What % of Dopers are Brits?

[Quartz]

I’m ensconced in Luton - nice easy access to virtually the whole of the UK

[micilin]

*Originally posted by curly chick *
In the absence in Twist of Fate (actually, he probably didn’t reply because you called him Fat, which he isn’t.

You’re right, he’s not fat, indeed he’s compact and bijou, but ‘Twist of Fat’ is great, he should change his handle. [dnr]

But moving on, anyway) - allow me to present the case for Dublin.

You can get cheap, no food flights from paractically any UK airport to here. And why would you want food anyway? You will only be in the air for half an hour.

You can buy a ball of Euro for your sterling pounds.

Dublin is full of things to do - Provided you like eating, drinking, talking and dancing, you will be set.

Having just spent an hour in the pub arguing with the self-same TOF as to whether the entire movie ‘The Hunt for Red October’ was a dream sequence, I can attest to the drinking and talking part of this. (As I then bought a kebab and meandered to a taxi rank, I suppose the eating and dancing - after a fashion - bits were also in evidence to some extent this evening too.)

You get to meet the DubDopers and laydeeeeez, if you are very lucky, micilin and jjiimm might oblige you, as they did with me on our first meeting, by exposing Manwithaplan’s hairy chest for your perusal.
(We all were a bit hammered, though, it must be said; but ah, yes, I remember it well)

I think you’ll find myself and sseammusseenn always happy to oblige in the area of pointing out MWAP’s hairyness. And, if he’s not available, yojimbo is - how can I put it? - ursine.

So there you have it, the case for Dublin: cheap flights, good exchange rate, prospect of good fun, good company and a weekend away in a place where the natives are friendly and speak the lingo.
And did I mention that it is Dublin?

Damn straight!

Now back to your regularly scheduled ‘Who is from Britain?’ thread.

[kabbes]

Having been to a DubFest, I’d have to say that you shouldn’t bother. All you get is ol’ Twisted Fatso and his beard, together with some drunken fellow named yojimbo, a loon by the name of manwithaplan, Red - nuff said - and of course you have to run the gauntlet of jjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjimmmmmm. All in all it’s not for the faint hearted.

And, as a veteran of a few LonDopes (are we allowed to mention UnaFests here too?), I’d strongly caution against those too. Especially watch out for Fran - she will quite happily bite yer knees off and spit 'em in yer eye. And the lime chutney is not all it’s cracked up to be either. And Ianzin shoves 6 inch nails up his nose.

One of the above facts is true (aside from the drunken yojimbo one :D): It’s up to you to guess which one.

pan

[Daftbugger]

*Originally posted by owlstretchingtime *
**Daft Bugger must surely be the most British screen name here. **

I’m glad you like my name!
I originally hail from Wolverhampton, I don’t recommend a meeting there…

[garius]

lets all meet in Luton

heh heh heh

or better yet - my birthplace, the glorious town of Stevenage

shudder

[brainfizz]

Birmingham sounds like it’s the winner… (rapidly looks back through the post to see who’s from Brum…)
Angua! What else is there to see and do there?

(also, anyone have any ideas on a date?)

[garius]

How about we narrow it down to a month to begin with - April? May? June?

Ladies and Gentlemen place your votes.

[Sir_Doris]

April.

Best not to wait too long, lest we lose the momentum.

I’m not local but know the place vaguely and can undertand and probably speak the lingo.

Things to do

1. Eat: Chinese, Balti, Chocolate

2. Drink: plenty of pubs and bars. New “developments” which I guess means the trendier type of bar and chain pubs are mainly aroung Broad St/Gas St Canal Basin. Traditional real ale pubs: just out of centre, Digbeth

3. Walking: along the canal, hopefully in conjunction with activity 2, city centre - plenty of open spaces Victoria Square, Chamberlain Sq etc, Jewellery Qtr - I remember this as being a nice area/pleasant walk, but since it’s all changed since my day, (Birmingham in general) I’d hate to be held to account.

4. Culture/History: Usual stuff to be found in any big city. Museums, art gallery etc. There’s a Tolkien trail. Yes, Tolkien was raised as a Brummie. Now imagine LOTR played out in Brummie accents.

[casdave]

[Brum] Dese blimmin orcs ain’t got no cowin Bovril [/Brum]

[Sir_Doris]

*Originally posted by casdave *
**[Brum] Dese blimmin orcs ain’t got no cowin Bovril [/Brum] **

lol

Oi Sauron - yo’m nuthin’ burra big girls blouse

[garius]

It could have been worse - he could have been from my end of the woods (sath london)

“Leave it Arygon 'es not wuuth it!”

[ianzin]

*Originally posted by garius *
**How about we narrow it down to a month to begin with - April? May? June?

Ladies and Gentlemen place your votes. **

Not June, I’m away in the US of A for most of it (or, what’s left of the US after the terrorist war reprisals).

And not w/e of May 10th as it’s my birthday. Unless many of the London-phile Dopers want to use my birthday as an excuse to come out drinking and celebrating on that particular Saturday.

I’d also like to take issue with Kabbes and his moans about Dublin, and ‘only’ getting a long argument with Twist Of Fate/Fat. To witness Twisty presenting one of his rather passionate ‘points of view’ (more like a ‘pint of view’), to hear that extemporised flow of lyrical ranting and judicious invective, to hear words tumble and flow into effortlessly choreographed patterns as if channelling most major creative writers of the 20th century, and all this without missing any supping time or missing his call on a round, is one of the highest pleasures that Dopedom has to offer. Of course, whether any of his opinions actually possess any merit is entirely beside the point. Just enjoy the sound and the fury. If you want logic, go read Bertrand Russell.

Oh, and we can’t have a UK Dopefest without Steve Wright. I mean, what if an obscure pop culture trivia question crops up (and gosh, how likely is that)? We need Steve or else we’ll never know the definitive answer. At the very least, we need his phone number and a promise he’ll be available at the end of the line.

Finally, good laugh at the thought of Fran trying to spit anything in anyone’s eyes. She hasn’t seen above anyone’s knees in years. [Note of clarification - this is a reference to Fran’s stature, and nothing of a sexual nature].

[Crusoe]

Can’t do the April bank holiday weekend as I’m in Edinburgh (nobody rob my house, 'kay?). Can’t do the weekend of 19 May as I’m following in the illustrious ianzin’s footsteps by having my own birthday that weekend. Can’t do any weekdays in April (working in Acton and Stockport).

[kferr]

I’m up for this! The only unavailable weekend on my calender is the 3rd in June.

[Anahita]

I’m due for another weekend away and there’s a 129Euro deal on from Galway to London…

When you get the date sorted, please post!

[Steve_Wright]

*Originally posted by ianzin *
**Oh, and we can’t have a UK Dopefest without Steve Wright. I mean, what if an obscure pop culture trivia question crops up (and gosh, how likely is that)? We need Steve or else we’ll never know the definitive answer. At the very least, we need his phone number and a promise he’ll be available at the end of the line. **

I dunno. You identify one set of alien robots who appeared in an episode of Doctor Who broadcast for the first and only time in September 1965, and you never live it down …

[Crusoe]

Can I request we meet in a pub with a decent quiz machine?

[Steve_Wright]

You mean, one we can beat this time?

[Gyrate]

Bring a cricket bat, then.

[garius]

*Originally posted by Steve Wright *
**I dunno. You identify one set of alien robots who appeared in an episode of Doctor Who broadcast for the first and only time in September 1965, and you never live it down … **

The Chumblies!

it was galaxy 4 wasn’t it???