We are in Japan at the moment but have heard from Eileen that there are rail strikes planned for April 1st. Under the circumstances we feel that it would be better to postpone the event. Once we are home, we will organise an alternative date with Peter and Eileen.
In conjunction with Eileen and Kathryn’s Dad, we have booked the balcony area of the Pitcher and Piano pub (a former chapel) on High Pavement, Nottingham from 11am till 5pm on Saturday 1st April for an East Midlands S & B. It is the same venue as the previous Nottingham S & B a few years back – it seemed to go down well then. We are not organising food – folk can order from the normal menu – a good choice of pub classics.
The venue is on the edge of the Lacemarket area, a short walk or tram ride from the train station (or National Express bus station) and there are several hotels in the vicinity for anyone needing to stop over before or after.
As before, there will be a short walking tour of the City centre for anyone who might be interested. This will start at the train station and finish at the Pitcher & Piano.
Please let us know by ‘commenting’ below if you are able to join us, and if you would like to join in the walking tour.
We hope to see you there.
Sounds good, but is it dog friendly? If so Cath and I will do our best to attend but not sure about the tour
Thanks Phil
I have another commitment that day, so sadly won’t be able to join you.
That’s a pity, Andrew – we’ll miss you.
Jenny and Charles are planning to come out of hiding and are looking forward to this.
Vicky would like to join with Charles and Jenny. This will be my first time, I’m looking forward to it!
That’s great news, Jenny and Charles – with Vicky as a bonus! 😉
Unfortunately, I have already agreed to be out walking that day but will try to join you on the evening if there is a plan for that.
Last time we moced to the Vat & Fiddle when the P&P started getting too noisy, but Nottingham is not short of other options.
Apologies for the typos – shouldn’t reply on the phone after a few beers.
Looking forward to the gathering.
Could someone enlighten me as to what these events actually involve? They seem to be a fairly regular part of things, but I’ve read quite a number (admittedly not all) of the announcements and I can’t see a definition anywhere!
Or do you have to solve that yourself?
Morning, David
S&B stands for Setters and Bloggers, or Betters and Sloggers if you’re a fan of Spoonerisms. They’re just social get-togethers for those interested in crosswords and you get a mixture of setters, bloggers and solvers coming. Some folk do the crosswords that some setters and aspiring setters bring; others just enjoy meeting people they only previously knew online. It’s always welcoming and sociable. Some attending have been known to drink beer. They used to be only held in London, but we arranged the first Midlands one in Derby over ten years ago and this one is another ‘Midlands’ event.
Bert and Joyce (aka Chris and Lynette) have organised this one. Eileen and I are just hangers-on. It would be great to see you – and others – there.
Peter (aka Kathryn’s Dad and Pierre)
Oh pooh! This clashes (again) with another event I am already booked for. I missed the last one for a similar reason. Oh well, one day……..
Hi David @11 – to add to Pierre @12
You’ve prompted me to dig out some photos (if you will patiently scroll down to the very last comment here https://www.fifteensquared.net/2017/01/24/east-midlands-s-b-in-nottingham-saturday-13th-may/#comments), of our last Nottingham meet, apparently six – crikey! – years ago.
I think you will recognise a number of names of current setters, bloggers and solvers here but we’ve welcomed many new contributors to 15² since then, particularly during lockdown and it would be so good to welcome a host of new faces to put to names that we’ve become very familiar with in the meantime.
We hope that Nottingham is reasonably accessible for those coming from north or south and look forward to hearing from you.
What a pity, Malcolm – fingers crossed for third time lucky. 😉
Having greatly enjoyed my first S&B in York last year, I’m hoping to make this as well.
Hello. This sounds great. Do you need definites or are maybes allowed to turn up?
Hi Pork Scotch – there is a limit on numbers – to be honest though, if you are a maybe, just turn up. We will be pleased to see you!
I couldn’t miss one that’s on my doorstep, so please do count me in for the P+P!
Sound like a good thing to go to! (I’m a solver rather than a setter or blogger, so wasn’t sure whether it included me).
I’d like to come – probably not the walking tour, though.
Apologies, BertandJoyce, but I have to catch a plane from Gatwick at 06.05 the following morning, so I’ll have to give this a miss…I’ll make it one day, just as I eventually got to a York one last year!…
Unlikely to get these very unfit bones to Blighty again and come to an S&B, but much enjoyed scrolling through those pics of you all, thanks for the link Eileen.
Thanks for organising this, B&J. I’ll be there. As a Nottingham resident, though, I won’t bother with the tour.
I would love to be able to come – I worked in Nottingham in 1985/1986 – but I’m doing a quiz in Dublin one week earlier and I don’t think ‘er indoors would be too impressed.
I have a commitment that day and won’t be able to make it to this one, unfortunately.
I noticed this thread the other day but didn’t have a chance to respond and went looking for it just now. It is slipping down the charts and you may miss potential attendees if it disappears altogether. Shouldn’t it be in Announcements, or at least pinned to the top of the Recent Posts?
Hope to be there.
I have something else on that day which is a pity. Really enjoyed the York banter beer and quizzes last year.
I fully intend to be there..Looking forward to it
Unless you are reaching capacity, I’d like to come along. It would be nice to put some faces to pseudonyms.
Jenny and Charles would like to join the tour.
Yep, can confirm the trains & Airbnb (FAR cheaper than the Travelodge!) are booked. Looking forward to it. Unlikely to join the walking tour. Jamie/Amoeba
Hi PostMark @28
I was hoping you would see this – see my second paragraph @14. 😉
It sounds very tempting but I think it would take 4 hours each way by a combo of bus and train from the village in Oxfordshire where I am staying now so sadly, I will pass this time.
I would love to come but, alas, am already booked for a college reunion in Cambridge that day.
Not good news, I’m afraid – I hope this link works: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-64661647#:~:text=Members%20of%20the%20RMT%20union%20from%2014%20train%20operators%20will%20strike%20on%2016%2C%2018%20and%2030%20March%2C%20and%201%20April%2C%20the%20start%20of%20the%20Easter%20school%20holidays%20for%20many.
I’m close enough to catch a bus – and I think / hope other non-drivers are, too, 😉
Sorry, I didn’t mean ‘non-drivers, of course!
I was just going to say I can make it after all – my walk is likely to be off for the same reason. Chances are quite good that I can make the rescheduled date if there is one.