Meetup - LONDON 14 JUNE

[anortherncod]

Astronaut suggested going to a Japanese restaurant for lunch, of which there are, of course, many. But she's not been here for a couple of days!

Natasha

[dj_explain]

Sounds like a date!
Any station good for me, unfortunately I won't know until nearer the date if I can come (work family etc!)
What's the latest date I can confirm?

[anortherncod]

Sounds like a date!
Any station good for me, unfortunately I won't know until nearer the date if I can come (work family etc!)
What's the latest date I can confirm?

Hiya dj and welcome - I don't think we have 'met' before

There is no limit as to when you need to confirm if you're coming, the day before is fine; we just wanted to establish a date and place so that we could start making arrangements as some people (like me) will have to book train tickets and so on.

Natasha

[Astronaut]

Astronaut suggested going to a Japanese restaurant for lunch, of which there are, of course, many. But she's not been here for a couple of days!
Natasha

Hello everyone! I'm back!
Well here are my suggestions for places to eat at lunchtime on the 14th June. Let me know what you think, if you have any other suggestions post em here!

1. HAZUKI - 43 Chandos Place. Charing Cross Tube. Lunch served 12.30 pm- 3pm Saturdays. Set Meals 16-45 GB Sterling. (Err, sorry I dont have the pound sign on this keyboard!!!)

2. ROKA - 37 Charlotte St. Goodge St or Tottenham Court Rd Tube. Lunch 12.30 -11pm Saturdays. Main courses 3.60-21 GBS.

3. SAPPORO ICHIBAN - 13 Catford Broadway. Catford Rail. Lunch noon - 4pm Sats. Main Course 5.50-16 GBS. (Personally, this is the one I'd like to go to - for the obvious reason ...

4. RYO - 84 Brewer St. Piccadilly Circus Tube. Lunch 11.30-1am Sats. Set Meal 5.50-10 GBS.

5. JAPAN CENTRE (TOKU) - 212 Piccadilly. Piccadilly Circus Tube. Meals served noon-10pm Sats. Main Course: 2.50-14 GBS or Set Lunch 6.90-14.50 GBS. Japan Centre also has Japanese shops which are open 10.30am-8pm on Sats.

ASTRONAUT x.
There is a Japanese restaurant on the Grays Inn Road which would have been ideal, since we are meeting at Kings Cross, but they are not open for lunch on Saturdays!
OK - over to you ...

[anortherncod]

Personally I really like the idea of the one in Catford - I have never been

Failing that, I would say the second choice for me would be the one on Charlotte Street. Just because Tottenham Court Road tube station reminds me of when I was a little fishie and used to go shopping in the Virgin Megastore for Japanese imports and back issues of Bamboo (drowning in my nostalgia, etc).

Natasha

[Astronaut]

Great - 2 votes for Catford! OK, what about the rest of you - any thoughts?

[zebra]

Okay, as much as I'd love to go to Catford, it bein historical an all, it has to be said that its a bit of a trawl from Kings X and we have to decide whether we wanna spend a coupla hours travellin about. I mean if people have a list of important sites in Catford I'll go along with it but maybe we should stay central for the first meetup so we can find record shops and bars and maybe a club for later on cos saturday travelling in London is no fun as Iggy would say and a big waste of our time together. Any thoughts??
Awl love Dee

[anortherncod]

A lot depends on how long people can stay. I have decided to throw caution to the wind and will be booking a hotel. Maybe those who know they are coming could indicate whether they will also be staying over or getting a late train home, or will be leaving at tea-time. Then we could make a more informed decision about how far we can and can't go.

Natasha

[zebra]

Hi Natasha you awlright mate?
Thats a good question, I'm lucky, cos I live here i can stick around
I was thinking more about those who are coming and going, maybe they might not wanna be sitting in more trains on a busy saturday.
Just a thought.
Dee x

[Astronaut]

A very valid point Dee, I'm happy to go with the majority vote. Since I am also staying in a hotel on Saturday nite I could go to Catford on Sunday if I wanted to ... not a problem!

[camphorvan]

lol. I used to live in around Lewisham and Catford - I'm not sure you'll find a hotel of any quality in Catford. Or a hotel at all come to that. Catford - there's really not much there. Well, not when I was last there anyway. Lot's of crime; the grim, grey recesses of SE London. Also, apply that to Lewisham. I would seriously think twice. It's a dump. Apologies to anyone hailing from there (eek!).

It DOES have a great big plastic cat above the entrance to the shopping precinct though...

C

[Astronaut]

lol. I used to live in around Lewisham and Catford - I'm not sure you'll find a hotel of any quality in Catford. Or a hotel at all come to that. Catford - there's really not much there. Well, not when I was last there anyway. Lot's of crime; the grim, grey recesses of SE London. Also, apply that to Lewisham. I would seriously think twice. It's a dump. Apologies to anyone hailing from there (eek!).

It DOES have a great big plastic cat above the entrance to the shopping precinct though...

C

Hello Camphorvan! I'm not staying in a hotel in Catford my friend - purlease!!! I used to live in SE London too, Camberwell to be precise, so I know it's depressing, riddled with crime and all round innercity deprivation etc, etc. However, there is somewhere I'd like to see which I never bothered to do whilst living there (isn't that always the way?) and I'd like to re-visit some of my old haunts, just to see if they are still there! As for the plastic cat - is that still there? I seem to recall it used to go missing every once in a while ...

BTW: to paraphrase our own Mr Sylvian: It's not where you're born/live - it's the things that you do which are important in life. I knew some wonderful people when I lived in Camberwell, so don't be too disparaging of the place ...

[Melaszka]

Hi, everybody,

I can only stay until about tea-time.

I'm in two minds about "doing" Catford - a David pilgrimage sounds kind of fun, but I also have a typical North Londoner's horror of any form of transport that you can't use an Oyster card on.

Whatever you guys decide is fine with me.

[Steerpike]

4. RYO - 84 Brewer St. Piccadilly Circus Tube. Lunch 11.30-1am Sats. Set Meal 5.50-10 GBS.

5. JAPAN CENTRE (TOKU) - 212 Piccadilly. Piccadilly Circus Tube. Meals served noon-10pm Sats. Main Course: 2.50-14 GBS or Set Lunch 6.90-14.50 GBS. Japan Centre also has Japanese shops which are open 10.30am-8pm on Sats.

One of the last 2 would be the best as they're on the Picadilly line which we can catch from Kings Cross. The Ryo looks cheaper, but for a "Theme" I like the sound of the Japan centre.