The time is straight after work kicks out (i.e. 6pm onwards. if you want to come along later, no worries, we'll probably be there until 11pmish, depending on last trains).

The venue is The Prince Arthur, Eversholt Street, Euston.
More on the pub: http://www.golden-p.co.uk/

Walk into the pub and turn left - the whole of the left-hand side is reserved for us.
Location: http://www.golden-p.co.uk/location.htm and Google map.

Based on an earlier thread, this is who I reckon is coming. Apologies if I've missed you out, just put me right!

Jimmyshoes
Gavin Adam
Richie B
Carl
Drakeygirl
Beezer
Mr Drakey
Steve Turner
Leedsboy
Lenny Law
VincePacket
Helena Handcart
DogFacedBoy
Toffee the Cat
JoLean
KatyG
El Toro
Martin Simmonds
Fatmanjez
Five-Centres
Specs_Beard
Phil Pirrip
Retro Man
Ganglesprocket
Tim Turner
Man.of.Soup
IndieJules
Me. And you?

New for this Mingle: (not obligatory by any means)

Massive Music CDs
Make a CD of your favourite tunes. Burn lots of copies. Pop them on the music table. Help yourself to others' CDs. (Idea shamelessly nicked from NW Mingles. It's a goody)

Book Swap
Bring a book or two that you've finished with. Leave them on the table for someone else to enjoy. Pick up a book that you might love.

See you there!
Hannah xxx

... I was tempted to inflict a CD of prime folky pish towards him, in the assumption that he'd be too polite to hurl it back at me in horror. Oh well, maybe next time...

I think.

I'm there!

Shall I do a pie?

choccie peanut treats first tried at the NW Massive meet

PLUS I shall be producing an A-Z illicit music DVD collection. From AC\DC to Zappa there will be 2 of each artist and everyone should take at least one under pain of death. If you have any particular requests then get in touch. Particularly any Costello obsessives that need some of my "special stuff"

Oh and Melrose Ape will probably drag his 'arris down from the lofty heights of Islington. And Tedward will be there with his badge on

...so I shall be there

I'll be there
Just call my name
And I'll be there"

Might be able to make it after all! And how could I resist a CD of folky pish? I'll keep you posted.

with CDs, books and hopefully some of Mrs Shoes macarons. (tbc)
And if I carp on about not drinking, shove a glass of alcohol in my hand and tell me to belt up.

I shall be unable to provide representation from the office this time round as I have a prior commitment. I will encourage the others to put in an appearance, however.

I'll be there. I'll bring along a book or two.

Excuse my ignorance of such matters, but the last time I made a music collection for anyone it was on a cassette tape where the process spoke for itself. (Used to sell them at school for a few bob)

When using Itunes to do the deed, does one create an audio or a data disk? Does one or the other get around any copy restrictions that apple impose?

but I'm gutted at not being able to make it this time. Seeing as I'm - gulp - being a best man the next day, it's probably advisable I go and see the groom rather than have a few jars with you lot.

Anyway, hope you all have a smashing time and hopefully see you at the next one :)

It's the day after my final degree assignment is submitted so I'll either be up for a celebration or fast asleep in the corner.

With CDs. Have you seen my YouTube embeds? You have been warned.

but we're going to a 'Gourmet Evening' at a local Turkish restaurant. I've never equated Turkish cuisine with the word 'gourmet' before, so it should be interesting.

I hope everyone has a great time, don't drink too much and, if you're driving, remember to take the car.

replete with books and cd's to distribute.

As ever, I'll be early in and early out. But I'll be there long enough to meet most of you.

I'm really looking forward to it. I've already had me haircut and will bring the quarterly bath forward especially.

so am hoping to make it. Are name badges supplied or do I have to cut up a cornflakes box and tape a safety pin to the back?

along but I had a work networking thing with ex-colleages pencilled in that evening and maybe that would be more useful given present circumstances, but will see next week. If I do come, shall bring books but can't do cds given the buggered up state of my itunes folder.

I've booked the day off and everything. Not sure what I can do re. CDs and books given my personal circumstances. I could do you a little dance or something (*this may be a lie).

PS I'll remind "indiejules84" in case she's free. Hastings Massive in full effect and all that.

I'm tempted to see if we can bring along Tyrone, my inflatable rubber Tyrannosaurus Rex, which Jules gave me for my birthday, but he gets a bit shy around strangers. And he drinks like a fish.

got cd's for Drakeygirl and Beezer and hope to do a general one to tickle the fancy of the rest of the massive - warning to Bob, might contain bearded bollocks.

Would love to come along - promise to be less flippant than I am on here.

A good mate of mine who reads this blog frequently would like to come too, please - he goes by the handle "Son of Allan".

Hope that's ok.

Sorry what's the CD? Is it a "my favourite songs" kind of thing?

...though I've said that before and failed to turn up. I'm hoping all conversations in the pub have a large thread title hovering over them and everyone has little 'up' buttons I can press where appropriate.

Love the book/cd swap idea. May bring the Stewart Lee book just to stoke up controversy.

About time I came to one of these events. Looking forward to meeting lots of people with excellent taste.

Any special cake requests? If anyone's got a particular favourite cake, I'm happy to bake it...

apart from CHOCOLATE!!!!!!!!! I'm a sucker for a good old Genoa fruitcake

After a bit of a diary scare earlier today, I'm still available. CD's and books are being primed.

Hannah - feel free to make large amounts of the salty choc crunch thing. Deeeee-lish.

it wouldn't take me 24 hours of flying to get there.

1: I will be there
2: I too insist that Hannah makes her salty chocolate crunchy thing
3: I notice a significant increase in numbers. Having missed out on a slice of Lenny's Pie last time I hope he caters for the increased numbers with a second (or third) pie this time
4: I need some encouragement pointed towards MrXSG who is hovering on the edge of breaking his mingle cherry.

Looking forward to it.

See you there!

I can take a train up earlier if there's anyone up for a bit of rock n roll tourism.

Lenny: good call on the pasties, assume you mean in the station. They do lay down a good lining don't they?

I've just heard that the latest delay to our never-ending, kitchen fitting nightmare means that the final work will be done on Friday 10th. There is no way that I can be anywhere else but at home if I want to continue living! Apologies to all - catch you at the next one.

I recall making a drrrrrunken arse of myself; so much so that I felt obliged to take a month long blog break afterwards. So this time I intend NOT to have four pints with workmates beforehand, to arrive promptly and compus mentis - and to retain a decent level of sobriety until 9.56 pm, by which point all bets will be off.
Ooh - and in case Lenny DOES make a pie and in case Lenny DOES bring some of his home-made piccalilli along to accompany it, I would like, nay- I would LOVE to bagsy the dregs.

Quick response, as I am actually on holiday at the moment, but I should be there.

As I am away for a few days, I cannot promise to get a CD sorted in that time. How many copies are we doing, though, in case I can?

See you all next week, amigos.

x

Completely looking forward to it! Delighted so many of you can make it. Will thoroughly miss those of you who can't, hopefully see you soon.

Particularly thrilled that it looks like we're going to have so many new faces - I promise you a warm welcome and a slice of something yummy. Come into the pub, turn left and say hello. (I'm the tallish shortish-brown-haired lass with glasses. Probably clutching a plate of cake.)

Leedsboy, VinceP, request duly noted, if I can I will whip up a batch especially for you.

[Crosses fingers, yet manages to keep typing]

Could I repeat JoLean's request - if I manage to get a CD playlist together, what's a sensible number of copies to bring? (I've missed the last two mingles, which I think means I was AWOL at the genesis of this idea!)

Sorry Duffy but I'm on a dead cert that evening, depends what time me training course finishes...6 til 7 I reckon

CD being sorted as we speak.

I might be in That London this weekend so may be able come along later on and bring felicitations from the North West crew. I would be in possession of a jalopy though, so as well as reprising my decidedly untypical Abstemious Chap impersonation, I would need to know where where I can park up. Would I be able to park in the nearby streets or is it a car park job ?

It's naughty of you to organise it on the first day of the Download Festival at Donington. Maybe next time.

Am going to be stuck at home til much later than I'd like on Friday.

Hoping to be with you by 7.30, clutching cake*, matzo crack, ukulele and books. Ooooh, and the CDs I'm currently burning.

*this time, it's a proper old-fashioned Jewish traditional-style cheesecake.

Ooh.. Ace. Proper, claggy, artery-hardening stuff, I hope.

Pie's in the oven as I type.

"Electric Eden" to the collective cause. Read it last summer. And if I can find it, Joe Jackson's autobiography is around the house somewhere.

When I read something ok, I tend to charity shop it afterwards (most of my books come from charity shops anyway). The stuff I love I tend to want to horde. And the stuff I haven't read, I can't press onto anyone with a clear conscious. Out of what I have read recently, you ain't getting none of my Norman Lewis and I'm not sure that "Darkly Dreaming Dexter" is in the spirit of pressing on vital reads. It was just "fine."

Oh dear. This will bother me.

My negotiations with Mrs Toro didn't go well so I'm being forced to sacrifice a night out with you lot in favour of Fat Gary's Band in Manchester on Saturday night, which I'm hoping to supplement with some retail therapy.

I hope you all have a spiffing time with lashings of cake and ginger beer.

early again tomorrow? I shall be there around 6

...I simply don't have time tonight to think about my favourite things, compile them and burn, so going to do a 'soul' compilation. As many as I can get burned tonight (after compiling it).

or not? I need to get the mothballs out of the gorilla suit if it is.

the theme is 'Richard & Linda Thompson'. There'll be a prize for best costume (aside: not really)

I'm hoping to be able to make it to this mingle, it's the first one which hasn't clashed with my schedule. I'm heading up from deepest darkest Sussex and I aim to give FOPP a glancing blow on the way as I've read such glowing reports ...

Should Crewing call me in the morning then it's all change, but for now - see you tomorrow.

Cheers, Chris

I have some "special stuff' for Jolean, Bob, Steve Turner, Hannah and Drakeygirl. So sidle up to me at some point and request it

That doesn't preclude you from snatching stuff from my DVD box (missis) so please everyone, help yourself

The hotel is booked.

The books have been chosen.

My liver will be gently primed tonight.

I've called the pub to check that a bottle of Manzanilla is on ice and ready.

Let the countdown begin.

Hoping to be there myself too.

I'm in exeter tomorrow and will be at the mercy of South Western Snailways or whatever it's called now, so I should be there by about, ooh, Tuesday. Don't wait up.

Hope they haven't run out of ale by then ;-)

replete with a compilation cd for the masses and other poices for Drakeygirl and Beezer.

I have done two CD's. One "vaguely cinema related," the other "just stuff I like. Funk features heavily." The gods of folky pish were not smiling upon me and inspiration was sadly lacking.

I have even solved my books quandry (I think). At least one of my books better inspire a scramble anyway...

but I'm bailing yet again. Got to get up at oh-fuck-hundred-hours to drive to Aberystwyth to collect Fatboy Minor fron uni. What larks, Pip.
Hope you all have a great time. I will be thinking of you all tonight as you tuck into Lenny's fantastic looking pie and Hannah's soggy bottom (see Twitter).

Looking forward to meeting you all for the first time. Should be there 6.30ish. Wearing my work clobber, which is surprisingly similar to my home clothes. Recognise me by the geeky t-shirt.

Unfortunately I have failed on the CD front, though I have 2 Massive-friendly books instead.

with my CD...I left it too late and henceforth was scrabbling around at one o'clock in the morning trying to segue Max Romeo & The Upsetters into Black Flag and quite frankly it was all a bit of a mess.

Sorry but instead of a This Is ME,ME,ME CD, all you're going to get is a playlist I knocked up to stick in the car.

Anyway, good news is that there is *hardly* any "old" but it's all a bit samey...anyway, I'll do a better one for next time....

Too much time spent trying to choose a t-shirt to wear

No cover art because I can't get MSWord to behave on my new laptop.
I also have some duplicate cover CDs from *whispers* other publications to give away and a couple of other dupes from my CD library.
See you later.

earlier today, as I spent most of the day in A&E with MrG and his broken shoulder-blade. But I'M STILL COMING!
*scatters diazepam and chocolate buttons indiscriminately, and fills bag with CDs*
Should be with you around 7. I'll need a stiff half of cooking lager.

Have reluctantly accepted that I have too much on to come - been out every night this week including night away on biz and have college reunion (away) tomorrow night then a gig Sunday night then friends coming Monday evening. Have fun all. Deffo next time tho....

I'm still stuck at home, husband still nowhere near to take over on babysitting duties. Going to be late late late. Rats. Feel like I'm missing my own birthday party!!

Friday traffic on the M25, late collection in Wembley and I couldn't leave a van full of kit just anywhere so I had to come back home to Sussex. I promised myself beer, cake, pie and CDs for tonight but at least the children were glad to see me. Can we do one in August? I do absolutely nothing in August. Hope you are all having fun.

I had a brilliant night (despite being 2 hours late, grrrrrr, gnash gnash), thank you all so much for coming.

Particularly lovely to see so many new faces... It was great to meet you, I really hope you all enjoyed yourselves and that we'll see you at the next one!

The books and CDs looked like they went down really well - everything had gone by the end of the night. What with the sing-song, game pie and other sweet nibbles, I think these Massive nights out are turning into mini-festivals ;-)

If you're not already on the London Mingle mailing list, just drop me a DM and I'll add you (for things like a heads-up of when the next date-choosing thread goes on the board).

Have a great weekend
Love
Hannah xxxxx

Much pish spoken, much fun had, much music snaffled!

Thanks again folks!

The cd's and books were an added bonus as was the fact that when I got back to Lichfield at 11.35 my taxi was actually waiting for me. Special mention to Hannhas wonderful cheesecake and Lennylaws terrific pie with an amazing relish. Still missed out on meeting and chatting with everyone there which is becoming increasingly more difficult to do as the numbers grow.

and well done us. We're officially great fun.

I had a ball and I'm going to buy Dark Side of the Moon today to test my Pink Floyd aversion (test my Meddle, so to speak). Thats one of the many things that I love about a mingle - so many different views in such polite company. And cake.

You're waiting for the central line in Oxford Circus around midnight. A fat pissed bloke with a silly smile on his face sits down beside you. He opens his satchel with a 'Now to peruse my bounty,' look and then let's out a wail of anguish.He starts to frantically pull cds out of his bag.Everything, and I mean everything is covered in Lenny Law's piccalilli. He licks and slurps the condiment off the cds, wiping and wailing all the while. Revolted, you get up and find another seat.

Apart from that - well, I had the most wonderful time.I could have stayed til dawn and today I'm having the best of times wading through the treasure chest of music I picked up last night.
Massive, you are lovely lovely people and you have superb taste.
Yours, besmeared with tumeric
Vorgongod.

To absolutely everyone bar none for the great company, the warmth, erudition, the mounds of kit and the food.

Special gold stars from me have to go to Steve Turner for the Jack Rose cd. A grand gesture from someone who received in return a naff looking copy of a JJ Cale album he's got on vinyl already. Way to go Beezer - you twat.

To Drakeygirl for the badge! And for restraining herself on this occasion from pointing out I'm from Newcastle. It's ever so sweet of her but I had noticed this already.

To Hannah for the cheesecake which was so delicious it may actually have invoked a superpower within me. Not sure what this might manifest as but I suspect it won't be 'Seriousness' or 'Maturity'.

To Lenny for the Game Pie. Game Pie: it was a Lottery to be one of the first in the queue for a slice, a Risk in fact, but the Operation went well and I was able to avoid the later Scrabble.

To Bob for shouting out 'Massive Tits' with great vim early on in the evening. He was of course referring to the pair of us and was not being the least bit shallow and offensive. The big Hurmur...

I was delighted to meet so many new faces and find them just as charming as the old. These are always the best of nights and, yes Retro, I will attempt a TVM.

Thank you, one and all.

I'd like to be the first to declare last nite the best Mingle yet in that there London. The pub actually reserved the whole area for us so no strong arm tactics were needed to keep outsiders at bay.

Was much easier to move about and meet everyone and the 'Blue Peter Bring and Buy' style table went down a storm. There was so much stuff that three tables had to be employed

Big thumbs up as usual for Hannah for getting everything sorted and everyone who stepped up to the plate and bought CDs, books, pies , cakes or just simply came along after a visit to 'Transform'. Here's not many more nights of talking nonsense, nonsense, nonsense!

BTW as one of the few stone cold sober people I remember a lot of drunken confessions so brown envelopes of cash to the usual address. behind the 3rd cistern, Victoria Station etc.

And if you don't like the fact that it was in London WELL MAYBE YOU SHOULDN'T BE LIVING HERE!!!!!!!!!!!

What splendid people, thank you to everyone for CD's, food, friendly demeanours and such.

A marvellous evening. It was great to put faces to so many names, and yet there were so many people I never got to speak to. 4 1/2 hours went by in what felt like 10 minutes. Particular thank you's go to

Drakeygirl - for the badge
Topjukes - for explaining to me how you can play vinyl with lasers
DogFacedBoy - for the DVDs
Bob - for the pint which I wasn't able to reciprocate (next time ...)
Lenny Law - for seeking me out to show me the BOC logo that he'd baked on his pie (sadly I missed out on eating any)
Everyone else I chatted to - hope I didn't talk too much bollocks

And a big thanks to Hannah for the food and organisation. Put me down for the next one.

Thanks as always to Hannah for organising and the provision of dessert goodies; Lenny for the pie; Drakey for the badge that I proudly wore home; everyone for the heap of swag that found its way into my bag; and not forgetting the beer - Bob, you bought me two last night so I owe you next time.

Thanks also that the fuckwit who lobbed a half full beer can in my direction cycling home last night clearly couldn't hit a snowflake in a blizzard.

Many thanks to all of you for making me feel so welcome; I had a blast, and today the turntable in't spinning not once as I have a clutch of CDs to listen to.

So far I'm *really* impressed; particular favourite has been the moisture-related item with sky-blue menu. Sorry, I can't remember who gave that one to me but it's great!

Roll on the next one ...

Really enjoyed it, lovely to meet so many of you; will deffo come again to try to meet those I didn't. Thanks to Hannah for organising and caking; will try to get there earlier to try some of the pie next time (looked lovely).

Unfortunately, I have a (bad) habit of placing items mischeviously when a bit tiddly. The Milky Bar ended up leaning on someone's fence last night, still in the wrapper. Might have to go and tidy up after myself later...

Missing the last one was a major blow, so it was good to return to the bosom of the Massive family and be welcomed.

Well done to all those who provided food, and CDs. Sorry I could only bring 4 CDs, but you make plans and then life gets in the way.

Lovely cakes, Hannah and whoever else provided the. Thanks to Lenny for so kindly offering to make me an individual pie next time after I arrived to find a piece NOT saved for me.

Special thanks to whoever provided the Roy Harper CDs. I did ask around a bit but couldn't find out who it was. I've not heard that performance before and the sound quality is excellent; additionally the inclusion of Elizabeth in the set list is a major bonus. I am Sir / Madam, your humble servant.

What a terrific evening.

I found myself in conversations about the Decemberists, baldness, psychotherapy, Theolonious Monk, underpants and bad drumming.

Not surprising, maybe, that the mingles are much like the site come to life, but now with bonus CDs and mouthwatering snack treats.

See you all again soon, I hope!

Another lovely evening: after my third one, I feel like an old-timer, as it were. Lovely to meet so many people I'd not met before, and fantastic to have not one, but two, conversations about my love of Stax.

Goodies galore too, so thanks to everyone for bothering to burn some CDs: will look forward to listening to all the ones I managed to nab.

if any of the DVDs are faulty then give us a nudge and I'll burn replacements. they all seemed to be ok but you can never trust technology. or rather my ability to use it.

Click here:
http://www.wordmagazine.co.uk/content/london-massive-mingle-september-vo...

PS If you want to go on the Mingle mailing list, drop me a DM through the site.

Hxx