Comments on: Meetup in Leeds!

Meetup in Leeds!

champagneminimalist — Thu, 29 Oct 2015 06:46:26 -0800

Meetup now confirmed - any time after 5 pm at Veritas. We'll be in the raised dias section of the pub. ------ Two years ago, I posted this AskMefi question Tell me about living in Leeds and Cardiff and you were all so incredibly helpful and detailed in your responses. Well, we moved here in September and we absolutely love it here. I was wondering if anyone would be interested in a meetup?

By: skybluepink

skybluepink — Thu, 29 Oct 2015 10:52:33 -0800

We're over on Merseyside, but happily head Leedsward upon occasion. So potentially interested, yes!

By: iamkimiam

iamkimiam — Fri, 30 Oct 2015 00:18:05 -0800

I'm in York and yes!

By: koolkat

koolkat — Fri, 30 Oct 2015 01:59:06 -0800

Depending on the day I'll be up for a meetup. I work in the city centre so weekdays locations there would be good, but weekends anywhere is fine. I'm not sure about availability I'm heading down to Shropshire to press some apples some weekend coming up, but not exactly sure of what weekend.

By: metaBugs

metaBugs — Fri, 30 Oct 2015 03:07:41 -0800

If it's outside office hours and easily reached from the train station, I could probably come along. I haven't been to Leeds for ages actually, could be a nice excuse to head across.

By: champagneminimalist

champagneminimalist — Fri, 30 Oct 2015 03:11:03 -0800

Hey - that's fantastic! My calendar is pretty open, so I'm happy to meet up anytime. I really like The Adelphi but if anyone has a place they like better or have been meaning to check out instead... As we get closer to Christmas I imagine more and more places will need a reservation - I'm happy to take care of that once we've nailed down a date and # of mefites.

By: Ned G

Ned G — Fri, 30 Oct 2015 03:19:04 -0800

Heya, I live in Leeds and would be up for this.

By: Morfil Ffyrnig

Morfil Ffyrnig — Fri, 30 Oct 2015 03:20:28 -0800

Echoing metaBugs - if so, I'm in! Would be good to go back Oop North again. :)

By: Fraxas

Fraxas — Fri, 30 Oct 2015 04:03:11 -0800

I, like iamkimiam, live in York and would love to attend! (and, like champagneminimalist, recently moved from Canada. Weird.)

By: asok

asok — Fri, 30 Oct 2015 04:24:49 -0800

Glad you like it in our fair town! I remember the Adelphi having quite loud 'background' music last time I was in there, it was a Saturday night though, which may be a factor. Another factor could have been the three pints of US strength IPA I had before arriving. City centre pubs that almost always have plenty of room, as well as nice beer, include the Leeds Brewery pubs The Crowd of Favours (by the market) and The White Swan (by the City Varieties). Whitelocks has also been gently hipsterfied by the same people who own Belgrave Music Hall, though it is a bit smaller than the other two places. All of those pubs do food, but I haven't eaten at any of them. They are all within 10 minutes walk of the train station. The Head of Steam is right by the station, but it has limited seating. I don't know if you can reserve a table at any of those.

By: champagneminimalist

champagneminimalist — Fri, 30 Oct 2015 05:46:33 -0800

I love your suggestions asok and now I remember walking past the Adelphi on a Saturday night and it was quite noisy - a cover band or a DJ - can't remember, so maybe not very good for having conversations! :)

By: emilyw

emilyw — Fri, 30 Oct 2015 06:07:51 -0800

I'm in Sheffield and could potentially make this, if near train station and not immediately after working hours.

By: chrispy108

chrispy108 — Fri, 30 Oct 2015 06:17:42 -0800

Sounds good. We're only in Wakefield so Leeds is easy enough.

By: koolkat

koolkat — Fri, 30 Oct 2015 06:22:13 -0800

The last one I went to was in the Queen Victoria, just after Iamkimiam started her PhD at York. As far as other quietish places I think Veritas is quite nice. They're owned by the same people that own Arcadia and a bunch of other nice pubs without music or TV's at all.

By: Ned G

Ned G — Fri, 30 Oct 2015 06:46:57 -0800

Yeah, I'd second the Adelphi, Whitelocks and the Queen Victoria. I know that the Victoria has a side room that can be booked too. Other pubs within a 10 minute walk of the station worth considering (depending on where the sweet spot on the gentrification spectrum lies for folk here) are the Grove, Wharf Chambers, the Ship, the Town Hall, the Black Swan, Brewery Taps and Northern Monk.

By: champagneminimalist

champagneminimalist — Sat, 31 Oct 2015 05:34:15 -0800

Well, I like how different Leeds is from Toronto - beautiful Victorian buildings, a very walkable city centre, everything is very people-sized and compact. As for picking a date and time, I'm seeing in the comments that weeknights (as long as people have time to finish work and/or arrive by train), or weekends would work. What about a Friday or Saturday evening some time in November or early December? Or, how do those coming from further away feel about a Thursday evening? I am away the weekend of 27-29 November. And wow - I really need to step up my visiting pubs game! So many great suggestions and I haven't even heard of most of them. Once we nail down a date and time I'd be grateful for continued help in choosing one! :)

By: taz

taz — Sat, 31 Oct 2015 05:42:55 -0800

[One comment deleted. Sorry, this is really space for working out meetup stuff, not so much for asking questions about Leeds, but you can do that at Ask Metafilter if you'd like.]

By: skybluepink

skybluepink — Sat, 31 Oct 2015 12:22:21 -0800

Weekend would probably work best for us, since we'd probably stay overnight, although with enough advance notice, quite likely the spouse (and silent mefite!) could arrange to have Thursday off.

By: chrispy108

chrispy108 — Sun, 01 Nov 2015 13:54:45 -0800

A Saturday works better for me than a Friday. The last train home on a Friday isn't that late, and realistically wouldn't be able to meet til 7pm on a Friday, whereas a Saturday we could start earlier, perhaps with some food if people are interested. champagneminimalist - have you been to the Hepworth Art Gallery in Wakefield or the Yorkshire Sculpture Park? If not me and the wife would be happy to take you sometime :) Drop me a PM if you're interested.

By: koolkat

koolkat — Tue, 03 Nov 2015 05:01:06 -0800

In terms of Saturdays I think this upcoming one and the 14th are out for me, but otherwise I'm probably free.

By: champagneminimalist

champagneminimalist — Tue, 03 Nov 2015 06:51:11 -0800

What does everyone think of meeting up on Saturday 21 November? Early evening - 5 or 6 pm?

By: emilyw

emilyw — Tue, 03 Nov 2015 07:05:07 -0800

That Saturday is one of two in the year I'll be working in the evening... That shouldn't necessarily stop anyone else! I'd also be interested in a sculpture park trip if there was one in the offing.

By: iamkimiam

iamkimiam — Wed, 04 Nov 2015 00:29:10 -0800

Saturday the 21st works for me and alexordave!

By: Ned G

Ned G — Wed, 04 Nov 2015 07:21:43 -0800

I think I can do the 21st too

By: skybluepink

skybluepink — Wed, 04 Nov 2015 08:27:40 -0800

Confirmed with the mister. The 21st works for us.

By: Morfil Ffyrnig

Morfil Ffyrnig — Thu, 05 Nov 2015 05:34:25 -0800

21st is good for me.

By: champagneminimalist

champagneminimalist — Thu, 05 Nov 2015 12:21:37 -0800

Ok! Saturday 21 November it is! Now the small matter of choosing a location. :)

By: Fraxas

Fraxas — Fri, 06 Nov 2015 08:10:02 -0800

I, too, can make Saturday Nov 21 - and as a straw man, I'll suggest Whitelocks because I like the name.

By: champagneminimalist

champagneminimalist — Fri, 06 Nov 2015 11:16:51 -0800

Ok - so I had a long stroll today and poked my head in at a number of the suggestions - some of them are going to have live music that night. I especially liked and ended up booking a section at Veritas. It's a raised dias section in the far corner, seems like it will be good for conversation. I've booked it for 5 pm on 21 Nov with the understanding that people will be arriving in fits and starts. Koolkat for the win! :) Also really liked The Crowd of Favours, their best sections are already booked for that evening but the manager assures me that we'd be fine to just pop in and he'd put some tables together for us without advance warning. BUT - if people prefer it to Veritas I'll contact him so that it's not a complete surprise. He also said that the nights they have groups booked in he doesn't hire live music.

By: koolkat

koolkat — Mon, 09 Nov 2015 04:51:26 -0800

21st Veritas is good for me.

By: asok

asok — Mon, 09 Nov 2015 08:41:52 -0800

Veritas is definitely not loud, as it is a Town Street joint. Personally I prefer The Crowd of Favours to Veritas, so that would get my vote. I can go any time I like though, so I don't mind either way. It will be good to catch up with past fellow meetup attendees skybluepink, koolkat and iamkimiam! champagneminimalist, I think you should convert this into an event rather than a proposed event once you have the venue decided so that it shows up on the Upcoming Events list.

By: chrispy108

chrispy108 — Thu, 19 Nov 2015 12:03:34 -0800

Looking forward to this, Is the plan still 5 at Veritas?

By: koolkat

koolkat — Thu, 19 Nov 2015 14:14:15 -0800

I'll be there about then depending on bus timings.

By: champagneminimalist

champagneminimalist — Fri, 20 Nov 2015 12:47:59 -0800

Hi Everyone! Yes, the plan is still to meet at Veritas at 5 pm. I've booked the raised dias section and I will make sure I'm there a bit before 5 pm tomorrow. I've got shoulder-length blonde hair and I wear glasses. Mr. CM is coming too. Very much looking forward to this! :)

By: iamkimiam

iamkimiam — Sat, 21 Nov 2015 01:49:50 -0800

We'll get there around 7 at the earliest tonight if that's alright?

By: champagneminimalist

champagneminimalist — Sat, 21 Nov 2015 03:37:40 -0800

Sounds good iamkimiam!

By: chrispy108

chrispy108 — Sat, 21 Nov 2015 08:35:40 -0800

Me and the missus are on the way, think we'll be there about 5.15 depending on transport :) I'm beardy with long hair tied back, wife has glasses and a purple handbag.

By: skybluepink

skybluepink — Sat, 21 Nov 2015 09:08:06 -0800

We should be there about 7-7:30. I'm a very tall blonde with glasses, and the spouse (he thinks his username is caractacus, hardcore lurker that he is) is a medium-height stocky dude with salt-and-pepper hair and glasses. Looking forward to seeing you all on this bloody cold evening!

By: iamkimiam

iamkimiam — Sat, 21 Nov 2015 10:32:53 -0800

Sad to say that alexordave and I will not be joining in tonight — germs and late shifts conspired against us. Hope you all have fun and sorry to miss out on meeting you all.

By: asok

asok — Sat, 21 Nov 2015 12:25:21 -0800

Boo to that, Kim! Get well soon! I am on the way, assuming you are still in Veritas.

By: skybluepink

skybluepink — Sat, 21 Nov 2015 16:55:34 -0800

That was awesome! Thanks so much to champagneminimalist for organising this lovely do, and what a great evening it was! I will link and memail when I am sober and not using an iPad. You are all wonderful and caractacus/the spouse and I had a terrific evening hanging out with you all.

By: champagneminimalist

champagneminimalist — Sun, 22 Nov 2015 02:39:14 -0800

Thanks everyone for a great evening! One of the best nights out I've had since arriving in Leeds - I'm so glad I planned this. Sorry you couldn't make it iamkimiam, hope you feel better soon! We all had such a good time and everyone sounds like they're interested in meeting up again sometime, so hopefully anyone who wasn't able to join in this time will be able to next time!

By: asok

asok — Wed, 25 Nov 2015 06:07:20 -0800

It was a good night with good people. Great to catch up wit old friends, and new!

By: chrispy108

chrispy108 — Wed, 25 Nov 2015 13:40:13 -0800

Was a really good night, sorry we had to bail earlyish. Hope to do something again soon :)