Melissa invades England [update: London MELFAP MAY 2006 NOW!]

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I'm going to be in London May 23-June 1st and I'd really love a chance to meet you all. At least for a portion of my visit, I'll be staying around the Maida Vale area. The 24th, 25th, and 26th won't be good days as I'll be seeing Radiohead the first two nights and Björk the last night at Shepherd's Bush Empire, and I'll probably be queueing rather early for both (are any of you going to these shows?). I've tacked on a few extra days to the trip to have a chance to relax and explore and meet people afterwards.

There are certain people I'd really love to meet (Kate, Suzy, Mark S, Martin, Marcello, etc...) and I'll leave it to you guys to figure out a day/time/place because I'd really like to be able to meet you all and I really know very little of London and planning is best not left up to me.

Any day from the 27th-30th would be great...

Also any tips on what to see/what to do/where to eat would be much appreciated...

― Melissa W (Melissa W), Wednesday, 30 April 2003 23:37 (twenty-two years ago)

very cool. i hope you have a great time :)

― ron (ron), Thursday, 1 May 2003 04:24 (twenty-two years ago)

I'll come to your London FAP, Melissa!

Go and eat at Limonia in Primrose Hill on a warm evening. Everyone likes Limonia. Then go and get a drink at the Russian place down the street.

― Nordicskillz (Nordicskillz), Thursday, 1 May 2003 05:26 (twenty-two years ago)

What about a pic-nic. I was going to call for one anyway, but a pic nic on bank holiday weekend would be very good. Could still be Primrose hill, although I recon London fields has the best pub in a park, in case of rain.

― Ed (dali), Thursday, 1 May 2003 06:09 (twenty-two years ago)

But there is no GRASS in London Fields. It's yucky. Primrose Hill has Limonia and it has the Queens. (The only place where I have ever seen my mum and Liam Gallagher in the same room.) That's where my vote for pic-nicing is!

― kate, Thursday, 1 May 2003 07:19 (twenty-two years ago)

Oh, and I also meant to say "Yay, Mel C! Can't wait to meet you!"

― kate, Thursday, 1 May 2003 07:23 (twenty-two years ago)

(Heh heh, sorry that makes me giggle, the thought of an extra Spice Girl made of Caramel.)

― kate, Thursday, 1 May 2003 07:24 (twenty-two years ago)

whoa cool! i'll be in london the week after

― geeta, Thursday, 1 May 2003 07:27 (twenty-two years ago)

London Fields is a bit of a nightmare for lots of people to get to, though... proper Central London please. < /FAP rockist>

Although Primsrose Hill is probably fairly easy for most people... could this be THE Russian Bar?!

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Thursday, 1 May 2003 07:28 (twenty-two years ago)

Primrose Hill is not a nightmare to get to. You can walk there easily from Chalk Farm or Swiss Cottage. And the 31 bus goes right past it. As does the 274 Mad Bus, I think.

― kate, Thursday, 1 May 2003 07:31 (twenty-two years ago)

I guess getting to London fiels is a problem but the inn on the park is such a nice pub.

Is the 274 the one that goes past the zoo? if not there's the zoo bus and a little walk aswell.

― Ed (dali), Thursday, 1 May 2003 08:09 (twenty-two years ago)

Matt- what is THE Russian bar? Can I also point out that late May provides us with a wealth of visitors and excuses for a London FAP - Melissa, Carey, Cozen, and Nick Southall, all of whom I would love to meet, have mentioned they may be around! As a side note - I am LEAVING THE UK on June 9th, and while being mostly a shy, anti-social hermit, would love to put (silly) names to faces before I go.

― Nordicskillz (Nordicskillz), Thursday, 1 May 2003 08:14 (twenty-two years ago)

We are going nowhere near THE Russian Bar. It is a terrifying place.

― kate, Thursday, 1 May 2003 08:18 (twenty-two years ago)

Why? I like it!

― Nordicskillz (Nordicskillz), Thursday, 1 May 2003 08:19 (twenty-two years ago)

I've never been, but apparently it involves Russians dancing to trance in front of mirrors.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Thursday, 1 May 2003 08:23 (twenty-two years ago)

Because I don't like that part of Kingsland Road. Especially not at night.

― kate, Thursday, 1 May 2003 08:23 (twenty-two years ago)

the russian bar is the best! i expect we will be going after the acola bass rave finishes at 5 on sun morning. i didnt know you had been there kate, i didnt know any ilx people had crossed its delightful threshold!

sadly mel, i will not be able to come as i will be in america for the entirety of your trip

geeta, what is this of you being here? dates please!

― gareth (gareth), Thursday, 1 May 2003 08:33 (twenty-two years ago)

I lived around the corner from it for nearly a year!

― kate, Thursday, 1 May 2003 08:35 (twenty-two years ago)

Oops - forgot to of course mention GEETA in my list of reasons to celebrate. But now she gets her very own post!

― Nordicskillz (Nordicskillz), Thursday, 1 May 2003 08:57 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm not sure you guys are all talking about the same Russian bar as me. Or does it have several different faces?

― Nordicskillz (Nordicskillz), Thursday, 1 May 2003 08:58 (twenty-two years ago)

Scary scary place with weird cartoon animals painted on the outside of it, on the Kingsland Road near the Canal.

There are other Russian Bars (Smersh in Hoxton springs to mind) but they are not THE Russian Bar. As far as I know, it is the latest-open bar in London. It's been thumping far later even than I've ever seen the Marathon in Chalk Farm.

― kate, Thursday, 1 May 2003 09:00 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm going to that Björk gig too

― j0e (j0e), Thursday, 1 May 2003 09:09 (twenty-two years ago)

yeah, its yellow, and just next to the canal, opposite the mosque on kingsland rd. it is open later than anywhere i know in london, i mean, other than when mary came and it was after midnight and hadnt even opened yet, i havent arrived there earlier than 5am. it is nice place

― gareth (gareth), Thursday, 1 May 2003 09:12 (twenty-two years ago)

I'll be in london too at that time for the same reason, from sat 24 to mon 26th, i'll be staying in bow.

― leigh (leigh), Thursday, 1 May 2003 09:14 (twenty-two years ago)

Argh! I was so gonna see if I could organise a trip to London with an FAP for sometime in June; it's too busy here in May for me to have time off. This means I'm prob. gonna miss both Nordicskillz and Mel. Bugger.

― Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Thursday, 1 May 2003 09:15 (twenty-two years ago)

I am thinking of the one in Primrose Hill, down from Limonia. I think I know we're you're talking about.

I knew someone was going to mention The Marathon eventually - we went there to see that Rockabilly Elvis covers band and some people at the bar got pepper-sprayed full in the face by some lone nutter. I'm going to miss Camden. :0

― Nordicskillz (Nordicskillz), Thursday, 1 May 2003 09:17 (twenty-two years ago)

:( Nick.

Mel. Bugger = a wonderfully profane new ILX0r??

― Nordicskillz (Nordicskillz), Thursday, 1 May 2003 09:18 (twenty-two years ago)

marathon bar is terrible

― gareth (gareth), Thursday, 1 May 2003 09:43 (twenty-two years ago)

Of course it's terrible. THat's part of the appeal.

― kate, Thursday, 1 May 2003 09:45 (twenty-two years ago)

Mel, have a nice trip! Btw, did any of my predictions come true regrding things improving a bit, in April ? Let me know sometime.

― Vic (Vic), Thursday, 1 May 2003 09:49 (twenty-two years ago)

I am out of the UK from 29th May to 16th June, but I'd love to meet any or all of y'all if that's possible!

― Mark C (Mark C), Thursday, 1 May 2003 10:22 (twenty-two years ago)

the russian bar is called 'nu pogodi'. it bears the legend, 'russki disko bar' on it. i had a peek in the window once walking up the kingsland road once at 2 am. it looked scarily familiar...
funnily enough there is a 'russian club' over the road and towards shoreditch, but that seems to be in one of those houses set back from the road.

― ambrose (ambrose), Thursday, 1 May 2003 12:56 (twenty-two years ago)

I am out of the UK from 29th May to 16th June, but I'd love to meet any or all of y'all if that's possible!

Where you going??

― phil-two (phil-two), Thursday, 1 May 2003 13:00 (twenty-two years ago)

I used to live on Kingsland rd. Right beside the Geoffrey museum. I totally do not recall any canal or the Russian Room. There are going to be so many threads for London FAPS in the next month.

― Carey (Carey), Thursday, 1 May 2003 13:29 (twenty-two years ago)

THE CANAL HAS BEEN THERE SINCE 1790 OR SOMETHING!!!

HOW CAN YOU DENY THE EXISTENCE OF THE CANAL?!?!?

― kate, Thursday, 1 May 2003 13:30 (twenty-two years ago)

Maybe in my reality/dimension it does not exist. Where is it exactly?

― Carey (Carey), Thursday, 1 May 2003 13:32 (twenty-two years ago)

kingsland road crosses the canal abt six streets up from the geffrye (dunston rd to be exact)

― mark s (mark s), Thursday, 1 May 2003 13:36 (twenty-two years ago)

Hmmmm, I've gone up to Dalston several times. No clue.
Ummmm oh yeah, THAT canal. Uh huh. I totally knew what you were talking about the whole time. With the water and... the water and the Russian Room and... Dawson.

― Carey (Carey), Thursday, 1 May 2003 13:40 (twenty-two years ago)

Mark C is coming to Denver. And so is Jerry the Nipper! AT THE SAME TIME, PRACTICALLY!

― Mandee, Thursday, 1 May 2003 13:50 (twenty-two years ago)

I think JtN should turn into a rough, gruff mountain man and grow a Grizzly Adams style beard, and then the Pinefox will have to visit America to reclaim him.

"Gadzooks, sir, why have you let this facial ornamentation consume your very being? It is not RIGHT."

"GolDANG, Pinefox, I'm jest goin' native."

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 1 May 2003 13:59 (twenty-two years ago)

Yup - Jerry and I are doing this whole weird sitcom-style flatmates-in-London-both-dating-girls-in-Denver thing PROPERLY! The gall bladder thing is where I get really amazed, though.

I meant I'd love to meet whoever's in London.

― Mark C (Mark C), Thursday, 1 May 2003 14:02 (twenty-two years ago)

Jerry and I are doing this whole weird sitcom-style flatmates-in-London-both-dating-girls-in-Denver thing PROPERLY!

Your show should have Bosom Buddies influenced intro.

― Nicole (Nicole), Thursday, 1 May 2003 14:03 (twenty-two years ago)

(ps can i just celebrate the WORST PINEFOX IMITATION EVER)

― mark s (mark s), Thursday, 1 May 2003 14:04 (twenty-two years ago)

Ned is to Pinefox as Dickens is to women.

― Nicole (Nicole), Thursday, 1 May 2003 14:06 (twenty-two years ago)

I have a role! A place in life!

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 1 May 2003 14:26 (twenty-two years ago)

Mayday!

― the pinefox, Thursday, 1 May 2003 14:35 (twenty-two years ago)

the JtN was spot on, tho'.

― RJG (RJG), Thursday, 1 May 2003 14:39 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah, it was terrifyingly accurate. It was like he was HERE.

― Mandee, Thursday, 1 May 2003 14:40 (twenty-two years ago)

Is my glass half empty or half full?

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 1 May 2003 14:40 (twenty-two years ago)

runnething over.

― RJG (RJG), Thursday, 1 May 2003 14:46 (twenty-two years ago)

Skipping 230 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

I've just reread the entirety of this thread and its made me bizarrely nostalgic, despite remembering nothing of the original FAP in question (except the Planet of the Apes discussion).

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Monday, 21 March 2005 10:23 (twenty years ago)

i read the first few posts and got really excited about picnicing on primrose hill before i realised that that was 2003!!

i remember hearing about a hostel near waterloo.. but that may be a long term stay thingie.

― ken c (ken c), Monday, 21 March 2005 11:52 (twenty years ago)

Obv I have no objection to a Greenwich FAP, possibly in the Yacht, as long as the Gate Clock is firmly mooted...

Neither do I object to a townFAP.

In fact, FAP FAP FAP FAP that is all.

― Lucretia My Reflection (Lucretia My Reflection), Monday, 21 March 2005 11:56 (twenty years ago)

Greenwich = fairly tricky for anyone in West or SW London but as its on the DLR its not really any harder for North Londoners to get to than the Swimmer is for us lot.

What about a South Bank FAP? Founders Arms, maybe?

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Monday, 21 March 2005 12:08 (twenty years ago)

i think i was in america last time this happened

i will be in america this time as well!

too late to recommed hotels it seems, but holly house, in victoria sw1 is £25 a night, and is fine

― charltonlido (gareth), Monday, 21 March 2005 12:08 (twenty years ago)

Ah noor, not the Founders. How about the Rose & Crown (?) near Waterloo? Handy for Mel to get the train from Waterloo East direct to Greenwich and unlikely to be crowded so us menks cd take over...

― Lucretia My Reflection (Lucretia My Reflection), Monday, 21 March 2005 12:15 (twenty years ago)

I was completely unaware of the existence of that pub but it looks GRATE so I think we should goferit.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Monday, 21 March 2005 12:18 (twenty years ago)

Rose & Crown

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Monday, 21 March 2005 12:18 (twenty years ago)

I had a lot of fun at Hardy's in Greenwich in which one can play darts. i haven't played darts for ages

― ken c (ken c), Monday, 21 March 2005 12:19 (twenty years ago)

is the hole in the wall still open in waterloo? that was a nice little boozer too

― ken c (ken c), Monday, 21 March 2005 12:21 (twenty years ago)

fancyapint reckons it's shite now :(

― ken c (ken c), Monday, 21 March 2005 12:24 (twenty years ago)

I think I have just seen the Covent Garden Travelodge. I think it's pushing its luck calling itself Covent Graden.

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Monday, 21 March 2005 13:40 (twenty years ago)

I'm gonna be there by Saturday morning, people! Get crackin' with the plans.

― Melissa W (Melissa W), Thursday, 24 March 2005 17:53 (twenty years ago)

I'll check this thread as much as possible over the weekend.

Look forward to seeing you all, la revedere!

― Melissa W (Melissa W), Friday, 25 March 2005 19:32 (twenty years ago)

Right then, Rose & Crown on Tuesday evening IT IS.

(Melissa - follow the link upthread. It should be fairly easy for you to get to from Greenwich)

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Friday, 25 March 2005 19:35 (twenty years ago)

So who's coming?

Can someone who's sure they are coming email me their mobile number?

― Melissa in London, Sunday, 27 March 2005 23:33 (twenty years ago)

i am i think

― mark s (mark s), Monday, 28 March 2005 09:47 (twenty years ago)

Um so far it seems like only two people are coming then?

Hardly seems like a FAP...

― Melissa in London, Tuesday, 29 March 2005 07:40 (twenty years ago)

Sorry Melissa, Chris and I are off to Dallas and we have to pack tonight :0(

Most of the london ilxors post from work and they've been at home all weekend which would explain why it's been so quiet on here, so i'm sure you'll have plenty of people there tonight though.

― Vicky (Vicky), Tuesday, 29 March 2005 08:51 (twenty years ago)

Hi Mel, I'm going to stop by, though possibly not for long as I appear to have a stinking cold. I'll be there about 7 as I don't finish work till 6.30.

― Markelby (Mark C), Tuesday, 29 March 2005 09:19 (twenty years ago)

I am afraid I have my doubts about coming - you know I am keen to see you again, Melissa, but I feel really drained at the moment, it's the wrong end of town for me, there is something else that I kind of have to do this evening, and I need an early night to give myself the best chance of getting back to work tomorrow. I'll see how I feel later, because I'd be sorry to miss you.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Tuesday, 29 March 2005 09:58 (twenty years ago)

I'll be there from about 6ish.

― Dave B (daveb), Tuesday, 29 March 2005 10:21 (twenty years ago)

I shall pop by, not sure when though.

― Ed (dali), Tuesday, 29 March 2005 10:26 (twenty years ago)

Anyone else then? Hopefully I shall be there around 6:30-7ish.

― Melissa in London, Tuesday, 29 March 2005 14:40 (twenty years ago)

select, enjoyable and high-quality microfap achieved despite MISERABLE WEATHER!!

i am not a judge of such things possibly, but the rose&crown is a nice small friendly old-skool pub

important topic for future discussion: dave b's madd wub for the DA VINCI CODE!!

― mark s (mark s), Tuesday, 29 March 2005 19:58 (twenty years ago)

Melissa, it was lovely to meet you! I'm sorry I bailed early, but I think I've now got a temperature and am relaxing while feeling sorry for myself, playing poker and listening to Wheatus (really!)

― Markelby (Mark C), Tuesday, 29 March 2005 20:29 (twenty years ago)

sorry i couldn't make it, other things i really had to commit to tonight. i fear engulfment by number of things to sort out, but hope fun was had.

― Sven Bastard (blueski), Tuesday, 29 March 2005 20:32 (twenty years ago)

I arrived at Waterloo at about 9.15 only to be informed there was no one left in the pub. Amateurs.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Tuesday, 29 March 2005 22:44 (twenty years ago)

omigod i was so long waiting for the first next person to turn up that i FORGOT the immediate thing i noticed on entering = STUFFED KITTEN over the bar!!

― mark s (mark s), Tuesday, 29 March 2005 23:00 (twenty years ago)

Matt, I would have stuck around for you if I'd known you were coming!

― Melissa W (Melissa W), Thursday, 31 March 2005 22:22 (twenty years ago)

eleven months pass...

I'm gonna be in town from the 17th to the 21st or 22nd. Will obviously be busy the whole day on the 18th and the 19th, but I am free after that if anyone wants to have an informal FAP.

― Melissa W (Melissa W), Saturday, 25 March 2006 16:14 (nineteen years ago)

Also can someone please update the subject of this thread so that it's for May 06?

― Melissa W (Melissa W), Saturday, 25 March 2006 17:02 (nineteen years ago)

It would be good to see you again! I don't know what is happening on the 18th or 19th, but I expect I can make some kind of guess.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Saturday, 25 March 2006 18:26 (nineteen years ago)

Title sorted. I suspect I'll be able to make this - May is a long way away though.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Saturday, 25 March 2006 18:32 (nineteen years ago)

I expect that your guess would be correct, Mr. Skidmore.

― Melissa W (Melissa W), Saturday, 25 March 2006 20:48 (nineteen years ago)

It'd be lovely to see you again Mel :)

― Markelby (Mark C), Saturday, 25 March 2006 21:00 (nineteen years ago)

one month passes...

guess which ILXOR is in this week's NME?

http://www.nme.com/images/84_NMEcover_bag_L270506_01.jpg

page 9
it's Melissa - with Photo and Comments !

― DJ Martian (djmartian), Wednesday, 24 May 2006 16:55 (nineteen years ago)

dude, scan that page already!

― Nathalie (stevie nixed), Wednesday, 24 May 2006 17:50 (nineteen years ago)

no access to scanner sorry

― DJ Martian (djmartian), Wednesday, 24 May 2006 17:51 (nineteen years ago)

http://img234.imageshack.us/img234/2583/nme39mg.jpg

― Melissa W (Melissa W), Thursday, 25 May 2006 03:32 (nineteen years ago)

omg i've met someone else featured on that page before! terrifying.

― toby (tsg20), Thursday, 25 May 2006 09:12 (nineteen years ago)

Which?

― Melissa W (Melissa W), Thursday, 25 May 2006 23:53 (nineteen years ago)

"I think a lot of them sound unfinished," the fanatic scathes.

Melissa, did you really "scathe"? Like, proper menacing 'n' that? That'd be cool, though I suspect it's just some crappy NME hack raking through a thesaurus for a word that sounded, well, scathing.

― ailsa (ailsa), Friday, 26 May 2006 05:59 (nineteen years ago)

em1ly hy4tt.

― toby (tsg20), Friday, 26 May 2006 07:54 (nineteen years ago)

Radiohead covered Four Minute Warning?

BRILLIANT!

― Lucretia My Reflection (Lucretia My Reflection), Friday, 26 May 2006 10:02 (nineteen years ago)

Oh, please tell me that means the Mark Owen song!

― ailsa (ailsa), Friday, 26 May 2006 10:04 (nineteen years ago)

*googles* - oh. Disappointment.

― ailsa (ailsa), Friday, 26 May 2006 10:07 (nineteen years ago)

4 Minute Warning is some crappy original song of theirs. Ugh.

Heh, Toby, where did you meet Em1ly?

Oh, and I did not scathe. I snarked.

― Melissa W (Melissa W), Friday, 26 May 2006 16:45 (nineteen years ago)

i met em1ly back when we were the two people with the most radiohead tapes in britain, i guess (97 or so). we both used to sell/swap tapes via nme ads. i met her when she visited cambridge for an unbelievable truth gig. she had a scrapbook which, she said, "proved that she was into them before anyone else". do you know her?

― toby (tsg20), Friday, 26 May 2006 16:55 (nineteen years ago)

I didn't know you had ever been into Radiohead that much!

I only vaguely know her. I've seen her around, we've talked a bit, but she's not really part of my group.

― Melissa W (Melissa W), Friday, 26 May 2006 17:02 (nineteen years ago)

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