Meeting up in London/other places in the UK

A couple of people living in other countries have mentioned that they might be visiting London at some point this year. Surprisingly, the only LT person I've managed to meet so far in person is Darryl - this does seem strange given how many of us who live/work in or near London there are here.

I'm Luci, and I live and work in London, and might be able to take some time off work for a meet up - either a day or an afternoon. My leave year runs from/to the end of May and I have a few days left before then. Because of very young children, weekday day time would probably be best for me, evenings are a bit harder, weekend meet ups maybe around park visits and food with kids in tow, but bookshopping opportunities would be more limited in timing and range.

I'd be open to doing something in central London or venturing to an area with, say, good charity shops and cafes.

This summer, I hope to get to some of the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Festival Harrogate in July - it should be slightly easier with the kids, though this is dependent on lots of things at the moment.

At the moment this thread can be for any planned London meet ups (or others in the UK, even?) and if needed, we can have a more specific thread for more concrete plans.

Hi folks,
Well, I've lived in London twice (as a kid and as an adult) and until recently have managed a trip at least once a year (more if weddings, etc. were involved). But I haven't been since spring 2007! Now there's a decent chance I'll be going to Oxford at the end of March for a big philanthropy fest, and if so would definitely spend a few days in London, probably immediately before or after. Not sure when, it would depend on what kinds of reporting projects surround this event, but the event itself will keep me in Oxford from March 29 until April 2.
Will post updates here when it's clearer whether I'm going and when. If this time frame doesn't click, I'm not sure what will. Had planned to go in early June, but now there's going to be a conflict with the release of the paperback edition of my book, so...

I added a link to this thread on he group wiki so folks can find it!

I would gladly meet up if only I lived anywhere near the UK :)

Luci, thanks for setting up the thread. I'd be up for any London meets, big or small, any time (hospital thingies depending). Also happy to help arrange things a bit as plans get more definite.

Hallo! Thanks for setting up the thread Luci (& Jim for linking it)!

Well, I'm a Cambridge person, so can get down to London pretty easily, but I'm afraid I can only really do evenings or weekends unless I take a day off... Central/North London is best for me, but I don't really mind where.

Spring is pretty busy for me this year, as is summer usually, although I'm not too booked up beyond mid July yet. I'm also mostly free in early April.

I'd love to meet up if the dates and times work out. London is quite a trek for me, and so at the moment evenings are out because I can't justify an overnight trip. Saturdays are generally okay, and as things stand at the moment weekdays should be okay with a reasonable amount of notice. There will be occasional weeks I can't do, but I don't know which they are yet.

Caty, I'd go to Devon. Especially if I could head down to Cornwall, too... *idly dreaming of dream trip*

I'd also love to meet up if possible - but it will take some co-ordinating! Like Caty, it's quite a trek for me to London, but there are fast trains so a day trip is possible. Weekdays are easier than weekends for me (though Saturdays are sometimes ok) - with enough notice I can arrange my diary/swap day off etc to find free time during the week, though there are some things that can't be moved.

Oxford would also be a fun place to meet (and somewhere I could stay with friends thus manage an overnight trip). And Devon would be lovely too, though a wee bit further from the North East! Maybe if it was combined with summer holiday and visiting my Dad in Somerset...

I think Cushla mentioned a possible visit at some point to London too, didn't she? It may not be possible for everyone to visit at the same time - so we may be looking at a couple of different occasions, at different times of the year and of the week to suit different people maybe...

I'm definitely coming over and I have even narrowed it down to either June 8-12 (give or take a day, depending on cost of flights) or earlier: May 25-29. I should know within the next couple of weeks... it depends on my husband's work travel and family visiting from NZ. I am really excited already at the prospect of meeting up!!

OK, so sounds like weekdays are better for most people, in which case I could probably take a day/afternoon off.

Oxford's OK for me too, although the parking is pretty difficult and the train takes a bit too long for a day trip, but maybe I could tie it in with a Bristol visit...

Cornwall I love, but it takes about 6hrs to get to the top...

I'd love to visit Oxford but Cambridge is easier for me to get to as there are trains from near home.

Well, Cambridge would be ultra easy for me of course ;o)

I work slap bang in the middle of central London, so I can easily fit in meeting up at lunch, evenings or weekends. I'd love to meet you all.

London would be easy for me as well.....I'd only have to change trains at Cambridge, or could drive down! At the moment I have a fair amount of time free, but who knows when that might change.

Would love to meet up with people! I am in Cambridge so as mentioned above I can get to London fairly easily. However during term time I can only do weekends but if it is in holiday time I will be there!

I'll almost certainly return to London at least once this year, probably in September.

I'm definitely interested and could do London, Cambridge, Oxford and possibly places further afield too.

I have quite a bit of leave to take from work this year so with enough warning I could probably do weekdays/evenings or weekends.

Hello! Thanks Fliss for pointing this thread out. I'm definitely up for a UK-ish meetup. I'm in London for work every Tuesday and most Thursdays, so those evenings would work well for me, otherwise Cambridge is great.... Don't have a lot of leave to spare, alas, so further afield and/or lengthy outings in the middle of the day might not work for me.

Sounds like dates that there are non-UK people around, so far, are:

29 March - 2 April: Suzanne (Chatterbox) - Oxford
8-12 June OR 25-29 May (tbc): Cushla (cmt) - ?
September (tbc): Darryl (kidzdoc)

BTW, there are at least two Club Read members who live in London, wandering_star and charbutton. They might also be interested in an LT get together.

When we have anything more like a plan, perhaps we can post on ClubRead or on pages of members. Is Wandering Star not here this year? She was last year - I know the name from the TIOLI wiki. Both of them are interested in a lot of the same books as me.

I'll be in London as well as Oxford, assuming the trip happens as planned. There's a tiny chance that I'll be going on to the Middle East, but only a tiny one. Certainly, I could get to Cambridge from London for a daytime meeting -- lunch, afternoon tea plus some bookshops!

Should we do a Doodle poll or something? Are people generally free around the same time as the non-UK people are around?

If visitors to the UK have the time for more than one brief meet up, of course, it may be possible to see meet different people for lunch/teatime/ bookshopping, or even depending on timing, book events of some kind (eg some London bookshops do have quite a few events - my local bookshop in has lots of stuff I'd like to get to - it's not in the centre but is only a few minutes away by tube - between Turnpike Lane and Wood Green, www.biggreenbookshop.com

Huh, my sister used to live very near there!

#23 What's a Doodle poll?

An easy way to poll/organise lots of people in different places at once ;o)

I guessed it might be something like that - but had not come across the term before. Thanks for link!

Another idea could be to create a bookshop walking itinerary (I am thinking British Library to British Museum, and maybe a second one from there down Charing X Rd and crossing to the South Bank), with shops and cafes marked. Depending on the number of people, either individuals or groups could use it, maybe with agreed times to meet for coffees/lunches/museums, so people could decide for themselves how much time to spend in each book store.

#29 That sounds good - though the first challenge is going to be finding the right date/dates.

This thread seems to have dropped off radar, so I'm bringing it back to life.

How about a preliminary effort at a London meet up when Suzanne (Chatterbox) is in town (some of 29th March - 2nd April), assuming that is still going ahead and she's not going to the Middle East?!

...Also assuming you're not all booked up yet Suzanne? When're you free and in London?

I've booked my London tickets and am very excited. I arrive on Thursday May 19th, and Monday's my last day there (I leave early on Tuesday morning).

Does Friday May 20th work for a meet up?

That should be fine for me, but of course I am not in control of my life at the moment.......

Should also be fine for me. I'll make sure I book that day off work. How exciting!

I can probably take time off work, but will plan it closer to the time.

Yay!! Janet, I really hope you are well then and we are all germ-free. I am excited already.

I'll be staying in Kent the first night now (to see good friends from NZ who live down there) and will need to drop my luggage off at my hotel when I get back to London Friday mid-morning, so probably the earliest time I can meet up will be around 11 or 12 (but you could all start earlier!) Anyway, no need to plan yet, I'm just thinking out loud here.

Oooh, where in Kent (it's where my Dad is from)?

...afraid the 20th will be no good for me as I'm flying back from a conference in Helsinki that day (and won't get in 'till very late)... But you should all go ahead and I'll try to make the next one ;o)

Fliss, East Malling, so about an hour on the train. It's a lovely part of the country! Went there last May too.
Bummer about the 20th, but it sounds like there will be quite a few LT meetups in London this year.

I'm unlikely to be able to make 20 May, but it'll be April before I can say for sure. We'll see...

Depending on where and when I'd love to be able to join in either at lunch or after work!

I'll keep that in mind! I could celebrate my mom's bday by meeting you? LOL

that works for me :)

I'm still wondering whether I can make it on 20th... I will need to fix up somewhere to stay on Thursday and Friday nights if I do - possibly withh friends in Essex where I used to live a few years back. I'm meant to be in Sheffield for Saturday/Sunday on a rare weekend off, so this could mean a complicated multi-leg train journey to make it work.

Anybody want to volunteer to fly me to England so that I can meet up too? (dead silence) Rats :)

LOL Stasia, are you signed up with travelocity or something like that? Fares in Jan/Feb are often ridiculously low (~$200 RT)

But it is not January or February, Susan! (and no, I am not signed up with Travelocity - I never go anywhere)

not Joplin, not NY, not PA ;->

#38 Hmmm, I don't know East Malling, but that part of Kent is lovely, isn't it - my Dad's family are from Sevenoaks/Tonbridge, which is not far. It's an odd county - I've got a mate who lives not that far away in Rochester (of Dickens/Edwin Drood fame), which is mostly a pretty town, but is surrounded by a lot of ugliness - the drive between Granny and Rochester is nice though!

Yep, sorry to miss you all in May, but I reckon we should try to arrange a summer time meet up too - anyone else over in the UK in that time? ;o)

...I've also, quite randomly and at the last minute, booked a couple of tickets for myself at the Hay-on-Wye Literary festival this year (it was seeing Simon Russell Beale talking with Rowan Williams about Shakespeare that did it, although also looking forward to Patrick Ness vs David Almond, hee hee) - anyone else got Hay plans?

#46: That was another Stasia, I am sure :)

>43 alcottacre: Stasia, I wish I could fly over, too!

#49: Maybe if we get enough people together, we could commission a ship, submarine, rubber raft?

oh, you don't do air? I hate, despise, loathe flying.

If I could figure out a way to drive across the Atlantic I would, Susan!

Bumping this message up again and wondering who is still up for some kind of London meet up on Friday 20th May, as the date draws near...

I should probably have booked trains ages ago to get a cheaper deal, but things got complicated, and my original plan of travelling down on Thursday night and staying with friends in Essex is now no longer possible, but I am definitely going to be in Sheffield for Saturday/Sunday, and could still possibly begin the long weekend away with a trip to London first, if I can get the train connections to work...

Off to look at The Trainline site again.

Genny, I was going to bump this up today too because it's coming up! It would be lovely to meet you if the trains work out and aren't too dear.

Ygraine, Janet, Heather and Luci, are you still keen too? Janet, I suspect you won't know till very close to the date.

I am available any time between 11 and 5ish on Friday the 20th (and wherever you recommend!). I'm catching up with my cousins for dinner that night so need to get back to my hotel to check in then over to Clapham by 6.30.

I'm sorry I'm so constrained and know that those times are going to be useless for those of you who are working, but I am jammed (in a good way) with about 8 batches of NZ friends and cousins who're now in London or nearby for the 4 days I'm there and who I won't get to see for a long time.

Having looked again at the train times and costs, I think I could manage it travelling down on Friday morning, and on to Sheffield in the evening. It would give me 6 hours of reading time on the train to and from London on Friday, and I think I could afford it as long as I restrained the impulse to buy more books on top of the cost of the train!

I could be at Kings Cross by as early as 10 (if I get up very early) or by as late as 12, depending on which train I get, so a lunchtime meet up somewhere would be good. Any suggestions?

I can do that - I can take either the day or the afternoon off but think I might just go for the full day depending on whatever time we meet up - I have two days to take by 25 May when my leave year ends.

Kings Cross would work well for me.

Where is your hotel, Cushla?

Just one word of caution - there is industrial action planned on the tube that week (during varying shifts Monday-Friday). I can get to Kings Cross by other means, and it won't affect you Genny, but it might hit Cushla and restrict our running around. Are people ok with walking a little way to get to places?

1. There are several bargain and secondhand shops near Kings Cross - on Euston Road and Marchmont Street - and one in the Brunswick Centre but I think that one's expensive - options then are:

2. Walk 15-20 mins to Persephone books

3. Tube/bus to Leicester square, one good bargain shop, one secondhand, Foyles (new books), walking distance to biggest Waterstones near Piccadilly

4. Oxfam bookshop on Bloomsbury Street (and SWP leftie bookshop with an interesting secondhand section opposite).

5. We could also look up Flossie T's shop in Bloomsbury - I know you don't work Fridays Rachael - I've never been there and would like to visit, I know it's Darryl's favourite haunt

6. Further afield, Notting Hill Book exchange

Anyone planning to come is free to add further ideas, and I would suggest we choose a combination of 2 or 3, depending on how far we're venturing from say, Kings Cross.

Of course we need lunch, there are lots of cafes in Bloomsbury, my favourite and one of the most reasonably priced is actually on the Somerstown side of Euston Road just before Euston, walking from Kings Cross, and we could go there before we start. Just don't slag off the strikers too loudly, it's near the RMT union's head office and a lot of them eat there,

I am still hoping to join in, and that area is good for me, if I am still in the hospital. Might be a case of I could meet you briefly or possibly for lunch, if I feel able to walk that far (right now I can't, but it's nearly 2 more weeks so I might) just to say hello.... let's see how it goes.

But if I am home, it will be harder, because I'm not allowed to use public transport, strike or no strike.

Luci that sounds fantastic! I am in your capable hands.

My hotel's in Pimlico but on the Thursday night I'll be staying in Kent and on Friday morning taking the train into Victoria Station. I'm going to leave my bag there. I'm a good walker - if I have to walk to King's Cross I can. I think the tube strike is meant to be over by 9 am that morning but I'll check again. If it's not, do the buses go, or do they tend to be so full that it's impossible to do anything but walk?

I'd love to go to Persephone Books - I don't own any of them yet but have ogled them on the website, Foyles or Waterstones, a good secondhand one, and FlossieT's (that's the LRB one, right?). Are they mostly open on Sundays? I think I'm going to be near-ish Notting Hill on Sunday morning. I also want to go to the LSE bookshop but can do that on my own (I can't remember where it is.)

Buses will run, and lots of buses start from Victoria which is very near Pimlico, and if you can get to the start of a bus route that should work if that's necessary. The 24 from Victoria comes up through Bloomsbury although Euston Square rather than Kings Cross

Janet, if you can make it we could all arrange to meet near your hospital to go for lunch and then head off for bookshopping. I think the 24 might stop quite near there, in fact! And if the tube's fine Cushla, you can come to Euston if that's the plan. Genny, Euston station is less than 10 minutes walk from Kings Cross, past the British Library - they're both on Euston Road.

There's also an interesting discounted new books, mostly literary fiction, children's books etc on Lambs Conduit Street a couple of minutes walk from Persephone, so maybe after lunch we can go to that street first and work our way west/south towards other attractions chosen. I think the LSE bookshop is not a million miles away but I can't remember exactly where. If it fits in better with our eventual itinerary, the Gower Street Waterstones might be a good alternative to the Piccadilly Waterstones, given its location it would serve as the University of London bookshop so should have good academic stock, if you want to go there and check out business/finance books, and we could head there after Persephone/Lambs Conduit Street.

I think the Book Exchange opens at about 10 am on Sunday, but I've never tried to go there that time of day. I think the LSE bookshop is somewhere in the area we're talking about.

I am beyond excited!!

The LSE bookshop is between Holborn and Chancery Lane, but the Gower St Waterstones sounds fine. And I can easily fit one of them in on Sunday or Monday between seeing other friends. So we can just see how we go.

That's great about the buses.

right, 2 kids to get to bed here. I am going to pack an extra suitcase!

it's not going to work for me this time -- busy getting ready for a move. A la prochaine? hope so!

Oh yes, I'd also been meaning to come and find this thread. I've got the whole day off work and I'll be coming into Euston train station so meeting around that area will be perfect.

Any and all of the bookshops mentioned sound good to me although I'm especially excited about visiting the Persephone bookshop :-)

Janet, it would be lovely to see you if you feel up to it but you getting better is more important.

Now, how many bags should I bring to carry all the books...

These plans sound very exciting - although I reckon I'll easily double the cost of the trip by the time we've visited all those bookshops!

I'm happy to walk as required, and to be guided by Luci's vastly superior knowledge of all the bookshops in the vicinity. I'm sure there will be cafés nearby for when we need to give our feet a rest...

Janet, it would be really good if you could join us, but it sounds as if that depends on your being still in hospital, and perhaps we should rather be hoping that you'll be better enough to be back home by then even if it means we miss out on seeing you this time.
edited to add: Heather beat me to it, saying the same thing more briefly! Great that you can make it too, Heather.

Ticket bought, I'm committed now! (Arriving KC 10.40 am).

How did I miss this, I can't get the day off work or I would come. Sounds like you are all going to have a fun day.

65: Ooh, exciting!

66: Sorry about that, it would have been nice to meet you. Hopefully we'll do it all again some time.

I'd love to meet up. King's Cross is a bit far for me to go there and come back in an hour, but I can happily make the Persephone bookshop in my lunch (thus speaks the voice of experience!). My lunch hour isn't set, so if you let me know when you're likely to be at the shop I can come and join you. This is very exciting!

I want to see lots of pictures posted, ladies!

Thanks, guys. Don't plan around me at all, and at the last minute I'll see what's possible. I'm thinking I'll still be in, but nearly ready to go home, so possibly have enough energy to come out with you!

68: If we exchange phone numbers for UK mobiles, I'll let you know what time we're meeting up and then we can call to confirm when setting off for Persephone, as it's about a 15-20 minute walk to get there.

Anyone interested in the Stoke Newington Literature Festival at the beginning of June (3-5 June)? I can't possibly go to all the things I want to go to, but this sounds really fun. It's just down the road from me.

http://www.stokenewingtonliteraryfestival.com/

Stoke Newington Literature Festival?! It's down the road from my cousins (and around both of their birthdays), so I may well!

Sorry I can't be around next Friday to meet you all, but I hope you have a lovely time!

Let me know if you do, Fliss. Sorry you can't make it too, but hopefully another occasion...

I'm disappointed to be missing this, too. :(

But I hope you all have a fantastic time and I'm looking forward to the pictures. :)

Mustn't forget my camera. Actually I mostly use the one on my phone these days for snaps, so I should have that with me...

Rubbish - I should have been organised and checked this thread sooner. There is no way I can get down to London and back and still be home to do my horse at 5pmish and it's too late to get someone else to do so!

Hope you have a fabulous time, and I shall definitely try to be there for a next one :)

Sorry Jenn. I didn't want to hassle people who couldn't or didn't want to come for whatever reason, but maybe I should have made more effort to let everyone know just in case.

Hi. Is there an itinerary yet? I will still be in the hospital, although going home that evening :) Depending where you stop for lunch, I might be able to manage. Luci, are you still planning lunch at the cafe near Euston you mentioned, and what/where exactly is it? I could practice walking that far tomorrow! Because the options at the top end of Tottenham Court Road, which I can reach easily, are honestly not that fantastic, unless you know of something?

Hi Janet! Glad to hear that you are going home soon, but that we may still get the chance to meet up with you at lunchtime. We are in process of finalising meet up time and place for earlier in the day. After that, as far as I'm concerned we are in the hands of those who know their way around better than I do - perhaps Luci is the best one to advise re when/where we might be lunching.

I was actually thinking of starting off with an early lunch or even brunch/ breakfast at my favourite cafe - it is on Chalton Street, a short way from Euston Road on the side further away from Euston, and has an Italian name which I think begins with A and ends with is. They sell a wide variety of sandwiches and toasties and freshly squeezed orange juice, tea and coffee. I used to go there every day but now I take in sandwiches and usually just go there with my mum.

I'm really excited now - I leave Switzerland tomorrow morning and can't wait to get to England.

Does it make sense to meet at Euston at 11 then? Heather, what time are you arriving? I don't know the station at all, except from Monopoly, so tell me exactly where...It's good that the tube strike is off.

I'll be getting an early train up from Kent in the morning and should be in London by 8.30 or at the latest 9.30.

Janet, it's fantastic that you are going home Friday night and you can probably come for lunch!

I am just a little envious... going to London, meeting LTers, buying books... I wish you a great long weekend Cushla and a happy meet-up to everyone!!!

Euston at 11, early lunch or brunch on Chalton Street?

Great! Is there a bookshop at Euston station we can meet at - Smiths or something?

Great. I will try to walk that far today and see how I go. Otherwise, I can wave out my window as you walk past the hospital if you go that way afterwards! If you find the name/address please let me know.

11am will be fine for me. Very excited abou this, it will be my first day of two weeks of annual leave from work - yippee!

Euston has two WHSmiths (I have no idea why).

There's a station map here. Shall we meet at WHSmith near the way out?

#87 Yes it's very exciting. Start of a whole weekend off for me, which is also a rare treat!

WHSmiths by the way out sounds good.

I've just remembered and looked it up - Albertinis at 20 Chalton Street - and it's apparently an Albanian-run Italian cafe! Which figures in London.

http://www.allinlondon.co.uk/reviews/review.php?ail=47021

There's even a pic here:

http://www.kxldn.co.uk/albertini.html

Darryl and I went there on his last visit to London.

>89 elkiedee:: Right; and the food was good!

I wish I could be there with all of you. Have a great time!

Okay I will try tomorrow and see if I can walk that far (I know, I know, it seems pathetic that I can't, but I have just spent the better part of 2 months in bed so.....) and let you know. It's a big incentive!

Janet, it doesn't seem pathetic at all and if you can't walk there we will walk to nearer you!!

Luci, it sounds great. I can't wait for some decent coffee!

All sounds excellent. See you soon. Lots of work to get finished off tomorrow (and a book group to attend) before I catch my early train on Friday...

Excellent, I'll send you my number Luci and if you could text me when you're headed off to Persephone that would be perfect. Looking forward to meeting you all!

I've got your message, please could you message Heather (souloftherose) and Genny too? I plan to sort out my phone numbers today but I really don't know how to use my phone, and it's very hit and miss me doing anything with it, so I'd like to have backup.

Will do!

I hope you all have a wonderful time! I wish I could join you and might have to console myself with a bit of Persephone online shopping to make up for not being able to!

I'm in Ye Olde Englande safely!! See you tomorrow. Soupdragon, we will have to compare Persephone splurges...

Ok, gang, I tried my best, but Chalton street is just a bridge too far. So, because there really isn't anywhere nice to eat right near me, I have two thoughts, which I guess involve a slight detour on your route after you eat, but not a massive one:

1. Coffee stop (maybe instead of having it with you lunch) at the Grafton cafe, right next to the Grafton hotel at the top of Tottenham Court Road, across from the hospital. I could do that easily.

2. Just stop in the lobby of the hospital and I will come down and at least say hello! I really do want to meet Cushla in particular (not being rude to the others), as I guess I won't get another chance, realistically, unless I get to NZ one day.

I am going to PM my mobile to Luci and Genny, so if one of you just texts me in the morning when you have all had a chance to decide if either of these options works, that would be great. I will certainly understand if you can't do it at all, since your itinerary will probably be pretty tight.

In any event, have a fantastic time.

#99 Either of those options sound good to me Janet. Off to make sure I have everyone's mobile numbers in my phone...

I'm sure we can do that. Maybe we'll come down to the Grafton cafe instead of Chalton Street. I'd really like to meet you and while I know you live near me and the hospital is even nearer where I work, this seems like a chance not to miss for all 5 of us to meet even briefly. Then we can head off to Persephone and try to meet Katie (ygraine).

I'm incredibly jealous that I'm going to miss this wonderful meet-up in one of my favorite cities, but I'm incredibly happy for all of you. Have fun...and take lots of pictures for posting!

Janet a coffee stop at the Grafton cafe sounds great. I'm going to PM you my mobile number now too.

Luci and Genny and Heather, I'm tall with glasses, jeans, and a navy shirt with little blue flowers on it!

*tapping toes* Pictures???

There's one on my thread...

Genny'd picture here of Luci (elkiedee), me, Cushla (cushlareads) and Genny (gennyt) at one of many coffee stops. Actually it was quite warm and the books were quite heavy so I think we were all drinking cold drinks



We had some brunch with Janet (janetinlondon) then went on to the Persephone bookshop (pictured below) where we met Katie (ygraine) and loaded ourselves up with books and then popped along to The Lamb Bookshop in the same street which specialises in quality discount books.



After that Katie needed to head back to work and we needed further refreshment and went to the coffee shop pictured above. Then we went to the London Review Bookshop which has an amazing non-fiction as well as fiction selection. Then we went to an Oxfam bookshop where Cushla had to leave us to get back to her hotel and finally Luci, Genny and I collapsed in yet another cafe before saying goodbye and heading home.

My personal bookhaul:

Persephones: Miss Buncle's Book, Miss Buncle Married by D. E. Stevenson and Good Evening, Mrs Craven by Mollie Panter-Downes
The Lamb Bookshop: Summer Moonshine and A Damsel in Distress by P. G. Wodehouse for £2 each and Rubicon by Tom Holland
London Review Bookshop: A very nice copy of Collected Later Poems, 1988-2000 by R. S. Thomas for my husband's birthday this week which I thought was out of print
Oxfam bookshop: Treason's Harbour, The Nutmeg of Consolation and The Wine-Dark Sea by Patrick O'Brian for my husband again.

ETA: And it was absolutely wonderful to meet everyone :-)

Sounds like you had a wonderful time together! I am jealous :)

If you let Jeremy know, he'll probably write up a blog entry on your meet up like he did for our DC event!

This is a great group picture, and that Persephone bookshop looks so inviting. Sounds like a wonderful day!

Some more photos:





In the first cafe: Luci, Cushla, Heather and Janet.

And some more:




Outside Persephone Books, Lambs Conduit Street - Heather, Katie, Cushla, Luci.

And some more:



Outside The Lamb Bookshop, further up the same street - evidence of previous shopping already visible!

That's my lot for photos. I think Cushla took some more...

Nice bags, and great pictures, thanks for posting them!

That second picture in No. 111 reminds me of the little bridesmaid covering her ears at the royal wedding! (I realize you're on the phone, Heather, but a first quick look....you know!)

Great pix! Thanks so much for posting.
>115 laytonwoman3rd:: LOL!

Wonderful pictures, thank you for sharing :)

I love the pictures! And I must say, the shopping bags look delightfully full!

How great! I'm vibrating with envy that y'all got to go to Persephone!

I really enjoyed meeting you all. It's so nice to put some faces to names now. Definitely an excellent use of my lunch hour!

The pictures are worth the wait. So glad to see everyone with their shopping bags full of books!

Wonderful! WONDERFUL!! WONDERFUL!!! I won't even be envious because you all look so happy and because I'm enjoying the pictures so much. You had a great day, and we get to see what you look like...I'm thrilled to have faces to put with names and opinions. Thank you!

Love the photos! Glad you all had such a good time.

#115 :-) That was me trying to take a call from work and get out of the photo whilst doing so. I felt very rude because we'd just met up with Katie and I hadn't had a chance to say hello yet.

I do like the photo of us all with our Persephone hauls and Persephone bags.

Thanks for the pics, guys! Makes me miss London even more, but in a good way.

#124 And that was me trying to make sure you were in the picture even though you were on the phone (not your fault work called you when you were on leave), as I didn't want to miss anyone for the record!

The haul of bags and books is certainly very satisfying to see...

Edited to add: Now experiencing strange new features that have appeared re previewing editing, replying to posts... New changes to get used to!!

Great photos, it looks like you had a fantastic day out.

Love the pictures! :)

I love the pictures--I am so envious. I wish I could get back to London sometime. I lived there in the late 60's. I'm sure it's very changed.

Great to see the pics and even better to meet you all - I'm at the airport coming home. I had such a fantastic time and have bought far, far too many books (I had to get a suitcase from friends...list coming later on.) All the bookshops were great but the London Review Bookshop was my undoing, and Foyle's on Saturday was also lovely. Thank you Luci for organising us and being the tour guide!

Haha, wow. I look forward to seeing the complete guilty list of books you ended up with, Cushla. It was lovely to meet you.

I love seeing all these pics. You all look like you had such a good time.

Ahhhh, lovely pictures - sad that I couldn't make it. There will have to be another meet up later in the year!

#133 Definitely.

Great pictures! Thanks for posting them.

I'm looking forward to a trans-Atlantic meetup one day....

Oh, wouldn't that be cool? I love the idea of a trans-Atlantic meetup!

Do we hire a boat and sit in the middle of the Atlantic? Or perhaps we could all meet in Iceland, when the volcanoes have calmed down again...

I would love to visit Iceland, although I must say that the idea of a ship stopped in the middle of the Atlantic with nothing but 75ers and books aboard has its own charm :)

#138 As long as the weather stayed calm!

True!

And the boat didn't sink under the weight of all that reading material.

That's a point! Perhaps a boat with a large library of all the books we're likely to read in common, so at least we don't weigh it down with lots of duplicates.

What wonderful photos! What wonderful people! These meet ups are special indeed.

It was a special day indeed. Just a shame that it was limited to one side of the Atlantic!

I've just booked my ticket for The Phenomenal Charles Dickens, a talk by Claire Tomalin and John Bowen at the British Library on Friday 2nd December and was wondering if anyone would be around and/or like to come?

Ooh, that's enough notice for me to at least think about it - though it's an expensive day out! But if others were coming, and we could make a day of it, perhaps...

I'm quite tempted though perhaps just for the talk - it's just over the road from work and I've used up quite a bit of leave. Though I could just take a half day. And I might have some books you can take off my hands... (free books don't count!)

At the moment I'm just planning to come into London for the talk in the evening although I think I have a bit of holiday left and could maybe spend the afternoon in London. It is a long way to come for those further afield - we'll have to do something less London-centric next year to make up for it. (Hay-on-Wye, Hay-on-Wye, Hay-on-Wye)

I've suddenly realised that reasonable work hours mean I can go to things like this in London whereas before I would never have been able to guarantee that I would be able to get away in time.

Wishing I could join you, but still don't dare plan ahead. Sigh. Maybe another time.

#148 Hay on Wye would be further for me to come, though the train could be cheaper than to London, if I caught the cheap ones at the right time! I'm still not sure if I can justify the cost of a train journey and probably an overnight in London - though it just occurs to me that my god-daughter is about to start studying English at UCL and might have access to a guest room... It would be nice to visit her too and see how she is getting on in Bloomsbury.

#145 That sounds intriguing Heather - and I am currently free then (and it being at the British Library, so near Kings X is a definite bonus for not having to leave work tooooo early). I'll ponder on it!

#150 Genny, definitely time to check out your god daughter's digs!

Genny, when Dave was studying at Imperial the guest room in his halls in the heart of South Ken was £25 a night, so it's definitely worth investigating.