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

Victoria Park headlined by De La Soul?!

Does the pub have a non-smoking section?

Ummm... sorry for this but by who?

De La Soul, a bunch of hip-hop pensioners.
Very good in their time though

The pub doesn't have a specific non-smoking area, but we are going to try to make sure that anyone who wants to smoke will kindly agree to sit by the windows, in one area. That should leave the rest of the function room smoke-free, particularly the bar.

at the last one there was a cigar smoker in the 'non-smoking' section, so I think kindly asking anyone may not get us very far.

Sorry to be a pain but asthma and the fact that passive smoking increases your risk of cancer by 20-30% matters to me.

Until you work out a decent policy which caters for non-smokers and smokers I will be thinking very hard about whether meeting h2g2s is worth increasing my chance of getting cancer for.

Is it only one function room this time, or are there two sections like November? Could always take the unpopular decision of making one section non-smoking. Either that or you get someone large to police the smoking policy, perhaps with the softball bat.
Oh, and De La Soul aren't pensioners. Not that I could name a track off of the top of my head, but I do remember them being enjoyable on the Radio.

As an asthmatic myself I do appreciate your concerns.

There are two parts to the meet-ups, this year the first half is in the open air in a park, so there will be no problem with smoke. The second half is in a pub, where it is *very* difficult to insist that the meet-up is totally non-smoking. We have to try to be fair to everyone, and asking the smokers to congregate in one area is a compromise between alienating one or other section of Researchers. The function room is bigger than the pubs that previous meet-ups have been held in, and as an upstairs room, the ceiling is higher. We think that this is a reasonable compromise. If you do decide not to attend in the evening, I hope that we'll still see you during the afternoon.

(You'll probably find that it's like the exhibition we went to last year - in certain places the smoke was heavy and difficult to cope with, but once we were in a more open area, your breathing was easier. If we keep you near the bar, hopefully you'll be fine. )

Me, Myself and I

there are a lot of other groups too, its still better than playing in Hyde Park

Kaz - waying up risks is entirely your own business, but it's perhaps worth knowing that (AFAIK) the risks for (active) smoking have only been shown for levels greater than about five a day. One passive smoking experience every few months will not increase your susceptability to cancer significantly. It may not increase it at all: the body may be able to harmlessly deal with this low level of pollutants, in the same way that it can deal with (and benefit from!) a low level of alcohol.

It wouldn't surprise me if there was a greater risk from being run over at an h2g2 meet than from passive smoking from a handful of smokers.

Of course, asthma is a seperate issue.

-Martin

*smiles*
Its ok, I have a fairy wand and anendless supply of Fruit Pastilles, I'll just swop everyones cigarettes for sweets and they'll never know!

Or replace them with those niccotine stick things.

Haha, imagine if all the "cool" kids sucked on them instead of fags...

I worked (full time) in the bar trade for seven years, I know what you mean about passive smoking, but I also know that no matter what pub (with a few exceptions) there are always areas where there isn't smoke.

People tend to group together by tastes, and smoking is one of those tastes. Also, a neat trick is to remove most of the ashtrays, and move those that are left to one end of the room

Most pubs also have a no smoking at the bar policy, we just have to put one in if they don't.

The risks though for passive smoking are low. I was in the situation where, if anyone could get it, I would. I've never smoked in my life but those years surrounded by all that smoke certainly set me up for it. But, I've been checked out and given the all clear.
Having said that, I do hate sitting in a smokey pub, not being able to breath.

If its o.k. for people to smoke in an enclosed area like a pub and so endanger everyone`s health I guess it`ll be o.k. to bring some ninja throwing stars to toss around inside the pub too. Statistically people who use these `stars` are very accurate and highly trained so the chance of damage to health is slight. As long as people dont make any sudden or swift movements. Mind you, alcohol consumption has been shown to reduce dexterity and accuracy.

Seems reasonable enough to me. And the additional £1,200 tax us '20 a day' smokers pay each year will help towards the medical bills





*cough*

Let's face it, if it weren't for smokers the NHS would be in /REAL/ smeg.

Ummm... we could just settle it by saying that we'll make sure half the pub is non-smoking and half isn't? Pastey's idea of shifting the ashtrays will work if no ban is already in place and then everyone will be happy as people can smoke in one area if they like and one area will be clean and smoke free

Hi Kaz

We weren't aware that there was a free festival on and I would love to see De La Soul, but we still think football, rounders and a picnic in Hyde Park is a better idea. It gives people a chance to talk and get to know each other, which is why they are coming after all. It is a formula we have used before and is always great fun.

We as a team have serious doubts about the festival as a meetup venue - the term 'free' means that it will be very heavily attended much like the Fat Boy Slim concert in Brighton last week. Will we be able to find a space for one hundred people - one of whom is coming in a wheelchair and another who is blind?

With regard to smoking, I understand completely where you are coming from. I have a tabacco intolerance (the cheap version of an allergy ) and I hate being in smokey rooms. Unfortunately we have been quite limited in our choice of evening venues. Our plan was to have a smoking area near the windows and hopefully everyone will help to make sure this solution works.

*grins*
I for one promise not to smoke...

I promise not to smoke too. Unless stress makes it come out of my ears!

*grins*
You won't be stressed, it'll be fine, I'll just distract you wiht the shinyness of my badge..