Re: Next Thursday; was: small hairy Belfast.pm geek...
On Thu, Oct 17, 2002 at 06:02:31PM +0100, Nicholas Clark wrote: (So that we can experiment with finding alternative venues, as there are reasons why some people think The Calthorpe Arms isn't perfect venue. It's pretty good, but people can ways it might not be perfect) The perfect venue is not possible, because there are disagreements about what perfect means by everyone, and therefore you can't make it everyone's perfect venue (because for one person it won't be, at least), and so it isn't the perfect venue. QED Sod it for a game of soldiers, The Calthorpe Arms is fine. :-) -- Lusercop.net - LARTing Lusers everywhere since 2002
Re: Next Thursday; was: small hairy Belfast.pm geek...
On Fri, Oct 18, 2002 at 09:56:31AM +0100, Lusercop wrote: On Thu, Oct 17, 2002 at 06:02:31PM +0100, Nicholas Clark wrote: (So that we can experiment with finding alternative venues, as there are reasons why some people think The Calthorpe Arms isn't perfect venue. It's pretty good, but people can ways it might not be perfect) The perfect venue is not possible, because there are disagreements about what perfect means by everyone, and therefore you can't make it everyone's perfect venue (because for one person it won't be, at least), and so it isn't the perfect venue. Agree Sod it for a game of soldiers, The Calthorpe Arms is fine. :-) I agree it's fine. However, it is a moderately long walk from the nearest underground station. (it's managed to pick a sweet spot (a bitter spot?) moderately equidistant from three underground stations, so it's certainly an above average distance) It is approaching one of the less nice parts of central London, sufficient for one london.pm member's wife to insist that he doesn't go there. That may sound trivial - in some ways it is - 1 person out of many, subjective rather than objective. But it's also the first location (that I've been aware of) where this has happened, and I admit that I don't find it a particularly pleasant walk late at night down Gray's Inn Road. (Unlike walking late at night along High Holborn, Kingsway, The Strand, or any of the other wider, well lit and busier roads) Nicholas Clark
Re: Next Thursday; was: small hairy Belfast.pm geek...
On Fri, Oct 18, 2002 at 10:26:57AM +0100, Nicholas Clark wrote: I agree it's fine. However, it is a moderately long walk from the nearest underground station. (it's managed to pick a sweet spot (a bitter spot?) moderately equidistant from three underground stations, so it's certainly an above average distance) Also, I have been informed (by only one person) that it is a little disabled-unfriendly and so I have not been along to a meet since they started being held there. Kate has tried to find somewhere better (e.g. nearer to the tube station, loos on same floor as function room, etc.) but none so far... Also, if you say it is in a slightly dodgy area, I am even less inclined to try to come along... -- Natalie S. Ford . [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.natalie.ourshack.org .. http://natalief.livejournal.com
Re: Next Thursday; was: small hairy Belfast.pm geek...
On Fri, Oct 18, 2002 at 10:46:30AM +0100, Natalie S. Ford wrote: Also, if you say it is in a slightly dodgy area, I am even less inclined to try to come along... I believe Greg can point you towards a charming little place in the back of a mini-cab stand in Soho. It would be an, errr, interesting meeting. -- mike A whole lotta hoot and just a little bit of nanny
Re: Next Thursday; was: small hairy Belfast.pm geek...
On Fri Oct 18 10:26:57 2002, Nicholas Clark wrote: However, it is a moderately long walk from the nearest underground station. (it's managed to pick a sweet spot (a bitter spot?) moderately equidistant from three underground stations, so it's certainly an above average distance) It is approaching one of the less nice parts of central London, sufficient for one london.pm member's wife to insist that he doesn't go there. What's wrong with that area? Should I avoid it? Are there other parts of central London that I should maybe avoid? I'm staying 10 minutes walk away from the Calthorpe Arms, close to Russell Square tube station. I've noticed 2 safe-looking pubs very close to Russell Square: I'll check them out, but I've no idea what you all consider good features of a pub. -- Marty
Re: Next Thursday; was: small hairy Belfast.pm geek...
On 18/10/02 11:29 +0100, Marty Pauley wrote: It is approaching one of the less nice parts of central London, sufficient for one london.pm member's wife to insist that he doesn't go there. What's wrong with that area? Should I avoid it? Are there other parts of central London that I should maybe avoid? No, as I just ranted. Bloomsbury is lovely. Right up around King's Cross (the two or three streets immediately surrounding the station) it does get dodgy. You will see very ill-looking hookers and people dealing drugs openly. Central London's basically pretty safe. I'm staying 10 minutes walk away from the Calthorpe Arms, close to Russell Square tube station. I've noticed 2 safe-looking pubs very close to Russell Square: I'll check them out, but I've no idea what you all consider good features of a pub. A decent selection of booze. Preferrably 2 or 3 decent bitters on tap, where decent includes 6x, Landlord's, London Pride, Spitfire (and most other Shepherd Neame beers), pretty much anything by Young's. Some variety of food considered very good. Particularly if it's edible. Disabled access. Enough room for 30-50 perl mongers to lounge about drinking beer, and talking about anything under the sun. A reasonable amount of floor space is always good, as it allows people to circulate. I'm wondering which pubs you're thinking of round Russel Square. There's the Goose opposite the Brunswick Centre. Their upstairs room may be bookable, and their food's reasonable, although I'm not sure about their selection of booze. The Friend at Hand (tucked behind Russel Square tube, next to the Horse Hospital) is a horrid little pub. Um. I can't think of any others round there,
Re: Next Thursday; was: small hairy Belfast.pm geek...
On Fri, Oct 18, 2002 at 10:26:57AM +0100, Nicholas Clark wrote: However, it is a moderately long walk from the nearest underground station. (it's managed to pick a sweet spot (a bitter spot?) moderately equidistant from three underground stations, so it's certainly an above average distance) But, really it's not *that* far from the tube. Nowhere which is still in Zone 1 is *that* far from a tube station. It is approaching one of the less nice parts of central London, sufficient for one london.pm member's wife to insist that he doesn't go there. I have to take issue with this somewhat. London may not be a land of fairies and elves, but it is for the most part perfectly safe. That may sound trivial - in some ways it is - 1 person out of many, subjective rather than objective. But it's also the first location (that I've been aware of) where this has happened, and I admit that I don't find it a particularly pleasant walk late at night down Gray's Inn Road. In which case, may I suggest Oxford St or Dean St after about 2230. This should, of course, be viewed as entirely subjective, as I can be famously thick-skinned and regularly go drinking/clubbing in Kings Cross on a Friday night. (And I've never had a problem. *touch wood*). Ben
Re: Next Thursday; was: small hairy Belfast.pm geek...
On Fri 18 Oct, Nicholas Clark wrote: and I admit that I don't find it a particularly pleasant walk late at night down Gray's Inn Road. (Unlike walking late at night along High Holborn, Kingsway, The Strand, or any of the other wider, well lit and busier roads) But if you are going towards Holborn, it is only about 150 yards from Lambs Conduit Street, which runs parallel to Gray's Inn Road and should be safe enough (and passes the Lamb, which also has a function room and seems much quieter now than it did some years ago). Roger -- Roger Horne http://www.hrothgar.co.uk/
Re: Next Thursday; was: small hairy Belfast.pm geek...
On Fri, Oct 18, 2002 at 11:29:25AM +0100, Simon Batistoni wrote: On 18/10/02 10:46 +0100, Natalie S. Ford wrote: Also, if you say it is in a slightly dodgy area, I am even less inclined to try to come along... I have to take issue with this rubbish about it being a dodgy area (I know you're only repeating what other people have said, Nat). (snip) /me is relieved and apologises for a one-line reply, althought she is not sure what people have against one line replies - i need to reply but have little to say... ;-) -- Natalie S. Ford . [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.natalie.ourshack.org .. http://natalief.livejournal.com
Re: Next Thursday; was: small hairy Belfast.pm geek...
On Fri, Oct 18, 2002 at 11:30:55AM +0100, Marty Pauley wrote: OK, those are good features to add to my search criteria. Ah. kake already had them on her search criteia as pub search minion. Maybe the search criteria need to go on the website somewhere? Maybe they are already there? ;-) -- Natalie S. Ford . [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.natalie.ourshack.org .. http://natalief.livejournal.com
Re: Next Thursday; was: small hairy Belfast.pm geek...
On Fri, Oct 18, 2002 at 11:43:29AM +0100, Simon Batistoni wrote: (snipped criteria) I just had another thought - not only may these criteria be on the website, they are bound to be in the mailinglist archives somewhere, and that *is* linked from the website. Another criteria is that there be no background music, IIRC... -- Natalie S. Ford . [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.natalie.ourshack.org .. http://natalief.livejournal.com
Re: Next Thursday; was: small hairy Belfast.pm geek...
On Fri Oct 18 11:43:29 2002, Simon Batistoni wrote: No, as I just ranted. Bloomsbury is lovely. Right up around King's Cross (the two or three streets immediately surrounding the station) it does get dodgy. You will see very ill-looking hookers and people dealing drugs openly. OK. dodgy isn't as bad as I thought. The hookers and dealers probably think I'm dodgy. I'm wondering which pubs you're thinking of round Russel Square. There's the Goose opposite the Brunswick Centre. Their upstairs room may be bookable, and their food's reasonable, although I'm not sure about their selection of booze. That was the first one. I'll call in tonight and make a list. Um. I can't think of any others round there, There was an Irish pub across the street from the Goose... -- Marty
Re: Next Thursday; was: small hairy Belfast.pm geek...
On Fri, Oct 18, 2002 at 03:02:45PM +0100, Marty Pauley wrote: Um. I can't think of any others round there, There was an Irish pub across the street from the Goose... The one in the hotel? Bleh. Having spent a month in that hotel, I would reccomend against the pub. But I doubt I'll make a meeting anytime soon, so do as you will. -- mike Love will get you like a case of anthrax And that's something that I don't want to catch
Re: Next Thursday; was: small hairy Belfast.pm geek...
On Thu 17 Oct 2002, Nicholas Clark [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I was going to suggest whatever the next alternative pub on Kake's hitlist is. Yorkshire Grey, corner of Theobald's Road and Gray's Inn Road. Good beer, function room upstairs, food, convenience. Unfortunately already booked up for the first Thursdays in November and December, hence the Calthorpe Arms fallback. I would give streetmap and pub review URLs but I only just got back from drinking at the Star and so need to fall over rather than Google. Kake
