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To all who will be driving ~ please drive carefully.

Love,
Lizzy

TODAY'S THE DAY in YOUR part of the world !!! At last ! That reminds me. I need to call my brother .

Love,
Lizzy

"Please drive carefully" still holds !

Good Morning Lizzy. Happy Birthday to your Brother . (Please could you let us know his name so we can raise a glass and sing a song for him later). I so wish you (both) could join us today.

I am now off to Bristol to help Ali with the preparations.

See you later !

Diane

Hi Diane ~

I am now off to Bristol to help Ali with the preparations.

Well, since you're already GONE ~ uhm... < * his name was Ron * >

Perhaps, someone else going will think to check the Forum and see it, though ~ and remember to tell you .

I'll wish him a Happy Birthday from all of you, too, even if it will leave him lost, befuddled, and bewildered . Thanks !

Ohhh......how exciting this all is !!!

Love,
Lizzy

Happy Birthday Ron,
Love from
Diane and Ali (having a 5 minute break from the food prep)

[For your next 5-minuter]

Hey, Ali and Diane!

Oh, awesome! You're there! You're together! You're laughing and having fun! You're experiencing, first-hand, the glorious nature of gatherings!!!

< * now quit picking at the food and leave some for the others * >



Thank you for your confirmation, on my brother's name, Ali ~ I will pass on your and Diane's "Happy Birthday" wishes to him .


Let's Sing Another Song, Boys,
Love,
Lizzy

Yeah, let's sing another song !

http://www.tea-and-oranges.de/mp3/asingermustdie.mp3

H.

Dear All

Sorry I didn't make it yesterday but I had to visit the hospital as I was having breathing difficulties (been suffering with bronchitis and it just doesn't seem to be getting better) they gave me some ABs and told me to see my GP on Monday.

Sorry you couldn't make it John. I hope you get to feel better very soon.

A very big "Thank You" to Ali and Diane for all the work you put into organising last night's meeting, and to Ali and Lee for putting us up for the night.

It was good to meet everyone.

Margaret and John

<-------------this little fella wants me to get him his own Katie-Kitten, because once he saw her photos he demanded I order frozen mouses to be ready for when his own connie-strictor arrives.

Ditto margaret. Great welcome and lovely people.

John, we missed you last night. I am so sorry to hear the reason for your absence. Best wishes for a speedy recovery. Take care.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This is a brief write-up of last night. Tim and I will eventually fashion a 'proper' one to submit to Jarkko for the files, unless anyone else would like to volunteer for the task.

It all started for me when Ali, Lee and Ali's brother Dave collected me from Bristol Temple Meads station just after 9am. After a trip to Asda, Ali and I spent the day chatting as we prepared a snack or two for the buffet. We barely had time to draw breath before we were setting up at the venue and the others were arriving. Margaret, John (Byron), James, Tim, Rob, Pete, Linda with other half John, and Phil with Fergie, plus some of Ali and Lee's lovely friends. We all launched into conversation in the cosy manner of which Rob later described as meeting people you already know for the first time.

Meanwhile, Lee was hard at work setting up the sound system and then entertaining us with a well-chosen set of songs, including his wonderful cover of Hallelujah. The Lovely Pete then took the open mic spot, and you could hear a fheather drop as he played a succession of Leonard numbers.

The venue was small and friendly but did come with a minor flaw. On such a freezing January night in England, there was but a one-bar gas heater for the whole room, which had a rather anaesthetising effect on one's fingers. Pete played on under these harsh conditions, as had Lee before him, and as would John after him. You did us proud, boys.

Everyone had brought along items for the raffle, and there were prizes for all, a perfect way to redistribute treasured musical instruments, books, CDs and bottles of booze. There was only one item, of which we shall not speak, that was conspicuously an unwanted Christmas present.

Linda and Rob had both prepared quizzes to vex us. We all did very well, and without any evidence of collaboration or cheating whatsoever. Whilst Tim appeared to be the overall winner, Ali had the most creative answer of the evening. Rob harshly disallowed her answer of: A horse, Suzanne, Marianne, and Heather, to the question: Name four mammals that have featured in LC songs.

As Roy the barman politely reminded us the evening was drawing to a close, he informed us that he is a Cohen fan, and knows of at least 20 others (!), and would have had them all in attendance had he known. Of course, we assured him he would be informed of future events.

Before closing time we raised a red needle to the Night, to Lizzy's brother Ron whose birthday it was, and to dear Lizzy herself.

There was no-one in the room I would not have liked to have sat with for a further, lengthy, one-to-one conversation. Fortunately, Margaret, John and Rob were staying at Ali's for the night as I was, so I was lucky enough to be able to talk to each of them a little more. But Pete, Phil, Linda, James and Tim escaped into the night.

This was a wonderful, memorable evening. It was good to be able to say goodbye to some with the words, "see you in Berlin".

Thanks for coming people,

Love,

Diane

Great write-up from Diane! thanks. I will summon some words at some point, when I'm not hanging-out in the chatroom, but for now, I will let some pictures paint 30,000 words (approximately. YMMV.)

http://photobucket.com/albums/v316/TimV ... 07-Jan-06/

Tim

Thanks Tim! I have also just emailled a couple of pics to Jarkko, of Lee, Pete, and Rob being a quizmaster, for him to magically insert below, if he can.

Congratulations on your meet-up Diane and Ali. Sounds like a good time was had by all! Hoping I'll be able to say "See you in Berlin" and finalize my attendence there soon.

Hi Everyone ~

I checked several times this morning, before I had to leave my house; so, I was very glad to see something here this evening!

Well, that PhotoBucket emptied too soon, that's for sure! Deceptive how the place looks, as it looks very cozy and warm!

I was surely there in spirit, going by the nostalgia I feel looking at these photos. Certainly part of it is from seeing these people, whom I already know, again on my screen. It's funny how it really doesn't take that long to get a sense of who someone is... and just seeing them in subsequent photos evokes so much. Meeting them again only gets better and better each time.

You're just as beautiful as I imagined, Diane < * Tim apparently agrees * > ~ Tim, who it appears has this all figured out. You take the photos, and then you never need to worry about getting your own taken . Or, were you the "Anonymous" raffle winner, with your back to the camera? Or, was that one of Ali and Lee's friends? That's super that you were able to put so many people up for the night, Ali and Lee ~ a second gathering after the gathering. Packed out by the sounds of it ~ and not a complaint in the house ! It also looked [with that thing you have strung across as decoration] that you symbolically had Katie-Kitten there, with the pattern on it.

And ~ Pete! Did you win again!?! You're always winning!

It's so good to see you, again, Phil and Fergie ! And Linda and John ! And Margaret and Byron ! Isn't Margaret lovely, and Linda sweet, Diane? I didn't describe them so much to you, as you've had a much better chance to get to know them yourself, here; whereas, circumstances have prevented that with Paula and Phil. And, Pete ~ I LOVE that one of you standing there with your sweet smile! Did you win a briefcase!?! Rob ~ looking your kewl self in that sweater ~ are you coming to Berlin?

Ali ~ I had my hair like yours once. If I can put my hands on some photos I took, I'll bring them to Berlin to show you. Mine was braided, with large, wooden beads at the end of each one, and across my forehead, as bangs. I'd always wanted to do it, and decided I'd better before I turned 90. So, I did it 11 years ago... and was so glad I did. Gladder still that I got some photos to prove it .

Thanks for toasting me, you guys [an American term, not to be taken literally ~ at least not in this case]... and wishing my brother a Happy Birthday! I called and let him know this was happening, but I believe he must be up at his cabin, as I had to leave it on his answering machine, and haven't heard back from him.

I Brit'ed out last night. Ended up at my second job, where there's public TV. It's what came on, as soon as I got the thing working ~ these remote controls are a trip. Anyway, there it was... "Are You Being Served?" a couple episodes; then "Keeping Up Appearances" ~ I laughed 'till I couldn't breathe with that one ~ Hyacinth concerned that neighbour Elizabeth was bringing down the neighbourhood, by having a man at her house, and that she'd be compelled to move, as a result. The repeated instructions to her husband [G~d, I start laughing, just remembering it ] to sneak a look on his way to the car [having to look the opposite direction in the ruse of waving goodbye to her], with her acting out what she wants him to do, as she's still standing in the doorway. And, the 'lower-echelon' couple that also is part of the show, with them talking in bed in the morning... seriously, I couldn't breathe, I was laughing so hard. Then, that lovely comedy with Judith/Judy Dench[?] ~ do I have her name right? I laughed and felt wistful, both... and the music it ends on, oh my. So romantic.

So, there I was ~ in spirit, all over again, with you folks. It really looks like you had a great time!

There was only one, MINOR omission in your report, Diane ~ and not referenced by anyone else, either!

< * the silly walk !?! * >

< * I'll wait to hear * >

This makes me so much more anxious for Berlin, all over again. What a trip it was finding out about the bartender and all his friends, eh? That's great !

Well, Dar, I sure hope you can get things squared away, and your slot confirmed for Berlin soon, too ~ you and Squidgy both!

Thanks for the report, Diane ~ and the photos, Tim. I'll be glad when Jarkko's does his magic with the ones you sent him, Diane.

It looks like you all had a wonderful time. I wish I could've heard all the singing.

Love,
Lizzy