Entertainment For Lively Minds
North-West Massive: Manchester 15th April Change of Venue!
I know that it's always the people that make the Massive meet-ups worthwhile and many of you may not give a fetid dingo's kidney where we meet and believe that regardless of location, a good time will be had by all, but I can't suppress the tutor gene that whispers "plan ahead" ( I blame all those risk assessment forms I've had to do in the past) and I've never been comfortable with the role of benign dictator, but with the projected growth in numbers I've been thinking about somewhere else that we can have complete dominion over and not be disturbed AT ALL.
Admittedly we were spoiled by The Ship and Mitre - and the next LIverpool Massive meet will be booked there, but I wanted something a little bit classier for this do as our friends from the south are making such an effort to attend.
With that in mind I've provisionally booked An Outlet - http://www.anoutlet.net/
Map location - http://bit.ly/hrCpn7
It's 3 minutes walk from Piccadilly Station ( go out the station ,turn right, walk down hill to crossing, turn right, then first left).
They can do nibbles, have wine, coffee and soft drinks available. It's cosy and can be COMPLETELY OURS for the duration, from 7pm until 11.30pm. No cost, but we have to spend £40 an hour. The beer is bottled and imported and I think it's snug enough for everyone to sit around have a drink and chat and the smokers will be just outside the door. It does have a loo. Parking after 6 is on the street, so that shouldn't be an issue.
Interestingly, Dale Street, where it's located, has been used to double for 1940's New York for the new Captain America movie and the makeover still remains on the front of many of the buildings.
I've got a fairly good idea whose attending, but newbies, of course are more than welcome!
- More from Grant.
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No problem
£40 an hour, that's only one decent bottle of champagne* per hour, we'll do that no problem.
I've organised the passport to get me past Hertfordshire and have my Northerners phrase book to bring with me.
*It's all us Londoners drink, you know.
There is
quality sippage available for a lady of your refinement.
That'll do for us
as long as there is somewhere I can chain the Whippet oop outside. I'm assuming they don't mind serving a chap with ferrets down his kecks and who indulges in a little mild wifely chastisement on a whim.
P.S. Can I wear Woad?
Being from the frozen North...
...some of us are already blue, and need a sunbed for white.
Looks a good un
Cheers Grant as always.
The venue does appear to have rather optimistically placed two deck chairs outside which, I would hazartd, may not be used during a mid-April Manchester evening.
The Chicago cd continues to be worked on - may well be showing my ignorance but its a better and more varied musical city than I thought.
Hey Southstand.
Our Doods will probably consider Manchester in mid April to be positively tropical. Loving the Tom Waits by the way.
Phew, what scorchers, etc
I will be calling ALL of you a bunch of Southern Jessies. **
(**Unless Ola turns up.)
It does have a loo
Is that an indoor one or an outdoor privvy? Are dogs allowed to crap inside? *
* Very much an "insider joke" - all will be revealed at a later date x
I am so excited!
I'm busy pressing my best pearly queen outfit, and practising my finest Lambeth walk to impress you all with. Oi, have a banana etc.
it is, alas
without an old joanna.
I did a recce today
It'll certainly be cosy but it's a nice place. The chicken, red onion marmalade and baby spinach sandwich was delicious too.
Yes indeed.
Those particular sandwiches are exceptionally scrummy.
It is cosy, but the main thing is that it'll be ours. I have asked if a few tables can be moved to create a bit more space-will wait and see if / when they get back to me.
It looks like we're staying over. The night could get a bit messy.
Er...
"Interestingly, Dale Street, where it's located, has been used to double for 1940's New York for the new Captain America movie and the makeover still remains on the front of many of the buildings."
The makeover doesn't still exist at all - the buildings have always looked like that, which is why Dale Street was chosen as the filming location. As soon as the filming was finished the fake shop fronts, lighting, and painting (even fake brick) was all removed. Dale Street is now back to how it has been for years.
I know this because I work about 100 yards away from there, and saw the street before, during and after they were filming on it.
On a different note, An Outlet does look nice. Small, but nice. For info there is a huge car park directly behind it (entrance is on Dale Street just to the right of An Outlet, through the stone archway) but they don't let you in after 5 - it's exit only. There is also an NCP just across the main road, and another at the back of Piccadilly Station for those who feel like driving.
Some of the set dressing
posters are (were?) still up on a few of the walls by the fire escapes between the buildings and hasn't some of the lettering been left on some of the frontage-especially the "musical instrument hire" one?
I always tend to park at Dale Street and certainly thought that the street looked tidier and different after the filming.
My own enchantment at being close to the Hollywood machine may have confused me somewhat though..
By-the-bye, if you're local, is there any chance you'll be coming along to meet us? We're a fluffy bunch with spicy nuts!
I don't have spicy nuts
But I do have nice buns, etc.
As far as I know...
...one of the conditions of filming is that the location is returned to its original state afterwards. I too park at Dale Street regularly (including today, if only so I could dash over the road to catch a train to Leeds) and remember them doing all the set dressing, where they even painted fake brickwork onto the existing brickwork. As far as I can tell they removed everything afterwards, but I may be wrong. If you watch the trailer for "Captain America" Dale Street is recognisable in a few scenes (our hero running down the street; the exploding car...)
Won't be able to make it on 15th as I'm working in London that day. Pitfalls of my job :-(
I am seriously tempted to
shake myself out of a rut I'm in and drive to manchester for the mingle
Maybe I shall challenge ver Wordbirds in a Cannonball Run type trip up the M1. Where can I steal an ambulance and two nuns?
Please do.
Would love to meet you properly. Only a week to go,have to start ironing my tutu and get round to oiling my dancing pumps. Let's get it on.
Well any advice on cheap places to crash
and record shops to browse and I'll put it to the committee ie my bank balance
Would love to see you
and the venue is but a 5 minute walk (honest!) from Piccadilly Records, Vinyl Exchange, Eastern Bloc etc.
None of them will be open in the evening, but if you get there early enough..or the following morning-which is Record Shop Day..
If you can, please do pop along...
In order to make more of an evening of it, myself and the GLW are staying over at..
http://www.minthotel.com/manchester/manchester-hotels.htm
Understand completely about the financial constraints.
Donna and I ache to be able to attend one of the London Massive and Glasgow Massive mingles but we are, not to put too fine a point on it, dashed hard up. As for advice on Manchester,being based in Wales I'll leave that up to those of our chums who know better i.e. Dr Volume.
Would love to see you at a London Massive Mingle one day
even if I have to pick you up and drop you home myself!
Am I bovvered?
It's just another meeting of The Massive. *
* BIG SMILEY FACE, counting down the hours, ripping double-CD set this very minute, Can't wait to see my chums again (old and new). Record Store day be blowed; Saturday and Sunday belong to the Ramsbottom Annual Chocolate Festival, not that far away from Ye Olde Mancunia.
Must remember my Emmerdale cookbook for the ladies, wasabi nuts for the chaps, daft records I have recently acquired for those of an envious disposition. Bring it on.
Oh lordy...
Ramsbottom Annual Chocolate Festival...(whimpers)
Chocolate wine and beer!
http://chocfest.wordpress.com/
*boards 474 bus from
*boards 474 bus from opposite Beany's old workplace*
OI! BEANY!
We ladies would like to sample your nuts too.
*innocent face*
Be careful what you wish for.
Beany's nuts are not as other nuts.
The aftertaste
will linger for a while.
And they are
green.
Well they would be
Also available in other flavours.
Dammit!
I'm in Manchester on me tod tonight... four days early. Bah.
Should have said
Any excuse for a mini Massive mingle. Anyone else available?
in the words of John Inman. I'm free!
yes please!
short notice I know, I should have thought about it earlier. We had a micromassive mingle in Brighton last night, so another in Manchester today would be kind of fun.
I'm staying in Blackfriars St - point me to a pub and I'll be there whether anyone else shows or not.
Round the corner on Deansgate
is a jolly Wetherspoon's pub called The Moon Under Water. I can give you the guided tour of that place whenever you are free.
Good man
The pints and pies are on me. 7.30 ok for you?
Anyone else free to drop in?
So far so good
Dogsitter booked, train to catch, should be there 7:30pm-ish, clutching a copy of the latest Word.
Would love to join you but
I'm stuck inside The Hovel with the Cymru blues again. Next time?
Saint Beany
Just wanted to say a public thank you to yer man Beany, who came into central Manchester last night to rescue a stranded southerner from an evening of Travelodge hell, and bought with him musical treats I'm not allowed to tell you about, an impressive arsenal of HORAs, a lesson in fine ale appreciation and more information about Stackridge than I ever thought existed, all for no reward other than a meat pie and two halves of bitter.
What a lovely bloke.
Our Beany.
Is indeed a lovely bloke but then it takes one to know one. Looking forward to sucking on his salty hot nuts this Friday. Nourishing is perhaps one way to describe the experience. Disturbing would be another.
My Beany
He's a very naughty boy, Gallivanting around with the infamous Captain and nearly missing his last train because of the urge to sample the last delights of the Wetherspoon's beer festival (sampled 26 of the 50 ales...but not on the same night). At least when he answers the siren's call from the southern Massive he will be among friends and not strangers. What a lovely thought.
Beany's mum
After all this to-ing and fro-ing
and Twitter Talk, I've just realised that I don't have a clue who's still attending and who's not.
Provisional Listing....
Myself and Wiffle
Da Squeezers
Hazeyjane
Dr Volume
Beany
Paul W
The Rt Hon Drakeys
Ahh Bisto
Doods
TKD Mart
Vinnell
Southstand
PaddyH
Boomboy(?)
Hannah
JoLean
Olthwaite?
Red Umpire
Joe R
MillyMollyMandy
Is there anyone that I've missed? Apologies if there is-this is why I've posted this-just to clarify in my own head! Please let me know / remind me etc.
No Prestonia?
What am I going to read for the next three months?
I don't think...
...Joe R is making the trip is he?
Looking forward to it.
Yep, you're right-apologies
Meant James_B! Sorry, both!
Grudgingly accepted!
.
Hair-ruffling
As Joe R will not be there, Hannah, Drakey and myself will be looking for someone's hair to ruffle, I warn you.
*coughs politely*
*Wanders over to mirror to check boyish good looks*
[pause]
*Wanders away disappointed*
Ruffling...
...is not about age, it's about the ruffle-factor, Mr W.
Mr W is eminently ruffleable
If tall, so you may need a ladder.
*straps ladder to roofrack*
Haha!
I am not as tall as El Dooderino is suggesting - 5-11 on a good day I would guess.
Plus a recent haircut leaves me with less to 'ruffle' than might ordinarily be the case.
Bring on tomorrow! I am now ready!
After taking delivery of Mr Turner's Africa CDs, and burning a few Liverpool CDs on behalf of the estimable Prestonia, plus my own 2CD South America set, I shall be lugging in excess of 70 CDs to the meet tomorrow.
This alone may cause me to lose a couple of inches (in height).
One more sleep!!
As resident "youngster"
I look forward to it.
Regrettably...
... if I make it, it's going to be late. I have 13 students going for their black belt in Bristol on Friday.
The killjoys!
Are they coming too?
We would love a demonstration of their prowess in origami.
Please add...
Jack the biscuit & The Lovely Carol are almost certain to be there.
Really looking forward to meeting you all.
I intend washing behind BOTH ears & wearing a clean vest.
Mwah. X
the Ape
will be smashing through the M25 force-field to see what's up at the Manc Massive Mingle
Yep Ape Man
and the DogFacedBoy will be hitting the north. It's our only planned tour date of the summer so book early to avoid disappointment
Thank Ye Kindly, Gents
Good to know - looking forward to seeing you both.
Do we need to lay on a fresh supply of virgins to satisfy your infamous desires?
In Manchester?!
*boomtish*
In Manchester..
It's normally a girl who can run faster than her brother...
(THAT WAS A JOKE, PEOPLE - A JOKE)
Any ideas...
...how many CDs I need to make?
Looking forward to seeing you all! Xxx
Well, have a look at the numbers..
it's entirely your call. One for every soul, or enough to go round (roughly)?
Looking forward to seeing you too. X
Well I've taken it upon myself to
produce my own compilation and i'm running off 20 of which I'll probably bring 19 back
Steve Turner sends his apologies
However he also sends his Africa CDs to me, and allowing for the whims of the Royal Mail, I shall be carting them along for distribution and swapsies. Hurrah!
Hannah, 20 copies seems to be the going rate but whatever you can manage would be fine.
Only two more sleeps...
What?????
I thought you only had to make one!
I'll be there but I might be a bit late. I've got another 19 CDs to burn
Aha!
Looking forward to seeing you also, Mr Black!
Right!
The number of copies I do will depend on:
1) how many blank CDs I have in the house
2) whether my husband actually lets me have the music-containing hard drive back at any point (he's been holding it hostage for the last few days as he's doing something techhy with it... grrrrr)
Point of order Mr. Chairman.
Jack the Biscuit and I believe his delightful girlfriend Carol are going to be in attendance. So that's two more for the naked karaoke induction ritual.
Grant!
Are you absolutely sure we'll be able to spend the £40 per hour required?
I can cheerfully get through £40
of sparkling mineral water an hour, all on my own.
Steady on, there's only one
Steady on, there's only one lav in this place.
What they gonna do
throw us out? I'd like to see em try. I'll be the one hiding in the only toilet
Exactly.
The worst that can happen is that we'll have to fork out any shortfall between us. And given that there's going to be a good handful of us, that's not going to be a problem.
PS I keep meaning to send Grant a bloody big MWAH for all his hard work for arranging this. Top lad. x
I was being facetious, as usual, Hannah.
It would be IMPOSSIBLE for us lot not to drink £40 worth of booze per hour. Really.
*shakes head sadly at teetotaller's naivety*
Ahhhh. May I just point out...
1) I have no idea whatsoever how much alcoholic drinks cost.
2) I take absolutely anything that anyone says ever ever at face-value.
3) I am an idiot.
Just been reading reviews of the Travelodge
that myself and MA will be crashing at. We won't be in Kansas anymore, Toto!
Although it seems most reviews were written when people tried to get a quiet nite when the local footie derby was on. There were drunk people apparently
I was there
on Monday. It's okay. Big rooms, no shampoo, faint smell of piss - the usual Travelodge offer. Look out for the exhibitionists in the building opposite.
CAPTION COMPETITION.
Right. I'm just about to finish the cakey for tomorrow.
Anyone want to suggest something funny / rude to lovingly ice on top of said cakey? Go on... I'm having trouble thinking of anything appropriately amusing...
Advice please fellow Massives.
1)- What time does it start / finish
2)- What time is the last train back to liverpool ?
3)- Dont know manchester at all well, instinct tells me that I shouldnt risk driving, but, is there a cheep & cheerful sleepover place with safe car parking near the venue ??
At the moment, my mobile has thrown its feet in the air, so its E mail only until Vodafone sort out my mobile.
4)- If anyone from liverpool / birkenhead is driving over, Hasn 2 spare seats & wants someone to share fuel costs, PLEASE drop me a line.
Cheers,
Les.
It's starting
at about 6.30 and should finish about 11.
The last train to Liverpool is about 11.00 or so from Piccadilly (Coincidence? I think not) - I believe it's an all-stops affair.
There are some places nearby - we're staying at Mint Hotel which has secure parking. There are cheaper, but it's reasonable for a Friday night.
Jury's Inn, Great Bridgewater Street
http://manchesterhotels.jurysinns.com/
is £66. A few of us southerners are pitching up there for the night.
So, we're now running at about 27 / 28 or so
That's going to be our biggest in the North West yet. Cripes.
Thank you everyone for making the effort to attend, or letting us know otherwise. We'll raise a glass to all the non-attendees and toast their good health. Then we'll drink to ourselves. A lot.
To all of you travelling up / down / sideways to get to Manchester tomorrow, PLEASE have a safe journey.
Looking forward beyond all measure to seeing everyone.X
Getting there
I have just booked & paid for train tickets for the Lovely Carol & myself to attend tonight.
I am all of an excitement.
Really looking forward to meeting you all.
Now where did I put that clean vest ?...........