h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Given that the Penderal's Oak is such a shambles (and even though it looks likely i'll not be able to make the meet itself), might I suggest you give these guys a go?

http://www.eeriepubco.com/

Particularly 'The Bell Book and Candle' on Ludgate Hill. Because of its location it's never that busy at weekends so they may be very glad of a private party to take over their *cavernous* basement. Besides, I *know8 there are certain members of the community who would find this pub a literal scream....

Just a suggestion.

Hmm, The BB & C officially closes at 5 PM on a Saturday. On the other hand, given the size of an H2G2 meet, they might be persuaded. Gotta be worth a phone call/e-mail to the manager, in my estimation - though you may then be in the position of having to ask for donations to cover the cost of bar staff etc ()which in my estimation is where to Penderal's Oak always goes wrong - they attempt to cover a 100+ party with the normal saturday bar staff). Pub specific details such as phone numbers and e-mails addresses for the manager are on the page for each pub.

I can honestly say that the staff at Eerie Pubs are the best I have *ever* come across in a 'chain pub'.

Wat, u ain't going to be able to go to the meet? Wat beer do they have?

Allow me to correct that link:
http://www.eeriepubco.co.uk

..and for the suggested pub:
http://www.eeriepubco.co.uk/pub.php/bell_book_candle/

A pub that closes at 5 pm on a Saturday?

My my, what quaint licensing laws you guys have!

As far as I know, that's not a licensing issue as such - probably more of a staff costs one, I'm guessing.

I just wanted to say ( mode alert) that that website has the dubious distinction of being the first one I've seen where you click the image to make it *smaller*

Beerr? Dunno. Neither I, Strangelittlegirl or Experiment 626 drink so we didn't look. But I *think* they are officially free houses. Again, I'm sure that an e-mail will answer the question. I vaguely recall seeing London Pride in Ben Crouch's, but I could be wrong.

And as for not going, well, if you want me there you need to find a date when I don't have a holiday booked.

As for shutting at 5, thats because the BB& C is only a literal stones throw from St pauls Cathedral and that part of the City is as dead a dodo on a Saturday Night. Wouldn't be the first time that an H2G2 meetup has been held in a pub that isn't normally open on a Saturday night.

Is it pretty central? Bearing in mind I've no clue when it comes to London layout/where things are

St Paul's is about as central as they come mate. It's certainly as 'central' as some of the other boozers that have been used in the past.

Don't drink?! I think you meant "don't drink beer"...

Sounds like a nice change to me. I've certainly had enough of the Penderals Oak's laugh-a-minute team.

Actually want I meant was none of us drink bitter as SLG is a lager-girl (though she only drinks the pint known affectinately as 'wife-beater' under protest) and that is technically a beer, merely a pale, or 'blond' beer...

It is indeed a beer. So are stouts like Guinness. I'm not really sure why and when 'beer' became synonymous with 'bitter'.
If she drinks it under protest, why not try something else?

Yeh, the pendawhatsitthinggy we've used recently is certainly not ideal a place... Guess I should see if they'd want to charge at this place for holding our p*** up I really must try and get on top of things, my life appears to be running off ahead of me at the moment, and all I can do is slump in a chair with a half empty bottle of wisky in one hand a cigarette in the other 'organisation'

Kerr - *only* the pint known as 'wife-beater'. Thats a brand name round this neck of the woods for a beer that is re-assuringly guaranteed to leave you poorer, if you get my drift...

2legs - well, it only takes an e-mail mate. I'm sure that it won't take them long to make a decision. I notice some people have been suggesting the Princess Louise, but i must say in my experience that is already rammed to the gills on a saturday night and i don't think they'd thank you for the extra custom. They do have a functions room but unless you have less than 50 attendees it ain't gonna be big enough.

I blame the Pedi last night

I'm on the case bods, trust me I'm on the case, I'm so far on the case, that you can't actually see it anymore, so consider me on the case, oh yees, I'm on teh case PS, if no one has noticed yet, the date is now the 10th July : and the suggestion of teh Princess louise on the page was more as a afternoon drinking haunt for those who won't be doing teh 'daytime' activity... what ever that may as yet turn out to be Though, if the evening venue is this ere pub, rather than the Oak, it might make sense to have a day time pub over that neck of the woods rather than High Holborn way I'm on the case

Pah. I'll have me own mini meet in Spain then. Very exclusive it will be too.

Just me, SLG and az. So there.

Well I shall raise a glass to you from my own mini meet in Brisbane...

Hang on, will all the beer not fall out if I'm Down Under

not fair you can't go

I E-mailed the Bell book and candle place you suggested bout a month ago; never got a reply; followed up with another E-mail about a week ago, whilst at my Fathers in Suffolk, still haven't a reply; so for fear of ending up with no venue, I've gone ahead and booked the Penderel's Oak, from 6 PM onwards At least this means I can hopefully get the details linking to the meet up on the frontpage now, hopefully attract a few more boozers mean resurchers