+1

Okay, that's quite understandable. However, this would be my day...

09:00: Get train to Cardiff
10:00: Get train to London
13:00: Arrive in London
13:30: Meet up with everyone, have lunch, a few drinks, couple of chats.
17:00: Get Train to Cardiff
20:00: Arrive in Cardiff
20:00: Get train home
21:00: Arrive home

I'd be spending around 8 hours, on the train, JUST to have a meal...

bish, I'm not sure that's exactly how it'd go! For a start I'm sure some of us 'grown ups' will be heading out in the evening as well as the day, and since you'd have travelled such a long way, I'm sure someone would put you up for the night if you did want to stay late.

Still, it's going to be a bit 'stiff' if you know what I mean...

I do indeed, but I guess we're just trying to make it as easy as posisble for everyone, and naturally that's going to suit some people more than others.

If I'm in Aber and I come down alone I'd probably be spending close to 8hrs on a train just coming from Aber...I would probably try and stay somewhere overnight and get the train home the next morning...
If the purple one comes with me, we'd stay somewhere a little nicer (travel lodge rather than a train station doorstep) and go shopping the next day before traveling back...

If were talking about making it more accessable for People. London? Of all places?

It's busy, and crowded, and a bit Alien to people who aren't use to that kind of situation.

Somwhere which is easy acceable, fun, and not very expensive is what we need.

And if your talking about people not going to be able to afford much, and only a meal someplace, then London certainly isn't the place to, well you know, try to look after the pennies.

I don't mind the idea of doing "a thing" and then having dinner, but I can't afford to make it a big thing like Alton Towers at the moment. If we're talking about London (are we still?) then why not make the "thing" something like the Trocadero and then go to China Town for dinner, or Soho for a lap dance?

I don't have a lot of money to chuck around, and neither does my Mister, but we'd be happy to help ferry people from the W.Midlands and we have a very comfy sofa bed if someone needed or wanted to sleep with the fishies overnight. Perhaps if people posted their locations a bit nearer the mark we could club together to help out as many people as possible?

For the record, my Mister and I would be coming from Stratford-Upon-Avon, we'll have two empty seats in our car and we'll be driving to Watford (about 2 hours) then taking the Metropolitan Line into London (about another 30 mins and £12ish), same on the way back. We'll happily pick people up from Stratford railway station (SAV if you need the code) since it's only a hop skip and jump away from our house.

Edit: Perhaps it won't suit absolutely everyone first time, but then maybe do it somewhere else next time, Cardiff could be the venue for the next moot, then Birmingham etc etc. Eventually we'll get everyone.

Well, compare (for me at least) travelling to London to travelling back to my folks in Wrexham.

The distance is pretty much identical.

London takes 2.5 hours, Wrexham takes 5.
London has no changes, Wrexham takes at least 2.
London is easily done for £36 return First Class, Wrexham was £45 cattle class.

It's in this regard that London is massively more accessible than most places

No, I don't know what you mean... please explain :etc:

That's too easy

I personally can't stand the place. I find the air positively toxic, and everything is over-priced.

However, it's pretty much the transport centre of the country. For many people, travelling anywhere else would involve going to London first.

There's nothing to prevent having two separate meet-ups. One in a quiet London restaurant for the stuffed shirts, and one playing in a field in Wales for the kids and hippies.

Huh? What about Manchester and Birmingham? To get from Scotland to London you'd have to go through one of those places wouldn't you? Same as most over places in England. And surely going to Birmingham or Manchester would involve the same amount of travel for most, (except those in London obviously) and less travelling for many.

You know, technically I should be in with the kids and the hippies...but I'd be in the Ritz every time. I suppose my avatar says it all, really...



theChipmunk

Another thing springs to mind. Mrs. V is going into hospital on June 14th, and we're expecting a long recuperation after some major surgery so London would be no good for me, but I could swing a day or two in Birmingham...

I should really have said I could manage a day or two really...