UKitp 11 - Y'all should join us in the fun!

[Castaras]

Summer meetup. UK people. And anyone who ends up coming to the UK from other countries to hug us all.

Let the bickering of where and when we meet up... commence!!


The previous meetups:

1 - The one that started it all!
2 - Brumland, I believe
3 - Brumland again?
4 - Reading/Basingstoke. Totally DID happen even if only AE went!
5 - Peterborough, I believe.
6 - Didn't miss this one out, honest!
7 - The Archon triumphed over the Hippie in London.
8 - Sheffield! So much snow. o.o
9 - The first playing of Kubb! In Peterborough again.
10 - BRADFORD WILL BE EXTERMINATED!

Extra notes: There is the possibility of lots of mini meetups that can be arranged - a few suggestions I remember reading were seeing various performances that different playgrounders would be putting on. More details on these would be awesome.

Current plans:

Info-post go! (Please check things are accurate)

Main Meetup
Bar Loco
Leazes Park Road
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE1 4PG

7th July 2012

Walking directions to Bar Loco from the train station:
Come out the main entrance of the train station, with the big arches, and cross the road to Greggs. Turn right, then immediately left again to go up Grainger Street. Keep going until you reach Grey's Monument. Go past the monument, turn left and walk past all the buses. You want to be on the right side of the road as you come up onto Percy Road and immediately cross over to another Greggs. Right by said Greggs is the turning onto Leazes Park Road, Bar Loco is a little way up on the right.
Oh, and we're in the gallery right at the top, I believe (Though obviously you can go to the other bits as well)

I will PM my mobile number to people who ask for it so they can call if they get lost.

People

Definitely Coming:

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Avaris
Castaras
CurlyKitGirl
Etcetera
Fifty-Eyed Fred
GrlumpTheElder
Hazyshade
KuReshtin (+1-2)
Qwaz
Serpentine
Succubus
Tasroth
Thufir (+?)
Totally Guy

Might be coming:

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Dvil
Fergo
Grimbold
Mercenary Pen

The Jibbers Category

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Banjo1985
Heliomance
Jibar
Malfunctioned
Lix Lorn
Nameless

Has expressed interest, would like to come, but probably won't:

Games

RPG Sessions

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TBA

Other Games

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Ku
http://boardgamegeek.com/collection/user/KuReshtin
Small World

Thufir
Fluxx
Once Upon a Time
It's Alive!
Chrononauts
Carcassonne
OotS + The Shortening expansion
Seven Dragons
Who is the Traitor?
Braggart

Thufir's friends
Chrononauts +expansions
Bang!
Munchkin Booty
Pirate Fluxx
Talisman

Tasroth
Munchkin
Super Munchkin
Frag
Monty Python Fluxx
Cthulhu Dice

Avaris
Risk: Legacy

Please mention more games that you will/may be bringing!

Information For Sleeping
Thufir/Tasroth can offer a sofa bed, sofa, and floorspace.
Hazyshade can offer his bed while he sleeps on the sofa, also floorspace. Though he will want his bed back for the monday night.
Qwaz has a sofa, a mattress and floorspace. Though that may only be for the weekend as they may be back to work on the monday.

There are also Premier Inn type places but I don't know details.

So far floorspace or similar has been requested by: Curly, Grlump, Etcetera, Fergo, Succubus, Cassie, Mercenary Pen, Fred, Lime, possibly Ku.

Things Koorly (Or Others, But Mostly Koorly) Will Try To Bake

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TBC

Grlump - possibly gingerbread.

Known Dietary Requirements To Cater For (for ease of grouping)

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Nut allergy (Lensman, Qwaz, Mercenary Pen)
Vegetarians (Jibbers, Eldpollard, Tasroth, Etcetera)

(To be clear, I'm not bothering to remove people from the dietary requirements list even if they're not attending, because it's easier to just have a general list that can be repeatedly copied and pasted)

Curly and/or others may be wanting financial contributions to reimburse her/them for all the ingredients.
Also, you can make requests/suggestions, though there's no guarantee they will be done.


Pre- and post-meetup
Partly because we all love eachother so much, and partly because it makes the trip more worth it for the people who have to travel further, the meetup is probably going to be extended in both directions for those who want to come early or stick around longer.

Friday
I will be taking part in a G&S sing-along in the evening, at the Cleadon Little Theatre (I don't actually know where it is yet...) at 7:30pm. Facebook event has information. Any Playgrounders who are here on Friday would be welcome. It should be fun!

Sunday
No specific plans as yet

Monday
Karaoke in the evening.

[Heliomance]

Southampton! Then my lazy cheap arse might actually get there :p

[The Succubus]

My vote is for as soon as humanly possible.

London would be very convenient for me and Archie, just Newcastle would be very convenient for the Newcastle contingent and the Outer Hebredies would be handy for the Outer Hebredies group. So I think rather than voting for your home ground, try to pick a spot that's easy for all of us to reach.

Also, I posted an idea in the previous, half in jest but the more I think about it the more the idea grows on me. Should we look into renting a couple of cottages or villas for a week that can accomodate us and have A WEEK LONG MEET UP in the summer? Because I would seriously be up for that.

[Archonic Energy]

So, London or Westminster?

[--Lime--]

I found my way here!

Also, it's hard to think "summer" when the snow is busy turning to ice outside my window

[factotum]

I thought we'd agreed that Fredaintdead would host the next one in Stoke?

[Lorn]

Not been to one since York, but if there happened to be one around the Manchester area, I could probably make it :p

Also, it's pretty central (compared to London or Newcastle, possibly not so much for Glaswegians, but..), has good rail links and so on.

[KuReshtin]

The Scottish contingent will (provided there aren't more people going that there are seats in my car) be offered a ride in exchange for petrol money.

Leicester could be possible, Stoke very doable, Newcastle as well.

[Mercenary Pen]

Assuming I can actually book enough time off from work for a meetup (silly weekend shifts) I'm game for near enough anywhere within England, though places along the West Coast Main Line will be easiest to get to (though the Midland Main Line is within reach via bus journey to Bedford and the East Coast either via London or via bus to Peterborough).

[GrlumpTheElder]

Leicester could be possible, Stoke very doable, Newcastle as well.

All three of these would be do-able, assuming that I'm still here in Bradford, which assuming we're holding it in June/July, I should be.

My vote is for as soon as humanly possible.

Please!

[Archonic Energy]

no more loin-cloth stealing.
:smallnotamused:

[Heliomance]

I could do London, I expect.

[Eldan]

When is "Summer", exactly? Because if it turns out to be July or later, I might be tempted to actually go to the UK. I've met exactly one other Playgrounder live, once, for a drink.

[Castaras]

It'll probably be any time between June and August.

[Dvil]

My vote is for June or late July, simply on account of when I'm free or not. Also, I don't suppose I can request a seat in the Newcastle convoy heading down to wherever it is? I'll be offering petrol money.

[Thufir]

Actually, for at least one member it was exceedingly north.....

For Curly, everywhere is exceedingly north.

New thread started.

Wait wait wait. What happened to

I'm not starting a new thread. I did all that last time. I vote Thufir, he's awesome at sorting thread posts into details for a first post.

?

Also, why so much rush? I hadn't even posted my photos yet. We were still well within the bounds of talking about the last meetup rather than really starting to organise the next. Not impressed.
But since you've done it, you should add things to the first post about possible mini-meetups like I was talking about last thread.

I thought we'd agreed that Fredaintdead would host the next one in Stoke?

I don't remember that, but I remember a nigh-unanimous decision at the post-post-post-meetup-meetup-meetup meetup in my Travelodge room that the next one would be in Newcastle. OK, not everyone was there, but still...

It'll probably be any time between June and August.

Unless we change schedule to have more meetups per year!

My vote is for June or late July, simply on account of when I'm free or not. Also, I don't suppose I can request a seat in the Newcastle convoy heading down to wherever it is? I'll be offering petrol money.

Well, as I recall, Qwaz is planning to acquire a bigger car by then, so that should be fine.

[Dvil]

I don't remember that, but I remember a nigh-unanimous decision at the post-post-post-meetup-meetup-meetup meetup in my Travelodge room that the next one would be in Newcastle. OK, not everyone was there, but still...

I too remember this, it's well worth mentioning. If we have to go further south, I hear Chester-le-Street is lovely in the summer.

[DaMidget]

*disengages lurk mode*

I've been thinking about taking a trip to the UK, maybe I'll hold on scheduling it until I find out the dates for this so I can drop by and say hello, maybe grab some ideas on what to do while I'm there.

Plus ticket prices for the flight are pretty cheap.

*reengages lurk mode*

[Castaras]

Wait wait wait. What happened to
?

Also, why so much rush? I hadn't even posted my photos yet. We were still well within the bounds of talking about the last meetup rather than really starting to organise the next. Not impressed.
But since you've done it, you should add things to the first post about possible mini-meetups like I was talking about last thread.

oops. sorry. consider me scolded.

Adding more infos to first post.

edit: Someone poke me sometime, with regards to mini-meetups, to get round to putting up information about Sabrecon (Leicester gaming convention in March).

[Cikomyr]

I could do London, I expect.

You dirty man...

[Heliomance]

Seeing as something about performances has mystically materialised in the OP, I thought I'd say that I'm performing in Noel Coward's BitterSweet from 22nd to 25th Feb. Doubt anyone's interested at this short notice though.

[Mercenary Pen]

Seeing as something about performances has mystically materialised in the OP, I thought I'd say that I'm performing in Noel Coward's BitterSweet from 22nd to 25th Feb. Doubt anyone's interested at this short notice though.

Regretably, between work and something on the Saturday evening, I'm already booked for the duration of that run...

[The Succubus]

oops. sorry. consider me scolded.

Adding more infos to first post.

edit: Someone poke me sometime, with regards to mini-meetups, to get round to putting up information about Sabrecon (Leicester gaming convention in March).

Another chance to see y'all so soon? Colour me interested.....

Also, any feedback on my initial idea? One day really isn't enough for a meet-up to me.

[hamishspence]

While almost anywhere in England is doable, Leicester or Stoke would be top of my preferences list.

[Totally Guy]

There's an RPG convention in Milton Keynes on the 10th of March, with about 50~60 people. It's called the Concrete Cow. I'm reservedly interested.

[Mercenary Pen]

There's an RPG convention in Milton Keynes on the 10th of March, with about 50~60 people. It's called the Concrete Cow. I'm reservedly interested.

I'm sure I could get to that at a relatively easy push- in fact I just happen to have that week booked off from work for unrelated reasons that will not particularly clash (family birthdays in that week- including my own).

[Lensman]

While almost anywhere in England is doable, Leicester or Stoke would be top of my preferences list.

The obvious solution, ladies, gentlemen and anyone else who is lurking here - we hold the meet-up in Stoke AND Leicester. How? Easy!

Stoke Golding.

Which is a village in Leicestershire.




No one ever specified WHICH Stoke. According to Wikipedia, there's about fifty in England alone...

[Thufir]

oops. sorry. consider me scolded.

Adding more infos to first post.

Seriously. It's been two days.

Really, you know this just makes things more difficult for you. Since now you have to copy my stuff into the OP instead of letting me do it myself.

Seeing as something about performances has mystically materialised in the OP, I thought I'd say that I'm performing in Noel Coward's BitterSweet from 22nd to 25th Feb. Doubt anyone's interested at this short notice though.

Hey, I'm trying to get people to come see Pirates of Penzance, and that's next week.

Speaking of which,

In the meantime, you should all come see me in Pirates of Penzance in two weeks time! Or, more like a week and a half maybe. 16^th to 18^th of February. I meant to show people flyers, but I forgot. However you did all see my pirate costume as I was wearing it yesterday. If the costume is not sufficient encouragement, the rest of the show is good too, and it is the 60^th anniversary of the society.
I don't really expect a lot of people to come, or even anyone, except Grlump already said he might, but I thought I'd mention the possibility. If anyone can come, I would be delighted. I can probably offer a sofa bed and a certain amount of sofa/floorspace to save on accommodation, and if people come on the Saturday, they can also join us at the after-show party. Consider it, if you will.
Alternatively/additionally, I'm doing The Gondoliers some time in March (I should really know when, but I don't), if that's more convenient for people. No fancy anniversary for that society, but I'm playing one of the lead roles in the show, so that's a thing.

And continuing on G&S, I suggest to my fellow Playgrounder G&S enthusiasts that we should go to London in April to see the professional production of The Grand Duke. (Also, Koorli, I checked - last professional UK Grand Duke was 1896, I was right)

So, yeah. Mini-meetups! They are a thing which should happen more often. I think that's all my ideas for the next couple of months.

There you go, information.

Now, photos of the last meetup. Let's go.

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Baking in process:

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Restaurant:

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And so, the hat-stacking begins...




The fifty eyes have reduced to but one.




I think this is one of my favourite photos ever.


Koorly looking moderately refined.




Cassie's become a nun or something.

Back at the Travelodge:

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The games begin:

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Spotted!


Haha, we can totally see what your cards were.

Clothes and miniatures - dressing up and messing about:

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The army begins to assemble.


"It's a fez, I wear a fez now. Fezzes are cool."


"Would you like a jelly baby?"


Further hat-stacking.


"He took my fez!"


Piratical cockroach.


Tarnishe notte the majesty of my TOWER of HATTES.


Overkill on the pest control.


The Doctor lording it over his doubtless soon-to-be-defeated opponents.


Dalek army in full.


The daleks have allied with Castaras. We're all doomed.

More games:

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Massive nuclear war again.

Snow:

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Staring down at us, you'd think we were doing something strange...


Wait, how many arms?


Snow Dalek.


I'm about to be exterminated.

The waistcoat brigade rides again!:

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Bar:

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I'm a pony!


Rainbow Dash, pilot.


Rarity, political leader.








Massage, or strangulation?


Massage.


Werewolves.


Booze!


Coorly claims she couldn't see what she was photographing, but I think we all know what she's lookin' at here.


Tired Curly is tired.


Choose your own caption:
1. N'awwwwww...
2. Ia! Koorli phtagn!


"Him! He's a wolf!"

And the rest:

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...there is no space between these cars.




Sleeping through the wolf attacks.


Doublehat.


Naturally, at 4am the girls have to start doing each others' hair...

And there we go. Not all my photos, but a lot of them. Sadly I didn't get any video clips (I was thinking of doing a sort of video tour of the meetup at some point, but totally forgot). Also I forgot to get a farewell photo at the station before we left like I usually do.
But anyway.

[GrlumpTheElder]

Even I'm a little surprised at the speed at which this thread was created...Slightly worried that it might sink to the bowels of Friendly Banter before we get near the meetup

Although, the last thread was created 8 months before the meetup, and it's only 5 to July...

For some reason, my browser really dislikes threads with photographs of the meetups in...

On a different note, it's nice to see lots of newcomers interested in the meetups. Obviously they've seen how much fun we've had!

[The Succubus]

Even I'm a little surprised at the speed at which this thread was created...Slightly worried that it might sink to the bowels of Friendly Banter before we get near the meetup

Although, the last thread was created 8 months before the meetup, and it's only 5 to July...

For some reason, my browser really dislikes threads with photographs of the meetups in...

On a different note, it's nice to see lots of newcomers interested in the meetups. Obviously they've seen how much fun we've had!

The only solution, therefore, is to attend lots of mini-meets, with piccies, in order to keep the thread bumped.