Sloggers & Betters 8!

Author   linxitPosted on Categories Announcement
At least, I think it will be the 9th I’ve been informed by Gaufrid over at Fifteensquared that this will actually be the 8th time we’ve got together over a few ales and a meal with some of the setters. The venue this time will be the Ship and Shovell under Charing Cross Station in London on Tuesday 24th May. This will coincide with the Times Setters’ annual lunch, so hopefully there’ll be a good turnout of our regular Nemeses. Turn up any time after 4 o’clock and some early birds will already be there.

Pete Biddlecombe will be there, as will John Henderson (Enigmatist in the Guardian and a relatively new regular Times setter). I suspect our old friend Anax will also put in an appearance, and as many of the other regular Times setters as they can persuade to come with them! I’d also hope to see as many of the UK-based contributors here as possible too. It’s open to all who are interested – lurkers and commenters as well as bloggers. If you want to come, please reply to this message so we can get an idea of numbers.

I’ve been to all but two of the previous ones, and they’re always great fun, so if you haven’t been before make the effort and get down there if you can. Photos of the drunken revels will be posted the following week!

PS if you’re one of our many contributors from USA/Canada/Australia/New Zealand etc, you’re let off this time, but take note – Uncle Yap lives in Singapore and he’s turned up a couple of times. Going back to former bloggers – Ilan Caron came over from New York a few years back, and Niall MacSweeney is a regular visitor from Eire.

This isn’t just about Times bloggers and setters though – the invitation is also going out on Fifteensquared and Big Dave’s Telegraph blog, so there should be a good crowd of like-minded people there, a lot of familiar faces and hopefully a few new ones.

3 comments on “Sloggers & Betters 8!”

  1. I hope to be there. I see that the Ship and Shovell comes in two halves – do you know which half we plan to meet in? (I see that someone called Titus has commented “Don’t get put off if you see there’s a massive crowd of punters outside this place – try the upstairs room in the ‘smaller half’ – it’s not noticed by many. The beers and service here are consistently good.” Might be worth considering.)
  2. Update on plans

    Directions for getting to The Ship & Shovell: from Charing Cross tube station, take Exit 2, for Villiers Street. Walk a few yards down Villiers Street and turn right, down The Arches (the sign says ‘leading to Craven Passage’). The pub is at the top of the steps, at the end of that passageway. There are two entrances, to the left and right of the passage.

    We have negotiated a deal with the manager to use the upstairs room, which is called The Crow’s Nest. It is above the left-hand bar, which opens at 5:00. If you arrive between 4:00 and 5:00, you will find me (Jane), and possibly John and others, in the right-hand bar.

    A condition of using the room is a minimum spend of £200. John has already used his card to guarantee £50 upfront. So — to be sure that all our spending counts towards that total — we suggest a ‘whip’ arrangement: £20 for people staying a while; £10 for people just dropping in and/or not drinking much. At least at the beginning of the evening, I (Jane) will be whip-mistress. From 5:00, I will be in the left-hand bar, wielding my lash.

    We anticipate leaving the pub to head for a restaurant at about 8:00–8:30.

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