# 2014



## Hazel (Jan 3, 2014)

I thought I would look up rail fares for possible 2014 meets.

Crikey - prices are up.

So, before I do more I will wait for the 2014 calander


----------



## Mark T (Jan 4, 2014)

I guess the question is, where would people like to meet this year and possible set up a poll to see what the more popular suggestions are.

Personally, I'd support any event held in Essex or London.

I will get to one of the further away (for me) events one day - but it's usually a bit complicated as I inevitably have a 4/5 yr old with me


----------



## LeeLee (Jan 4, 2014)

Essex and London are tops for me as well, but finances permitting might try to get to another venue.  I've never been to Scotland - but that might be beyond reach!


----------



## HOBIE (Jan 4, 2014)

Is the list out yet because i was thinking about doing another Keswick or Newcastle one.


----------



## Mark T (Jan 4, 2014)

HOBIE said:


> Is the list out yet because i was thinking about doing another Keswick or Newcastle one.


Not yet, as it's normally Northerner who puts it together.  But there is no reason we can't make some suggestions to where we might like to have meets (probably a given that we would all like a meet in our home town ).

Given the number of meets last year with very low attendance, I think it is a good idea to potentially put together a list and then poll to see which ones people can commit to.


----------



## HOBIE (Jan 4, 2014)

I would like to attend a biggish meet cos i think it does you good to have a "natter" to others in the Boat !    Have bike will travel


----------



## Hazel (Jan 4, 2014)

Please always remember those north of Watford.    I have travelled to Newcastle, York, Manchester, Birmingham, Brighton and London - and I live near Glasgow.       Not everyone can manage London.


----------



## Mark T (Jan 4, 2014)

Hazel said:


> Please always remember those north of Watford.    I have travelled to Newcastle, York, Manchester, Birmingham, Brighton and London - and I live near Glasgow.       Not everyone can manage London.


I'd love to do Manchester or Scotland   For various personal reasons, it's not feasible sadly


----------



## suziepoo (Jan 4, 2014)

Scotland would be fab for me as I can't get to London etc.

Would love to meet other diabetics as I don't know any personally.


----------



## Bloden (Jan 5, 2014)

Bristol or London suit me - but only in July! (annual visit to family in Wales).
 Would love to meet other diabetics...


----------



## LeeLee (Jan 5, 2014)

Wouldn't it be lovely if there was a magical source of funding that would allow those of us for whom cost is the deciding factor to attend whichever meet we fancy?


----------



## Carmina (Jan 5, 2014)

I'd be happiest with one in the West Midlands as both money and travelling time are likely to be very scarce this year.


----------



## Mark T (Jan 5, 2014)

Last years events were:



> January 26th - Oxford: The Four Candles (confirmed)
> April 27th - London: Penderel's Oak (confirmed)
> June 8th - Glasgow
> July 6th - York - CANCELLED
> ...



So based on responses to the thread we have so far (alpha order):
Birmingham
Bristol
Essex
Glasgow
Keswick
London
Newcastle

Any other suggestions?

The other thing to say is that if there are a collection of people in one area, there is nothing to stop them making an arrangement to have an ad-hoc meeting to have a beverage & meal of choice and a chat without necessarily setting it up as a full forum meet.


----------



## Steff (Jan 5, 2014)

I will only do what ones suit me and if thats just local then so be it(makes me selfish then que up and shoot me), I wont be guilted in to going further a field its my choice LOL.If you have travelled well out of your area then thats cool as well but its not for everyone


----------



## ypauly (Jan 5, 2014)

They do seem to have lost their popularity in 2013, hopefully 2014 will be better and more will attend.


----------



## Bloden (Jan 5, 2014)

OoooOooh! C'mon...I want to meet you all!


----------



## Andy HB (Jan 5, 2014)

Bloden said:


> OoooOooh! C'mon...I want to meet you all!



Barcelona, anyone?


----------



## Steff (Jan 5, 2014)

Andy HB said:


> Barcelona, anyone?



Er make it Prague we'll split the fare


----------



## cherrypie (Jan 5, 2014)

Steff said:


> Er make it Prague we'll split the fare




I'll come to Prague too.  A beautiful city.

Has anyone thought about Southampton?


----------



## Steff (Jan 5, 2014)

cherrypie said:


> I'll come to Prague too.  A beautiful city.
> 
> Has anyone thought about Southampton?



They has been sotons ones in past


----------



## robert@fm (Jan 5, 2014)

Andy HB said:


> Barcelona, anyone?



Surely the Mercury is too high for some? 



cherrypie said:


> Has anyone thought about Southampton?



With any luck Alan will have recovered by then.


----------



## Hazel (Jan 5, 2014)

Sadly Southampton for anyone north of Watford is out of the Question


----------



## ypauly (Jan 6, 2014)

Andy HB said:


> Barcelona, anyone?



By far the best city I have ever visited.




Pick a date.


----------



## Cat1964 (Jan 6, 2014)

Steff said:


> Er make it Prague we'll split the fare



Oooooh I love Prague, let's all go there


----------



## Andy HB (Jan 6, 2014)

Hazel said:


> Sadly Southampton for anyone north of Watford is out of the Question



I think that's why multiple events are organised in a year. It enables those who have to travel a distance otherwise to still have something to go to.

Oh, and by the way, I think we are all now aware that you live north of Watford!


----------



## Hazel (Jan 6, 2014)

Thank you Andy - charming as ever


----------



## Steff (Jan 6, 2014)

I can tell you have a bee in your bonnett Hazel about people not travelling miles around the UK to these meets, but as individuals we are surely able to decide how far we want to travel, no need to make those that dont travel miles feel villified.


----------



## Mark T (Jan 6, 2014)

So moving on 

Latest list of suggestions (alpha order):
Barcelona
Birmingham
Bristol
Glasgow
Keswick
London
Newcastle
Prague
Southampton


----------



## Steff (Jan 6, 2014)

Mark T said:


> So moving on
> 
> Latest list of suggestions (alpha order):
> Barcelona
> ...



Well ill put my hand up for Prague, hopefully that meets with everyones approval


----------



## HOBIE (Jan 8, 2014)

Once went to Istanbul on me bike


----------



## AlisonM (Jan 8, 2014)

Not Glasgow in July or August! There's a wee randan going on then and any sane person will be in Aberdeen.... Or perhaps York. 

Actually, I'll be in Glasgow on June 7th/8th meeting my chum from Wolverhampton, maybe we could arrange something? Her mum is T2 and she's pretty clued up.


----------



## HOBIE (Jan 8, 2014)

Hi Alison, I am going to Glasgow this year by boat from Newcastle !  Up the coast in at Firth of forth, Edinbrugh through the cannal, Falkirk wheel to Glasgow.   Am looking forward to it when weather picks up


----------



## Redkite (Jan 8, 2014)

A wee randan - I love that!  No idea what it means though    I guess the event in question is the Commonwealth Games?


----------



## Copepod (Jan 8, 2014)

AlisonM said:


> Not Glasgow in July or August! There's a wee randan going on then and any sane person will be in Aberdeen.... Or perhaps York.
> 
> Actually, I'll be in Glasgow on June 7th/8th meeting my chum from Wolverhampton, maybe we could arrange something? Her mum is T2 and she's pretty clued up.



I'm going to Edinburgh to stay with my cousin and his family, and we're all going to watch the Commonwealth Games marathon, as they applied for loads of tickets and got nothing. I didn't apply for any due to degree of uncertainty (to put it mildly) when tickets went on sale, and withdrew my application to be a volunteer, Plus, volunteering at Tour de France in Yorkshire (stage 2 starts in York) and possibly Cambridge, too. I might actually see a bit more than being in windowless control room at Olymic Park. Perhaps I'm not a sane person, though


----------



## Dizzydi (Jan 8, 2014)

Don't forget to add Manchester to the list - there's a few of us around this area x

I'd love to make London this year - finances pending as I'm trying to get a business off the ground x


----------



## Northerner (Jan 9, 2014)

Thanks for starting this thread, sorry I have been neglecting things lately. It's very useful to get all the suggestions. One thing that really needs to be borne in mind is accessibility - wherever we go must be easily accessible by public transport, preferably  within easy reach of a well-served rail station. I'd be very happy to add Southampton to the list. I suspect the continental options would be out of reach for the majority. Manchester, certainly. June for Glasgow would be good, as that is the time we normally hold it  In the past we have also had Salisbury, Taunton and Guildford. What about Leeds?


----------



## Carmina (Jan 9, 2014)

Leeds and Manchester would be fine for me because there's a decent coach service from here, I think. Rail travel is fine but a lot of people would need plenty of notice so we could nab the reduced fares.


----------



## HOBIE (Jan 9, 2014)

I could do Leeds in about 2 hours on bike.  Done a rewire there last xmas (a couple of times went for the day)  Excellent tapas place in Roudhay


----------



## AlisonM (Jan 10, 2014)

Redkite said:


> A wee randan - I love that!  No idea what it means though    I guess the event in question is the Commonwealth Games?



The randan is a form of revelry normally involving copious amounts of alcohol and other rowdiness.


----------



## Steff (Jan 15, 2014)

When will the calender of meets be going up, I assume theres no Oxford in January?


----------



## Northerner (Jan 15, 2014)

Steff said:


> When will the calender of meets be going up, I assume theres no Oxford in January?



No, sorry Steff. I haven't felt up to organising anything (or doing much of anything at all, to be honest!). I'll try and get something up before the end of the week


----------



## Steff (Jan 15, 2014)

Northerner said:


> No, sorry Steff. I haven't felt up to organising anything (or doing much of anything at all, to be honest!). I'll try and get something up before the end of the week



Alan,
Yeah sorry I fully understand hun, I wasnt pushing or anything x


----------



## SimplesL (Jan 16, 2014)

Hi All

Obviously as I wouldn't need to travel I'd love an Oxford 1 again but can travel (I've done a London 1 previously) within reason but dates for Birmingham clashed for me last year.

How about Watford? Is that North or South; I did go to the Football ground there to watch Saracens play Rugby when they were based there.

If I could afford to I'd love to travel back to Scotland had a wonderful week in Oban a couple of years ago. Scenery was absolutely stunning.

When the list is out I'll decide which ones (hopefully) I'd be able to go to.


----------



## robert@fm (Jan 16, 2014)

SimplesL said:


> How about Watford? Is that North or South



It probably depends on whether you mean Watford, Herts or Watford, Northants (the one with the famous Gap).


----------

