Manchester, famous for many things to many people. Football fans talk heatedly of the rival clubs of City and United, culture fans discuss passionately of the works of Lowry, Burgess and Halle. Politics enthusiasts sit down for a coffee and a quiet chat about the social reforms inspired by Pankhurst, Marx and Engels, and beer nerds turn up from all over the world to sample the plethora of bars and beers available in the city.

So given that we’re all interested in at least one of these, and that the central location with excellent transport links helps, the 2014 Annual Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy Field Researchers Meet can be held in no better place!

The chosen date for our get together is Saturday June 7th, with the now institutionalised pre-meet on the Friday 6th and the newly instituted pre-pre-meet on Thursday 5th. There will also be a winding down session on Sunday 8th.

The Venues

Due to different numbers at different times, and different needs on different days, the meet will be spreading out a bit. This sort of happens anyway.

Pre-Pre-Meet : Thursday 5th

As there will only be about seven or eight of us around early, the pre-pre-meet will be a very informal chat and drink in the infamous Port Street Beer House. This is a non-typical beer nerds haven, and where you will more often than not find me (Pastey) hanging out pretending to work.

This venue doesn't do food other than nuts and crisps, so if you want to eat, you'll need to do that before turning up. We'll likely be at a table upstairs.

Port Street Beer House
39-41 Port St
Manchester
M1 2EQ

www.portstreetbeerhouse.co.uk

Pre-Meet : Friday 6th

The pre-meet has always been an opportunity to pass the night before the meet in the company of others hanging around waiting for the meet itself. In short, it's an excuse to get drunk.

The venue that's been arranged for this is The Crown & Kettle, which is a wonderful old building that's recently had some sympathetic redecoration. They staff here have kindly agreed to reserve an entire area of the bar for us, the newly fitted cider bar, so we should be able to not only be left to chat and drink, but have our own bar area too!

The Crown & Kettle
2 Oldham Rd
Manchester
M4 5FE

The Meet : Saturday 7th

Following on from feedback from the last meet, this year we've moved to somewhere that should hopefully be quieter. Kro Piccadilly is right in the very centre of Manchester, in Piccadilly Gardens. It's a Swedish style bar and restuarant (apparently) that serves decent beers, wines and spirits, and has a pretty good food menu too. We've reserved a hefty amount of space along the side of the venue, between the bar and the restuarant. There will be some through traffic, but from experience of events held here, it won't be much.

We've got the space reserved from 1pm, so anyone wanting to just spend all day sitting around and catching up with folks, feel free! There will also be a quiz later in the evening, and I've promised to not make it anywhere near as difficult as last time.

Kro Piccadilly
One Piccadilly Gardens
Manchester
M1 1RG

www.kro.co.uk

The Post-Meet : Sunday 8th

The last meet saw several researchers finding their way back to Font on the Sunday morning (well, lunchtime really) for a wind down and relax, along with a fried breakfast and some tea. This year we've decided to do the same!

For those that were unable to make it to the last meet, Font is a strange, but very accomodating cafe bar that caters to beer drinkers and students, mostly students. It's reasonably priced and the food is excellent. So if you fancy meeting up with everyone else for a final session, here's the place.

The Font
7-9 New Wakefield St
Manchester
M1 5NP

http://thefontbar.wordpress.com/manchester

This page will fill up with more details as we confirm them, if you're name's not on the attendance list below, make sure we know so we're not surprised if hoards turn up!

Attending

Here are the hoopy froods that have signed up to say they're coming along to the best party of 2014, others have hinted, insinuated, and occassionally said, but haven't actually signed up yet

• Pastey
• Pierce The Pirate
• Milla
• Witty Moniker
• dragonqueen
• Bald Bloke
• Dr Anthea
• SashaQ
• Superfrenchie
• Mr603
• Magwitch
• Baron Grim
• Hapi
• Lanzababy
• 2legs
• TRiG
• Vip
• Just Bob
• The Jon M
• Hati
• Titania and Ripley the unau
• Solnushka