So here's a brief summary for all that are looking to attend. And a few not so brief ramblings and thoughts.

On the Friday night before there is a mini-meet, as seems to be becoming a tradition with meet-ups now. This one is at:

But if you're in the area that night, you can do a lot worse than watch the Dutch contingent drink everyone else under the table.

Details for the mini meet can be found
here.

The main meet-up the following day gives us all a chance to see that Dutch guys don't seem to suffer from hangovers like the rest of us. A theory put forward is that the alcohol builds up from their feet and, seeing as they are a lot taller than the rest of us, myself included, the alcohol doesn't actually reach their digestive system.

The itinerary for the day is quite simple, and yet promises to be fun. The main ingredients for the daytime are Beer, Disposable Cameras, Beer and, if we're lucky it won't involve policemen chasing us way from monuments like groups of deranged tourists.

The Meeting Place is:

It's a typical Weatherspoon pub, apparently. I've never been there myself, but that usually means wide open drinking areas, cheap beer, cheap food and the local alkies huddled in a corner. But hey, cheap beer! And in London that's always a bonus.

People are always nervous about how to recognise each other in real life. Don't worry. In all the meet ups I've been to it's been kinda obvious who the h2g2 lot are. The only time I've actually known anyone to miss the group was at the first meet, and then they noticed it on their second walk by. They could be forgiven, though, as only around fifteen people were there for that one. Seeing as somewhere in the region of just short of a hundred are scribbled up for this one, noticing the collection of black t-shirts with the white and grey h2g2 logo and the abnormally large accumulation of empty beer glasses shouldn't be too hard. If anyone still has uncertainties then I suggest that, upon arrival, ask the bar staff. Bar staff, if they're any good, will know who's drinking in their pub.

The time is 2.00pm

That's to allow poor fools like me to actually finish work and make their way there and lucky fools, that were out all the previous night drinking, to get out of bed, eat some solids and get around to more drinking.

The main activity for the day this time around is a Photo Scavenger Hunt, starting at around 2.30pm.

Now, unlike the name suggests, we're not going to be going out in groups trying to shoot people who want their photos taken. Not unless they're really annoying anyway.

The Towers staff are going to be handing out disposable cameras and a list of tasks. The idea is for the groups to take photos of themselves performing as many of the tasks as possible within the time limit. Then racing back to the pub to hand the cameras over for developing.

The evening event is to be held at:

This boozer in the heart of the city doesn't normally open on a Saturday but, because we're such special people, they're going to open for us. Aren't the Italics wonderful? Getting us a whole pub of our own for the evening?

The evening do is likely to start somewhere around the 6.30pm mark and will no doubt involve the consumption of copious amounts of fermented drinks and the taking of a stupid amount of photos and the odd video or two.

Remembering, or even knowing other researchers names is always a bit tricky, even if you've known them for a couple of years. That's why this time round there is to be a Name Badge Competition. The Towers are going to give an h2g2 t-shirt to the person who creates, and wears, the most artistic badge conveying their h2g2 username. If you don't make your own, you'll get lumped with a sticky white label. The jury is still out as to whether t-shirts count as badges.

One more point though folks, meeting people in real life isn't the same as meeting them on the 'net and a set of Guidelines have been drawn up by the Towers. Please read them.

Pastey

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