# Londope II Aftermath -  Sheep's Arse

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/londope-ii-aftermath-sheeps-arse/122241>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [August 4, 2002, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/londope-ii-aftermath-sheeps-arse/122241 "2002-08-04T00:54:47Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Helen\_s\_Eidolon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Helen\_s\_Eidolon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helen_s_Eidolon)\
**Post date:** [August 4, 2002, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/londope-ii-aftermath-sheeps-arse/122241/1 "2002-08-04T00:54:47Z")

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Don’t ask me about the thread title; I don’t know. It was decided upon by **yojimbo** and **AlexB**.

So me, **Coldfire** , **Francesca** , **yojimbo** and **AlexB** have arrived back at Fran’s house from the fun that was Londope. We still have a bottle of vodka here to work through, so this post won’t be too long 😉

I’ve had a really wonderful time here. I’m not going to try to list everyone I met, but I’ll do that later! I like you all. Especially Fran, who has been putting me up, and who is just the cutest and funniest person ever.

You Londoners rock.

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**Author:** ![Francesca](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9fc348/32.png) [@Francesca](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francesca)\
**Post date:** [August 4, 2002, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/londope-ii-aftermath-sheeps-arse/122241/2 "2002-08-04T01:27:59Z")

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We’re home. There’s vodka and popcorn to be taken care of.

Report back tomorrow.

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**Author:** ![Rasa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rasa/32/3578_2.png) [@Rasa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rasa)\
**Post date:** [August 4, 2002, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/londope-ii-aftermath-sheeps-arse/122241/3 "2002-08-04T01:37:01Z")

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ALL HAIL KING EEYORE AND THE ABOOT BITCHES!

I just want Laur to remember that tomorrow. 😉

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**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\
**Post date:** [August 4, 2002, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/londope-ii-aftermath-sheeps-arse/122241/4 "2002-08-04T11:54:20Z")

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Good day. Sorry I didn’t get to speak to **Coldfire** , **SirDoris** or **Loopus** more, but I’m sure there’ll be a repeat.

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**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\
**Post date:** [August 4, 2002, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/londope-ii-aftermath-sheeps-arse/122241/5 "2002-08-04T12:23:55Z")

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Laur, what are you doing in London?!

Well, whatever it is, I hope you’re having the time of your life.

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**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\
**Post date:** [August 4, 2002, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/londope-ii-aftermath-sheeps-arse/122241/6 "2002-08-04T12:30:45Z")

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Doctor Who rock  
Doctor Who  
Doctor Who rock  
Doctor Who!

Doctor Who and the Tadis  
Doctor Who  
Doctor Who and the Tardis  
Doctor Who.

**Steve**

I’m seriously impressed.

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**Author:** ![QueenAl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/d26b3c/32.png) [@QueenAl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QueenAl)\
**Post date:** [August 4, 2002, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/londope-ii-aftermath-sheeps-arse/122241/7 "2002-08-04T12:36:44Z")

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It was great to meet you all, just wish I’d had time to speak to more of you! Oh, and thanks for the fashion advice, **LaurAnge** and **London\_Calling**. 🙂

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**Author:** ![London\_Calling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@London\_Calling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/London_Calling)\
**Post date:** [August 4, 2002, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/londope-ii-aftermath-sheeps-arse/122241/8 "2002-08-04T12:40:06Z")

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Not in attendance for nearly long enough but I thoroughly enjoyed the craven gathering and the location for my second Dopefest.

Very glad to see some old friends, relieved and very pleased to finally meet some dopers who’ve been around for some time and sad I only got to meet probably half of those present.

Sorry if I seemed a little ‘absent’ – my only excuse is that it had been a long day and it was about to get longer.

I think I’ve concluded the only way to meet fellow dopers properly is to spend them with them away from ye olde home town

Beer Monsters: **Coldie, Crusoe, Kferr** and **Yojimbo** (with the jury still out on **Tansu** …)

Fashion Editors: \*\*Francesca \*\*and **QueenAl**

Shag Happy: \*\*? \*\*and **?**

Best impression of an irresistible comfortable chair: **Steve Wright**

Very glad to have had the opportunity to meet so many of the local gang. Happy travels, **Laura** and friends.

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**Author:** ![kferr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/71e660/32.png) [@kferr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kferr)\
**Post date:** [August 4, 2002, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/londope-ii-aftermath-sheeps-arse/122241/9 "2002-08-04T13:01:51Z")

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Finally got home about an hour ago. This was a seriously fun fest! I think I got a chance to talk to everybody for at least a little while, and I convinced a couple American tourists at the bar to look up [Straightdope.com](http://Straightdope.com) when they get home!

Now if anybody knows of a cure for the after effects of chicken jalfrezi and spicy sausages, my arse would be forever in your debt!

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**Author:** ![ianzin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ed655f/32.png) [@ianzin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ianzin)\
**Post date:** [August 4, 2002, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/londope-ii-aftermath-sheeps-arse/122241/10 "2002-08-04T15:16:56Z")

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That was one _very_ enjoyable LonDope in all respects (even though I had to leave slightly earlier than I would have liked).

Points arising:

1. Our Glorious Leaderene, **Francesca** , remains unassailably the best-organised person in the world who is also actually fun to be with. She is currently 7 inches tall and shrinking, so if any readers are thinking of attending a LonDope and meeting Fran, best do it quickly before she actually achieves negative height and disappears.

2. **Kferr** , conversely, is still the world’s tallest person at 9ft 7inches and gaining at the observed and measured rate of 1 inch per hour. It will soon be impossible for him to go anywhere outside of his specially constructed house (which is a normal house turned on its side so as to be higher than it is wide), so, again, if you want to meet him you’d be advised to do so quickly while there are still buildings with sufficiently high ceilings for him to attend in public (e.g. St. Paul’s Cathedral; those towers where firefighters hang the hoses to dry).

3. **Alex B.** and I managed to elevate the art of civilised debate and discourse to elegant new heights, and demonstrated a range of stylish and intellectually satisfying ways to win arguments. Chief among these was _Elevated Pointing_ (the higher the pointing finger, the more definitive the victory) and the _NotListeningNotListeningNotListening_ tactic. Intellectual giants, that’s us.

4. **ObiWan** is pretty damn good at Top Trumps, which is [definitive and infallible statement mode ON] _entirely dependent on skill and shrewd judgement_ [/ definitive and infallible statement mode OFF].

5. **Tir Tinuvial** wins the LonDope Chameleon Award for shape-shifting transformation skills, especially re hair, but is always a star regardless of her current chosen manifestation. Ten bonus Star Points for wearing silver glittery fingernail stuff. Lose five for not bringing any along so that I could try it (could look cool with card tricks)

6. Extra Star Points to the stylish and lovely **Tansu** for not only choosing an entirely different outfit than last time but also explaining the salient features of her choices, and the underlying reasoning, during an otherwise uneventful Tube ride.

7. We were honoured by the presence of **Coldfire**. Awfully nice chap and all, just a shame we couldn’t understand a blind word he was saying.

8. Either **Twisty** didn’t rant as much as one would have hoped (given that when he does, it’s an education in the higher artistic possibilities of humanly achievable freestyle ranting), or I was just in the wrong section of the pub at the wrong time, but either way he’s a LonDope Essential and no mistake.

9. For future reference, and in keeping with standard DopeFest rules, “A culturally elevating visit to the British Museum” may be deemed equivalent to “A culturally elevating visit to _a pub in the vicinity of_ the British Museum”.

10. We can probably fit another one in before xmas. What say you all?

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**Author:** ![kferr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/71e660/32.png) [@kferr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kferr)\
**Post date:** [August 4, 2002, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/londope-ii-aftermath-sheeps-arse/122241/11 "2002-08-04T16:02:19Z")

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I’ve thought up some awards to give out after this dopefest, feel free to add categories and awardees as you see fit.

**Sad gits award** To ianzin and Crusoe, for playing Top Trumps (Simpsons Edition) in the Museum Tavern.

**Sadder gits award** To myself, Tir Tinuvial, ObiWan, and TwistofFate for watching the above mentioned Top Trumps (Simpsons Edition) match – with bonus sad points to Twisty for repeatedly exclaiming “It’s not cannon!”.

**Saddest git award** I award to myself for thinking “I could write a Java program that plays Top Trumps (Simpsons Edition) better than these guys”.

Award for **Largest number of facts in one head** To Steve Wright for knowing more about low budget British Sci-fi than anyone should be allowed to.

**Insane commuter award** To casdave and Melvin for travelling from Leeds to London (and back!) in a [Reliant Renalto](http://www.3wheelers.com/rialto.html)

**Most tops award** To QueenAl for changing at least three times during the evening.

That’s all I can think of for now, what else can we come up with?

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**Author:** ![ianzin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ed655f/32.png) [@ianzin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ianzin)\
**Post date:** [August 4, 2002, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/londope-ii-aftermath-sheeps-arse/122241/12 "2002-08-04T16:34:12Z")

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As I have been called a ‘Sad Git’ by **Kferr** , may I just point out that _someone around here_ (naming no names) states his ‘Location’ by giving _latitude and longitude map co-ordinates!!_

Pah!!

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**Author:** ![lno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a8b319/32.png) [@lno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lno)\
**Post date:** [August 4, 2002, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/londope-ii-aftermath-sheeps-arse/122241/13 "2002-08-04T17:21:03Z")

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**Francesca** , if I missed this LonDope, I’m holding you personally accountable. Drinking me beforehand is not a valid excuse.

King Eeyore, eh?

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**Author:** ![fierra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/58956e/32.png) [@fierra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fierra)\
**Post date:** [August 4, 2002, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/londope-ii-aftermath-sheeps-arse/122241/14 "2002-08-04T18:11:05Z")

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That’s ok, lno, Tansu & I are going to open a pub in London in your honour & become multi-millionaires…who wouldn’t go to the CleavageBeer[sup]TM[/sup] pub?

I sadly missed the British sci-fi discussion…and didn’t get to talk to Coldy much either.

I can declare myself nearly as sad as ianzin & Crusoe for playing Connect 4 against Tir (Only mentioning this because I won! Ha-hah!!!). Crappest drawing award goes to the TV Trivia game the pub had.

I can say that Coldy & Yojimbo spent most of the evening in a beer huddle at the far table…I’m sure more of us would have talked to them, but we couldn’t get past the beer glasses to within hearing range!

And I spent a happy 2 & 1/2 hours in the British musuem, as did I think the international contingent - I kept seeing at least one of them in there in variosu rooms, rather than already vanished off to the pub!

And I’ll join the general “I’m sorry I didn’t get to talk to more people more” comments - I think this was the largest LonDope so far, but I could have circulated a bit more - I wasn’t glued to that chair at that table, despit Tir’s pshycho-kinetic efforts with the pint of coca cola! (I blame it on being a sore loser ;)).

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**Author:** ![Tansu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/67e7ee/32.png) [@Tansu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tansu)\
**Post date:** [August 4, 2002, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/londope-ii-aftermath-sheeps-arse/122241/15 "2002-08-04T22:04:30Z")

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Coldfire is taller than I had expected.

Yes, I did have a rationale behind my fingernail decoration. I remain as joyfully shallow as ever.

We are going to coin it in royally with CleavageBeer.

I too had a smashing time in the British Museum. This time I saw Islamic art, Mesopotamian grave goods (hair ribbons of _solid gold_), Ancient Persian gold work (little teeny tiny chariot and horses made of _solid gold_, Prints and drawings and a small selection of ancient British bits and bobs (big bronze buckles, bronze handle off a wooden beer mug from ancient Devon). I bought books on Islamic art, Hindu art and architecture and also Agatha Christie’s archaeological memoirs.

We ought to have some kind of Great North Dope/ Dope Up North. Beer’s cheaper here.

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**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\
**Post date:** [August 5, 2002, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/londope-ii-aftermath-sheeps-arse/122241/16 "2002-08-05T06:45:04Z")

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A very enjoyable time indeed. Bit wrecked as on return to Ireland I was dragged kicking and screaming 😉 to a birthday party by **jjimm** and **micilin** and am still up at 5:30am.

A huge thank you to the wonderful **Francesca** and **AlexB**. The girl can wipe up a fry-up like you wouldn’t believe.

As wit all of the Fest’s I’ve attended it was great meeting the people behind the text.

Unlike certain eggs that were talked about I need bed rather than pie.

Night 🙂

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**Author:** ![Steve\_Wright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@Steve\_Wright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_Wright)\
**Post date:** [August 5, 2002, 10:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/londope-ii-aftermath-sheeps-arse/122241/17 "2002-08-05T10:28:14Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by London\_Calling \*  
> \*\*Best impression of an irresistible comfortable chair: **Steve Wright**  
> \*\*

Lots of people seem to agree with that - particularly the bloke in the seat next to me on the bus back to Oxford. “Sorry, pal,” I muttered as I dislodged his intrusive head for the fifth time, “if you want to fall asleep with your nose in my armpit, you’re at _least_ going to have to buy me dinner first.”

**kferr** - _low budget_ British sci-fi??? Some episodes of _Blake’s 7_ cost almost _£4.50_, you know.

( **Francesca** proclaimed me the world’s biggest geek. I’m so proud.)

These things are truly _varied_ gatherings, aren’t they? Just consider all the different motives for visiting the BM, ranging from **LaurAnge** ’s “I want to try and translate the Egyptian symbols” to … well, we’d best not go into **Twisty** ’s motives, let’s just say a lot of Japanese tourists are going to be very confused when they develop their holiday snaps.

Definitely my idea of a good time. And thanks, as ever, to **Francesca** ’s awesome organisational skills.

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**Author:** ![kabbes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e99b99/32.png) [@kabbes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kabbes)\
**Post date:** [August 5, 2002, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/londope-ii-aftermath-sheeps-arse/122241/18 "2002-08-05T12:33:04Z")

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You’re all a bunch of bastards anyway. Who wants to go to some sad “Dopefest”? And what kind of sad loser would _bring Top Trumps (Simpsons Edition)_ to such a thing?!

Count me **out** of the next one.

pan

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**Author:** ![Gartog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/22d042/32.png) [@Gartog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gartog)\
**Post date:** [August 5, 2002, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/londope-ii-aftermath-sheeps-arse/122241/19 "2002-08-05T18:27:50Z")

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Count me **in** of the next one.

Sometime before Sept 21th? That’s when  
I’m off to Aberystwyth.

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**Author:** ![Alex\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Alex\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alex_B)\
**Post date:** [August 5, 2002, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/londope-ii-aftermath-sheeps-arse/122241/20 "2002-08-05T19:19:02Z")

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Um…what they said.

Just to clarify: the cry ‘Sheep’s Arse!’ (_must be spelt the British way_) is another intellectual tool in the arsenal of the great rhetoricians and debaters, as explained by **ianzin**.

Nice to spend a weekend with **yojimbo** , **Coldie** , **LaurAnge** and Scott (note: non-Dopers are not entitled to have their name bolded, although here’s a **€** to help Scott in the Eurozone).

**yojimbo** is a cute little leprechaun of a fellow, bookish and reserved. He enjoys sweet sherry and the company of hookers.

**Coldfire** , by contrast, is a foul-tempered bureacrat, crippled by self doubt, weeping into his beers and grieving for the loss of his greatest love, whom he refers to only as ‘Big Boy’.

**LaurAnge** and Scott, hell-bent on conquest of mainland Europe, travel in the company of six bodyguards who need no sleep.

Unfortunately there was no time to search their luggage.

Alex

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