GABIT attendees thread

[MidwifeOnBoard]

Oh, and scary thought. If we can't make it into Heathrow because of the weather, who's to say Amanda might? Wonder what the G4 would do in that situation?

Bite your tongue! I plan on using my Jedi powers to make the weather behave in February.

[ScifigirlSG]

Oh, and scary thought. If we can't make it into Heathrow because of the weather, who's to say Amanda might? Wonder what the G4 would do in that situation?

Exactly.. I'm more concerned with Heathrow being understaffed due to economic conditions. I've heard/read where Heathrow is having.."problems'. After flying all night, I'd hate to have to be in a plane stuck circling the airport or stuck on the tarmack.

[Skydiver]

So true! I remember during TSE in Vancouver, we walked to the Timmie's in the morning and I ordered a small coffee thinking it would be just the right size for the caffeine I felt I needed to wake up. I paid and was handed this mini-cup of coffee. I actually turned to Ames and asked if my order was wrong (her being the Cdn and all) and she informed me that the their small was vastly different than ours. I was expecting more than two quick gulps but, oh well. Live and learn. And buy medium or large next time.

and us yanks are perpetually thirsty cause the only thing you can get in a decent size in the UK is beer...and me hates beer

I don't get what's with you people and all your tiny itty bitty cups

Oh, and scary thought. If we can't make it into Heathrow because of the weather, who's to say Amanda might? Wonder what the G4 would do in that situation?

eek, don't give Julia, Becks and Mumsy a heart attack.

the con is a month away, surely they'll have the snafus settled by then

[lame moose (mocha)]

A couple of things:

1) did you forget Amanda told us she is the Empress of the Universe
2) For transportation to the REN. Make your way to the buses (follow the signs), once outside find the pole that lists bus 111. It will drop you off just across from the REN. Ask the bus driver. It is free the buses have a deal with the Heathrow hotels

do you know if the free bus is handicap accessible? it's hard to tell at their site. they make it sound like it's the same kind of bus as the one that comes right to the ren door.

[Jumble]

Oh, and scary thought. If we can't make it into Heathrow because of the weather, who's to say Amanda might? Wonder what the G4 would do in that situation?

My first thought when I heard it was to be in February was "That's soooo not a good time to come to England"

I guess they'd either have to re-schedule or refund the ticket money.

[llp]

My first thought when I heard it was to be in February was "That's soooo not a good time to come to England"

I guess they'd either have to re-schedule or refund the ticket money.

Please, don't even put that idea out there. I want to have a mini vacation and have some fun - snow or no snow. And Amanda wouldn't let a little snow bother her.....she's Helen Magnus!

[Jumble]

Please, don't even put that idea out there. I want to have a mini vacation and have some fun - snow or no snow. And Amanda wouldn't let a little snow bother her.....she's Helen Magnus!

You'll still get your fun vacation

Maybe one of her abnormals can help her control the weather

I really think Martin should come with her, you know, just to make sure she gets here safely

[EH-T]

Hi everyone. Just a few words to wish Merry Christmas (a bit late, I guess) and a Happy 2011....fingers crossed for decent weather conditions next February. I´m getting a little paranoid. I´ve failed miserably in keeping updated and meeting new people a this thread beforehand...New Job, Old City and lack of Internet for a few months didn´t help, so I will have to trust in all of you and a bit in me to break the ice when the day comes. Ooom. Anyway, good luck to everyone next year!

I'm sure you will have no problem meeting up with us. Either join in one of the activities planned or just let us know what you look like and we'll do the rest.

*bounces in*
Happy New Year!!!!
*hugs thread*
See y'all soon!
*bounces out*


*screeches to halt, remembering other part of the intented post*



So ... keeping neatly on-topic, we'll be spreading the joy of bluey goodness once again at AT5 (*bounces excitedly*), and I was wondering if it would be possible for any attendees coming from North America to bring along a box or few of blue jello to the event... Just find me on Thurs/Fri to donate your boxes -- thus freeing up space in your luggage for all the lovelies that you may acquire over the weekend...yay auction time!
(The jello will likely be made on the Fri evening whilst the lucky people are enjoying themselves at the cocktail party, so as to ensure its readiness for the ball As everyone who has been a bluey-minion in the past is either unable to attend or is currently counted amongst those aforementioned lucky peeps , anyone who'd like to aid in on the tradition of the making of the bluey goodness is welcome to join in the fun!)

For those of you who haven't attended a GABIT event before, there is, of course, a story behind the now-tradition of sharing the joy of bluey goodness -- which I will gladly share in bouncy fashion as requested

So yes, anyone with a bit of room to spare in the luggage, if you could bring along a box or two for the cause, that would be highly awesome! Thanks in advance

...and... HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
*unpauses the bounce-out*

I'll be happy to bring jello once again.

I had a couple of questions I am hoping you old timers can answer. Is there a grocery store near the hotel? And what are the options for getting from Heathrow to the hotel? Does the hotel have a shuttle or do you have to come up with your own transportation? If so, what are some of the solutions some of you have used that you would recommend?

I appreciate any help you all will provide!

Well, young whipper-snapper, I see you have had answers to your questions. I'm with Cel, definitely take the free bus.

ah yes, but sometimes you just get tired of pub or hotel food...and for me? dying for a good soda that's more than 6 oz of warm pepsi

But the lemon soda drinks at the Ren were sooo good!

Happy New Year everyone!

Phew, so after a hellish journey home for Christmas (BUY SNOWPLOWS, HEATHROW! *shakes fist) I am soooo ready for 2011!

Still not sure whether I'll be able to afford a ticket (moving house in London is hella expensive!) but I'd be really excited to hang out with anyone who's here for a few days before/after and whatever you've got going on! I see you're doing the Jack the Ripper Walk - I did that when Sanctuary started in '07 and if you get a good one it's really awesome!

I'll also happily offer my services of actually understanding this vast metropolis if anyone needs any info for staying in/getting around London after the weekend

Tube fares and VAT are going up on January 4th so take another look if you've already budgeted...

Happy to have you join in wherevever possible!

Oy......would it be better to fly into Gatwick from the U.S.?

As others have said, the snow situation was not a whole lot better at Gatwick and considering how close the event is to Heathrow I would say no. Plus given the recent bad press to Heathrow I'm sure they will take steps to improve their snow removal skills ASAP. I'm sure the CEO wants his bonus next year.

If worst comes to worst, give us Canucks a couple of shovels and we'll take care of everything!

How's the tap water at the Ren? Can I bring my aluminum water bottle and refill? Or is that a no-go?

The tap water is perfectly fine but as others have said, water everwhere is different and your body adapts to your water. Therefore there is always the possibility it may have a negative effect on you until you get used to it. You may wish to stick to bottled just to be better safe and sorry.

do you know if the free bus is handicap accessible? it's hard to tell at their site. they make it sound like it's the same kind of bus as the one that comes right to the ren door.

I can't recall. Perhaps the website SamJackShipLover suggested may have an answer.

[Celandine]

do you know if the free bus is handicap accessible? it's hard to tell at their site. they make it sound like it's the same kind of bus as the one that comes right to the ren door.

I scanned the website as well, but didn't see anything. I even googled it to see if there was something out there to even give a *hint* as to accessibility, but all I found was a map of the tube with the platform heights for the different stations as well as for the double decker buses in London. Good, but not what you were looking for. I'd suggest clicking on the 'contact us' feature of the site and emailing them your question. You should have plenty of time yet to receive your answer before you leave. Good luck!

[PengYn]

All London buses are wheel chairs friendly. I'm not entirely sure about the long bendy-buses but as you won't be taking one of those to the hotel, you don't have to worry about that one. You just alert the driver to the fact that you are there and he/she will then lower the ramp for you to get on. The ramp will be at the exit doors in the middle of the bus rather than the entrance doors at the front and there is a big roomy area to accommodate you. There is always a sign to tell people that the area is a priority for wheelchairs so if they have to move, they will and people are pretty good about doing that

[myblackrose]

From the snow point of view, Gatwick is no different to Heathrow. Both had to cancel flights and Gatwick was completely closed down at one point

We just all have to hope it doesn't snow in February

Being honest, Gatwick handled it a lot better - they've got far more equipment and personnel dedicated to clearing snow than Heathrow and while they did close, they reopened to a better operating schedule much faster than Heathrow. I got very epically burned by the whole Heathrow business this Christmas and, having played airport bingo with the whole situation and gotten incredibly stressed by it, I would really recommend just booking your flight and then doing your best not to worry about it. If it snows that badly again, all the airports will be rubbish and there's really no way to win. I apologise for this country's inability to deal with weather

Does anyone know in which Terminal I will arrive (I fly with Lufthansa)? Or else I'm gonna check the Heathrow webpage and see what I can find out

Lufthansa fly in to Terminal 1 - it should be written on your ticket confirmation but you can search for your flight number here: http://www.heathrowairport.com/porta...ich+terminal?/

[NZNeep]

Heh. Last time the bus driver couldn't understand my accent... "The Run hotel? What are you on about then?" Then he told me a story about Scottish currency not being valid, but he would take it to be nice (it totally is legit currency). Then he offered to catch up for a drink after his shift and I said no thanks, I would be fine.

I was so relieved when I got to the hotel and Tracy and Liesl took me under their wing. then because I was in England I went to the bar and ordered a pint and a £3 packet of "crisps."

[lame moose (mocha)]

if snow is a problem, i'm arriving a week early. i'll get out there with my scooter and help plow the snow away just like i do at home. wish i had a salt spreader on the back of my scooter.
i'll add the accessibility question to my list when i call all the transportation places. hate trying to find things online and since i'm traveling alone with a disability, i like to have all the ducks in the right order. by the way, i thought i saw somewhere that northern ireland uses gbp, but the southern part uses the euro. is that right? also, is all of great britan the same time zone or is ireland different? i'm confused, is ireland part of the uk or part of gr. brit? i keep forgetting. don't anyone be offended by that question.

[antoa]

if snow is a problem, i'm arriving a week early. i'll get out there with my scooter and help plow the snow away just like i do at home. wish i had a salt spreader on the back of my scooter.
i'll add the accessibility question to my list when i call all the transportation places. hate trying to find things online and since i'm traveling alone with a disability, i like to have all the ducks in the right order. by the way, i thought i saw somewhere that northern ireland uses gbp, but the southern part uses the euro. is that right? also, is all of great britan the same time zone or is ireland different? i'm confused, is ireland part of the uk or part of gr. brit? i keep forgetting. don't anyone be offended by that question.

Northern Ireland is part of the UK and uses the GBP. The main city (and capitol) in Northern Ireland is Belfast.

The rest of Ireland is not part of the UK and uses the Euro. The main cities are Dublin (capitol), Cork, Waterford, Shannon (another main airport here), Limerick (closest city to Paul (Shirt N Tie)), Galway, etc.

Here is a handy wikipedia page with a map.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Counties_of_Ireland

I have never been to Northern Ireland, but have been to a big chunk of the rest of the island and my favorite part, by far was the western shore from Co. Kerry up to Co. Galway.

But Paul (Shirt N tie) and Mary (myblackrose) are better versed in the country since they were born and raised there. Oh, and MasterBraytac is Irish too.

[ames]

if snow is a problem, i'm arriving a week early. i'll get out there with my scooter and help plow the snow away just like i do at home. wish i had a salt spreader on the back of my scooter.
i'll add the accessibility question to my list when i call all the transportation places. hate trying to find things online and since i'm traveling alone with a disability, i like to have all the ducks in the right order. by the way, i thought i saw somewhere that northern ireland uses gbp, but the southern part uses the euro. is that right? also, is all of great britan the same time zone or is ireland different? i'm confused, is ireland part of the uk or part of gr. brit? i keep forgetting. don't anyone be offended by that question.

I have visions of this scooter outfitted with a lovely plow going up and down the runways now Love it!

To answer your q's, N. Ireland is part of the United Kingdom, along with England, Scotland, and Wales. (Those three combined are known as Great Britain - you add in NI, you get the UK instead. As you may have guessed, I've had this explained to me a few times while over there ) Ireland will indeed use the Euro, but Northern Ireland uses the GBP. I believe the entirety of Ireland and the UK are in the same timezone, which conveniently enough is the same timezone as here on GW. Hope that helps

As Neep mentioned above, Scottish pounds look different than English ones ... there are places in the south of England that refuse to accept them, but in the vast majority of places they're accepted on par, no worries there! The last time I took out money in Scotland I was given English notes, so go figure

Not that much longer to go... *bounces*
...tries to not think about all the details I still need to get lined up myself...gah!