City gals go mad in Kent

[Squiffy]

Well, having had a fab time on the friday meet-up in Champor-Champor, I promised I would drop you all an invite for a meet-up down on't farm, so here it is. If any of you delightful London ladies would like to feel the wind in your hair then set the 15th March in your diary. I have 3 spare double rooms available on a first come basis - all king beds, so doubling up can be done for those who aren't shy. The other alternatives are the hotel in the village which is very civilised and about 10 mins walk away, or blow-up mattresses in the downstairs reception rooms for the really late confirmers. Then there is the shed and the tent and the last train back to London. If any kids come I have a spare set of bunk beds and a couple of readybeds.

In terms of a schedule I am fairly happy to go with the flow. If people want to come for the evening only without kids then disappear back in the morning that works, or alternative is to come over in the afternoon and if child-free you can grab a massage in the local therapy centre. Anyone who wants to make a weekend of it can bring the kids and maybe spend the day on Whitstable beach or - even better - at a place called Farming World which is in my village and has soft play areas and lots of cute little bunnies and lambs and piglets (which all get slaughtered at the end of the season and sold to the likes of me for munching).

Um, that's about it. We're 65 mins from London (Victoria Station), and it takes about an hour to drive from the city if it isn't rush hour.

If anyone wants to come let me know

Why not? I'm not a Chicagoish girl. That would mean I was from somewhere like Chicago but perhaps not actually Chicago.

Oh Freckle, have just PMSL becuase I have just noticed that the meet-up thread that I chased you to is 3 YEARS old. You definately have a social life as sad as mine.

Anyway, am worried I may have inadvertantly started WW3 here - I will know for sure if Xenia and Cod join in

So ladies, here's the scoop. I've done a quick checkout of the meet-up threads and looks like the maids of kent haven't had a meet-up since last March.... how many ladies are there in this neck of the woods? just one or two of us, or enough to justify a larger separate meet-up in Canterbury or Maidstone? If we're all local-ish we can do something in next couple of weeks maybe? But if there's only a light scattering of ladies here then maybe a separate meet wouldn't work (in which case you are of course cordially invited to this shindig).. what say you, good maidens?

My mind has been wandering.... I can see it now... an escalation of hostilities resulting in a 'city vs kent' mumsnet tug of war at the Hernhill village summer fete. DH and his pub mates will be highly supportive of such an event methinks, I will ask him when he returns from the hills.

sorry I am being dumb. You're already meeting up tomorrow for coffee aren't you....

Squiffy, are you going to be a girl of the city or a maid of kent? I am clearly neither. I've never lived in Kent and I've never worked in the city.

Squiffs I'm possibly about to move to Rough Common! Perfect name as I am both

Fio, it's just me, Aero and Harman meeting up for coffee. It started on another unrelated thread. You're welcome to join us if you can make it.

Costa's in Fremlin's Walk tomorrow at 10am.

LOL at Squiffy chasing me onto a 3 yo thread. Talk about arriving late .

So, March 29 seems to be working for most people?

And the yesses and the hopefuls so far are:

Eleusis
Page 62
Jura
Legalalien
Kewcumber
And Quint possibly if she is still in the UK

cool. I will start preparing a fine feast forthwith in manner of Babette (not). Though will not start planning & freezing until after DH does his burns night marathon this weekend. Which is usually the grossest event of the year down our way, mostly because DH's best mate is a budding Hugh Fearnley-Wittering type who makes his own haggis. The traditional way. Urgh.

I assume we will stick to the Asian food theme?

Maids of kent: Shall we do a meet-up in Canterbury or Whitstable or something? everytime I come on this thread there are more of us it seems, so I am not sure I would be able to absorb everyone into one event (though happy to do the cooking thing all over again on another evening for the kent ladies)....

Am getting v excited. Social life has not been this rampant since my rampant days.

Do you want to know about the offspring?

Eleusis (and DD 5, DS 2, if they are still invited)
Page 62
Jura
Legalalien
Kewcumber
And Quint possibly if she is still in the UK

Children welcome...

Squiffy (DS 4, DD 1)
Eleusis (and DD 5, DS 2)
Page 62
Jura
Legalalien
Kewcumber
And Quint possibly if she is still in the UK

eleusis,
are you going to stay with squiffy or are you renting somewhere with DH and the DCs?

Squiffy,
If our whole fam is coming, we will be renting somewhere in the area. If it's just me, would it be ok if i took DD (4 years) -- i don't think i can handle both of them!!

Putting heads together with DH to make solid plans

tis just me and the kids. erm... I was thinking we would all descend onto the orchard at the house of Squiff... if that's okay, Squiffy??

DH would sooner commit suicide than appear at a mumsnet meet-up so you can rest assured he will not be there.

DH will for sure be hiding in the hills. For mums who are coming we have big garden for the kids and a place called farming world in the village which has inside and outside soft play (as well as other atttractions) so should be able to keep children amused for the duration of any hangovers.

I think we should chip in and hire a Saturday nanny so we can get back in the jacuzzi while nanny and children go to softplay.

well, pleased to say that I am all set and will be sans offspring. Was all prepared to negotiate, and DH's response was "that sounds like a good idea, DS and I can hang out together" - all felt a bit too easy, really.

I will, however, have to travel by train - is there an easy way to get to chez squiffy from whatever happens to be the nearest station (canterbury)?

LA, where are you coming from?

I'll probably drive. If you can make your way south, say Kingstonish, I could pick you up. But, there will be two munchkins in the back so you'll have to endure fights over Thomas on the Leapster and who's biscuit is bigger.

Train option is dead easy. Victoria station to Faversham station - runs at .03 and 33 past the hour for fast trains - journey time 65 mins.

From Faversham station it is about £7 / 10 minutes in a taxi.

It is only the back of beyond once you get beyond about 10pm, when you enter the twilight zone of engineering works and bus replacements.

Eleusis - thanks for the kind offer - may well have to take you up on it subject to the below - can get to Kingston although it is a bit convoluted, think I have to get a train to Wimbledon, then train to Kingston - will try and figure it out!

Direct train would be easier probably but have just checked the national rail timetable for 29 March, and it's suggesting Victoria / Canterbury East or West (then walk to whichever the other one is) and then get train to Faversham, OR from Victoria to Meopham, and then to Gillingham and then to Faversham (2 swaps) or Victoria to Strood and then Gillingham and then Faversham (2 swaps). Is there perhaps a different timetable on Saturday? Or is 29 March a particularly bad day.......?

Ye gods.

Engineering works that day, I'm afraid (and on the Sunday). Rail travel a nightmare. Will investigate and revert.