Entertainment For Lively Minds
Impromptu Mini North West Massive Mingle (Broughton Retail Park)
Posted by tkdmart on 29 July 2010 - 9:58pm.
I had the absolute pleasure of randomly bumping into Mr and Mrs Pencilsqueezer whilst out shopping this afternoon.
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Hi peeps
Nice day for it. My neck of the woods usually, but am up very north this week.
Regards.
Word People
are beautiful people
Why am I jealous?
'Cos I miss those Friday night mingles.
Can I just say I've started the next CD challenge - Favourite Tracks - but so not to bore you with Prog/Stackridge I will try to select one track per artist and pick those that I have a soft spot for from all angles of my wunnerful life.
Homework
Hi Beany, Grant et al
Planning to get to the next Manchester Mingle (ideally a Friday night, but could probably make the Saturdays suggested).
Had decided not to be chicken and to go to the Liverpool meet up but was unwell on the night ... possibly brought on by that "haven't done my homework" feeling, with all that talk of compilation CDs (which I hadn't done).
So, what's the theme for Manchester? Are there any "rules"? Do we bring one CD or many, to distribute amongst the NW Massive?
In the words of current obsession, Tom Petty, "I Need To Know" ...
You were missed naturally
but do your best. Don't worry about CDs if you do not have the time - I was still printing sleeves for mine before I left. The theme is along the line of "these are few of my favourite things.."
No pressure re. CDs
Not all of us did. Contributions gratefully received but not at all mandatory.
Aw!
Super sweet! Hugs all round xxx
I do hope
compilation CDs on the theme of out of town retail parks were swapped.
And what would the playlists be?
Answers on a postcard.
Of the top of my head,
HMHB's 'Evening Of Swing (has been cancelled)' is the only song I can think of that explicitly references a retail park...
Meadowhall at last!
...........by Grasscut is pretty nice.
You are probably the happiest looking people I've ever seen in a retail park!
Looking forward to seeing all again next month.
A look of abject envy
And is that a m*j* reader in the background forlornly trying to muscle in on a picture with the cool kids?
Worse still, is she an Unc*t reader suddenly realising that there's more to life than yet another Dylan covers CD mount and she has to high tail it back to HMV to get that exhaustive 4CD Stackridge box set Beany advocated so long ago.
Or maybe she wants to get to Chorlton to get involved in the Dr Volume-helmed podcast.
Real people
I love it here.
Hello!
Hello Squeezers! Hello Mart!
...Tommy Cannon, Bobby Ball, Welcome All, Salman Rushdie....Kym Mazelle, Hello Hello...Hello
...Charlie Parker, Charlie Brown, Leslie Crowther..Come on Down...
p.s. I say, Jon Marsh out of the Beloved rather beat Thom Yorke from The Radioheads on the singing in a scary water tank thing didn't he?
Hello Doctor Podcast!
One of the best live bands I ever saw
were the Happens. Greatly missed. 'Stuck Together With God's Glue' is going on right now. Thanks for the memory jog, Beany.
Nice
Zappa style face furniture sir!
Thanks Mojo.
I was aiming for a bad teenage tash but ended up with the beardette.
Spectacularly bad shot,
in that case...
It wasn't the first time
and I'm sure it won't be the last time that I will be well wide of the mark.
Not a lotta people know that
Pencilsqueezer and Donna are the best looking couple in the Massive - she's worn Paul Du Noyer's lovely watch and Martin (tkdmart) has not only played Glastonbury, but also seen Manilow's knob.
I love the massive.
We should have a convention.
To use the
little known (original) phrase by much maligned 70's songbird Charlene - "I've been to Paradise (But I've never been to Broughton Retail Park)"
Lovely to see you three looking so well. Kisses and hugs to all.
On the subject of the next North-west gathering - The Friday/ Saturday of the 24th/ 25th of September is looking very positive in terms of numbers and a big "thanks" to everyone that's put their dates onto the calendar -
http://www.doodle.com/uaz99q6ka4ikgkfu
However, I would like to ask the NWM's opinion on location for next gathering - (ahem)
We're growing in numbers. brothers and sisters and as good as the Britons Protection is, I'm very conscious of 10± individuals turning up and trying to find somewhere to sit in a pub which has 4 rooms of varying sizes - space could be tight especially if we're relying on other punters to drink up and clear out so that we can nick their chairs.
Therefore, does a room / table need to be booked in order to ensure that we all get to sit around like last time? If so and the BP Pub doesn't do that (I've yet to contact them), should I take the liberty of looking at other potential locations in the same area that might take a group booking? Or, should we just assemble and muddle through regardless?
Within the best traditions of the NWM, consultation is the key and will adhere to the collective will of the..er..collective.
What do people think?
Next location
I must confess to having had the same thoughts about whether the Briton's Protection, fine pub that it is, would easily be able to accommodate the swelling ranks of the Massive.
Our yearly football team gatherings are at The Waterhouse on Princes Street. It's a bit cheap and cheerful but on the plus side is very central and there'a lot of room in there.
The Waterhouse?
Can you book tables there?
Waterhouse
Not sure if you can book tables but we've always managed to find one there without any bother, even in the run up to Xmas.
Have rung the Waterhouse
they won't do room bookings for Friday or Saturday nights. Have also left a message at the Ape and Apple inquiring about their upstairs room for booking - whether they get back to me is something else entirely.
Anyone able to pull any favours within the corporate hospitality Manchester Mafia?
It has crossed my mind to look into Hotel function rooms, but they'll involve the forking out of deposits and then we're into the sticky area of asking people for cash when they turn up.
Restaurants? A table for 15 or so would be no problem - but then you've got to order food. Any opinions?
Please forgive my whining tone - I don't wish to put people's noses out of joint by forcing them to spend more than they might want etc.etc.but obviously, it's important that everyone has a good night and gets the chance to have a natter-the hallmark of a good night.
Should I pursue Hotel /Restaurant options or just say "sod it" - we'll meet up at the Waterhouse which is more accommodating, size-wise than the Britons Protection and try to take a room through a combination of stealth, guile and cunning?
It'd be nice if the Word Editorial team went on a bit of a tour and came to say hello and used their not inconsiderable publishing muscle to secure a location for them to "meet their fans",or am I hoping against hope?
What-evah..!
You are doing a grand job Grant. We might be a bit wee for a hotel booking but a restaurant/pub thingy like the Everyman would be more fitting. I rarely get into Manchester these days but remember the Waterhouse is a Wetherspoons pub with lots of comfy rooms -ideal for taking over but a bugger when you are wandering around and asking strangers "are you a massive member?"
Did we ascertain if the BP had a bookable upstairs room, or one where we could place our towels on seats to reserve places?
Will try again
but these pubs have a habit of not answering their phones..
Avoid the Waterhouse
appallingly slow service at the bar, so whichever massive member is getting a round in will miss a good chunk of the evening getting served. I'll get my thinking cap on re an alternative
I've also contacted the Palace Hotel
and Bluu by email. I await their replies.
I woud avoid booking a restaurant table
that precludes people being able to just show up when they can...like I did for my first Massive Mingle. I know the Kro Bar on Oxford Road (the one opposite the Academy) has bookable rooms. The Trof bar on Thomas Street also has a bookable room as well as a fine selection of ales. Not sure if they charge??
http://www.trof.co.uk/nq/private.php
Thanks for that
Have filled in an enquiry form, so we'll wait and see on that one too. The restaurant thing was just spitballing-I have the same reservations(no pun intended).
Will also give Kro Bar a ring and see what they can offer and report back.
Kro & Trof - both thumbs up
Love Kro (the one opposite the Academy), good food, lovely relaxed atmosphere, gets busy during term but can book rooms.
Never been to the main Trof, but Trof at The Deaf Institute (also just off Oxford Road) has good food and similar atmosphere to Kro, so assume its big brother is the same?
Both Kro and The Deaf Institute are a bare 5 mins hop from my office, so could check either of them out in person if you need?
Thank you Milly
just given them a call - it's looking good!
Hi there you lovely,lovely people.
It was a delightfully serendipitous moment bumping into our tkdmart as Donna had just been thinking that we might do just that.Spooky female intuition stuff or what.Thanks for posting the piccy mart,God I look old.In my head I still feel sixteen.
On the subject of the next mingle,a Friday is favoured by yours truly and Mrs.yours truly.We discussed this yesterday at our impromptu coffee morning and I know the same holds true for Mart,by the way Doods,PM me for some information that should please you courtesy of tkdmart.I am sure that any venue chosen by the brethren will be ticketty-boo,so just say when and where.looking forward to it more with each passing day,these gatherings are now a highlight of my life.Love to all and see you soon.xx.
Nice hat, Mrs Squeezer
Mrs Squeezer
has asked me to say a big thank you for your hat related comments but she thinks she looks ditzy.I don't know why this surprises Her,she is ditzy.
I like a nice hat
I also like a ditzy woman.
Win/win...
Even I..
..managed to show up at the BP.
You were greatly missed
at the last mingle in Liverpool Prest old chap, as opposed to that fellow Hepworth, who has failed to appear at the three wunnerful gatherings of the great and good. His promise on the podcast to catch a train up t'north was even issued as a track on Dr. Volume's CD.
For some reason that track is my favourite of all the many gifted to me - a report on the rest will surely follow when I have 5 minutes to spare.
The reason
for missing that one Beany, was having travelled up into darkest Cumbria the night before to watch Simon Armitage give a reading at Dufton Village Hall, and I couldn't get a pass for two nights in a row. I'll not miss the next 'un.
Just had a thought
To be truly in keeping with The Word vibe, the location of the impromptu photo in the first post should really be changed to the Edgar Broughton Retail Park (slogan: Out Demon Shoppers Out!)
Well, it was just a thought.
Not sure quite why
But that piccy makes me very happy.
Good work one and all.
yeah, me too, a total vibe
.