitCon.

I just learned that my Tuesday flight has been rescheduled to an earlier hour, so Tuesday I'm basically available for lunch. (It all depends how long will I stay at Books for Cooks, because Tuesday is the only day I can go visit it and man, I'm looking forward to it like a child). Looks like Sunday could be a good day for many people around here.

Definitely looking forward to meeting you, Haakon7!

Haakon7 wrote:

There is a Sunday afternoon fixture at home though, which they're always short of players for. It would be a real burden, but I would be willing to play cricket while you lot sat in the sun and drank. It would be a real burden and I'm not sure I could handle the stress, but the lengths I would go to for GWJ... ;)

This would be freakin' awesome. I'd be so up for that.

wanderingtaoist wrote:

Definitely looking forward to meeting you, Haakon7!

It'll be good to see you too, WT. Last time was good fun, but I think we can do an even better job of entertaining you! What was your preference for 2nd May?
I really don't mind, so happy to go with the group. We could meet in London for sightseeing & meal, if that's easier for everybody else. We could go down to Greenwich and hit the National Maritime Museum (+Planetarium +Observatory), the rebuilding Cutty Sark and either eat in the park or a pub on the river or up in Blackheath?

DudleySmith wrote:

I would definitely be on for that. An afternoon/early evening thing would be perfect for me because I could bring the wife and kids, but an evening thing would be fine too, and with a bit of notice we could sort out babysitters. I don't think anyone else has sprogs. If Haakon doesn't have it, I could bring my Xbox and rock band stuff up too, and make HaakonCon 2010 (I like the sound of that) like a UK RabbitCon.

Maq wrote:

This would be freakin' awesome. I'd be so up for that.

Sounds like I need to organise a date for sometime in the next few months, then! Either a Saturday or a Sunday would work, but the Sunday games at home would be ideal, because it is less hectic for me and we're on London Road 1, which is the really nice pitch. But either way, London Road 2 is just out the back of the clubhouse and there are seats and tables and a bar upstairs that look out over both.

I don't know that I'm interesting enough to host a conference call, but I'd be happy to grill at ours afterwards. And we've got Wii, several boardgames (A&A, Tide of Iron & Risk, among others), so if Dudley's happy to bring the Xbox & Rockband, we could definitely add some gamer credibility to HaakCon.

I also have quite a good collection of Euro boardgames too (Pandemic, Puerto Rico, Dominion, Power Grid, Catan, Carcasonne, Goa, LOTR, Memoir 44, Mystery at the Abbey, Small World, Ticket To Ride), so I don't mind bringing some of those. They'd work at the clubhouse too, as long as it wasn't too windy.

I hadn't considered a conference call, actually. People who want awful sound quality and British humour can just listen to the RPS podcast. We'd need a framework for a discussion that was interesting enough for us not to have to be witty all the time. Blackadder quotes and Fast Show catchphrases will only get you so far. Maybe we could do it on the ultra-cheap with a laptop and a single external mic at the clubhouse just for giggles.

I can bring a bunch of games to round out the field.

As for original drinkmeetingupness I live and work in central London so if people are planning sightseeings and whatnot during the day I'm happy to meet people for drinks at postwork o'clock. Or on a weekend. Either is good.

The clubhouse sits on the first floor and is enclosed (big plexi windows) with smaller windows on the side that open and close, if you guys want to play while the match is going on, and with an unmanned bar right there, well...
While you'd lose out on the sun, it could be a fun afternoon. Particularly if you did a short podcast discussion about the intersection of games and sport, and how rules and fair play interact. Oh, the relevance!

Presuming 2 May is in London, it looks like either 6 June or 25 July jump out as Sunday home games at the moment. I'd suggest the 4th or 11th of July, but I might away for the birth of my nephew at the time. Otherwise, there are a couple options in August.

Ooh, I'd love to play the BSG game of Maq's, I wonder if we'd have time? A friend at work has Formula De (old edition) and Shadows Over Camelot, so they're both fun party games if there's interest there.

All of those dates are clear for me right now.

HaakCon is On!

God damn it. I'll be visiting London just one weekend earlier.

Also, do you know of any way I could convince my girlfriend that getting cooped up in hotel room and watching Dr Who as it airs should be one thing any nerdy tourist does while visiting UK?

Slacker1913 wrote:

God damn it. I'll be visiting London just one weekend earlier.

Also, do you know of any way I could convince my girlfriend that getting cooped up in hotel room and watching Dr Who as it airs should be one thing any nerdy tourist does while visiting UK?

If she gets one look at the Doctor's new companion you have no chance.

Maq wrote:
Slacker1913 wrote:

God damn it. I'll be visiting London just one weekend earlier.

Also, do you know of any way I could convince my girlfriend that getting cooped up in hotel room and watching Dr Who as it airs should be one thing any nerdy tourist does while visiting UK?

If she gets one look at the Doctor's new companion you have no chance.

Though looking at the Who thread there's a chance she might go for Matt Smith. It depends on whether Amy gets put into more FanService tart outfits now she's not working as a Kissogram any more.

The "Find a Dorothy for our Musical from this bunch of brainless chavettes" show is on afterwards if she's into musical theatre. One for me, one for you?

No, she actually likes watching Who.
The problem is that she feels that we should spend our 5-day visit to London doing typical tourist stuff (Tower, British Museum, Madame Tussauds, etc.), while I feel like impersonating average Londoner who just happens to be on a brief vacation.

Oh for pity's sake avoid Madame Tussauds. Seriously. See some real stuff: The Tower is awesome if you have any love of history, as is the British Museum. Also check out the V&A and the Tate Modern. If you're at all a foodie I can recommend any number of Michelin starred places you must visit. If you love music, there's one of the world's most vibrant and dynamic scenes to sample. If you're a fan of theatre my wife produces a groundbreaking international arts program at Europe's largest public arts centre (and I may be able to hook you up with comps). Just for pity's sake don't waste precious minutes of your life in that faux Victorian dungpile that is Madame Toss-auds.

Hell, walk around the corner and take in the Rose Garden in Regent's Park.

Haakon7 wrote:
wanderingtaoist wrote:

Definitely looking forward to meeting you, Haakon7!

It'll be good to see you too, WT. Last time was good fun, but I think we can do an even better job of entertaining you! What was your preference for 2nd May?
I really don't mind, so happy to go with the group. We could meet in London for sightseeing & meal, if that's easier for everybody else. We could go down to Greenwich and hit the National Maritime Museum (+Planetarium +Observatory), the rebuilding Cutty Sark and either eat in the park or a pub on the river or up in Blackheath?

Sounds great, we actually had a plan to go to Greenwich, so we might as well do it on 2nd. We've been to London so many times that we've seen all the important stuff, so we don't have any set plan - just enjoy the city, have a good lunch now and then and bask in the atmosphere. Our only must-sees are Notting Hill (it's a tradition), Camden Town, the rest will be decided ad hoc.

In short: your plan is awesome and I'm looking forward to participate in it. Also, my computer's PSU has died recently, so I'll be frequenting this thread less for a short period of time.

Maq wrote:

Hell, walk around the corner and take in the Rose Garden in Regent's Park.

And wave at Baker Street 221B where Sherlock Holmes used to live. Regent's Park is awesome, by the way. It has wonderful roses and squirrels.

wanderingtaoist wrote:

In short: your plan is awesome and I'm looking forward to participate in it.

What does everybody else think? Shall we plan for a Sunday out in Greenwich?

wanderingtaoist wrote:

It has wonderful roses and squirrels.

I don't understand why Europeans are so enamored with squirrels. Surely they're a dime a dozen?

Haakon7 wrote:
wanderingtaoist wrote:

It has wonderful roses and squirrels.

I don't understand why Europeans are so enamored with squirrels. Surely they're a dime a dozen?

Because they are cute Squirrels are actually not that common where I come from (they live mostly in forests and they scare easily), while they seem quite tame in Britain (I've seen a lot of them in Greenwich and Regent's Park).
We're also much more afraid of them because of rabies, which is not a problem for Britain.

They're all nasty yank greys in regents park though. They've largely pushed our native red out from most of the country and while they haven't established in Europe, the worry is that they will spread from Italy over the rest of the mainland and consign the reds there to a similar fate. As far as I'm concerned, you can go into Regents Park and shoot all the f*ckers. Tree rats!

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