[Dag]

I'll be on my way to the airport any minute now... See you all on Saturday!

[RodeoRanch]

I will soon be on a train bound of Manchester. The Gathering begins! There can be only one!


Note, do not cut off fellow Malazanites heads. This is frowned upon, regardless of whatever powers you may gain from killing them.

[Fid]

Apart from sleep deprivation resulting from navigating 200 miles of M5 and M6 tonight after the team Christmas party in Exeter should be fine tomorrow.... As Kro does not do caffeinated beer don't be too offended if I doze off during some highly stimulating conversation....

I also have the onerous task of acquiring some Christmas tat from the German market as an award for the "call centre most innovative Christmas decorations" award - last year's was deemed to be so saccharine as to exceed all decent taste...so i have a long way to go to beat my achievement then

[Hetan]

We're just leaving for Manchester - see some of you guys this evening and the rest of the Scarey Mob tomorrow!

[Macros]

copious amounts of vodka and wine must be consumed in my absence.

[Thelomen Toblerone]

Me and Tremmy are meeting at Kings X at half 8, which should give us just enough to time to get to Euston, grab tickets, and jump on the train by 9. Realistically, we'll miss it and get the half past instead, so expect us in Mank for half 11. Trem will need to then locate his hotel and check in, so we should be done with that within half hour or so and will therefore DEFINITELY make the 1pm in Kro.

[Cougar]

Phase one is complete:

[caladanbrood]

If i recall, trem is staying at the garden hotel? Which is right next to spoons just across from kro, a good 30 seconds walk so you should be fine toby
I'm loitering in stafford services, about an hour of driving left, desperately imbibing caffeine in an effort to be awake most of the day. I sympathise with fid, i'm doing an almost identical journey.

[Fid]

First report on the early stages of the event...having managed to walk past everyone at Kro - it must have been the sobriety and failing to recognise a hirsute Cougar. All in all a most civilised afternoon and thanks to Cougar for taking on the organisational responsibility, which was clearly taking its toll at the Athenaeum in the absence of seating. The presence of significant others in the form of Mrs Cougar and Brood + 1 Mr MPD was a pleasing addition and an interesting discussion on the education system of today as well as what good ever came out of Stevenage (cases of wine to my house from the Wine Society). Always a pleasure to see Dag again and she has promised to come and help clear my trees of dead branches on her next visit Her contribution of Mozartkugeln was most generous. Rodeo is clearing missing the snow and cold of Calgary and is clearly not enamoured of Scottish museums. I look forward to seeing the photos and the tales from Fab

[Tiste Simeon]

Update so far: Random texts from a few people, including one from Toby asking if I like young people or something...

[Tremolo]

That was good fun! Thx to everybody for a really nice time.

I am walking around Manchester trying to do some Christmas shopping and enjoying the sunny (yes sunny!!!) weather. If anybody wants to meet for lunch or coffee or something I can be texted on the phone number in my profile.

[Cougar]

I have a rather substantial hangover.

It was awesome to see everyone especially the new people, Ribald, Ms Brood and Mr PigDog. I've got a load of pictures to post which I will spend the afternoon sorting through.

Fid is correct I did get rather stressed in the middle of day and there was a major disagreement between me and my better half after I completely lost my rag when we went to the Christmas market/stampeed. Mrs C was really impressed by everyone and she expressed an interest in coming again. She also had nice things to say about you all.

Finding out that Stone Monkey was actually a covert Welshman was very interesting.

Trem having to leave because he was too drunk to remember how to translate English was funny.

The guy who tried to start a fight with Mr Pigdog and me, was not funny.

[Grumble]

I also would like to thank everyone for yet another EPIC Manky Meetup

As others have done I should report that when I left at a rather lame 10.15 PM to get the train

Rodeo still had his pants on and was not up a tree.

Toby had avoided the Peeler's after a most productive purse cutting session at the Christmas Market.

Mez had not vommited on any creature/person. ( That I know of )

Cougar had used his beard comb twice to remove unwanted meal leftovers.

Trem still remembered english words.

Brood had been blamed !

Thanks again everyone it was great to see you/meet you all !

[Cougar]

We started in Kro Bar in Piccadilly (l-r) Trem, Rodeo, Hetan, Mal and Toby.
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Sometimes being Mrs Brood is just too much...
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Grumble and Dag
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The Aryan Brotherhood have let themselves go (Trem and Rodeo)
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Broody and yours truly
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Not often you get a [Stone] Monkey and a Cougar in the same picture
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Rodeo doesn't know it yet but his wallet, watch and gold fillings have just been 'palmed' by Toblerone.
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Malaclypse and Ribald
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Looks like a tense moment here, I think Mr Pigdog (grey and black hooped jumper) is saying in his Swansea accent: "Listen you little urchin, either give me my wallet back or I'll break your thievin' cockney fingers."
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[Imperial Historian]

Great fun as usual, thanks to everyone who showed up. It was nice to meet the new attendees in Ribald, and the +1's of brood, cougar and mezla, who all looked a bit apprehensive on first meeting, but seemed to find that "Internet People" aren't all strange psychopaths which must be something of a relief.

I'm looking forward to some of Dag's pictures to come out, some of them were quite amusing.

[Cougar]

Broody and his missus
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Imperial Historian and Trem
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I think stealing Broody is a bit much even for Toby
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Someone appears to have stolen Stone Monkey's washboard
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Toblerone does his best Jamie Redknapp impression
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Mezla looks like she's enjoying a grope of Toby's guns with Mal.
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A first class in Biology and a PhD evidently don't help figure out a yo-yo
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And the ubiquitous 2am self taken picture.
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[RodeoRanch]

I'm hiding in the Manchester Youth Hostel, trying to recover from last night. Absolutely fantastic meeting everyone. I had a great time even if my voice is near totally gone from all the yelling and dry ice at the Fab.

Hopefully no one was terribly disappointed in meeting me. If you were, I can promise a full refund once you provide me with your credit card number and pin.

Dag, I'm sorry I smiled so much.

[Mezla PigDog]

I had a great old night. I think we were all better behaved then usual due to all the +1's.A combination of a good samaritan, angelic Mal and sterling work by Mr PigDog and Toby got my lost mobile phone back to me. It was brilliant meeting Trem finally (even if he told me I was a terrible disappointment because I wasn't hammered! Well I was by the end of the night). Toby stayed over, the silverware is all accounted for but I think he stole my will to live, I have spent the day on the sofa and have still got the shakes.

Sul liked everyone! He said he will finally stop taking the piss out of me for having internet friends since you were all so nice. He has also spent the day on the sofa with a bad head, watching snooker and making countless smutty snooker-related jokes. He refused to play with that little table pool game he insisted I bring home with me from Fab last night. He's getting the damn thing wrapped up for Christmas!

Anyway, it was great to see everyone again and to meet new people. You are all too brilliant

[Hetan]

I am trying to summon up the energy to post something witty and failing dismally - I'm pretty much knackered this evening after a two great nights out in Manchester and a fabby afternoon. It was great to meet everyone again and all the +1's, who despite having been hi-jacked into coming along, were all very tolerant of us all. I think everyone had a good time. I appear to have left my voice somewhere - probably in the Fab with Rodeo's - and if anyone can find it and return it I would be very grateful.

I would particularly like to thank Mezla for not letting us get lost in the Christmas market, and for leading us to the most awesome display of hot sausages - I wish I had been sober enough to get a photo at that point. Thanks too, to Ribald for coming along. It was a pleasure to meet you again

I had a great time dancing with Mezla and Mrs C - we didn't quite get the handbags on the floor thing going - but it was touch and go there for a while.
Dag brought chocolates for all - thank you very much.
Toby slipped through the crowds at the market like an old pro - it was disturbing
Fid walking right past us at the Kro was amusing - at least we must not have looked like a bunch of internet geeks on a day out
Thanks to Grumble for introducing me to that yummy stuff in the bottle - it was a life saver at the point!
I'll post pics when I've resized them.
Thanks again to everyone for making it a great evening.

[Mezla PigDog]

Hetan, on 13 December 2009 - 06:09 PM, said:

I am trying to summon up the energy to post something witty and failing dismally - I'm pretty much knackered this evening after a two great nights out in Manchester and a fabby afternoon.

I know how you feel! I should be ironing next weeks work clothes and doing the washing up but it's not going to happen. Cups of tea, tv and Dag's chocolates are looking more realistic.

Oh yes, and it was great to wake up from a meet up without that sinking feeling of humiliation. Although I'm sure I said plenty of rubbish. Treasure it people