empeg Owner's meet in London?

I'm not thinking of a full-blown Amersfoort style meet, for two reasons:

1. There's nowhere to park in London.
2. I don't have the necessary organisational skills.

Instead, this is just a thinly-veiled way for me to find some new drinking buddies who live or work in or near London.

Owner's Meet in London: You interested?
Yes
Possibly
No
I don't live anywhere near London, you insensitive clod

If enough people are interested, I'll look into the possibility of booking some space in a pub in Central London (or wherever else is suggested).

Roger,

Any time you fancy a lunchtime or after work beer I'm at London Bridge and don't need too much persuasion!

BTW theres a pub that does a good Thai curry just around the corner from where I work...

I'd be up for that. Work on Fleet Street, live in Limehouse.

Well, I'm based in Edinburgh, but my head office is next to HMS Belfast, and I'm supposed to go there on a fairly regular basis so if there is enough notice I should be able to wangle it.

I can see the Belfast from here if I look out of the window.

I float past it twice a day...

I can always think up some bullshit reason to come to london if needs be.

I used to work opposite Ye Olde Chershire Cheese pub (up the alley). That was at least 6 lifetimes ago however.

Well, you see that big shiny glass building (not the round thing the mayor of London hangs out in, but the next one along)

Our Advanced Solutions Centre is hidden away in there - great place for techies. We nearly managed to wangle a big Origin 2000 for it, but the powers that be decided there were enough blinkenlichts from all the other machines so we couldn't have it.

why? on a water taxi? or just hangin' out on the waves, dude?

We nearly managed to wangle a big Origin 2000 for it...

It's not quite as nice as an O2K, but if you guys feel like paying the shipping from the U.S., I could provide a nifty Challenge L.

Watertaxi

http://www.thamesclippers.com

Much less stressful way to get to work than the tube.

Given enough notice, I could even catch Easyjet down to London. Speaking of which, I will actually have a free weekend (it's been quite a while since last time - usually it's just in for a business meeting and out again) with my girlfriend in London in a couple of weeks. Anything on the *must see* list, assuming last time I actually had real spare time in London must have been 4 or 5 years ago?

Yep. I'd be up for that. I'm usually in central London most of the time anyway.

Neat. I've seen them before but never realised that they were watertaxis. Getting squashed against the tube doors does get old very fast. I'm just glad it's not like the Tokyo underground system where they actually employ people to push you in.

Any objections to an ex empeg owner (3 times) and regular lurker here tagging along?

I did pay full retail for a mk1 and 2 mk2s he says trying to justify the current emeg-less situation...

The London Eye is worth doing if you haven't done it already. I think it is closed for maintenance at the moment though.

I think it is closed for maintenance at the moment though.

Probably cleaning of the scorch marks from the fireworks...

Fleet Street, Cheshire Cheese, you're really taking me back, I only left Fleet Street for Yorkshire for a one year stint in '72, but never got back. My old firm's HQ was Chronicle House, 72 - 78 Fleet Street (right opposite the CC), I don't know if it's even still there.
Always looking for a good excuse for a journey through the past, not that that would describe an Empeg meet!

Roger,

I'm gunna be in London the 30th and 31st of Jan on the piss

Although, like Andy, I'm sure I can find an excuse to get down to the Big Smoke anytime

I'm not sure where in London I'm going to be yet (I've heard its quite a big place lol) it's sure to be pretty central.

Cheers

Cris.

I could provide a nifty Challenge L.

You mean for free? I am certainly interested should frog51 not be and provided the offer stands for other empeggers as well. A real MIPS machine would be a cool thing to have for my Computer Architecture and related classes given that we currently do MIPS datapaths, MIPS assembler, etc... without even having a MIPS machine at our University . Doesn't the Challenge L have multiple CPUs? The shipping costs across the pond probably shouldn't be underestimated. Any idea what the baby weighs?

The Challenge L is multiprocessor capable. If it's an L then it one of the deskside cases and can fit 3 CPU boards. Depending on what CPU family you use, you can have up to a maximum of 6 or 12. The Challenge series don't come with a graphics subsystem but I think you can use an Extreme graphics subsystem if you get the right adapter.

It's not going to be light but it's not as a bad as the rackmount case. The rackmount case fully populated was around 350kg.

According to the Owner's Guide:

Height       26 inches (65 cm)

Width        21 inches (54 cm)

Depth        29 inches (74 cm)

Weight

                195 lbs (89 kg)—minimum

                300 lbs (136 kg)—in shipping carton

Hmm - that sounds very tempting. Just let me go off and find out how much shipping would be

300 lbs (136 kg)

Hefty. Most likely hefty enough to make it more cost-efficient to find something over here.

Dunno, find somebody importing a containerised car and scrounge some space in one corner. Unfortunately I'm only RoRo'ing one 'cos I'm a cheapskate!

Gareth

OK, so it looks like we've got enough people interested. Do we want to try for a weekday after work, or a weekend?

Evening or Weekend
An evening (not Friday) after work
Friday after work
The weekend would be better
Both, dammit. I just can't get enough empeg-related goodness
Not bothered, I'll come to either

...then I'll start thinking about actual dates and venues...

Well, I'm trying to get down to London for most of the week beginning 8th of March for Websec2004 and my only evening booked up so far is the Tuesday, so the Monday or Wednesday would be ideal for me.

I'm gunna be in London the 30th and 31st of Jan on the piss

And I'm going to be there Jan 31 and Feb 1st...

The London Eye is worth doing if you haven't done it already.

Was actually thinking about it.

I think it is closed for maintenance at the moment though.

Hmm. Have to check out how long the maintenance will last.

I only left Fleet Street for Yorkshire for a one year stint in '72

I can see the attraction of Yorkshire. 2 of my landies are stored near Harrogate at the moment...

stored near Harrogate at the moment

I'm also stored near Harrogate at the moment!
On the dates that you and that nice Cris mention, I will, however, be at Aberdovey in Wales, which is, significantly, where the British Army learned how to use their DUKW's in the last conflict - I, and the boxers, like the seaside in winter: Bracing!

Looks like the London Eye opens again Feb 1st

http://www.londoneye.co.uk/

Looks like the London Eye opens again Feb 1st

As I will be in London Jan 31 and Feb 1, this might work out quite well! Excellent!

[edit] Ummh, the opening hours only show it being open starting Feb 2, but they seem to take bookings starting Jan 31 - go figure!

Weird. Their opening times page says "5 January - 4 February 2004: closed for annual maintenance". I'd say try and find something else to do and not bank on it being open

Tate Modern is not bad if you like going around galleries. Most of it is free as well.

Can I come even though I left my empeg in its box back in New Zealand?

I'm all up for a thinly veiled excuse to make new drinking buddies. :-)

All are welcome, as are partners and family - in fact, anyone interested may attend, whether you are an empeg owner or not

It's not my gig, but I would think that this sentence from the announcement of the 2000 Amersfoort meet is as true for this, as it was for that.

Well, even if the Eye is closed, you can still gawk at it, or at photos of it..

Nice ones!

julf,

Do you want to meet up for a drink on the 31st then ??? I think I am placing you right as the guy with the stealth "I've hidden my empeg in some rocks" install at last years Euro meet.

I'm sure I owe a beer anyway

Cheers

Cris.

Do you want to meet up for a drink on the 31st then ???

Sure! But part of the schedule is determined by my girlfriend. I'll let you know as it comes together.

I think I am placing you right as the guy with the stealth "I've hidden my empeg in some rocks" install at last years Euro meet.

Well, the speakers were in the rocks. The Empeg was in a military radio bag, and the subwoofer in the russian wooden crate

As far as I can work out, these are the next four free weekends that I have.

I know that the 31st is a bit close to make it easy to organise, but I will say this: Even if we don't choose to have the meet-up on that date, I've got a weekend pass (my g/f is in New York), so if anyone's around, I'd be happy to meet for a beer or two...

Pick a Date
Saturday Jan 31st
Saturday Feb 7th
Saturday Feb 21st
Saturday Mar 27th
None of the Above

Ah. Ignore the 7th February, I can't make it that day.

count one more in. i live in central london so anytime works for me

OK, it looks like Saturday Feb 21st is shoe-in, with 8 people specifically interested in that date. So my plan at this point is to look at booking a piece of a pub (possibly a function room, but I'm not sure) somewhere in central London, probably Covent Garden area, because it's generally easy to get to. TBH, though, it might not be necessary to book if there's only going to be 8 or 9 of us.

I'm thinking that it'd be a late afternoon into the evening gig, probably starting around 3pm or 4pm and continuing until the pub kicks us out (i.e. 11pm). This way, people who have to head off early still have a fighting chance of meeting others.

I'm not planning to organise food, but I'll try to find a pub that does food, and then people can sort themselves out as necessary. Otherwise, if there's enough momentum, we can move to a curry house or chinese or something similar during the evening.

Any objections?

If you're planning to come (even if you voted already), could you PM me, please? Then I can start collecting email addresses and handing out my phone number and stuff.

I sadly won't be able to make it as it's my wedding anniversary.

There is a huge bar on Tavistock Street though that allows you to reserve big tables that seat about 10 - 15 people. Can't for the life of me remember what it's called though.

And the Mongolian BBQ is just down the road.

If you're planning to come (even if you voted already), could you PM me, please?

*bump*

OK, it looks like Saturday Feb 21st is shoe-in

Surely it's a shoo-in? I always thought the reference was to livestock handling, where a flock or herd that could be corralled just by waving at it and calling "Shoo!" made for an unexpectedly easy job...

Peter

shoe-in vs shoo-in

It's a fair cop, guv. There's a good number of websites (including professional news and sports ones) getting it wrong, though.

*bump*

Still looking for numbers: I'll have to go and scope out some venues and look at booking soon. However, if it's just going to be the 5 people who already PM'ed me, then we can probably get away without booking.

So, even if you've already told me you're coming, or just figure you'll roll up anyway, please send me PM to give me some idea of the numbers.

This includes anyone from Cambridge who feels like coming down for a few jars and figures that they'll just phone me on the day.

Thanks.

I'll have to go and scope out some venues and look at booking soon.

I'm heading out this evening to the vague area, so I'll be looking at venues. There's only 5-6 people who've responded, so I'll not bother booking anything.

My current thinking is that we'll meet in the Porterhouse at around 3pm and see where we go from there. If I find a better venue this evening, then I'll make another reply to this thread.

Those of you who have PM'ed me to say you're coming/possibly coming will shortly be receiving my mobile number as a PM.

OK. I'll be in the Porterhouse from 3pm on Saturday 21st February. I've PM'ed people with my mobile number in case they can't find it or me.

The Porterhouse is at 21-22 Maiden Lane, just off Covent Garden.

More information can be found about the Porterhouse here, including a map.

A simple "Roger recognition guide" is attached, since I've had a bit of a haircut since my avatar was taken.

Glad you sent that new photo, not sure I would have recognised you from the avatar...

I look something like this:

I may see you guys there too!

- Jon

A simple "Roger recognition guide" is attached, since I've had a bit of a haircut since my avatar was taken.

And I don't think I've ever seen a picture of you that looked less like you...

Here's some pix. Sorry so late. Just got a chance to post these.



- Jon

# 2.



- Jon

Cool! The scary thing is I recognise every one of you. Apart from Jon who must be taking the picture.

2 more pictures that I took in London that some of you US dudes might like...

I know it has a small engine, but don't it look cool?



- Jon

# 2...

It's a Smart Roadster...



- Jon

I know it has a small engine, but don't it look cool?

Engine? I thought that was the model where both the driver and the passenger had to pedal.

I think it's very cool. The front end is great. The back end should be a bit longer so it can have a little more of what my friends call a "cam back" (don't know if that's good car lingo or not) where it sweeps back up a little instead of being quite so chopped off.

Yeah, it does look pretty cool. I'd be concerned about driving something that small over here, though. These days even a normal sized coupe is dwarfed by the SUVs, pickups, and trucks.

--Nathan

"cam back" (don't know if that's good car lingo or not)

Very nearly...

It is actually Kamm Back or Kammback.

The reference is to German aerodynamicist Wunibald Kamm, who in the 1930s and '40s developed the concept of the short, upswept tail on a car as a means of increasing stability and reducing drag. Do a Google search for Wunibald Kamm and you'll get about 100 hits referring to designs using his theories, although not a lot of information about Kamm himself.

tanstaafl.

Excellent. Thanks.