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Original poster

Organising thread for Mumsnet Lancashire :-)

35 replies

AllPurposeNortherner · 14/03/2013 23:00

So, lets get this show on the road!

We're getting up a good team here of LAs and supporters, so what can we do to make the site great?

OP posts:
Original poster
AllPurposeNortherner · 14/03/2013 23:10

The "areas" on offer in the listings are in the process of being changed, to:

Chorley,
Fylde,
East Lancs,
Lancaster,
Preston,
Ribble Valley,
South Ribble,
West Lancs

Which should hopefully help with some of the issues with not knowing where things should be listed.

In the meantime though, just carry on listing things in the current system, and I'll go through after the change and sort it all out - the main details will still be the same.

I'm getting quite excited - is that sad? Grin

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Cannotbeused · 14/03/2013 23:17

Hi, I'm a newbie to these parts, just taken on southeast, rolls up sleeves..

ChanceTurtle · 15/03/2013 08:03

Those areas make more sense than the current system. They'll still be under the banner of 'Lancashire', will they? Makes it easier to log in to the one larger area and see what's going on around the region as there's lots of crossover of events if you're looking for things to do.

I can add listings for South Ribble, Preston and some Fylde - would that be ok, Northerner?
I can't be an LE as the organising regular Meet Ups isn't something I can take on at the minute (and I'm out of the loop wrt to pre-school things as DS is 10).

Hey there, Cannot! Smile

Original poster
AllPurposeNortherner · 15/03/2013 23:08

Yeah, well, Preston has its own site too, at local.mumsnet.com/preston but it is offered as an option on the Lancashire site as well. Everything else is just part of the Lancashire site :-)

Please do go ahead and add listings for wherever you can - I think that if we can start things going, companies and users will start adding more for themselves too, and obviously the more listings there are, the more useful the site becomes and the more users we will get, who will add listings, and so on.

The same principle applies for the chat threads too, I think. It is just a case of getting the ball rolling.

I can edit listings after they have been added, so please go ahead even if you don't have all the details and I can add them in later if need be.

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Original poster
AllPurposeNortherner · 15/03/2013 23:10

Oh, and if any of you can spread the word about the site (as well as our twitter and facebook) that would be good too.

I will hopefully have some flyers and posters in the not too distant future, and some shameless publicity stunts for when we have the site going a bit more Grin

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Cannotbeused · 16/03/2013 00:11

Hey turtle, could do with your input for the older ones. The play centres seem too young for 10 yo so theres a definite gap on meet ups from that age group.
What sort of places do you suggest?

ChanceTurtle · 16/03/2013 09:16

Will do, Cannot. Always on the lookout for outdoorsy activities for a wide age range so will add as I find if that's ok.

Friend of a friend setting up a Toddler Walking Group (slow going but fun Grin) so will point her in this direction if it gets going.

Publicity stunts, eh? Intriguing! Grin

DisplacedDiva · 31/03/2013 13:57

Next meet-up Wednesday 3 April, 10.30am, The Novel Cafe, New St, Lancaster See you there!!!!

DisplacedDiva · 02/04/2013 22:38

See you all (or as many as can make it) at 10.30 tomorrow, Novel Cafe!

Cannotbeused · 02/04/2013 23:36

Afraid I can only do wkend meets since I work in the week but have a great time everyone.

DisplacedDiva · 03/04/2013 15:14

Cannotbeused Was going to make the next one a weekend meet, maybe?

Original poster
AllPurposeNortherner · 07/04/2013 16:50

Just checking in to check everyone is ok :-)

MNHQ have asked that we add local museums, parks and play centres to our sites to tie in with promotions on the main site, so if any of you have time, could you please add your favourite, or review it if it is already on?

We can now have local ambassadors that aren't linked to a particular area meetup, so they would just need to help with listings, keeping the talk area active and general spreading the word - this could be good if you can't make it to meetups, although obviously please do get to any you can. They would still get the LA card, which I will be able to start negotiating discounts and special offers for soon :-)

On that subject, if anyone hasn't had their LA card yet, let me know.

Leaflets and posters are in the pipeline, and I should be able to send them out in a week or so, so let me know if you would be willing to put some in local shops, centres etc.

Does anyone fancy a Lancashire wide meetup? Obviously we can't do it very often, but it would be nice to put faces to names...

OP posts:
Cannotbeused · 07/04/2013 17:23

I haven't had my LA card!
A lancashire wide meet up would be good. Can we please make it a weekend?!

Original poster
AllPurposeNortherner · 07/04/2013 19:52

A weekend is fine by me, how about everyone else?

It is quite possible that your LA card is sat in a pile of "to be posted", I'll check :-)

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De88 · 12/04/2013 17:49

I've just happened upon this part of the site, completely by accident. And I thought I was computer literate?!

Original poster
AllPurposeNortherner · 12/04/2013 20:20

Welcome De88! :-) Hopefully, once we get going, more people will be able to find us from the main site.

Have a click around, make yourself at home Brew

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Artemis206 · 15/04/2013 11:30

I'm in East Lancs, would love a Lancashire meet up.

Quick question, am I able to namechange on mn local as I'm ArtemisKelda on the main site.

Original poster
AllPurposeNortherner · 15/04/2013 14:41

You can't namechange yourself, like you can on the main site, but if you let me know what name you would like I can pass it on to tech and they should be able to do it.

OP posts:
DisplacedDiva · 15/04/2013 17:11

Lancashire-wide meet-up sounds like a great idea.... just somewhere we can all get to.... (I don't drive...)

Artemis206 · 15/04/2013 19:24

Thanks AllPurposeNorthener, if tech can change me to ArtemisKelda, that would be fantastic.

Original poster
AllPurposeNortherner · 15/04/2013 20:55

I don't drive either, don't worry - I am attuned to the needs of the non driver Grin

Am I right in thinking that one of the bigger places is best then? As they tend to have better public transport, and also have parking for the drivers.

I live in Preston, so obviously that is best for me, but what would be the best big place for other people?

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Original poster
AllPurposeNortherner · 21/04/2013 18:04

Whoo! I now (finally!) have the flyers!

If anyone could be kind enough to stick some in local shops, offices, schools or wherever else you go, could you please email your postal address to [email protected]

Thanks!

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DisplacedDiva · 23/04/2013 16:29

Preston would be OK for me, All-Purpose Northerner. I can get there quite easily....

ScribbleValley · 27/04/2013 10:14

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
AllPurposeNortherner · 27/04/2013 14:43

Yeah, I think I'm going to get some designed specially for us if I ever have the money to do so - they are the standard MN Local ones, and I'm not too sure about them. I think window stickers could be good, to give to cafes etc to stick up.

I've been using mine by asking local schools, nurseries and businesses to put a small pile in their waiting areas, and then saying something like "oh, by the way, we have free listings for local businesses/schools/childcare on the site. We're fairly new, but the main site gets over 42 million page views per month so we're hoping that we can bring some of that over into this amazing resource we are building for local parents...just go to that link to add your listing" (or something like that, lol)

I went to a swing dancing night last night and they let me put a little pile by the door, which is in the hallway so is where people go to cool down and chat, and i saw a few people pick them up and chat about them. Hopefully we can get lots of new users that way too :-)

I know I keep saying it, but I do think that the local sites have massive potential Grin and we just need to get the users :-)

From next week I will have a lot more time to devote to this, so hopefully if any businesses etc want to talk about doing exciting things with us I can go out and meet them in person. I'm also going to go out on the bus all over Lancashire and see what I can drum up.

I'm considering some form of blog - eventually we will be able to have features actually on this site, but till then it would be nice to have bits of local news, interviews and longer reviews linked to the site. What do you all think?

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