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

[Sugarlump]

Its a goer!
I have booked Friday 25th and Saturday 26th nights at The Holiday Inn Express at Cambridge, booked a table at Bills for Saturday night at 7.30pm
I need to know numbers for the National Stud Tour at Newmarket (planned for Saturday morning) as have to book in advance.
Seeing when we can fit bus sightseeing tour in (punting planned for Sunday morning) so don't forget to bring your punting clothes (Panama hat? Or a wetsuit!!!!)
Looking forward to it 

[RichardMEL]

Count me in for all. I'm booking flights to get into the UK on 24th and leave on the 28th, so will train up to Cambridge on fri 25th woohooo!

[Poppylicious]

 

Count me in for all. I'm booking flights to get into the UK on 24th and leave on the 28th, so will train up to Cambridge on fri 25th woohooo!

Whoop!

Sugar, I won't join you for the National Stud Tour, but will definitely pop into Cambridge on the Friday afternoon/evening to meet you, and Blokey has agreed to come to Bill's on the Saturday night! Yay! He's not up for punting, but has said he'll make sure to drop me off so I can get tinto Cambridge via the Guided Busway ... the longest in the world! Ha ha ... on the Sunday.

 

[Sugarlump]

I reckon on Sunday morning we could combine the open topped bus tour of Cambridge with the punting.
As it stops at all  the right places! (£14 a head for the on off bus and goes every 20 minutes)

i am actually getting quite excited!!!

[RichardMEL]

I'm booked

I fly into Thiefrow Thursday morning 24th April (flying from Melbourne via Hong Kong and Helsinki - I scratched Doha lol) and I'm flying out Monday evening 28th April back home via Dubai.

I'm planning the Thursday night in London to get some London time in, and have a proper sleep (Finnair is not known for their comfort, even in Business Class ) and then intend to catch the train up from Liverpool Street on the Friday probably early afternoon (there seem to be trains at very regular intervals), but not too late to hit a peak. Prob around 1pm.

Then make my way to the hotel (unless some kind sugaery type person wants to pick me up ) and stay there Fri/Sat/Sun nights - head back to London/Heathrow on the Monday.

One way or another, I'm coming to the UK - woot!

[Sugarlump]

That "sugary" person only gets off dialysis about 12.30pm so we are more likely to appear about 3pm ish.... in time to miss the rush hour traffic, check into hotel and enjoy a drink in the bar.... (a small one) 
    

[KarenInWA]

Count one first-time-traveling-abroad-American to this group! I just booked my trip!!!  I'll be traveling with the crazy Aussie, so if anyone picks him up, you have to pick me up too..... 

KarenInWA

[RichardMEL]

Er well I was looking at a train arriving between 2 and 3 at Cambridge Railway Station - still 6 quid (or 12 in "First Class" lol) advance purchase from Liverpool St

[Sugarlump]

Er well I was looking at a train arriving between 2 and 3 at Cambridge Railway Station - still 6 quid (or 12 in "First Class" lol) advance purchase from Liverpool St

errr first class doesn't mean a lot on our trains!!!! 

[Sugarlump]

Count one first-time-traveling-abroad-American to this group! I just booked my trip!!!  I'll be traveling with the crazy Aussie, so if anyone picks him up, you have to pick me up too..... 

KarenInWA

 
Welcome to the party Karen  great to have another international member joining us.
 Hope you are ready for England's quaintness and having traveled to the US myself, how small everything is in comparison!!!

[RichardMEL]

Er well I was looking at a train arriving between 2 and 3 at Cambridge Railway Station - still 6 quid (or 12 in "First Class" lol) advance purchase from Liverpool St

errr first class doesn't mean a lot on our trains!!!! 

I know lol. more hoping for easier storage for suitcase hahahaa. and a slightly comfier seat.
besides everyone knows I go First :p (kidding)

[RichardMEL]

So all you UK folks who have expressed interest please show up or there might be more internationals than locals!!!! 

[Poppylicious]

Count one first-time-traveling-abroad-American to this group! I just booked my trip!!!  I'll be traveling with the crazy Aussie, so if anyone picks him up, you have to pick me up too..... 

KarenInWA

Okay, now I'm scared ...

 

So, at the weekend we were trying to think of dates to take my MiL out and we settled on the 25th. Blokey said that the date seemed familiar, did we already have something on? I checked my diary. Nope, we're good to go, I said.  Today we received an email from my BiL to say he'd booked the place we're going to. I thought nothing of it. I've just turned to him and told him why the date seemed familiar.

Why do I have a diary if I don't put things in it?!

It means I can't meet up with you on the Friday. I'm (we're) still up for the Saturday and I'm definitely coming on the Sunday. I am starting to get nervous because of my fear of social situations. Sugar, I may have to insist you meet me at some point beforehand, and I'm trying to think if I'll be down your way and may be just before Easter.  We should synchronise our diaries!

 

[RichardMEL]

Poppy *huggles* it's OK. we're harmless. Well I am... I think Sugar can get a bit feisty haha

the best thing about IHD meets I have been to (gee, 3 now plus a mini one in Sydney years back) is that everyone is so friendly and relaxed.

[Sugarlump]

Count one first-time-traveling-abroad-American to this group! I just booked my trip!!!  I'll be traveling with the crazy Aussie, so if anyone picks him up, you have to pick me up too..... 

KarenInWA

Okay, now I'm scared ...

 

So, at the weekend we were trying to think of dates to take my MiL out and we settled on the 25th. Blokey said that the date seemed familiar, did we already have something on? I checked my diary. Nope, we're good to go, I said.  Today we received an email from my BiL to say he'd booked the place we're going to. I thought nothing of it. I've just turned to him and told him why the date seemed familiar.

Why do I have a diary if I don't put things in it?!

It means I can't meet up with you on the Friday. I'm (we're) still up for the Saturday and I'm definitely coming on the Sunday. I am starting to get nervous because of my fear of social situations. Sugar, I may have to insist you meet me at some point beforehand, and I'm trying to think if I'll be down your way and may be just before Easter.  We should synchronise our diaries!

 

Don't be nervous Poppy
I am kinda normal, friendly chatty (feisty indeed!!!!)
More than happy to meet up for a coffee beforehand so you know someone if it helps 

[RichardMEL]

OK so I have booked at that HI Express for Apr 25-28

can't wait to get over there

[Iona]

  Woah!

You're all coming to Cambridge? 
(I'd invite you all round for tea but we live in a wee Georgian house and you'd get up, close and personal very quickly!)

Cariad pointed me in this direction and I cannae believe you are coming all the way over here - you are an amazing support group! And Sugarlump - you're a near local.

I would love to meet you all...perhaps I can be useful to Sugarlump in some way as I live in the city centre. I might be able to organise cheaper punts for you as I have a kind friend who helps run the punts (not scudamore's but they still give you cushions! BUT you'd need several willing volunteers to punt?

If at all possible I would like to meet you - even for just one of your events.

[Sugarlump]

Hi Iona You are more than welcome to join in with our event...the more the merrier!!! 
Bills Restaurant on Saturday night at 7.30pm?
I'll let you know about the punting as i think we'd need a large guided punt and the hotel offers a discount with Scudamores. or a combo ticket with the hop on/hop off bus.. but keep me posted.
All Cambridge info gratefully received.

Friday late afternoon/evening we will be found in the bar of The Holiday Inn Express deciding where to eat probably!!!

I am indeed local-ish to you an hour to the south-east (just before you hit the sea!!!)

[cariad]

Iona, please do come meet us! I've been to the annual meet in Vegas once and it's quite amazing how quickly everyone feels like old friends. And you cannot have too many of those! Most of us have never met before, either, so it will be an adventure.

I finally contacted a cottage owner in Cambridgeshire, just waiting on a reply. If that isn't available then I think we'll stay at the hotel with everyone else. Rest of the self-catering places are either too expensive or require minimum stays that are too long for us. Did I read there are two Holiday Inn Express in Cambridge?

Punting, is that different to crew? The four of us would be in for that, the boys would be happy to row (or whatever you call it in that sport, 'to punt' I should think) but no promises that we'd go forward or even stay afloat.  Crew always woke up too early for me at prep school so I never joined, please tell me that punting for tourists occurs during reasonable hours.

We will also be at Bills. Everything else I'll have to see how we go. I have promised to buy Dyl a pair of proper inline skates (he's using my 100-year-old ones at the moment) and there appears to be a friendly, well-stocked skate shop in town centre, so I've promised him a trip there, probably Saturday. Forget what it's called.... Iona? Any idea what I'm talking about?

Very exciting indeed, and cannot believe Karen's joining us! The Americans may outnumber the English!

THERE IS NO ESCAPING US!!! BWAH-HAHAHAHAHA!

[Sugarlump]

The Holiday Inn Express, Normans Way, Camb about 2m east of station is the one we're booked into.
They have free parking there.

As for the punting, since Richard declined to punt us around I had looked into a guided punt (they seat up to 12 people and have cushions and umbrellas.
Good way to see the backs of the colleges from the river. A very english thing to do!!!! Hats optional  but the boys could probably have a separate rowing boat or punt if they wanted.

[RichardMEL]

Iona!! Yes please come!!! It will be great to have more people there - the more friends to meet and hear all about!!!!

Hey, I never said I wouldn't go punting... you just wouldn't want me standing on the back tying to steer the thing. Wait is that punting or doing the gondola thing?! Either way I'd be useless!!!

Apart from meeting everyone and enjoying Bills, the punt etc, I'm so excited to return to a city I did spend some weeks in just over 25 years ago as a "student"  - I adore Cambridge (Go the Blues!) and it will be lovely to come back. We slept out all night by Kings' for the carols, and cycled the streets at 2am after being kicked out the pub... such memories!!!

And *so* England. I love it.

I can't wait to see Cariad and Glyn too of the most loveliest people I know, and meet sugar FINALLY after so many years, and everyone else.

yay!!

[Sugarlump]

I decided it would be safer to have someone who knew what they are doing on a punt!!! 
It will amazing to finally meet people I have known for years, particularly Rich (all the way from Australia)
and Poppy (a near neighbour yet we've never met!!! and to put faces to names of Cariad, Karen and co...
I am sure i have missed someone off this list ... Anyone else who wants to come please shout now and
Iona please come along too.

[Sugarlump]

Cassandra!!!! I hadn't forgotten you! 
Are you still coming?
Which activities would you like to join in with?

We have (loosely arranged)
Meet and greet Friday 25th 4-6pm in The Holiday Inn Express Bar ( and eat somewhere afters if hungry!!!)
Sat am Tour of National Stud (Newmarket)  evening: Bills Restaurant for dinner 7.30pm
Sun am Hop on hop off sightseeing tour/Punting along The Backs

And plenty of time for wandering around town or shopping 

[cassandra]

    yeah still coming   

We booked the Saturday night in HI, so in time for Bill's, and the sightseeing bus, and the times in between.

Can't wait to meet you all.   


      

[Sugarlump]

Wonderful!!! That makes 12 for Bills.
If I have missed you off my list, please shout loudly!

Sugar and Drew
Rich
Cariad, Hubby and her 2 boys
Poppy and Blokey
Cassandra and hubby
Karen

Apologies for not knowing hubbys names!!!You'll have to fill me in...

And 12 for punting? (on/off sightseeing bus optional) (Sunday morning)
I have just Rich (as well as me and Drew) currently for National Stud tour. (Saturday morning)

And Friday night meet and greet at the HI will be informal...all welcome.