Hi everyone

I am really sorry about missing the meeting on the 14th – i was at my parents’ and didn’t even have phone signal. I’ve also
had problems logging in to crabgrass but have now sorted this out.

I called the Holborn Community Association and paid (£200 ie £25/hr) upfront for the for the venue hire.
i’ve extended the booking so it now runs from 9am-5pm so we’ll have loads of time to set up, and to clean up at the end. There is another booking later but not till after 6pm, so we can hang out more/ take as long as we want to tidy up

i went there today to check various things.

the kitchen is very well organised and hygienic; there are plenty of cups and plates. there are kettles and tea-pots but no cafetiere. we may want to bring one with us ( i have coffee).

the whole place – including two of the toilets – is fully wheelchair-accessible.

I am being given a set of keys on friday so we can let ourselves in. there’s nothing booked to happen there on sat so we can drop off stuff in advance if we like. i’ll probably take some of the catering stuff there before sunday – could also drop off flipchart paper if harriet gives us any on friday. can also check random other details then if something else comes up at our meeting.

there is a door buzzer system

the main hall space is approx 50’ by 25’ in total. when we use the room dividers we’ll get three rooms of approx 16′ × 24′, and an area of about 30′ × 10′ next to them, plus the toilets, plus kitchen, plus entrance hall, plus garden (has some benches – very pleasant if not raining).
there are lots of chairs and tables which we can move around to suit us.
there is a screen but no projector.

is there anything else we need to know?!

post-meeting pub possibilities: (or we can go drink outside, in Queen Square or Brunswick St Gardens!)
I also went by the Calthorpe Arms to see if there was any chance of booking their upstairs room for a few hours after 4/5pm, but it’s already in use. However they said we can ring up (even on the day) and reserve the tables at one end of downstairs if we like (but it’s Mothers’ Day so they’re not sure how busy they’ll be)

The nearest Sam Smiths pubs (more ethical than Spoons?) are the Cittie of York, 22 High Holborn (East of Holborn tube, by Newton Street) and the Princess Louise, 208 High Holborn (West of Holborn tube, next to junction with bottom of Grays Inn Rd)

I think the nearest Wetherspoons is probably Penderel’s Oak, 283 High Holborn. Then there is the Shakespeare’s Head at 78 Kingsway (close to Holborn tube), and the Sir John Oldcastle at 29 Farringdon Rd (closes at 8pm on Sun)

The first email round-up has now gone out. As those of you who subscribed (or are on the COPS list thanks to Arti) will have seen!I’ve been subscribng new people to the list – numbers have shot up to over 40 now – and replying to those RSVPing for the 26th.

i intend to send out an email to them all after our meeting on friday, with the finalised agenda and any last-minute details, and a map/ bus info.

The summary:
numbers: we have 33 definites and 10 possibles who have been in touch so far.

travel:
indra & ceinwin were looking for lifts from west country, or somebody with a driving licence who can drive their car?! otherwise indra wil catch bus so not arrive till 12:30
donal’s funded ronny’s travel up-front.
jason’s asked for £80
spencer cooke requested help with fares
‘lindsey’ requested help with fares
alice cutler requested help with fares, and offered to help facilitate
presumably katja’s will be paid too?

food:
i’ve told everyone that the food will be vegan, and asked about food allergies.
so far none reported, not even a single gluten-free person! which makes things v easy.
I’m going to make food for 40 and bring tea/coffee stuff. and invoice COPS for what i spend (which will be much cheaper than the chickpea sisters)

accommodation:
‘C’ and fatiged teenager will stay with the lovely Jude.
Jason needs somewhere to stay from Saturday till Tues am. Says he snores so a private room may be better.
Ronny is looking for a place too. I think just for Sat night but maybe Sunday too?

unfortunately i can’t accommodate anyone at mine, and most of my friends live in cramped/ dingy-squatted places, so it would be great if you could all help finding places for Jason and Ronny

the full list so you can see who is coming – and let me know about anyone who i haven’t listed. please do not put these email addresses anywhere else and be mindful of the cover name/ real name issue – i’m assuming everyone in this group can be trusted with this

a * indicates that they are now subscribed to the email update list (still waiting for some folk to confirm yes or no to that)
an X indicates that they haven’t been granted CP status by Pitchford but we want to include them and they are vouched for

who’s coming on the 26th?

35 in total

not sure if they’re coming yet:

‘Alison’ – & kids?

10 in total

can’t make it on the 26th:

X * dhara@sailboatproject.org
peter@petertatchellfoundation.org
X? * juanalagorra@yahoo.co.uk Jane (the Hat) Lawson from Iona School 114