Birmingham Area meetup - 27th April?

[GillW]

Anyone interested in a Birmingham/Midlands are meetup at the end of the month. We'd discussed this on an earlier thread - but perhaps it will get a better response here.

GillW, and anyone else who can't make the 6th: we can always meet up again, some evening. This is just a start of great things... LOL.!

Bekki: Ah, but that would be telling if I said who I was! Actually, I would have had a heart attack if I had tried to speak to you. Nosering, Yank accent. Vicki served me; I came in twice and bought Fire Brigade & Police car sets for £1.99 (on sale!) 2nd time. I couldn't tell if Vicki had a 4-month bump, but could see Mrs. Dark Hair (your mum) probably didn't, and you apparently did. My DS talks hind legs off of donkeys, too; maybe it's something about blondes?!

Possible venues:
In Queens Park, if we met by Charnwood Museum (NE corner of Queens Park) we could go to the cafe.. except I'm not sure if they're open that day; drat. Else Carillon Tower is a good landmark.

Else Tap and Mallet pub -- if they're open in the afternoon. Near Rail station and have a child-friendly garden.

Who would be driving, and where from, so we can give directions?

I'd drive, from M1 J25. I know Bishop Meadow Road area, I know how to get to the station from there and I can probably find my way to Sainsburys! That's about my lot.

I think I'll have to miss the daytime meet as even if you move it to Tuesday 1-3.3- will pretty much mean a no show due to dd's sleep ( 12.30-2.23 and takes 25 mins to get there!).
Gill - yes let's get an weekend meet sorted! - How many people from the East midlands lot could also do a drink around junction 21 on a weekend lunchtime or evening?

That's what you get for being a GF follower, Bayleaf.

...Naughty naughty, Zebra. Slap my botty for bringing GF up and slurring her devotees.....

So any suggestions for a good place to have a drink/eat near J21? A quick look one the net at 5minutesaway , which is a site which lists things near motorway juctions, found this one which also has a playbarn attached if ends up being a "with kids" event (though as my DS has a sit-still threshold of about 10 seconds at the moment I doubt I'd get to talk to you much!)

Ha ha Zebra ! (Where was the slur?!?)

Gill - What a useful site - had never seen it before - for Junction 21 weekend meet up I had imagined dhs looking after babies/children and us just enjoying ourselves so had just thougth in terms of restaurants/pubs.
The play barn place sounds great - at least in theory - my one slight hesitation is that Braunstone is rather deprived/rundown as an area so I'm not sure how pleasant the pub would be. I shouldn't pre- judge tho - someone will doubtless post that it's spotless and very nice!

Bayleaf - I don't know that particular pub, but the same chain have one quite near to where I live, and that one's fine. Not terribly distinctive or characterful (I think the whole chain has been built in the last 10 years or so), but the food's reasonable, and reasonably priced, and ds seems to enjoy the play area there. Anyone in the Leicester area know the "Bees Knees" - or have any better suggestions?

Can we have a show of hands for Tuesday meet-up? Sue-W, Mocha, Zebra and me is that right? Sue W needs directions but can get to Sainsburys which seems a good enough place to park as any. Mocha would you like picking up from train station? Then Queens park and lunch at Coffee pot or if its really terrible weather then my house is a 5 minute walk from town/trainstation, or Zebras house if its bigger, which seems far more plausible.

Directions for SueW, if you get to Sainsbury's £2 for 2 hours parking, by the way, unless you buy something in the shop anyway, it's a 3 minute walk from Sainsbury's entrance.

Go to the pay& display machine by the store entrance. Continue to the main road (Ashby Road). Turn left. 50 yards to lights -- turn right (onto Frederick Street). Take 2nd street on Left (Granby Steet) and travel 50 yards. Queens park is on your right. Charnwood Museum immediately on your right as you enter. This map may help. Sainsbury's is at the corner of Ashby Road and Greenclose Lane.

If that's too confusing I can easily meet you in front of Sainsbury's entrance. But if something happened and I didn't make it, you can print those directions. My phone number is 01509-556838.

I don't remember anyone with an American accent but I probably didn't speak to you thats why. For some reason I was looking for someone whos pseudonym could be Zebra, weird impossible task I know.

I think I've been to the park before, now that you have given directions. I used to know a couple of people who lived in L'boro and both of them lived within a 5 min walk of Sainsburys.

See you there!

I'm up for Tuesday 6th. I will get the train. If I get the 11.41 from burton it will get me to loughborough at 12.38./Can someone meet me please.

Mocha - shall I pick you up at the station? We might have to go round the houses after that to get where we are going but I have no qualms in telling you I have a green Golf.

Will you have/need car seat?

Thanks Sue. I will bring her car seat, as it attaches to the pushchair. see you then

I won't make it on May 6th after all -- death in the family & I'm away to California. Perhaps I'll catch up with you all after that.

Sorry to hear that zebra. hope to meet you soon.

Mocha - what happened? I was at the station in time and saw three or four trains arrive and leave between 12.35 and 12.55 when I left to try to find the others at Charnwood Museum.

I then got stuck in traffic in the roadworks on the Epinal Way (took a wrong turning - did say I wasn't too hot on L'boro) so missed the 1pm meet-up. I passed the Charnwood Leisure Centre about 1.25 and saw a sign for the museum 296 yards away but figured I might be able to get back to the station more quickly and see if you were there.

I arrived there about 1.35 and spoke to the guard asking about Burton trains and he said there wouldn't be another for an hour - the one I had just watched leave was the most likely you would have been on if you'd missed the earlier train.

I've come back home now. No messages on my phone

Where are yoooooou?

Hope others managed to meet.

Sorry Sue,

Train was delayed from Burton by about 10mins, and thought I would still make my connection . Sat at Derby for 20 mins and therefore missed connecvting train at long eaton so stayed on to nottingham. Ihad 2 mins to spare for loughborough trsin asnd therefore no time to call you. I got to Loughborough approx 1.15pm but could not see you so walked into town and went to the park. Sorry I didn't let tyou know but did not have your mobile number. Hopefully we will have better luck next time.

Oh Mocha - just got your ansaphone msg too - we were eating dinner.

Did you find the others? I did see a woman with a black pushchair near the leisure centre and I swung the car round in the entrance there but then realised you had said yours had a car seat and this was more of a buggy type so I continued onto the station.

I'll see you at the NEC