UK Region RFF EuroMeet 2011, London

Hello,

If you're thinking of coming along on one of the days and I don't have your email address / mobile, please PM me - it'll make sure we can find each other on the day. Also, if you have given me your email address and you don't get an email from me by tomorrow morning, please PM me as well, either I lost your email address / got it wrong / my emails are being marked as spam.

Here is the plan for the weekend:

- Friday

Chilled out walk about, picnic somewhere for lunch if the weather is nice. There won't be many of us on this day, I've got the day off and will get in to London after 10am.

- Saturday

Meet at Paddington Station at 10am. We'll then walk from there through Little Venice along the canal to Trellick Tower and then down Portobello Road market to Notting Hill Gate, where we'll have a pub lunch. A meal here will be ~£5 to ~£11 depending on what you have, a pint is ~£3, water is free. We should be eating around 2-3pm, but if you get the nibbles before, there are loads of stalls &c. on the way.

After that, off to the Barbican and Highwalks. Or whatever we decide, we'll know better how we feel after some food and drink.

Unfortunately, I won't be doing the normal bar/street drinking, running away from violence, staying up until there is absolutely nowhere to go but bed :-( but I'm sure there will be some 🙂

- Sunday

Meet at Liverpool Street Station at ?? (11?)am. Spitalfields, Brick Lane, and surrounds. I left the time as ?? as we won't know until Saturday. I'll more than likely be there at 11am.
There is a Bangladeshi festival going on as well as the usual stuff.

There is an amount of walking involved, remember to bring sensible shoes. I'll bring blister plasters and a bottle of cheap whisky for anyone who needs them.

Sound good?
 
Folks:

Please can I attend as well on the Friday and Saturday (I have some other duties to attend to on the Sunday). Apologies for not replying earlier, but I wasn't sure of my availability until recently.

Regards

Andrew More
 
andrewmore said:
Folks:

Please can I attend as well on the Friday and Saturday (I have some other duties to attend to on the Sunday). Apologies for not replying earlier, but I wasn't sure of my availability until recently.

Regards

Andrew More
Click to expand...

there's always room for one More. aaahahahaha I'm so funny I'm gonna kill myself. 😱
 
I'm planning to come along on Saturday and possibly on Sunday too but won't know until later.

For those looking for a chilled out walk about on the Friday, Greenwich has markets, a large hilly park, the Observatory, the (burnt out remains of) the Cutty Sark, the foot tunnel to Docklands etc and a few Victorian cobbled streets and alley ways. Or alternatively Hampstead has a cosmopolitan air, the odd celeb (well most of them are pretty odd actually aren't they?🙄) interesting Georgian(?) houses, Highgate cemetery, views across London and plenty of chilled out 'refreshment places'.

If you're thinking of Borough Market be aware that it's undergoing a lot of rebuilding to accommodate new railway lines but still worth a visit and then a stroll on the south side of the river westwards past the Golden Hind (Sir Francis Drake's warship), Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, all through old narrow winding streets, across the Millennium Bridge to St Paul's Cathedral, Fleet Street and beyond.

See you all on the Saturday!

Pete.
 
I'll be there.

OH: And I'll be willing to do a purchase on the day for a new toy, I need a new toy. I'm looking for something like an SP35, or Canonet. So, if you feel willing to sell, and you're coming along, I'll have cash and a pint ready 🙂
 
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Morning,

10am on Saturday is a little too early for some people getting in from far away.

So, plan change.

10am at Somerset House. If anyone wants to go in and have a look at the Bruce Davidson retrospective (free) they can, otherwise we can hang about snapping people outside. We'll then jump on the Bakerloo line around 11:30 or so and head up to Paddington.
12pm at Paddington and the walk to and along Portobello Road to Notting Hill Gate.

Here is a link to Somerset House: http://www.somersethouse.org.uk/plan_your_visit/
Here is a link to the Bruce Davidson exhibition: http://www.somersethouse.org.uk/visual_arts/1322.asp

If this causes you fury, let me know, otherwise, see you Saturday.

cheers,
kully
 
Transport

Stansted

Use the easyBus - http://www.easybus.co.uk/ It takes 1h15m and is cheap. It drops you off at Baker Street tube and then you can get in to the tube and go anywhere. Stansted Express is a little quicker (50m), but much more expensive. Pre-book, for better prices.

Luton

I've only ever driven to this airport, so I don't know... GIYF

Gatwick

Prebook at http://www.gatwickexpress.com/, the service is excellent, every 15 minutes for most of the day, including Sundays. You prebook for a day not a particular train. Journey time is 30 minutes and gets you in to Victoria station. If you are arriving after 23:00 then I don't know, as the service is different / not running.

Heathrow

Don't grab a taxi! Heathrow is far enough away that it will be expensive. The tube is OK, but takes a while (±50-60 mins the one time I used it), good if your station is on the route. Then there is Heathrow Express and Heathrow Connect, the first is more expensive but takes ±15 mins, the second is cheaper and takes ±30mins. Both get you in to Paddington.

London Actual

Get a travelcard, I don't think anyone is staying long enough to warrant getting an Oyster card. The travelcard lets you travel on all tube, bus and rail for a day. If you are staying outside London (Maidenhead, blah, blah), get a 'London Travelcard' ticket, this will give you a return ticket to London and also a travelcard for a days travel within London. Ask someone at the station, or just look confused at the machine and someone will take pity on you.

I think that covers it off, unless someone is coming via zeppelin or kangaroo.
 
Errr... what?

Noel's additional transport tips:

For Luton Airport

Take shuttle bus to Luton Airport Parkway (mainline station), buy the
mainllne train ticket with an inner zone tube roamer as the romer is
slightly cheaper when a part of the mainline ticket (normally), You
can get an off peak return ticket if you are going back Sunday evening
or earlier (I think)... you may also need a ticket for the shuttle bus
but it is not too expensive, it is not far from the airport to
Parkway. Never use the shuttle bus myself.

Take train to London St Pancreas (spelling),

Either take the tube to Paddington Mainline station and then omnibus
or tube or walk...

Get of early at West Hampstead and take Overground to Kensal RIse,
then omnibus to Ladbrook Grove tube, (when you will be at edge of an
off shoot of the Portabello Road Street Market) it is safe to wander
around looking like a tourist, especially if you dont speak much
English.
 
Simon

p.s. I really would love to be in London for the get together but I have to prepare for an exhibition in mid May.
 
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It's been (and is) gorgeous weather here at the moment, I could easily have worn my mankini to work this morning and no-one would have looked twice.

The weather for the weekend will get a little worse (of course), but at least it doesn't look like rain.

Larky, Simon, let's not feed the troll.
 
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