Woman's Place UK meeting in London, 27 Feb

Happy to meet up and PM people beforehand.

Haven't changed my name for years so if people are comfortable pm-ing me, I will reply back if I am also comfortable. And we can arrange to meet at a central pub and hope it's not a mad dash to the venue.

Can't organise for everyone but maybe we can get a few meetup points going.

Am going too. Hope to meet some of you... am not very chatty though...

I'm going. I don't post much on mumsnet but these threads have been my radical feminist awakening! This will be my first political meeting since a student labour rally 25 years ago. Would also like to meet up afterwards. Could we have the venue annouced at the meeting or are TRAs in the meeting a concern?

I've been thinking about this.

The email that one generally gets over these meetings quite clearly says not to share the information.

Obviously, people are trying to protect the integrity of the meeting, as well as reduce any possible risk.

But, as we all know, unless we stand up about this and don't bow to pressure of transactivists, nothing will get changed.

So here is the dilemma.

We will get an email confirming the venue. People want to meet up.
I now think that posting a nearby pub would be detrimental. To both the venue, and the fact that it would become public information. These threads are open to anyone.

We don't have to make it easy for transactivists.

I'm happy to take a dirty big pom bear/penis beaker/naice ham sign with me to the meeting and hold it up before it starts so we can all meet. Actually in the meeting.

But in terms of being able to tell everybody the same pub, I think that's going to be tricky unless someone (or two people) are happy to volunteer as a point of contact via PM.

It means trying to vet the person who asks you where venue/pub is.

Checking their posting history to make sure they're not a) really new, and b) have demonstrable content on their posting that shows they are 'like-minded' and not chancers taking the piss.

Which will, sometimes, mean that the point of contact has to say I'm terribly sorry, I hope you understand, but I can't tell you.

I think most people understand why that might happen.

And I certainly don't think we should ever disclose the actual venue.

We are being asked not to, and need to respect that.

And finally, I don't want to volunteer as the point of contact!!

So maybe a couple of people will?

The more people who volunteer as a point of contact, who themselves have a posting history (and are therefore beyond reproach) the less work it will be for one person.

I desperately don't want to have anyone left out, whilst at the same time, I know just how sneaky transactivists can be.

Datun speaks sense as always!

Ok let's wait until the venue is announced and then decide on here where to meet.

Jaines I was planning on carrying a multipack of Pom Bears

Let's have an identifier in any case so at least we can approach each other when we're there. Could we make badges out of the MN logo?

booked! more than 300 tickets sold, this is amazing, I don't think i've heard of a non-mainstream-political-party meeting that large since the anti-apartite organising meetings in the 80s.

I have booked a ticket and would like to meet up beforehand. If a busy station was suggested to meet beforehand then that would be okay? Safety in numbers and all that.

I am bit concerned about leaving afterwards but hopefully will have made a friend by then!

How about making a central station a meeting point and then deciding from there? Public space, lots of security anyway?

Wish I could make it.

The problem with deciding a meeting place via PM is that anyone can PM someone. Including a TRA.

When this has happened before, a person sending a PM and asking for the venue would have to have a posting history that demonstrated their allegiance.

Which, in turn, involves one person being responsible for checking everyone's posting history and making a judgement.

I, personally, don't mind a pub being nominated on here. There are enough women who are going. Safety in numbers and all that.

But I totally understand others who would rather it was kept secret.

It's difficult to cater to everyone.

I also think that the pub should be as close to the venue as possible. So waiting for the venue to be announced would be a good idea.

I am unable to go due to health issues, but thank all of you for attending and making womens voices heard.

I have booked a ticket and would love to meet up with MNers. The Cambridge meeting was fab and this looks huge!
I wonder if a possibility would be for the organisers to suggest a meeting point for us when they email ticket holders about the venue? Plonitbatplonit what do you think? Maybe someone could suggest a pub and you could mention it as being a Mumsnet meeting point? Obviously I dont want to add to your workload!

I've been thinking about how we can arrange to meet up... Ideally we would just agree a pub here, but because the world's gone mad we probably shouldn't announce the location publically.

Only way I can think is for someone to choose a pub and then tell everyone on the thread via PM. It's not very democratic, and it risks missing people who lurk, but I suppose the alternative risk is TRAs disturbing our sherry drinking .

So we could do that now, or wait until the venue is announced. Thoughts?

This whole thing is going to be fucking HUGE if our MPs don't get their act together.

Everyone I have explained the basics to can see it is batshit crazy. And I am telling everyone. And so are they.

The protesters at the Edinburgh one looked intimidating and were background noise, but that was about it for me. Met other MNers and arrived at the venue when protesters were just starting to gather, then afterwards walked out and past them (had found a MNer going in my direction so gave each other moral support) and that was all. They were chanting and bashing pots etc but nothing more. Covering their faces made the photos look really intimidating but I barely registered their appearance as I left as we were past them so quickly.

For those of you that are worried please don't be. I was at the last London one and even after it all kicked off it really wasn't that bad. I kept my head down and it was easy to avoid trouble.

I hope you all have a great night. I can't make it but I will keep looking for updates on here.

Booked! Going for you pressureofaname as I know too well juggling the needs of an EBF baby! My youngest is two now so Daddy can do bedtime! Will be thinking of you.

Hope to meet up with others too. Are we wearing a carnation, is that a thing?!

I am so looking forward to this too. I've already booked too as the other WPUK meetings sold out really quickly. I'd love to do a Mumsnet meet up beforehand as well. Or wear something identifying (maybe write Mumsnet on a sticker or something?). Great idea.

Just booked my ticket. I have no idea if I'll be able to make the location in time since 'central London' could be a lot of places but didn't want to miss out. It's outrageous that the location has to be kept secret. I understand why of course but I can't believe in 2018 we need secret meetings.

I'm coming.

If there's a meet up can someone pm me?