NORTH - WEST MASSIVE ASSEMBLE!

Who wants to go and how do we want to get there? Coachload? Individual train tickets?

Captain Underpants...!

...either killing threads stone dead or rushing breathlessly into a discussion that's been dead for days with a rubbish pun, can I nominate myself?

Swept the board...etc

my wife's going to think I'm having an affair. She already doesn't believe I'm coming down to see the Divine Comedy. Could someone from Word HQ write me a note?

• The most accomplished thread-killer
• The most pointless Beatles post
• Biggest Apple fanboi

... to come to a Word Massive occasion, so - cost permitting - I'll see what I can do.

Is it going to be an all-ticket event? I don't want to book a train ticket now and find I can't actually get in.

This isn't the speech,
these are just my notes for the speech

and crush barriers?

I'm not going to be able to make it though. Can you put me down for a strip of raffle tickets though please?

to present the awards? Failing that, I hear Mick Fleetwood and Sam Fox are free that evening.

And indeed keen. I shall watch this space indeed.

like The BAFTAs, The Oscars etc. Can I suggest "The Fuckwits".

Mrs L is working a late one so unless she can do a shift-swap with someone, I'm supervising the sprog.

Who's hosting things? Billy Crystal? Stephen Fry? Do we all have to send in videotaped teary acceptance speeches, just in case?

"you black balling bastards!" loser's speech now

...but seriously.... this is a fascinating and noble-hearted idea, all at Word. It really IS thinking outside the box. And it's amazing anybody takes those other magazine awards seriously ("And tonight's award for Mojo Cult Hero Icon Legend Contribution To Diamond Geezer Only Bloke We Could Get When All The A and B Listers Were Unable To Attend goes to.... er, er, who's that at table 7... er, weren't you once in Blossom Toes? No? Er, a legendary between-labels unrecorded line-up of Medecine Head? Er, yes, you, sir! It's for you!!!!"

I vote you give everything to Backwards and then just use the rest of the evening to have a bit of cameraderie and fun.

Living on another island with no passport and an anitpathy to plane travel I'll not be there. But I WILL try and armtwist Carol From Luton to represent us both. (Unless she's attending either an English Defence League rally or an Islamification Of Britain training camp - which according the Times today encompass between them more or less all the opportunities for getting out and meeting people in the Luton area.)

...but seriously.... this is a fascinating and noble-hearted idea, all at Word. It really IS thinking outside the box. And it's amazing anybody takes those other magazine awards seriously ("And tonight's award for Mojo Cult Hero Icon Legend Contribution To Diamond Geezer Only Bloke We Could Get When All The A and B Listers Were Unable To Attend goes to.... er, er, who's that at table 7... er, weren't you once in Blossom Toes? No? Er, a legendary between-labels unrecorded line-up of Medecine Head? Er, yes, you, sir! It's for you!!!!"

I vote you give everything to Backwards and then just use the rest of the evening to have a bit of cameraderie and fun.

Living on another island with no passport and an anitpathy to plane travel I'll not be there. But I WILL try and armtwist Carol From Luton to represent us both. (Unless she's attending either an English Defence League rally or an Islamification Of Britain training camp - which according the Times today encompass between them more or less all the opportunities for getting out and meeting people in the Luton area.)

If only because you're going to need burly chaps to hoist B7 aloft and carry him, whooping, through the streets of Islington. Aren't you Word types nice?

do I get some form of special prize like, oh, a Mars bar or a one-minute shopping spree in Fopp?

Oooooh sounds ace

but I have managed to Bilko my way to 2 London meetups this year and this is a meet too far.

Hope you all have a great time

Like the PFA Players' Player of the Year?

Reader of the Year, as chosen by the Readers? "I'll cherish this award above all the others. It means a lot to have been chosen by my peers. They know what goes into earning this kind of achievement" - it would be a great acceptance speech.

and would love to come along and see as many of you as possible.

Looking forward to 'I'd like to thank my producer' speeches from Captain Hannah Backwards-Idiot.

But I will be sending my fridge.

Sadly that night I return to the stage ( after what many may feel has been a far too brief absence of 5 years ) to compere a gig . I hope everyone has a great time and I will raise a toast to a great bunch of bods .

I'm up for it.

I shall be pressing my tux in anticipation.

Then tell him you've sent his paycheck to BBC Payroll.
And don't send it.
Just for a laugh, like.

*I really don't mean this.

impossible for me but have a great night one and all

If it is the same venue as that used for True Stories, which I think it is, it not just seriously small, it is tiny. So before making your plans and booking stuff, you might wish to consider whether more than coachload of readers can even fit in the venue....and that's a small coach

according to the website.

Sadly I won't be one of the 150 - it's a bitch of a journey from Sydney.

foreigners, ex-pats and northeners, I do hope there will be a podcast of this spectacle at least ?

I have contacts at Sanatogen if you are in need of a sponsor.

But Toronto is far away.

(slyly checks late Nov flights to Heathrow and remembers dangerously ill distant relative to have alibi for wife)

Can I send a video instead?

...God...

and everyone else connected with my album Muthafugging Gangsta Drive-by Niggaz With A Very Poor Attitude Indeed.

Know am sayin'?

If like the Brits etc, there's a presentation via live video link to the best international act, please can we request it's not handed over by Bonio......

Would love to be there, but a little far to come. Have fun.

Can I just say that I can think of no other magazine that is this involved with its readers. Regularly turning up at Reader meets, the True Stories evenings, specially arranged gigs, setting B7's Britpop poem to a narration by Steve Lamacq...plus the small matter of podcasts, specially compiled CDs and, I hear, a magazine too. If it ever comes to voting for National Treasures I think The Hep, Lord Ellen, La Mossie and Big Frase all qualify.

I'll almost certainly be away on biz but wish you all a fabulous evening

What will the categories be? Or is that to be revealed at a later date?

Living as I do in Sydney Australia I cannot possibly attend but I wish you all well for a wonderful night.

One day I will visit the Northern Hemisphere again, and on that occasion I will definitely ensure there is a Massive Meet-Up somewhere before I book my flights.

Best regards to all of youse

is presented to me by the managing director of the bottled water company who are sponsoring it rather than Keith Richards or Frank Black I will be nothing less than miffed.

blatant abuse of the Popular Tag Cloud will be presented this year by James Warren of Stackridge and Qasi Pimple Smith of Aspidistra hatstand.

UPSTAIRS? Wot about wheelchair access then? Aah, gotcha.

Can I counsel against this. I bow to no-one in my appreciation of the Wordplex (collective noun for all things Word)but one of the reasons I like being here so much is that (generally) it manages to steer clear of self-indulgence, whether it's the mag itself, podcast or Massive.

Start down this track and we run the risk of everything becoming more about the participants and less about the content, which I for one don't want to see happen.

I think its great the way the Word engages with the readership so by all means have a party, drop in more on the local gatherings etc, but awards for the readership ? A slippery slope.

its the only time we get to meet other human beings

the only chance we get to have a cheeky fondle

Can't wait!

but I must admit I am also tempted.

Sorry mate.... the winner of the most double, and indeed triple posts goes to myself... Hold the world record I do!

Sorry mate.... the winner of the most double, and indeed triple posts goes to myself... Hold the world record I do!

Sorry mate.... the winner of the most double, and indeed triple posts goes to myself... Hold the world record I do!

Sorry mate.... the winner of the most double, and indeed triple posts goes to myself... Hold the world record I do!

Sorry mate.... the winner of the most double, and indeed triple posts goes to myself... Hold the world record I do!

I look forward to seeing you all.

No chance of schlepping down to that there London for me, but if a video link is out of the question, could we at least have a Twitter hashtag?

Saw them in The Appllo, supporting Hawkwind... TMFTL...

"The Thread That Will Not Die Award' reserve the front row me and Crazy Horslips Otherwise I'll wait ... I assume next year they will be held in Belfast?

Even though the aussie dollar continues to appreciate, discounting of return flights Melbourne to London has not reached the level where a trip is even remotely economically viable.

I look forward to hearing how it goes.

...is that the pub that used to be the Salmon & Compasses? I had an altercation with a baritone saxophone in there once.

its a long way from Aberdeen on a Friday.

Sounds like a great event though.

Enjoy.

have got about a party!
When i first saw this I just thought it was just another nice jolly idea for the Word especially as it came out the the same day as the Q's awards . I didn't even imagine there'd be even any actually awards it would be just a semi formal get together. I can understand the annoyance of people further a field but a small magazine is hardly the worst offender in this.
Lastly I'd like to commend all at Word towers for their believe in free speech. I can't imagine many media companies even overtly liberal leaning ones allowing people to doubt their motives or those of their advertisers openly on their website (as has happened here recently). You won't see many letters in vogue saying Chanel or D &G are any anything less than wonderful.
I'll probably be called a suck up or worse but lets not lose sight of it only being a party.

I'm not as late to the venue on the evening as I am to this thread.

You lot are great so it will be nice to see you again.

try to handbrake the visits to the bar, after reeling home sideways from The Pugwash gig..

Award name how about some random captcha phrase.

Speaking of which I had these pop up on my blog - both genuine..

C'mon, a Skype or iChat hook up for those of us as can't travel is perfectly feasible.
Count me in, I'll even comb my hair.

beard hair that is as I'm starting to resemble a Gentle Giant album cover

Sadly I will be at Fibbers in York watching the James Taylor Quartet, think I would rather be in London that night though. Hope it all goes well and readers bring their food for the interval. Sounds a wonderful evening, hopefully there will be some pictures of the event on the site or magazine for those who can't make it?

will be great if we all get our webshite aligned.

is that for real (as our colonial chums say)?

Sounds delightfully 70s, like 'Mr Kyps' etc.

If I'm not at work that day I might try and get there.

But if I am I'll finish at 7 (in Andover) and am guessing I won't have enough time to journey smokewards.

obviously

does someone from the magazine ring up and say "Sir, I think it would be worth your while if you did, hint, hint"?

Any excuse really.

Unlikely to be present, sadly ... distance certainly a problem ... Anyway, I'm sure it will go well so, to all attending, have a good time and cheers!

Is it still going ahead? Do we have a voting form to fill-in? Any special guest presenters and do I have to wear my tuxedo?

Shouldn't we be voting for something? Best article? Best Word contributor? Best Thread? or something? We could have a quick poll to get a short list then vote for them.

Family do, so I've got to pull out.

Oh, and especially for Gauntlet: "withdraw", "do", "pull out".

from the designated driver of the Massive.

Second-class will be fine.

I can't make it on the 26th now.

Drat and double drat. Was really looking forward to seeing you all again.

Have a fantastic evening all.

at math"
Ron Decline