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Discussion > Oxford Pub meet, Three.

I'll take it up, the challenge of 'organising'. I suggest the same venue as last time, it is at least handy for some, and avoids the city centre in term time.

Prince of Wales, Church Way, Iffley. http://www.wadworth.co.uk/iffley/prince_of_wales

As for a date, I think somewhere in the middle of February, not the 14th (one lives in hope!) but as I don't tend to have calendar commitments but others do, I'll leave that one for a consensus. A weekday rather than weekend, I'd think.

Anyone who can come is welcome, especially if they haven't been before. Warmists certainly not excluded, special invite to Alice Bell, of course. Barry, can you invite her?

And I'll leave you with a word from Omar Khayyam, about the chances of this being an educational opportunity:

Myself when young did eagerly frequent
Doctor and Saint, and heard great Argument
About it and about: but evermore
Came out by the same Door as in I went.

Jan 22, 2013 at 4:48 PM | Registered Commenterrhoda

OK, so this is just not fair!! You folks have the advantage of convening locally (unlike we who inhabit the far-flung colonies).

Any chance of you convening at a watering-hole which offers free wi-fi, so that those who have 'em could bring along their iPads and/or facsimiles thereof - so that we who are geographically-disadvantaged might at least participate virtually via Skype or FaceTime?!

Alternatively and/or possibly in conjunction with (hope you don't mind me encroaching on your thread, rhoda), if there are any fellow Canucks in the BC lower mainland who might be interested in a simultaneous and/or other real-life meet, maybe you could drop me a line: Hilary0001 [AT the gmail place]

Jan 22, 2013 at 10:55 PM | Registered CommenterHilary Ostrov

Hi Rhoda

A definite 'maybe' from me. Depends on which day you choose.

It was fun last time. Maybe we can entice a few more this time around...?

Jan 23, 2013 at 9:38 AM | Unregistered CommenterLatimer Alder

Location suits me :-) So dates permitting I'm on. Note that Iffley can be a little tricky to reach in heavy snow, but access is fine at the moment.

Jan 23, 2013 at 9:53 AM | Registered CommenterJonathan Jones

If snowy, we'll hold it in Doha.

Jan 23, 2013 at 10:22 AM | Registered Commenterrhoda

I'll come... don't think Alice is local

I could ask Mark Lynas though, if Jonathan is there as his shield?

Jan 23, 2013 at 1:03 PM | Unregistered CommenterBarry Woods

OK, time to suggest a date. Purely as a starting point, how's Tuesday 12th Feb?

Yes, bring Mark, he is, or seems to be , a more nuanced and thoughtful warmist nutcase :-)

Jan 23, 2013 at 2:02 PM | Registered Commenterrhoda

12th Feb looks good for me. It'll be good to meet Barry and Mark - and to see the rest of you guys again. I seem to remember the fish and chips in the pub were pretty good too.

For anyone who can't make it up to Oxford, I suggested a London meeting after the IoP meeting on the 4th Feb. Anybody interested?

http://bishophill.squarespace.com/blog/2012/12/20/diary-date.html

Jan 24, 2013 at 9:31 AM | Unregistered CommenterLatimer Alder

12 Feb is good for me, I think (Pancake Day, though - not sure how that will play at home! - no worries, can cook pancakes earlier).

I'm going the the IoP event on the 4th and would be happy to meet up with others after that.

Oxford locals may be interested in hearing Lord Deben on 26 Feb 5-6pm in the Sheldonian Theatre"Even Ostriches Need Third Party Insurance: The case for action on climate change in a polycentric world".

Booking via this page (free): http://www.eci.ox.ac.uk/news/events/evenostriches.php

Jan 24, 2013 at 10:45 AM | Registered CommenterRuth Dixon

@ruth

I remember an Inspector Morse episode where a seriously unpleasant, egotistical and plutocratic bastard (not at all based on anybody we'd ever heard of, honest guv, and beautifully overacted by Robert Hardy) only narrowly escaped assassination on entering the Sheldonian.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YB8U6DiLsRg

I wonder why that long ago snippet crossed my mind on hearing the news that John Selwyn Windmill-Beefburger will be speaking there?

Jan 24, 2013 at 11:54 AM | Unregistered CommenterLatimer Alder

Holding the event on pancake day helps avoid the decision between the two pancake events I could go to.

Jan 24, 2013 at 5:13 PM | Registered CommenterJonathan Jones

Are we all still up for this?

Looks pretty likely that I can make it of others can.....

Feb 10, 2013 at 1:55 PM | Unregistered CommenterLatimer Alder

The two lurker chemists are planning on being there.

Feb 10, 2013 at 2:52 PM | Unregistered CommenterM and M

Ruth and I will be there.

Feb 10, 2013 at 6:10 PM | Registered CommenterJonathan Jones

I'll try and get an evening pass... ;-)

Feb 10, 2013 at 8:08 PM | Unregistered CommenterBarry Woods

I'll be there for about 7.

I've a bit of a convoluted journey home so I'm sure you'll forgive me if I leave quite early.

Feb 12, 2013 at 10:23 AM | Unregistered CommenterLatimer Alder

Well? Did you all meet? What happened? What did you talk about? Would you do it again?

Feb 15, 2013 at 1:48 PM | Unregistered CommenterJohn Shade

John, yes we met. No new faces, which is a little disappointing. We talked mostly of science policy and its implications (and failings of self-delusion), and of how people who have to deal with reality, engineers and chemists and such, tend to scepticism. We will do it again, of course, but we really need to make it more accessible and get some new faces in. I've always had this idea we might get a believer to come, but they won't, so far. Any ideas on improving the meeting or getting more people to come by having it somewhere else would be gratefully accepted.

Feb 15, 2013 at 2:25 PM | Registered Commenterrhoda

Feb 15, 2013 at 2:25 PM | rhoda

Any ideas on improving the meeting or getting more people to come by having it somewhere else would be gratefully accepted.

Well, I woulda dropped by (at least virtually) if you'd held it at watering hole that offered free hi-speed internet - and others had brought their virtual connection devices along ;-)

Feb 16, 2013 at 6:52 AM | Registered CommenterHilary Ostrov

Thanks, rhoda for that info. Beats me how you can make an evening in a pub with congenial company more attractive than it is - which is pretty high in my book. It is not likely to be a destination event, to borrow an Americanism I have acquired. So, my instinct is to just keep on doing what you have been doing, and see who is around, who is able to turn up, and make the most of it whether 2 or 20 are there. And that includes keeping on trying to get the odd believer to come along - at a risk of reducing the geniality by getting some ideologue in your midst.

Feb 18, 2013 at 9:07 AM | Unregistered CommenterJohn Shade

I think a more central location would help. Though the PoW is a fine pub, it is not easy to get to unless you have your own transport. City Centre pubs would be busier, but maybe no bad thing.

I bet a table by the door in the Kings Arms with a 'Climate Sceptic's Meeting' notice prominently displayed would engender some 'lively interactions' with passers by and get a lot more interest.

Feb 21, 2013 at 1:17 PM | Unregistered CommenterLatimer Alder

And if you could get a notice in 'What's On' or whatever today's equivalent is, so much the better.

Will you write to nice Mr. Koch to fund a bowl of peanuts, or shall I?

Feb 21, 2013 at 1:21 PM | Unregistered CommenterLatimer Alder