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Underground > Gathering >

Worldcon

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14:57 / 18.07.05

Any of you geeks going to Worldcon at the beginning of August in Glasgow? I'll be there for the Saturday - working, natch. If anyone wants to buy me a pint, put your pledges here.

15:08 / 18.07.05

Oooh. How long will you be here? Maybe we should arrange a Glasgow Barbemeet - there's been talk about it forever, so this could be our chance.

15:28 / 18.07.05

Well I wasn't planning on attending Worldcon (I'm not sure I'm willing to embrace my geek side to that extent) but I'd be up for a Glasgow meet.

17:40 / 18.07.05

I'll buy you one. It's not everyday you meet acclaimed fantasy authors after all.

20:09 / 18.07.05

My favoured approach when in the vicinity of famous people is to furiously pretend ignorance of Who They Are - so I'm afraid I'll be shunning Glasgow by way of saying hello.

08:25 / 19.07.05

Is this the first Saturday in August? When do you arrive and leave?

08:54 / 19.07.05

He's a famous author, Ganesh. His reputation would be tarnished if he were seen with someone who has a split infinitive in his post.

I could pop up on my own, Sax. Will you have a cosy hotel room? Leaving Mrs Sax at home? You know you'll be lonely at 3 a.m. when the porn channel shuts down.

09:34 / 19.07.05

Cool. Looking forward to it. Just tell us where and when, and which camera to face.

11:15 / 19.07.05

I should point out I'm not actually famous enough to appear at Worldcon, yet. I'm up there to meet my agent (how long have I waited to say that?) and do some interviews with proper authors.

I'll be arriving Saturday August 6, about lunchtime, and probably busy-ish for the afternoon. But with only a masquerade ball to tempt me at the SECC in the evening, I have the prospect of spending the night at the Charles Rennie Mackintosh Hotel near the Central Station, which looks nice on the pictures but, according to the 93 bad reviews on www.tripadvisor.com, appears to be the worst hotel in Glasgow.

11:58 / 19.07.05

I've never heard of the hotel, but hope it's better than tripadvisor suggests! The people who report on tripadvisor are pretty strange though, always slagging off places I've liked, so I'm sure you'll be fine.
So, Glasgow people, where's good to meet?

14:51 / 19.07.05

Hi lads... it's been a long time since I've posted much on Barbelith, but I'll be in Glasgow for Worlcon too. I'd love to meet up with some of ye.

Perhaps we should all wear a blank white badge during the weekend so we can identify ourselves.

07:40 / 20.07.05

Well, if you Jocks and associated hangers-on want to set up a venue for Saturday night in Glasgow I should be able to come along and ruin your evening for a bit.

07:56 / 20.07.05

Somewhere neart the bus station would be handy. Last time I was in Glasgow I imbibed a little too much and spent half an hour wandering around lost as time ticked down to the last bus. Somehow I made it from Merchant City to the cathedral then to George Square and finally got to the bus station. And I actually do know my way around Glasgow normally.

On reflection Sax, I think we should all go to the masquerade party and try to find each other. It would do wonders for your image:

The 3am Girls reported that English author Sax Saxby was seen wandering around the invitation-only soiree whispering in the ear of complete strangers: "you're from the internet, yeah?" Party goers looked on sympathetically; the rigours of the party circuit have evidently caught up with the young star, and the situation was not helped by an altercation rumoured to have taken place between the Englishman and the paparazzi statiioned outside. Apparently he became violent and showered them with salad from his kebab when they yelled "take off your hoody!"

08:12 / 20.07.05

Meanwhile, I was standing waiting at the bus station, fretting and wondering if I could remember where Meme Buggerer's Mum lived, and if she'd take us in when we missed the bus.

I can't think of anywhere, it's been so long since I went boozing in Glasgow, so we need a local to pipe up with a suggestion!

09:06 / 20.07.05

dudes, i can give locations.
before i do, i should extend the invitation of crash space to the loomis and ariadne pair, enabling them to get teh early bus home the next day.
i have a double bed and i promise not to video you while you sleep.

but near the bus station, you say?
well...
there are a few pubs there, mostly shit.
there are some within a fifteen minute walk/ten minute run that are awesome.
it depends on your desired ratio of late-bus run to awesome, really.
what kinda pubs you kids like?
will you be wearing sensible shoes?

09:08 / 20.07.05

As a barbemeet virgin I have no idea what kind of place is preferred so feel free to shout my suggestions down. The Republic Bier hall is kind of midway between Central Station & the bus station. It's a bit pricey and can get a bit posey but they do have a million different beers and table service which is good. There's various places on Sauchiehall Street ranging from the indie pub of Nice & Sleazies to posh bars that normally don't let me in. As I said if someone wants to give me some idea of the type of venue desired I could be more specific.

09:32 / 20.07.05

Usually the barb-standard is a proper pub with ales on tap and somewhere to sit. Old men in the corner with pipes. Novelty over-sized pub mirrors, drawings of men playing silly old-fashioned sports like golf and tennis.

Indie/studenty places with beautifully scruffy young people are good as well. I do like Nice and Sleazy's but you can't hear a word in there so it's not the best place for a conversation with people you've never met.

I'm happy to walk somewhere if it's good. My knowledge of Glasgow pubs is sketchy at best so am keen to broaden my knowledge. I have heard rumblings of a night bus that runs on the hour as well so that may solve our problems.

09:53 / 20.07.05

But I thought we were staying with Sax?? And Xoc, by the sound of things. It'd better be a big room.

10:42 / 20.07.05

dude, i have two double beds.
it can be a barborgy if you want, but then i will have to retract my earlier comments about video.

mono has been a regular haunt for yawn, falconer and i, but that is a bit of a trek.
republic would be cool, i reckon, but its a heave on a saturday.
brunswick cellars is good for its conpiratorial atmosphere, but thats another heave on weekends.
i'm veering towars the state bar at the moment...
i'll think on it.

11:12 / 20.07.05

Thanks, toksik, that's really nice of you - but I am fond of waking up at home, so we'll probably head for the bus after all. Where is State ... damn, I've forgotten the pub you were leaning towards! Where is it? I love mono, but yeah, it's maybe a bit far.

11:13 / 20.07.05

And Sax - don't worry, organising meets is always like this! We'll get there in the end...

13:00 / 20.07.05

state bar is just off sauchiehall street.
its one of the roads to your left after the pedestrain bit ends called holland street.
further than brunswicks, closer than sleazies.

erra map.

14:27 / 21.07.05

so did everyone shut up because they agree?
or because it sounds like a terrible pub?

14:33 / 21.07.05

What's it like, again?

16:21 / 21.07.05

Actually, I shut up because I finished work (my last day before starting a new job), got drunk, woke up hungover, went swimming, and spent the whole buggering afternoon trying to get my Norton Internet Security to work. Grrr.

So, sorry - I'm sure the State Bar is fine! Is it just a pubby kind of pub, decent beer etc?

19:51 / 21.07.05

y'know, i might check the beer to make sure...it has been a few months and my memory writer tends to be a bit less reliable after the shandy.

its an old-man style pub wot younger punters frequent.
bass-blare low, banter heavy.

you reckon?

21:04 / 21.07.05

Sounds good. Old-man style pubs are my favourite, and I'm sure the beer will be fine.
Sax, does that suit you? I don't know your pub preferences and just hope they don't involve standing up, bottled beer and 'pulling shirts'.

21:32 / 21.07.05

Oh dear, that sounds terrible now that I reread it. Sorry, Sax. If you do like that sort of pub, I'm sure we can find a compromise solution!
Right, I'm off to bed.

07:56 / 22.07.05

That pub sounds perfect to me toksik.

What does everyone else think?

08:03 / 22.07.05

Sounds good to me.

11:31 / 22.07.05

Well, I suppose I can still stand up, preen in my pulling shirt and drink bottled lager there.

For God's sake, people, I'm 35 years old! All I want out of a pub is copious amounts of alcohol, somewhere to sit, to be able to hear conversation and a flat surface for rolling my Golden Virginia on. This place sounds perfect.

So, I should expect the whole plan to fall apart on what, the 3rd or 4th of August?

13:43 / 22.07.05

Sorry Sax, I was just having my own 'I hate trendy pubs' crisis, didn't mean to offload it on you...

So - we have a pub. Timing? Do you have much idea of how long you'll be wrapped up in Worldcon-type stuff, Sax?

14:20 / 22.07.05

I would hope to be clear by eight, I would have thought. Then it's back to Hotel Diablo, dip my nads in the sink, and I'm ready for action.

15:24 / 22.07.05

I'm easy, around 8 is fine, but I can be there from whenever.

22:28 / 22.07.05

wait... you're 35?
uh, like, this place is like, faux old man, dude.

*whispers*
are you guys sure about this?
i mean, i live here and shit...

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