Gravesend vape meet - who's in?

[PlentyOfPubeGardens]

I've been PMing with Allergic about her new nearby vape lounge because she lives not far from me and we thought it would be lovely to meet up Would anybody else like to join us?

Possible dates: 14 or 28 May or a Saturday in July.

All welcome!

New independent vape lounge in Gravesend (The Earl's Cloud) plus a branch of TJs vape shop. There's also a Socialites booth which we could sneer at as we saunter past .

Possibility of moving on to Maidstone (Prohibition Vapes) depending on time/numbers & the state of my back on the day - I can take 2 more passengers in my car (as well as Plenty) though the trains are also pretty good.

Bimpety bump

What's this place like?

Um dunno - I don't usually do pubs! I gather it has a pretty decent reputation, down on the river front at the bottom of the hill. Gravesend doesn't really do posh, but there's a few decent places and I understand that pub is classed as up-market (for the area).

Aw Polter, shame you're too far away

Happy to not do a pub if they're not your thing, Allergic. It would be good to have a bite to eat somewhere though - unless the vape lounge does food?

Shall we go for 28 May?

Would love to do another meet but May is just so full of stuff (not all good) for me already.

THere's LOADS of food places in Gravesend, ranging from McD's & Greggs through greasy spoons (actually a very nice one by my work , to Italian cafes, and pubs in the town centre (don't have to drink to be sociable).

Magi dates are currently very vague, I'm free just about any weekend so driven by Plenty's availability at the moment.

Oh and Polter - some of Gravesend is the same as always, but parts are really changing. It's an odd mix now of common as muck grossly overweight single mums wearing skin tight clothing, blue collar workers, and comparatively well off people. More charity shops than about anywhere else, but the odd posh shop popping up round the edges.

I love watching well dressed women sidling into Greggs in the hopes that nobody notices them slumming it .

Heh depends which edge! There's still roads round there I wouldn't want to even drive down with my car doors locked, but there's quite a gentrification going on as well. An awful lot of "right to buy" properties are now on their 2nd/3rd owners so you have less of the really chavvy attitude to houses. Then again, my sister who lives in that area had a run in with some children who decided that her front driveway was communal property "because it belongs to the council dunnit" - she owns the house. I'm really lucky - Singlewell for me .

Ooh charity shops!

I'm more than happy to wait until July if it means you can join us, magi.

July is also likely to be out for me, Plenty.

It looks as if I am going to have to be available for lots of grandmotherly duties in France over this summer - tough, ain't it? .

Honestly, I really can;t commit to anything much atm - go ahead & maybe we'll do another meet in the autumn?

Very tough magi, you poor soul

Let's stick to May 28 if that's still OK with you Allergic?

Sure no problem. It's a nice long weekend too, so I won't worry too much about my back being over-used as I'll have an extra day to recover

Are we still up for this?

Yep definitely still up for this - though as I get my new cats a few days before, I don't know if I'll be able to face being away from the house long enough for the possible Maidstone part of it .

Dropped into the new one a few days ago & the owner said they get plenty of people in on a Saturday. I ended up taking motorbijes with a mate of his in there, who also owns a vape shop!

Ooh new cats! I shall expect photos

A shorter visit is fine with me, it's not far to travel. What time would suit you to meet?

-I'm easy- - no lets rephrase that, I can fit around you . 11 ish seems good to me?

11 works for me too. Where shall we meet? Station or cafe somewhere?

11am outside the station, town centre side exit. Short, fat & with reddish hair . We are expected (!) at the Earl's Lounge before lunch.

See you there! Average height and weight, late 40's, short dark hair, scruffy

That was a smashing day out! We visited two vape shops where I failed to buy anything then we hit the charity shops where I bought lots! Allergic was an excellent host and Gravesend is a lovely town with lots of interesting little streets and buildings. I could happily spend another day or two nosing round.

Thanks Allergic!