Great afternoon, excellent food, nice people and lots of helpful information. Also, a terrific surprise for me!!!
If you folks out there see any invitations for a Natter 'n Nosh in Waterloo, it will be time well spent!!!
Thanks Ian (you can stop ranting now) and the best of luck with the leg op!
John
Here. Here.
And the same from me too - a really good afternoon.
I'm safely home and on time on what, I discover, was the last train of the day. So glad I caught it!
All the best to you John as well for Tuesday.
The prize and congratulations must go to Rellim who travelled all the way from the Lake District for the London meet.
Glad you made it back ok.
A true "Jetsetter"....great to see you again and thanks!
Thank you both. I travelled down two years ago and felt it was worth going just for the food - but, I hasten to add, also good to meet up with everyone for a natter.
Rellim.
Well done you.
You sure get about ! pleased you enjoyed meeting the others.you even caught the last train that was lucky ! How long did it take you to get home keep well.
Christo.
It's about 2 hours 40 minutes from Oxenholme to Euston on a direct train and I travelled back that way, arriving home at 9.30. Nothing is simple though, because if you want cheap tickets it can pay to change trains half way (and last time I think I travelled down via Manchester for £13.50) or go on a slower train. You need to book well in advance for cheap tickets and a fast journey. It's a really good day out though - I walked from Euston to Southwark, saw a few sights, looked at the windows of the sort of shops that Kendal doesn't have and spent half an hour in the British Museum en route.
For everyone's benefit - you don't necessarily need to get off a train but it can be cheaper to buy a split ticket but check this out for each line. So for instance the cost of getting from Station A to Station C can be greater than the cost from Station A to Station B + the cost from Station B to Station C. However the train you choose must stop at Station B !!!!
Another tip is to see what happens when you add a local station into the journey at one or both ends, particularly if the station is not on the same direct train!!! So for instance if you had the ticket start from Windermere (which is further away than Oxenholme) the ticket price is often cheaper than the one from Oxenholme!!!! This works easily on the London stations but not sure about the remoter ones.
Ooh, I'll have a look at this. Thanks! I know you get better value, if you want a return (not a day return) from Oxenholme to Lancaster, to buy a return from Oxenholme to Morecambe and not travel the second journey. Such complexity. I have looked at tickets to Birmingham on October 8th but they are not yet on sale.
The MoneySavingExpert website has a splitter tool (Ticketysplit) - you put in your start and end stations and it will calculate the cheapest split for you.
Caroline
When originally released TicketySplit only worked for on the day walk on fares. Then the website said it worked on advance fares but when I checked one for an advance ticket no split came up but I was able to get a cheaper ticket by doing my own split.
Like all these things depends on the detail!!!
John you are too kind, all I do is name a date and a place and then people come and we have a great afternoon. I must say we have an enviable reputation for good weather however.
Good luck Tuesday mate
Ian
True......but you do it with such style! Ta for the wishes......👍
Very sorry I missed lunch on Sunday, I had to prioritise at short notice - grand daughter and boyfriend for the day. I so enjoyed the meeting you all a couple of years ago, and was very disappointed not to have made it this time, apologies if it caused any problems. Such is life, when is the next one?!
Hi Annaelizabeth
It's an informal gathering, so whilst great to see you we did not have any problems.
It was Saturday by the way not Sunday, and the next one will probably be mid -September now.
Be well
Ian
You were missed Annaelizabeth as it was very much, with some exceptions, a repeat of two years ago!
There was some talk of lunch or an afternoon meeting in Birmingham on Saturday 8th October as people will be gathering for Patients' Day on the 9th. But also another session as before in September. No venue for the former, no date yet as far as I'm aware for the latter.
I threw that suggestion into the pot for lunchtime / afternoon catch up as just an idea.
If there is interest then we probably need to decide "in principal" in the next 10 days so that those like Rellim who are very organised can buy the cheap tickets as they are released!!
My standard day return fare to Euston is £97.70, so the savings can be very significant. Very organised? It's kind of you, Peter, but I think penny pinching comes into it ever so slightly.
I did meet up with someone last year the afternoon before Patients' Day and it's a good opportunity to have a get together.
Sadly at the end of August I leave for three months in Cape Town with daughter and family, so I will miss it. I would love to go, as there is no doubt an interactive community gives so much.
Next year, perhaps!
Sadly!!!!...l'm sure not....but we know what you mean...have a wonderful time.....😊
Yep, I thought I may get a few replies like that!!!
Everyone has already said it all: but thank you Ian for a great afternoon.
I agree with everyone! See you all in September.
Great to meet up again with everyone and have a good natter - then went straight on to my daughter in law's birthday party.
Hope to see you all again soon.
Marion
Great afternoon, mad about the food, think the spinach cake might have been a bit of a mistake though. Thank you Peter Wh for all the detailed info on heart and other matters. Maybe we should all go to Cumbria next time if the tickets are so cheap!
great to see everyone- I have taken several friends there since first meeting everyone at ian's. Good luck to Ian and John- looking forward to our next meeting
Feeling deprived now! Think I will have to come next time. If Relim can from Cumbria Im sure I can from Cardiff. X
It's just a train journey away plus tube, bus or a walk to the venue which is round the corner from Southwark tube station. It would be good to see you.
I hope deprived and not shamed!!! It would have been good to see you again.
Kardia - does it detect Atrial Flutter
Ablation - again!
Digoxin again (and again)
Vagus Nerve - I did it again!
Travel Insurance (again) 
