Entropia Meet (UK) 29 August 2015 - Birmingham

The proposed event is now in just over two weeks time, so time is against us, but Birmingham in August is nice and warm, even at the end of the month.



The picture above is from the main City Centre and shows the brand new Central Library, National Indoor Arena, Symphony Hall and the road where a lot of bars and nightclubs are.
Basically, if you are there at 11pm, there are no shortage of venues for eating, drinking or dancing the night away.

And if you want a taxi, just stick your arm out because a lot of the traffic will be taxi's going up and down that road all too willing to take you to your destination.

Birmingham City Centre is in the middle of England, which makes it easy to get to from most parts of the UK by road, rail & coach and I can vouch for its international airport should anyone from outside of the UK wish to fly in. You will all be made most welcome.

Hotel accommodation is easily acquired in the UK's second largest city, even at short notice but if planned well ahead all budgets can be easily taken care of. From bed and breakfast (most I've typically needed) to 2,3 & 4 Star hotels. The road you see in the picture keeps going westwards, and you will always find somewhere to sleep, as the Hagley Road B&Bs always have spare capacity.

Hotels in the main city centre arent too cheap, but aren't too expensive either, and with some prior planning, people can split the bill.


Place: Birmingham City Centre
Date: 29 August 2015
Time : TBA

The main meet I was thinking for the Saturday, times to be worked out, if people prefer to arrive middayish, there are things to do, if the concensus is afternoon arrival, book into hotel and meet up in the evening that would leave the evening free. That would also leave the Sunday free for sightseeing as there are plenty of things to see & do in Birmingham.

Feel free to post in this thread, if you want this to happen...

[Event Cancelled]

I need a new list of possible attendees for:

Saturday 29 August

MegaVolt
Teiwaz Storm
Dirk






If I can make this happen, then I intend to make it happen, be in the photo, or regret it later.

Think about it, next time you might have to go to London. Double the price & half the fun!


If for any reason a fee is needed for anything I'll accept it in-game for Ped. I'm still obviously thinking it all through and seeing if numbers increase or decrease. I'm hoping for an increase, obviously.

Let's make this happen!!

I'll try to be there.

Please add me to the list

Dirk

Teiwaz Storm said:

I'll try to be there.

Click to expand...

Dirk said:

Please add me to the list

Dirk

Click to expand...

Done, thank you.

Mega said:

Done, thank you.

Click to expand...

Mak3 it london I will go

Mary Jane said:

Make it london I will go

Click to expand...

This one isn't London, this one is trying to be "roughly 120-ish maximum miles from anyone".

A London one can still be organised, in fact if they happened on the same day, even better!

Hi Mega,

Not sure how many people you will get for just one evening, especially if people are looking to fly in. In the past approx. 25% of people who have attended the events fly in from Spain, Portugal, Sweden etc etc.

Events I have organised in London before, people usually meet up on a Friday afternoon, share a few drinks and then go out for a meal, etc.

Then the main meet up takes place on a Saturday from lunch time.

Its a shame you have chosen the Bank Holiday weekend, as I will be away on holiday, so I cant make it.

I would like to wish you good luck, its never easy trying to please everyone.

Post some pictures when you all meet up.

This seems interesting.

Shitfacedness accepted? Last time I went to England I had to get drunk at 5 am to survive the flight.

DannyO said:

Hi Mega,

Not sure how many people you will get for just one evening, especially if people are looking to fly in. In the past approx. 25% of people who have attended the events fly in from Spain, Portugal, Sweden etc etc.

Events I have organised in London before, people usually meet up on a Friday afternoon, share a few drinks and then go out for a meal, etc.

Then the main meet up takes place on a Saturday from lunch time.

Its a shame you have chosen the Bank Holiday weekend, as I will be away on holiday, so I cant make it.

I would like to wish you good luck, its never easy trying to please everyone.

Post some pictures when you all meet up.

Click to expand...

WhiningSkeptic said:

This seems interesting.

Shitfacedness accepted? Last time I went to England I had to get drunk at 5 am to survive the flight.

Click to expand...

DannyO, that may well have been in the case, the last update you gave on your event before editing it was that you were giving 5 days notice before it was cancelled, so it would have been cancelled by now. Rather than adjust it & work with me you nominated me as Event Organiser. It was not exactly what I was expecting, but the baton was duly passed, and I've hit the ground running.

This Event was always advertised as a "UK Meet Up" now in MY experience, people like to meet up & pay for one night in a Travelodge or Premier Inn. I chose a Saturday, to give people an option of arriving on a Friday (eg if they had come a long distance) & wanted to do their own thing and be refreshed for the Saturday.

Birmingham International Airport is easily as good as any of the London ones, and flies to most destinations, so any foreign players could (and still can) come over, just as easily as the capital.

The Bank Holiday was chosen, because a lot people have the Monday off work in England & Wales, (not applicable to Scotland - they get an extra day in January ). Also I received feedback along the lines of "I'm working on Friday, I wont be able to make it."

Finally as you know, there was nothing to do in the original location chosen (Monkspath), so I thought people may prefer the City Centre, which only London can surpass in size in the UK, and where there aren't a shortage of things to do if you aren't too bothered about visiting Royalty & Big Ben. Affordable Public or private transport is easily accessible to wherever you want to go. As for nightlife, well, there are no shortage of venues, and I'm usually the last person standing if that's how the night ends up!

WS: Shitfaced is ok with me as long as you can make your own way back to your hotel room afterwards.


Whether this happens or not is still in question. I'll leave it running for now, see what happens.

Wow. Someone's planning an EU meet-up for my home city.

Well the city is the second largest in the UK by population, and is centrally located. It can be accessed by rail at New Street station, Snow Hill station and Moor Street station (all situated in the city centre).

By air, Birmingham Airport (BHX) is accessible from many destinations around Europe and further away. The airport is about 30 minutes from the centre by taxi.

But what can you do, I hear you ask.

Well there are bars and restaurants dotted all over the city centre. The Old Joint Stock is particularly good for a day time glug.

If shopping is you thing then the Bull Ring centre is the most famous place to go but there are more shopping options in the centre besides.

If you love sport, Aston Villa play Sunderland in the Premier League (EPL) at Villa Park, just a 15 minute bus journey from the centre at 3pm on 29th August. I'd advise buying tickets for this in advance.

If you prefer your sport to be the gentler, willow against leather variety, then there will be T20 cricket taking place at Edgbaston cricket ground on the same day. Looks as though buying tickets in advance for this is also a must.

If you prefer musuems and the like then Birmingham isn't short of those either. Thinktank is situated at Millenium Point on the edge of the centre and is a science-based musuem. The Museum and Art Gallery is in Chamberlain Square, right in the centre and is free to visit. Also Museum of the Jewellery Quarter is open Mondays - Saturdays. This is situated a short distance from the city centre. A little further out (near the airport) is the National Motorcycle Musuem which is open year-round.

For drinking in the evening, there are several places to go. Broad Street has a variety of bars (although is perhaps the least mature place to visit), as does the adjacent Brindley Place. Mailbox is a short walk away and comprises shops as well as bars and restaurants. The Arcadian Centre is also an option. And how did I forget the Jamhouse? Never heard a bad word about that place.

Regarding accomodation, there are hotels in the city centre, at Mailbox and along Broad Street. Failing that, Hagley Road also has many hotels that are a 5 - 10 minute bus ride from the city centre.

Hotels on Hagley Road include but are not limited to The Apollo, The Cobden, The Eaton, The Norfolk, The Edgbaston Palace and The Menzies Strathallen. Prices and availability may vary depending on whether you book directly or through the likes of hotels.com or booking.com.

Just updated the post above with new information and links. And don't let people from the south-east corner of England tell you nothing happens in Birmingham. They're wrong.

And I just realised I didn't even mention the Sealife Centre or the Balti Belt. There will be other stuff I've missed like Aston Hall and Cannon Hill Park.

Thank you for the above Dusk - excellent background information, I couldn't agree more, there really is a ton of things to do.

I've completed two final recon 'missions'

Saturday night, I did the whole late night visit of the pub / nightclub section on Broad Street, ended up at "PopWorld" which is a very easy going place with dance floors on two levels and plays a mixture of 80s-00s music.
I understand that might not interest some, but may have been an option around Midnight for the Nightowls.


Popworld

At least four major hotel chains are located actually on Broad Street: Novatel, Travelodge, Premier Inn, Hyatt.

Wednesday afternoon, I visited Birmingham's Botanical Gardens. The contrast with the above couldn't be harder to find, but I found it a very restful & relaxing place. It does help if you like plants!
It is a very large place, one picture doesn't do it any justice.
It is also probably one of the few places you can experience tropical butterflies flying around you (without visiting the Amazon jungle obviously.)


Botanical Gardens

Unless a miracle happens, (ie a lot of sign ups / interest rather quickly) I will have to admit defeat on this occasion but obviously will be willing to help / advise if another 'Middle of England' meet-up is proposed at a later date.

Ok, for a number of reasons, this wont be happening in the Midlands in 2015.

Holidays, UK playerbase too spread out, Short notice, Migration, Bad loot, [insert other reason(s) here]

It may be that only London is a viable location, which I personally consider a shame, but if there are 12 players who live in or near London then that is where it may well be held next time.

I'd like to thank people for the supportive messages I've received, but, at least for now...

[Event Cancelled]

Please lock thread.