This post is just a little scribble-pad where I put whatever random shit I'm thinking about.
Current topic: Reasoning for a North-East UK meetup.
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I would have to be exactly in-between 2 of the places that regularly hold NG meets, wouldn't I. And I also would have to be just far enough away from both to make getting there and back an expensive chore.
By road:-
Here to Glasgow: 186 miles
Here to Birmingham: 171 miles
...Hmm, no. Even if I did want to spend three and a half hours on motorways, there's no way I'd leave my car in Glasgow, and Birmingham's center looks royally confusing and generally impossible to find a space in. And no, I'm not trusting my piece-of-shit SatNav in there.
By train:-
Here to Glasgow: 4 hours; 2 changes; at least £71.50 to do.
Here to Birmingham: 3.5 hours; 2 changes; at least £105.50 to do.
...Getting to London on the train was simpler than this (there was only one change and it took about the same time as the Glasgow one would). And only slightly more expensive too (London = £110).
Might as well wait for the London meet.
By plane:-
Via Teeside airport: impossible.
Via Newcastle airport (+1 hour to travel times getting there): Only goes to Birmingham, and it looks like it'd take over 2 hours to do (and would likely cost a lot more than the train). 3 hours total travelling.
...Same as the damn train, but probably more expensive. And it only works at all for Birmingham.
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OK, suppose I did go and try to organise something in Teesside. What's here? Why would anyone want to come here?
Well, there's Teesside retail park, which is a bit like Namco (bowling; small arcade; cinema; restaurants etc.). That's not a bad place to spend a day, I suppose. Couldn't really get more than one day's entertainment out of it, though.
Newcastle in general is good for a day out, and it's only an hour's drive from Middlesbrough (there's a bus service too).
Preston park can be nice in late spring / summer / autumn. To that effect, Albert park isn't bad either.
POST NOT FINISHED; COULDN'T BE BOTHERED TO COMPLETE IT TODAY. Will do more thinkin'z later.