Gransnetters Meet

Theodora we actually have a London meet and before Covid, we met at Debenhams. It is very difficult finding somewhere not too expensive which can cope with as many as 8 people who stay for around 2 hours and on the whole only have one cup of coffee each!

Oxford Street seemed a good meeting place for folk to get to considering we come from all over London. Have you any bright ideas?

The Wanstead Meet-up is held in the George pub. It’s a Wetherspoon so it’s £1.20 for coffee/tea with free refill and a very reasonably priced lunch menu.

My husband and I had lunch in the Shakespeare’s Head pub (Wetherspoons) in Holborn last week because I wanted to see if it was suitable for our London meet-ups. Fifty yards from the Tube station and loads of larger tables too. However there are about 18 steps at Holborn station so less convenient for people with limited mobility. Pity.

There is another Wetherspoon’s place (Montague Pike) on Charing X Road near Foyles Bookshop. Take the Tube to Tottenham Court Road Station, which has lifts and escalators, then any bus going down Charing X road. Probably a couple of stops but I haven’t been there. However willing to do a recce and report back.

Niobe it is so difficult- I would end up driving to the bus stop, taking a bus, 3 tubes and then another bus with a repeat performance going home. I appreciate it is so difficult to find somewhere we can all reach fairly easily.

Bellanonna and I met at Kings Cross but that was a non-starter. Getting out of the station for me was a nightmare and the place, yards away from the station was too small and would not have appreciated our crowd.

Charley girl, that’s why I was so hopeful for Shakespear’s Head. Will keep looking. Hope you are well and that we can meet up again soon.

Perhaps East London rather than West London would be easier to get to and better prices

We can DM more specific details as I am conscious that our threads and posts can be read by non members of gransnet

Charleygirl, where can you get to easily?

Niobe, thanks very much for doing this research. And it was great seeing you at the last Wanstead meetup.
It's worth doing Theodora, about 6 years ago I arranged a meet at Westfield and Niobe turned up. Then we transferred to Wanstead.
Different people come as an when they can. It's good fun.

loopyloo Oxford Street was ideal- only one bus and two tubes. Seriously who is taking over Debenhams? Would one of John Lewis's 4 cafes be okay for us? It is so long since I dined there. I used to work in W1 but that was 100 years ago and so much has changed.

I know this is thinking out of the box but Ikea has opened in Oxford Street- they have a cafe but would it accommodate us lot? After Easter, I could take a trip there to investigate.

One of my tube stations is now step-free access, an absolute dream for me.

I was in Oxford Street yesterday and I’m sure that IKEA is open yet. I could be wrong as I wasn’t paying attention. I also went to John Lewis where there is a large self service cafe called the Place to Eat on the top floor. It didn’t seem to be at all crowded so could be very suitable. We didn’t actually have anything so I didn’t notice the prices.

I personally think we should start off in John Lewis- if prices are horrendous we do not have to have lunch there but Oxford Street appears to be a reasonable place for most folk to get to.

I personally would not consider East London. but I am only one person., it may suit others.

OK sounding good. Where do you think is best

So far seems we have
Oxfordshire Street
Or
Wanstead

May I throw in Victoria Park in the mix just because it is in the middle of two main line stations, Bethnal Green and Mile End It is close to Lauriston Road which has Coffee shops charity shops and an amazing Bagel shop

There is already an established meet-up in Wanstead - why tamper with that.
Oxford St may be central and I am sure JL is fine. Oxford Circus has the advantage of being known to everybody, although personally I avoid it like the plague these days -especially these days!
From the days when D3 lived out in Hackney, I would not say that Victoria Park is all that easy to get to and wonder if it would actually suit anybody .
Why the idea of one London meet-up anyway? London is a big place, many consider it a collection of villages and I would have thought there was scope for a variety of meet-ups and places to meet.
Just saying.

I am meeting a friend, not GN, at John Lewis, Oxford Street after Easter so I will suss out the arrangements there.

Theodora we have been meeting at Oxford Street for a few years now-we just have to find a new place for coffee. Most people can get there.

As said, Wanstead is an established meeting place as is Oxford Street. I am afraid I have no clue where Victoria Park is but please feel free to organise a meet up there.

I don’t know Victoria Park, and where I live there is no underground so it would be difficult for me to meet there.
If Charleygirl could let us know what she thinks of JL as a possible meeting place that might be the solution for now. It’s central, so useful for grans coming into London from various suburbs.

Let's go for JL! Which day of the week suits ?

How about Friday 6th May?

I’m up for that

Me too- we must decide which of the four cafe/ restaurants we meet. Is 11 am a reasonable time?

Suits me too. It’s a good idea to start off with JL and see how it goes. The Place to Eat on the top floor has a variety of hot foods, sandwiches, salads, cakes etc so we should find something we can all eat. 11am Friday 6th of May will be great for me.

Niobe I think that is the 4th floor so that sounds great to me.
That is:
Loopyloo
Bellanonna
Niobe
Charleygirl

Lovely, I will look forward to it!

I live in the same direction as Bellanonna. I would be interested in going to a central London meeting (the one near foyles would be great for us south Londoners), but definitely could not do east London.
John Lewis sounds a good idea. There is a Salvation Army cafe near Oxford Circus which a friend uses when in the West End. I don't know how big it is but it would be cheap, so a possibility.

Victoria Park is in Hackney