Forum Meets - have your say!

[Northerner]

There doesn't seem to have been the level of interest in the Forum Meets that there has been in past years, and I'm just trying to work out why that might be. In the past we have had, for example, 30+ at Oxford and Birmingham and usually a dozen to 20 at others, but this year we had around 8 at Oxford, 4 in Glasgow and only a possible 2 at York which was therefore cancelled. There's nothing wrong with small groups as you can get to chat to people more rather than perhaps spreading the conversations a bit thin across a large group, but it's also nice to meet a diversity of people.

It's a shame really, as these are always worth attending, even if it means travelling some distance to attend. Meeting new people is always a pleasure, or catching up with old friends, and to be able to talk with fellow forum members either about diabetes or anything else under the sun in a relaxed, convivial atmosphere can be uplifting and motivational 🙂 There's nothing better to relieve the sense of isolation that can often accompany diabetes - however long you've been diagnosed - than to be with others who really know the ins and out, ups and downs it can bring. It's also really nice to put faces to names.

I'd be really interested in knowing what people think. Should we have fewer Meets - say Glasgow, Manchester, Birmingham and London - on the Calendar? The idea behind the calendar was so that people would know well in advance what was happening and where, but are we picking inconvenient times and locations?

Ideas and comments please! 🙂

 

[MeganN]

I would defy go if there was one closer to the Portsmouth area x

 

[HOBIE]

I love to travel but am self employed & with two kids growing up never seem to have time. I am planning to do a meet in Keswick this year in kids summer hols. Talk is GOOD for us. I am doing another thing for Duk this month "Three of The Tallest". "The Shard" "Big Ben" & "Scarfell Pike" Have a look at Diabetes just giving site "ian does 3 of the tallest 2013" Meets are Good !

 

[LeeLee]

With an unlimited budget, I'd go to all of them! At the moment I'm limited to London on cost alone, but if I can find a reasonably paid job I'll go anywhere.

 

[shambles]

I think a lot of it is cost related Trains are silly prices so it's just too expensive. York from my house is 102.00 that's if I do it all in one day (2 4 hour journeys) If I stopped over then i'd also have to add in the cost of a hotel. Just far too much money 🙂

 

[shambles]

I realised I didn't really answer your question. I think you should keep them all - I will go to the ones more local to me ... you had oxford before I was here I think, and London the week I joined and actually a different time I'd do York. Not been a member that long but life also gets in the way of actually organising self 🙂 My hubby works some weekends so if I want him to not be I have to organise it in advance and at the moment I am swamped with work and find it hard to organise anything more than a week or two away!

 

[Northerner]

I think a lot of it is cost related Trains are silly prices so it's just too expensive. York from my house is 102.00 that's if I do it all in one day (2 4 hour journeys) If I stopped over then i'd also have to add in the cost of a hotel. Just far too much money 🙂

Yes, York is tricky, especially from out end of the country. London or Brum would be OK for you though? If you look around you can get reasonable prices for train tickets, but usually in advance and eiter being prepared for some inconvenience/longer travel times or being canny and booking in stages. I've done Southampton to Glasgow twice for ?30 return - overnight Megabus and a LONG journey! I can also do London return for around ?15 and have done Manchester for under ?50 by booking stages as separate tickets.

But I do accept that even this is a big expense for a lot of people - wish we could get DUK to fund it!

p.s. we posted at the same time! 🙂

 

[shambles]

Oh I'd do brum - my mum lives 20 mins away so I'd just go to hers for the weekend And Manchester I have friends to stay with so don't have to do all that travelling at once London I'd tie in seeing my brother that day too as he lives there (and all day all zones and here and there ticket is 21 pounds on the day)

I'd totally do them all - just as am so new the meet things kind of creep up on me by which time cheap tickets are gone and then it's sometimes a bit too much money to justify it

 

[KateR]

I'd love to meet you all but being disabled public transport is difficult and I don't like to drag my husband everywhere.😱

 

[LeeLee]

I'd love to meet you all but being disabled public transport is difficult and I don't like to drag my husband everywhere.😱

I live in Basildon, so a visit to Colchester is within the realms of possibility for me. We could do a mini-meet maybe? Anyone else in Essex?

 

[Northerner]

I live in Basildon, so a visit to Colchester is within the realms of possibility for me. We could do a mini-meet maybe? Anyone else in Essex?

Mark T proposed an Essex Meet last year and I think we have one or two other members in that area 🙂

 

[Mark T]

Mark T proposed an Essex Meet last year and I think we have one or two other members in that area 🙂

I'm quite happy to help with getting a mini meet in Essex set up. I know the Chelmsford area much better then elsewhere but it really depends what others want.

 

[LeeLee]

I'm quite happy to help with getting a mini meet in Essex set up. I know the Chelmsford area much better then elsewhere but it really depends what others want.

Wouldn't Southend or Leigh-on-Sea be lovely on a day like today?

I'm easy to please - there are buses to most Essex towns from Basildon. Trains are a bit more difficult going cross-county, they all seem to go towards London from their start points with few intersections to change at. Kate's the one who mentioned difficulties with travelling, so maybe she could pick somewhere convenient.

 

[Mark T]

In answer to Northerners original question, I tend to do London because it is very easy for me.

As a general rule I'm out with the little one on weekends and there is only so long that he will sit and behave on a journey, so although I have considered the further meets such as Birmingham, right now it's a bit tricky!

To answer LeeLee, despite having lived in Essex for the last 10 years, I don't know Southend at all 😱 But as long as someone gives me good directions and somewhere to park it doesn't' really cause any problems for me. The real question is if there would be more than 2 of us. Because if it was just the 2 of us then I could easily bring someone to play in a local play park to you 😛

 

[ypauly]

I would attend more if they were on sundays as I play bowls on saturdays. Of course thay's only in the summer but that is also when most of the meets happen that I would want to attend.

 

[Northerner]

I would attend more if they were on sundays as I play bowls on saturdays. Of course thay's only in the summer but that is also when most of the meets happen that I would want to attend.

Unfortunately, Sundays aren't the best days for train travel as there are often engineering works that can cause delays

 

[ypauly]

Unfortunately, Sundays aren't the best days for train travel as there are often engineering works that can cause delays

Very true but as Jen once pointed out, I like the world to revolve around me lol

never been to southend on sea but would love to!!

 

[LeeLee]

never been to southend on sea but would love to!!

Come on then... I've got a sofa bed big enough for two, and Southend is only 12 miles from here.

 

[ypauly]

Come on then... I've got a sofa bed big enough for two, and Southend is only 12 miles from here.

Temping, very very tempting, unfortunately I have work in the morning.

 

[MargB]

I like the forum meets but have noticed the numbers going down. I would have been at York this time but not actually in the country right now. Will be at the Manchester one, enjoyed the Oxford and Glasgow meets.

It is difficult if meets are being cancelled because to get good prices on the trains you need to book well in advance, but won't do that if there is a chance the meet will be cancelled as the cheap tickets are non refundable.

A Sunday meet should not be out of the question as those local to the venue may not be getting trains anyway.

If we could rely on the weather we could suggest a picnic meet so family could come along and it would be really useful to discuss food etc - but we can't count on the weather.

I would hate to see the meets disappear as although I felt part of the forum before going to my first meet, it made a huge difference after actually meeting people in the flesh.

Time we had a meet in Northey's home town!