2013 IHD "Let's get together in The UK!"

[okarol]

Discussion of meet up proposed for UK. 

[lainiepop]

Im in the UK

[Sugarlump]

Hi lainiepop Would Cambridge be accessible for a weekend?
    I think London would be too expensive but Cambridge has some reasonable hotels and a great place to wander around.
    Also it would help if you indicated when you are available for a get together...

  Hello all you English people on here!

[lou]

Would love to meet up!  (I'm in Devon)

[lainiepop]

Whereabouts in Devon r u lou? My parents live in Plymouth, that s where we had the tx op. I'm in Dorset now, Bournemouth by the sea

[lou]

Hi lainiepop, im in Exeter so we are not massively far apart! 

I had my transplant 3 years ago in Bristol when I was 29, so we are not far apart in age either are we? Hope all is going well with you, would love it if we could all sort some type of meet up xx

[lainiepop]

Hey Lou i did my degree at Exeter uni and still pop in there on Way to and from Plym  sometimes!

l was 31 in march 

x

[cariad]

 
Come on, we have more Brits than this on here! Don't be shy!

Since we already have a proposed venue (thank you, Sugarlump), what dates work for everyone? July, August? Any thoughts? Any particular day of the week that works best for most? Richard has to book his plane ticket, so I'm sure he'd appreciate us getting back to him with a date ASAP!

[deniferfer]

I would love to go to the UK meet up but I be all the way over in California. Plus I have never been on a plane but why not take 10 hour flight for my 1st flight, go big or go home right? 

[Sugarlump]

Suggest we take a vote on her September 2013 or April 2014???
Which suits people best?

[Poppylicious]

Just putting this out there ...

I'm not one for meeting people due to being shy and just generally feeling like people are judging me for whatever reason.  However, I've been thinking about this whole UK Meet idea and wondered how UKians would feel about the following proposal: Kidney Research UK do a seven or eight mile walk in London, usually on the second Sunday in July.  I did it with Mumsy in 2010 and have been itching to do it again but for various reasons I haven't.  Would anybody else be interested for next year?  I know it's a long time in advance but I thought it might be cool-ish to meet each other and raise money for a charity which is close to our hearts kidneys at the same time. Anybody who didn't want to do the actual walk could cheer us on from the sidelines and afterwards we could go for a meal (or just have a picnic!). We'd also have the option of some people meeting on the Saturday evening if they wanted (and with enough notice we'd have no trouble finding somewhere cheap to stay.) 

We could even advertise ihd.com on our t-shirts ...

Anyhoo, just an idea I've been mulling over on the bus to work for the last couple of mornings.  We're an apathetic bunch at the best of times so I won't expect much response!! And obviously I reserve the right to back out in horror and scarediness at having to meet real people.

 

[Sugarlump]

Just putting this out there ...

I'm not one for meeting people due to being shy and just generally feeling like people are judging me for whatever reason.  However, I've been thinking about this whole UK Meet idea and wondered how UKians would feel about the following proposal: Kidney Research UK do a seven or eight mile walk in London, usually on the second Sunday in July.  I did it with Mumsy in 2010 and have been itching to do it again but for various reasons I haven't.  Would anybody else be interested for next year?  I know it's a long time in advance but I thought it might be cool-ish to meet each other and raise money for a charity which is close to our hearts kidneys at the same time. Anybody who didn't want to do the actual walk could cheer us on from the sidelines and afterwards we could go for a meal (or just have a picnic!). We'd also have the option of some people meeting on the Saturday evening if they wanted (and with enough notice we'd have no trouble finding somewhere cheap to stay.) 

We could even advertise ihd.com on our t-shirts ...

Anyhoo, just an idea I've been mulling over on the bus to work for the last couple of mornings.  We're an apathetic bunch at the best of times so I won't expect much response!! And obviously I reserve the right to back out in horror and scarediness at having to meet real people.

 

I like the idea  but not sure I could walk 8 miles at the moment.
Gives me a target to aim for I guess but yesI like the idea a lot... 

[cassandra]

I'm up 'North' from Southport, count me in,

             

[cariad]

Just putting this out there ...

I'm not one for meeting people due to being shy and just generally feeling like people are judging me for whatever reason.  However, I've been thinking about this whole UK Meet idea and wondered how UKians would feel about the following proposal: Kidney Research UK do a seven or eight mile walk in London, usually on the second Sunday in July.  I did it with Mumsy in 2010 and have been itching to do it again but for various reasons I haven't.  Would anybody else be interested for next year?  I know it's a long time in advance but I thought it might be cool-ish to meet each other and raise money for a charity which is close to our hearts kidneys at the same time. Anybody who didn't want to do the actual walk could cheer us on from the sidelines and afterwards we could go for a meal (or just have a picnic!). We'd also have the option of some people meeting on the Saturday evening if they wanted (and with enough notice we'd have no trouble finding somewhere cheap to stay.) 

We could even advertise ihd.com on our t-shirts ...

Anyhoo, just an idea I've been mulling over on the bus to work for the last couple of mornings.  We're an apathetic bunch at the best of times so I won't expect much response!! And obviously I reserve the right to back out in horror and scarediness at having to meet real people.

 

I would be happy to do the walk, though I don't think I would raise much money, if any. Unless we do it as a team venture and ask for donations on IHD/FB/elsewhere? Most everyone I know is overwhelmed by the sheer number of fundraising events that they are invited to or asked to contribute to, so I'd hesitate to ask for more than a few quid. We should discuss further assuming there's enough interest.

I empathize with the social-phobia or anxiety or whatever it is, but I assume that if people are going to back out that they'll send a PM or something. I just don't want to get all the way to London to find that everyone else has bailed. I think an 8-mile walk would do me a world of good, and I could probably convince my family that it would have the same effect on them. 

[lou]

Poppy i think that's a lovely idea! As long as its a walk not a run im in! xxxxx 

[Poppylicious]

I would be happy to do the walk, though I don't think I would raise much money, if any. Unless we do it as a team venture and ask for donations on IHD/FB/elsewhere? Most everyone I know is overwhelmed by the sheer number of fundraising events that they are invited to or asked to contribute to, so I'd hesitate to ask for more than a few quid. We should discuss further assuming there's enough interest.

Oh, we could definitely do a group page for fundraising if we went ahead with it.  That way you don't even have to ask for donations if you don't want to and nobody else would be any the wiser.  It does get a little overwhelming with the amount of fundraising activities that go on these days.  I work with someone who has two charities she will contribute to and if you're not raising money for them she just doesn't donate.  I like her style, but I always feel (guilt-tripped into thinking) I have to donate to everything!

I empathize with the social-phobia or anxiety or whatever it is, but I assume that if people are going to back out that they'll send a PM or something. I just don't want to get all the way to London to find that everyone else has bailed. I think an 8-mile walk would do me a world of good, and I could probably convince my family that it would have the same effect on them. 

Oh gosh, once I'd actually committed I wouldn't back out!  I'm not that bad!    

Poppy i think that's a lovely idea! As long as its a walk not a run im in! xxxxx 

 

I like the idea  but not sure I could walk 8 miles at the moment.
Gives me a target to aim for I guess but yesI like the idea a lot... 

Do you need a piggy-back?!  You can wait at the finishing line with CAKE!!

 

[Sugarlump]

@Poppy
If I am not able to walk that far by next year, perhaps someone could push me round in a wheelchair. 
Funnily enough, the year before last I did a cake stall for World Kidney Day at my sisters workplace and raised £50 with a mountain of fancy
cupcakes and traybakes!

[RichardMEL]

Poppy don't go all phobia on us!! I'm prepared to travel around the world to give you huggles... and they are YOUR trademark!! The least you could do is show up!!! 

Yep, I studied at Cambridge (down with Oxford ) in 1988. I'd love to go back... bring it on!

I also agree that London is VERY costly for hotels from many years of experiences - good and bad !!!

(but some notice would be good!!)

[Poppylicious]

Poppy don't go all phobia on us!! I'm prepared to travel around the world to give you huggles... and they are YOUR trademark!! The least you could do is show up!!! 

Yep, I studied at Cambridge (down with Oxford ) in 1988. I'd love to go back... bring it on!

I also agree that London is VERY costly for hotels from many years of experiences - good and bad !!!

(but some notice would be good!!)

I'd go anywhere to get *huggles* from you, Richard (within reason, of course). 

 

Which college did you study at? (Or are you an "I studiedin rather than at Cambridge"?!  ) Blokey's family has connections with Cambridge University (not in the academic sense though; they've been there purely to serve!)

Transport costs into London aren't too bad if you book your tickets in advance so there's always that option if people want to do the walk but don't want to stay in the capital.

[RichardMEL]

I attended Wolfson (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolfson_College,_Cambridge)

When I say I studied there it is both true, and rubbish lol.

We did a 3 week course there as part of an end of high school trip my school put on and luckily my parents had the $$$$ to send me as part of a group of about 25 or so of us rowdy 17-18 year olds (yes, there are stories, and no not here ). Anyway we studied things like Superpowe relations (this was 1988 remember), International Politics, Economics and the like. You know.. go spend time being tutored by varios University Professors in an old English Mansion, complete with morning and afternoon tea, of course! This was in December holidays for the students and University (and yes, we all slept out for the night to attend the Carols @ Cambridge - bloody hell it was cold!) and stuff like that. Amazing experience.

The big let down was that - leaving the 30+ C Australian summer for a real English winter, and the hope of a White Christmas it was like the hottest day on record or something at 15C and all the poms were out in their singlets and shorts (ugh!! LOL) and we did not have our special White Christmas.. but spent much time in old English pubs, riding the streets of Cambridge on our bikes at 2am after pub closing(as you do !), trying to not fall in the river, and doing various journeys around the countryside - places like Ely, Bath and a few other places I forget now, but all very interesting.. plus time in London(of course) and Austria/Hungry...

so I can claim to have studied at Cambridge.. I even have the poxy college scarf and a tie somewhere..... lol

I remember the cool bookshops and little places in Camb... gorgeous town.

[Sugarlump]

Cambridge would be easiest to arrange accommodation and for eating out at reasonable cost. Transport easy as well.
We could have an IHD dinner (or lunch) at Bills then we could get Rich to take us punting!!!!     

[RichardMEL]

Me take you punting?! You have to watch your fluids.. and trust me with me at the helm (keel? whatever) you'd be in the drink for sure!! :p

[cassandra]

Would the last week of September in Cambridge be a good time/place?

[Sugarlump]

Good for me
Premier Inn near station has reasonable priced rooms.
Bus transport in and out of town easy to use.
Dinner at Bills? Punting with Richie?
Depends on numbers who want to stay over maybe able to get good deal at a boutique hotel
(Have various offers)

[RichardMEL]

Sorry folks.. would love to but it's too soon and since I have Vegas booked for a few weeks later, and another trip in November mostly planned I just can't fit the UK in.. but if you hold another one next year with more notice, like in April or Sep or whatever I will really make it a priority to organise to come.