Alright, so on the 6th - 9th of August this year, I was in London with Bex, at the NG Meet. We had an awesome time. So awesome, that we never really got around to telling folks about what we did there. *ahem*

Day 1 - 6th August

Right, so let's start at the beginning, where myself and Bex boarded the train and made for Birmingham and the change of trains that followed. I wasn't in the best of moods, having run around to get everything sorted and, as it turned out later, having forgotten half of the gear. Still, having sculpted the last of "project Bezman" out of my facial hair, we made out way to London Marylebone and Waterloo, before heading to our abode for the weekend.

Let's face it, Travelodges are there for sleeping and the occasional meal, so I wasn't expecting the world, but they impressed. Aside from trying to use the stairs as opposed to the lifts to get to the 3rd floor, which was an adventure in itself, we found the room to be to our liking. Mobile internet was working and I had the time of my life getting sorted out for the evening's festivities.

We made a journey across the river and looked around Parliament and Westminster itself, Bex bearing the brunt of my half-baked knowledge, when she asked the question "So, what did Oliver Cromwell do?" Eventually, we decided that it was time to make our way to Wapping for the meet proper. Piling into the crowded pub, people like Leanne, Harry, Kez, Paul and Luis greeted us as returning friends and then I turned around to catch sight of legendary user Bahamut and so the evening's banter began.

With various songs being sung (Bahamut and I performed Ace of Spades; I collabed with Leanne on Danger! High Voltage!, while I sang Hold the Line solo.) Some of the other songs that rocked the house were Gay Bar (sorry Leo) and of course 500 Miles (I'm gonna be) performed by Kieran and Grant, which was so awesome, the machine decided it could not take any more, so it had to shut down for a while to recover.

If you ever try to take a photo of the back of therealanimator's jacket, where it says "This is not a photo opportunity", try to do so before getting a little inebriated. I learned this the hard way.

We partied long and hard (some harder than others, as Andy (Bahamut) downed 5 pints of Guinness within the first hour and a half) and as a result, missed the last train. Fortunately, the bus was still working and we managed to get back to our hotel, from some convenient drunken navigation. "What stop is this? Southwark? Shit, we've got to go! *fall off bus*"

Made the way back to the hotel, no more issues.

Day 2 - 7th August
The day began well with a lie in followed by a hearty breakfast, which left us with a little time before we went to the Eye. Gathering our things and setting forth, we tubed to Waterloo, noting that the Jubilee line (poshest line on the underground) was closed from Waterloo, so we changed, costing us tourism time. No matter, when we got off at Embankment, we made for Cleopatra's needle and took more photos of the wonderful monument that had found it's way from Ancient Egypt to modern London.

Crossing our third (and last) bridge of the trip, we approached the Eye from the Millennium bridge and spotted some Newgrounders loitering about in the usual spot. I was greeted warmly by Sean and we exchanged a bit of banter about the goings on of the last year. Absent friends were remembered in Dangan, Cally and for some reason sirtom93 and GOTHCLAWZ.

Harry was absent for this part of the day, because he was watching a football game. In the middle of the summer. It was only Fiorentina against some pub team from London!

Still, obligatory group photos later, we traipsed indoors and began the games. I wasn't much for the gaming this time around, but still joined in with the bowling, a little race or two on the superbikes and of course, the road rage fest, that is NG Dodgems (apologies for the lack of quality - it was only my phone!)

Always remember, if you're in the Namco Experience in London, don't venture upstairs for a Crap in a Bap from McDonalds - stay downstairs and enjoy a burger. Well worth it, plus you don't have to queue for half an hour. Seriously, I do more for the marketing of that place's burgers than any of their staff!

About 6ish, Tom gathered the troops and we set off under the guide of our unwilling shepherd through a soggy central London. Fortunately, Bex had walked around with the brolly, so we were saved (sort of), as Andy, Bex, myself and Rob (what's your username?) were constantly fighting over who could fit under the brolly and the puddles meant rather wet feet, due to the incredible amount of footfall. Still, not to worry, we're English and that means we're used to this sort of thing!

Camden town was the next stop on the odyssey, so we disembarked, losing such users as Leo, who looked like a frightened gimp, as the train pulled off, leaving him inside. They did eventually find their way back to us.

Walking through Camden Town, you notice that as you leave the Station, the first pub you see is "The Camden Eye". Just along the street is "The Worlds End" and it's club in the basement, "Underworld". Clearly, they are a bunch of pessimists here, which is a shame. We found a seriously metal bar, which Andy, Bex and a few others wanted to stop at, but the group carried on, despite Grant and a few others getting comfy with pints in there. It seems that they didn't fit in with the dress code, their pastel colours showing up against the blacks and... blacks of everyone else.

I almost stopped at a market stall and bought a hat, as the idea of a fedora was truly one I could scarcely resist. Later on in the evening, I went on the lookout for stalls that were still open alongside Lost-Chances and Andy, but we were unsuccessful. Clearly, that would have to wait.

Still, after a brief interlude, where I ate most of Keith's onion rings and lots of Pimms was consumed, we adjourned outside for some fresh air, recovering from the Eis Whars that had ensued. Discussions were mostly bizarre, with the canal being the focus, but since we're seen a few being from near Birmingham, it was not really that interesting for us, though Kieran did want to own his own private canal and narrowboat. Good luck man. About this time, my recently repaired watch strap decided that it was going to break, so bang went my ability to tell the time, as it got packed away securely in Bex's handbag.

Upon returning from the failed shopping trip, we regathered and encountered a slightly concerned looking Shaun, who revealed that Sarah had gone off with Zictor and he couldn't contact either of them. Still, I guess everything is alright now... I hope :P

Breaking for a new venue, as Weatherspoons only have limited appeal, we crossed the street and tried to get into another boozer, being told "mixed groups only", despite having a few girls in Bex and Sucho. We need more females to get in next time! The guys eventually found a new venue, which was charging for admittance, so that was an ideal time to break from the meet.

Travelling back, we encountered a couple that were probably from that Hobgoblin Metal Bar in Camden - they looked like the type. Comments were passed that the woman's choice of PVC hotpants were solely for the purpose of diverting attention from her face. Some of your guys probably know who I mean. We said our final goodbyes and made our way back to base.

Day 3 - 8th August
Trying to decide what happens with everything on the Sunday, being our last day in London, we went to the Imperial War Museum and encountered a couple of "Fuck off Big Guns", as well as a lot of racist paraphernalia, which I might just have to make a thread about at some point. Although, there was a funny tank from WWII (below). From there, we decided that we should kick back and relax, taking time to stroll around Regent's Park. Had we known that the meet did indeed continue for another day, I'd have given Lost-Chances his wish and gone hat hunting with him, but still.

Various wildlife later, we eventually managed to see a wild Heron, which was a rare thing, so Bex just had to get close up and managed to get within about 6', which was pretty good. Sadly, my camera isn't up to wildlife photography and it was time to call it a day.

Day 4 - 9th August
The final day of a packed holiday and we took a detour back to Camden Town and spent the last of the money on a hat and a jacket for Bex. Having blown a shedload of money on this trip, I'm loathe to look at the credit card bill that landed on my doorstep yesterday, though it was worth it. We just about arrived in time for the train and bid farewell to London once more.

The journey was smooth, but once we passed Banbury, I lost my internet connection, which was a trifle depressing. Still, I managed to reach my goal, which was passing Bahamut, before the end of the meet. I was officially ahead of him before we left London Marylebone and he was very gracious in telling me how long it had taken me to finally catch him up.

I look forward to seeing you all again next year. Peace out!