London BD get-together

[Estelyn Telcontar]

For all of you in and around London who have expressed interest in meeting fellow Barrow-Downers, here is the suggested time and place:

Wednesday, August 21, 19:30 (7:30 pm)
Wagamama's, located at 4, Streatham Street, Covent Gardens
Location: north of New Oxford Street, before Great Russell Street, continuation of Bainbridge Street
Tube station - Tottenham Court Road

Please post here or, if you prefer, PM me to let us know if you plan to come. If there are others interested, of whose location we're not aware, do let me know!

Looking forward to seeing you there! smilies/smile.gif

[Gorothlammothiel]

I would like to come and could make that day but unfortunately not that time. smilies/frown.gif Never mind, if there is another organised for an afternoon sometime please let me know smilies/smile.gif

[Sindacuion]

Why can't this be in two years..?! smilies/confused.gif smilies/frown.gif


Heh,just kidding.. I might meet someone when I go to England myself.. In two long years.

[ August 12, 2002: Message edited by: Sindacuion ]

[Rimbaud]

Esty, if you expect a large-ish party, I advise you to phone ahead.

[arelendil]

i hear about this before but i'm in the lake district 19 to the 22!! Can't we move it i really want to come!

[arelendil]

By the way i'm only in my teens and probably wouldn't be allowed out late can't we have it during the day we could go see TFOTR at leister square i heard it's still on there

[Gayalondiel]

Similarly, i'd love to come but i can't be there that late as it takes 3 hours to commute from my home-town and i can't afford an overnight stay. If there is another get-together i'd suggest trying a daytime rendez-vous, maybe sometime at half term or xmas would be good? wish i could be there this time though!

[Birdland]

I live just a half-hour away from London, Ohio. Can we have it there?

Oh, wait, no tube station. They have a grain elevator, though! smilies/frown.gif

[The Squatter of Amon Rûdh]

Hmmm... I always wondered why Americans referred to it as 'London, England'. Now I know. Perhaps the people of the other London could modify their grain elevator to form the basis of a public transport system...

[Birdland]

Perhaps the people of the other London could modify their grain elevator to form the basis of a public transport system...
Hmmmmm, doesn't seem very practical, since you could walk from one end of London, Ohio to the other in about 20 minutes. Also everyone would then have to take their corn to West Jefferson.

According to National Geographic.com, there are some 15 towns named London in the U.S., and I imagine every one one of them is so small if you'd blink you'd miss them.

I guess one of these days I'll have to get over there to England and check out that other London. smilies/biggrin.gif

[Raefindel]

There is also a London in Canada. Try entering London into the search on Weather.com (http://www.weather.com/index.html), It will pull up many of the cities by that name.

Hey, Birdland, I didn't know there is a Portland in Ohio!

[ August 18, 2002: Message edited by: Raefindel ]

[The Squatter of Amon Rûdh]

I guess one of these days I'll have to get over there to England and check out that other London.

It's all right, if dirty and very expensive. They don't have a grain elevator there, though.

Hmmm...There are too many Londons. Someone ought to have laid down some naming conventions and posted them in every major port of embarkation for the New World:
1: Please try not to give your new towns names that are already in use, as this will confuse people. We know that the maps aren't the most complete, but if the name of your shiny new settlement is London or Paris, you're just not trying. smilies/wink.gif

[Estelyn Telcontar]

Well, hi from London, England, everybody!! (Eat your heart out, Birdie! smilies/tongue.gif) I'm here at Míriel's and so proud and delighted that I will brag about it on every related thread!! smilies/wink.gif The weather is beautifully untypical; I enjoyed a wonderful view from the top gallery of St. Paul's Cathedral after climbing 530 stairs to get there. And I bought about a ton of Tolkien-related books - well, at least they felt like a ton when I carried them! I will continue to report from here this week and yes, I will delete those parts of my posts that are too off-topic...after making your mouths water, that is!!

[Marileangorifurnimaluim]

Aw, that sounds great. I was going to mention the tiny town of London, Ontario, a mere pit-stop (and I mean pit) on the dull ride from Detroit to Toronto (Lostgaeriel will know it).

Rae and I tried to get together this weekend (she got a sitter, yay!) but we missed eachother. Didn't get her last-minute message until 4pm.

After seeing the B-W's picture in "Show us your true self," I will look him up next time I'm in FLA. smilies/wink.gif

Have fun in London you lucky fools! Say hello to Squatter, Chris Kalessin (if you can reach him), Tar, the ever-charming Rimbaud and crew for me!

-Maril

[ August 19, 2002: Message edited by: Marileangorifurnimaluim ]

[Birdland]

Next year, Estelyn, next year. Now if I can only figure out a way to get my friend to come, without her husband and two kids! Ack!

[Lush]

Oooh, Esty, can you feel me burning with utter jealousy from across the Atlantic Ocean? I want to be in Europe again. I want to kiss blue-eyed men in narrow streets, I want to drink good beer, watch soccer on the telly, work as a foreign correspondent, dance until 5 a.m. on the weekends, pay huge taxes, keep one wary eye on the terrorists, and live in a cramped little apartment with a black cat. And, of course, occasionally, I want to make room for healthy, sober lunches that include much Tolkien discussion. smilies/wink.gif

[Estelyn Telcontar]

Here's today's report from London - I went to the Tower! (No, Birdie, that's not a grain elevator! smilies/wink.gif ) (What's that, B-W? Off-topic? Setting a bad example? Oh, I suppose you're right; I will try to make it a bit more Tolkien...) The whole complex had a Minas Tirith feeling for me - medieval buildings, towers and walls. Maril, you would have appreciated the display of swords and other weapons, though the ones I thought pretty seemed rather impractical, what with all the gems on them. The crown jewels are magnificent; the world's largest diamond is quite impressive, even if it ain't no Silmaril.

Do I wish you were all here? Sure - as long as you pay your own admission; tickets are expensive!

[Gorothlammothiel]

Indeed they are Estelyn, there is not much that isn't expensive here in London smilies/smile.gif

[Estelyn Telcontar]

The London B-D get-together took place on Wednesday evening, though on a rather smaller scale than we had hoped for. Kalessin is away this week and couldn't come, Rimbaud is in Philadelphia, not in London at the time; several others had already replied that they were either away or unable to come; and amyrlis, who had suggested the evening and approximate location, didn't come either. So in the end, Míriel and I ended up meeting Squatter, who is indeed witty and charming - we enjoyed getting to know him! We had a fun evening, starting with food at Wagamama's and later moving on to a quieter pub nearby, where we sat and talked until closing time.

During the daytime, I've been exploring the museums - today, Victoria and Albert's. Guys, please don't listen for a moment - this is off-topic and will be deleted in due time, I promise. Girls, there was a display of clothing from the last 100 - 200 years; interesting enough, but the best part was the exhibition of dresses by Catherine Walker, a marvellous British designer. Gowns would be the more appropriate word; all of them were fascinating, a number of them worn by celebrities such as the late Diana, Princess of Wales. Those were to dream about!! OK, 'nuff said...

[The Squatter of Amon Rûdh]

So in the end, Míriel and I ended up meeting Squatter, who is indeed witty and charming

Lies. All lies. I just didn't shout "Ingerland" at the top of my voice and punch the barman.

You didn't tell them about the Arthur Rimbaud display in the bookshop next door to Wagamama's.

[amyrlis]

Estelyn! I am so sorry to have missed you all! The last time I checked my email before leaving the States was on Friday the 9th (I didn't see a computer again until the 22nd), your message to me that things had been arranged came on the 10th. When I didn't hear anything by the 9th, I assumed there were no plans for meeting. Again, I am sorry! I was, however, in Covent Gardens that evening - we dined at Belgo Central, then had a drink at Navajo Joe's, then more drinks at a pub that I don't remember the name of. I wonder if we perhaps brushed elbows on the street? On Thursday we went to Westminster Abbey and the Tower, and saw a show in Picadilly that evening. Friday we spent the day at the British Museum and strolled by St. Paul's. Flew home to the U.S. on Saturday and am trying to catch up at the office today - wish I was still in Europe!

[ August 26, 2002: Message edited by: amyrlis ]

[Davin]

Anybody want to plan a get together in Canada or the US? I wouldn't mind taking a road trip smilies/biggrin.gif

[Rimbaud]

My tentacles of dissolution spread, Squatter.

[The Squatter of Amon Rûdh]

So it was more than coincidence: I thought as much. Amusingly, next to the Rimbaud anthologies was a stack of new hard-backs of The Hunting of the Snark. Curiouser and curiouser.

[Estelyn Telcontar]

Is Rimbaud perhaps (gasp!) a Boojum??

Now that I'm back home, I would just like to add one last, absolute highlight of my London trip - I saw 'Twelfth Night' at the Globe!! The production was done in the style of Shakespeare's day, with male actors playing the female roles. If you've seen 'Shakespeare in Love', you have a pretty good idea what it was like. Standing places in the yard are quite cheap, actually, and I found that made it feel even more like experiencing old times. I am glad it didn't rain that evening - no roof! Any way, it was well-played, a thoroughly enjoyable evening all round.

[amyrlis]

I am extremely jealous Estelyn! We tried to get tickets to Twelfth Night prior to leaving the States, but it was sold out. We saw a comedy, Shakespeare Abridged, instead - it was very funny (even though I'd seen it years ago here in Colorado). Still catching up at work and spending all my free time downloading the 325+ pictures we took on the trip, so haven't had a chance to browse any other parts of the Downs since my return. So now it's been nearly 3 weeks - I'm SO behind!

[Lush]

The Compleat Wks of Wllm Shkspr (Abridged) ? If that's the one you're speaking of, I directed the second act for a one-act festival my senior year of high school. Good times, good times, I miss them so.
Tell us more about Europe, Esty, some of us are pulling their hair out because they ever left!

*here follows an obvious attempt to stay relevant and kiss up to the Mods*

You know, in my twisted mind, Europe has already become Middle Earth. Equally magical and equally unattainable. Bring on the Prozac already!