[EdLUG] In search of a new venue still

Mon Jan 21 15:02:29 UTC 2019

Regards the date for March onwards, this is the lay of the land

[image: image.png]

===
Tai Kedzierski
Linux Operations and Deployments Engineer

RHCSA # 170-060-834
<https://www.redhat.com/rhtapps/services/verify?certId=170-060-834>

I use LibreOffice <https://www.libreoffice.org/> , a free,
Freedom-respecting replacement for MS Office

*Open Source Free Software is a matter of liberty, not price.*
https://www.fsf.org/about/what-is-free-software

On Mon, 21 Jan 2019 at 14:44, Edinburgh Linux Users Group <
edlug at lists.edlug.org.uk> wrote:

> Hi Alastair
>
> Thanks for the suggestion !
>
> I worry that there are public preconceptions associated with the Masons
> which, even if we had the opportunity to clarify our own positions, would
> likely not project an ideology of inclusiveness for the group (I'm thinking
> instances where we seek to advertise our meetup, through passive means like
> meetup sites and mailing lists - we'd be passed over very quickly); so
> whilst their premises do look appealing, I'd have to hesitate at the
> suggestion.
>
> Sorry to be a downer, but I don't think it would work out...
>
> Tai
>
>
>
> ===
> Tai Kedzierski
> Linux Operations and Deployments Engineer
>
> RHCSA # 170-060-834
> <https://www.redhat.com/rhtapps/services/verify?certId=170-060-834>
>
>
>
>
> I use LibreOffice <https://www.libreoffice.org/> , a free,
> Freedom-respecting replacement for MS Office
>
> *Open Source Free Software is a matter of liberty, not price.*
> https://www.fsf.org/about/what-is-free-software
>
>
>
> On Sat, 19 Jan 2019 at 12:28, Edinburgh Linux Users Group <
> edlug at lists.edlug.org.uk> wrote:
>
>> It's actually on Shrub Place.
>>
>> Andrew
>> On 19/01/2019 09:29, Edinburgh Linux Users Group wrote:
>>
>> Good Morning Tai,
>>
>> Just to add to the Venue search, I may have another suggestion.
>>
>> I was out dancing the other night and it was at the ‘Edinburgh Masonic
>> Club’ 3 Shrubhill Walk, Leith EH7 4RB.  It is in the new build of flats and
>> ground floor shops just before the Sainsbury ‘Metro’ place, there is a gym
>> on the corner and its literally round the corner.  It has 3 bars that I saw
>> and I spoke to the manager briefly and he gave me a quick tour!
>>
>> They opened on the 18th December last year and have a few external groups
>> like Weight Watchers as well as the various Masonic Lodges, but there are
>> several nights free and they have several small and large meeting rooms.
>> They also have a Conference hall that they would like to start bookings
>> for, I didn’t see any obvious Conference facitities - screen, projectors,
>> etc. But I immediately thought of our group and also I know there are other
>> people on this list that may be looking for possible ‘Conference Venues’
>> and rooms.
>>
>> For transparencies sake I have no affiliation to the Masons, I went to
>> dance Ceroc, and it was a new venue for them, but when I saw the place and
>> what was possible I thought of us.  The manger showed my one room that had
>> table and chairs and would probably seat approximately up to 20/25 people
>> and he said the ‘charge' for that room was £20.  I know that would entail
>> people ‘contributing’ but!!?? it would give us a private venue and there
>> bars downstairs that we could use afterwards?  Because its a 'new build’
>> it’s got accessible  lifts, toilets etc.
>>
>> The address is as above, and the managers name is Bill Wright, telephone
>> number is 07837 427 862 I said that you may be in touch, if not it doesn’t
>> matter as I’ll be there next week on the Thursday evening for Ceroc!
>>
>> Cheers for now, and hopefully I’ve not just confused matters!
>>
>> Alistair
>>
>> On 18 Jan 2019, at 18:14, Edinburgh Linux Users Group <
>> edlug at lists.edlug.org.uk> wrote:
>>
>> Hi all
>>
>> In this mail:
>> - Venue stake out conclusion
>> - Date poll progress
>> - Next meetup date and location
>>
>> *+++ Venue*
>>
>> I was able to join Shehraz and Ross in looking into a couple of places
>> yesterday evening.
>>
>> We checked out the BrewDog - it has potential, but the main area is quite
>> loud and the bar is pricey. There is a TV in a back area that can be
>> booked, and the speakers were on much lower there than in the main bar, so
>> could still be suitable.
>>
>> On Ross's recommendation, we looked in at a place called the Fiddling
>> Fox, which is a 3min walk from Haymarket station and associated bus routes.
>> It's spacious and could comfortably host us, has screens that could be
>> plugged into as well; it was rather quiet when we went. I'd reckon it's
>> more accessible than the Royal Dick, in terms of number of transport links
>> that stop nearby. We had a word with the manager and we could have it for
>> free on a monthly basis. It's not as fancy/modern as the Royal Dick in
>> terms of interious design, but it's practical and relatively easy to get to.
>>
>> I still have not been able to think of any non-pub locations that are
>> also affordable options and that are open in the evening, and at this
>> point, I don't particularly fancy running around too much more.
>>
>> The credible options in front of us are thus :
>>
>> * The Royal Dick, Summerhall, on the East edge of the Meadows, 5min walk
>> from our current meeting place ; Summerhall is a centre for independent
>> creatives, and association with it would be positive in terms of outreach
>> we'll eventually want to be doing ; wheel chair accessible, we'd have to
>> bring our own screen and projector ; bar with food and hot drinks available
>> * The Fiddling Fox, by Haymarket ; bright and spacious bar, with a couple
>> spaces where we could easily present, a smaller ground floor one
>> (wheelchair accessible), and a larger basement area, both with TV screens ;
>> bar with food, probably hot drinks (forgot to check on that)
>>
>> *The Fox feels like it will be the more appropriate choice*, given its
>> spaciousness and proximity to a major transport hub.
>> Any objections, please let me know. Anyone in favour, I'd also love to
>> know too :-)
>>
>> *+++ Date poll*
>>
>> The poll for the date is still open, I have had 3 responses ...
>> https://framadate.org/5JnBnivPjPpIA68k ;"pingupower" password
>>
>> Current consensus seems to be, "We don't mind keeping Thursday, but we
>> prefer Monday or Tuesday"
>>
>> Unless this changes by Sunday evening, I'm going to make the call to
>> change the meetup night to reflect this preference.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> *+++ Forward plans for meetups *
>>
>> The next meetup will be the 7th of February at the Southsider. There will
>> be no talk, it will be a social only, as we don't have use of the screen
>> anymore.
>>
>> This should be the LAST meetup at the Southsider - and serve as a jovial
>> farewell to this pub which has been EdLUG's base for many years - after
>> which, we will move on to the new location, and the new date pattern. I
>> will confirm these at/after the February meetup, just so as not to put
>> potentially confusing info on the list.
>>
>>
>>
>> Cheers
>>
>> Tai
>>
>> ===
>> Tai Kedzierski
>> Linux Operations and Deployments Engineer
>>
>> RHCSA # 170-060-834
>> <https://www.redhat.com/rhtapps/services/verify?certId=170-060-834>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> I use LibreOffice <https://www.libreoffice.org/> , a free,
>> Freedom-respecting replacement for MS Office
>>
>> *Open Source Free Software is a matter of liberty, not price.*
>> https://www.fsf.org/about/what-is-free-software
>>
>>
>>
>> On Wed, 16 Jan 2019 at 19:34, Edinburgh Linux Users Group <
>> edlug at lists.edlug.org.uk> wrote:
>>
>>> Hi Everyone
>>>
>>>
>>> I just wanted to start by thanking Tai for all the work he has put into
>>> arranging the meetups and looking for alternative venues. Your work has
>>> been and is very much appreciated :)
>>>
>>>
>>> I voted in the poll but unfortunately messed up my selection – I would
>>> like to put forward Monday and Tuesday as alternative venues as well. I am
>>> free tomorrow night (Thursday) to visit the BrewDog Garage, if anyone would
>>> like to join me? It’s a little late but it would be good to check out the
>>> venue together if we can.
>>>
>>>
>>> Regarding Akva, if this is the same place I am thinking of in
>>> Fountainbridge I believe I have been there before. I visited the venue a
>>> few times whilst volunteering for a computer tutoring club. We had the
>>> space upstairs for a few hours and could order drinks as needed. It was
>>> during the day, but the area is spacious and the atmosphere relatively
>>> peaceful. This is definitely a venue which may have potential if The Royal
>>> Dick at Summerhall turns out to be unsuitable. The Royal Dick was a good
>>> venue when we visited last week, it had a good vibe and it’s located
>>> reasonably centrally.
>>>
>>>
>>> Best Wishes
>>>
>>>
>>> Shehraz
>>>
>>>
>>> ------------------------------
>>> *From:* EdLUG <edlug-bounces at lists.edlug.org.uk> on behalf of Edinburgh
>>> Linux Users Group <edlug at lists.edlug.org.uk>
>>> *Sent:* 14 January 2019 15:52
>>> *To:* Edinburgh Linux Users Group
>>> *Subject:* Re: [EdLUG] In search of a new venue still
>>>
>>> Hi all
>>>
>>> Thanks for the extra suggestions, and reviews
>>>
>>> * BrewDog Garage - if anyone foot-commutes via that way or will be there
>>> this week, could you pop in and have a look and mail in your discoveries
>>> please? I might not be able to get to it before the week-end otherwise
>>> * Akva - same thing.
>>>
>>> The two are close by so if nobody does either of these by this week-end
>>> I'll see if I can give it a go
>>>
>>> * Waitrose in Comely Bank - I'd fear that is a bit out of the way. I
>>> know someone out that way and the buses aren't the most frequent...
>>>
>>> Shehraz and I went to The Royal Dick at Summerhall last Thursday, it's
>>> accessible (side entrance) and has a private room. I'm still waiting on the
>>> price from them, which they've tentatively indicated as being a "£50
>>> deposit for food bookings of 10+ people," the person on the phone did not
>>> have the lee way to answer to the full details of what I was asking so I've
>>> directed them to a mail I sent last week for extra info. I'm hoping that if
>>> we became a confirmed monthly thing, they might cut us a nice deal, if
>>> prices are involved at all
>>>
>>> As far as the room goes, in principle it should work ; the only caveat
>>> is that the room has a large dining table in it. Ideal for placing a
>>> projector and putting computers on, and everybody's round the same table;
>>> though it does mean the experience could feel like a cabinet meeting...
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Finally, the day. I take on board Thomas's remark about other relevant
>>> meetup on the same day-pattern ; Kris also attends an alternative meetup
>>> (ethical hacking?) that happens on the same evening. This is a quick poll
>>> to figure out what might suit best as alternatives - if you vote for
>>> "something else", please make a suggestion in the comments of the poll.
>>>
>>> https://framadate.org/5JnBnivPjPpIA68k ; please respond there.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Cheers
>>>
>>> Tai
>>>
>>> ===
>>> Tai Kedzierski
>>> Linux Operations and Deployments Engineer
>>>
>>> RHCSA # 170-060-834
>>> <https://www.redhat.com/rhtapps/services/verify?certId=170-060-834>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> I use LibreOffice <https://www.libreoffice.org/> , a free,
>>> Freedom-respecting replacement for MS Office
>>>
>>> *Open Source Free Software is a matter of liberty, not price.*
>>> https://www.fsf.org/about/what-is-free-software
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On Thu, 10 Jan 2019 at 16:51, Edinburgh Linux Users Group <
>>> edlug at lists.edlug.org.uk> wrote:
>>>
>>> I certainly wouldn't restrict the possible venues to pubs; I don't think
>>> many pubs will have good spaces for talks, and as Mark mentioned, it can
>>> feel awkward going to a pub if you don't want to drink. Moving on to a pub
>>> afterwards, or mixing pub-based social meetups with talk meetups seem like
>>> better ideas.
>>>
>>> I was at a (very small) meetup in Akva recently - they had reserved a
>>> table in a quiet-ish corner, which I imagine didn't cost anything. It was
>>> comfortable, and the atmosphere made it easier to order a tea or coffee if
>>> you didn't want alcohol. A nice place for a social meeting, but the area we
>>> were in wouldn't work for a presentation. I haven't seen the upstairs space.
>>>
>>> Waitrose in Comely Bank has a 'community room' which is free for
>>> 'charity events or regular community get togethers'. I don't know if
>>> there's any projector or screen, though, and it might be a bit out of the
>>> way (20-30 minutes walk from the city centre).
>>>
>>> The first Thursday of the month is the same schedule as PyData
>>> Edinburgh, which I also often want to go to, so I'd personally prefer a
>>> different day. But looking at
>>> https://opentechcalendar.co.uk/area/62-edinburgh/calendar? most
>>> weekdays already seem to have some kind of event, so it's probably not
>>> feasible to avoid conflicts.
>>>
>>> Thomas
>>>
>>>
>>> On Thu, Jan 10, 2019, at 4:14 PM, Edinburgh Linux Users Group wrote:
>>>
>>> Hi all,
>>>
>>> I checked the asking price to get the Codebase room. For the evening,
>>> it's approximately £230 incl AV suite. £215 without. Needless to say, this
>>> is not a viable option.
>>>
>>> I intend to meet up with Shehraz this evening, the two places I wanted
>>> to have a look into are Spoon, the cafe on Nicolson street which has a
>>> large space and might be amenable to a bunch of people talking and
>>> presenting on a quieter night ; and the Royal Dick at Summerhall which has
>>> a few rooms, any one of which we could potentially try to reserve for an
>>> hour and a half... enquiry to be made.
>>>
>>>
>>> @Mark thanks for the vote of support and suggestions ; from my last
>>> visit to Hacklab, their space is near entirely devoted to projects in
>>> various stages so I doubt having more than 3-4 people in a room there would
>>> work ! I presume TechCube might look like similar prices as to Codebase ...?
>>>
>>> The receptionist at Codebase suggested looking into Aqva by
>>> Fountainbridge, apparently they have an upstairs space that could be
>>> suitable and there's already a meetup or two that convene there she
>>> believed.
>>>
>>> Cheers
>>>
>>> Tai
>>>
>>>
>>> ===
>>> Tai Kedzierski
>>> Linux Operations and Deployments Engineer
>>>
>>> RHCSA # 170-060-834
>>> <https://www.redhat.com/rhtapps/services/verify?certId=170-060-834>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> I use LibreOffice <https://www.libreoffice.org/> , a free,
>>> Freedom-respecting replacement for MS Office
>>>
>>> *Open Source Free Software is a matter of liberty, not price.*
>>> https://www.fsf.org/about/what-is-free-software
>>>
>>>
>>> On Tue, 8 Jan 2019 at 23:37, Edinburgh Linux Users Group <
>>> edlug at lists.edlug.org.uk> wrote:
>>>
>>> Hi all,
>>>
>>> Just a recap on the state of things.
>>>
>>> Happy new 'ears !
>>>
>>>
>>> Last week's meetup was... not as comfortable as I'd hoped, owing to it
>>> being a football night, AND the quiz was not put off in the slightest.
>>>
>>> It remains that we cannot hope to continue to convene there and enjoy
>>> the benefits we used to; the staff are quite ready to make it known that we
>>> are secondary and even tertiary to their preferred activities.
>>>
>>> The search for an alternative thus continues.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> +++ Venus on a Thursday
>>>
>>> It was suggested that we continue to search for a new venue ourselves in
>>> person throughout the Thursdays of this month, rather than cause the
>>> monthly meetup to hop around month-to month.
>>>
>>> This week Shehraz and I will be meeting to try and find another place
>>> with the right atmosphere on a Thursday evening which also would have
>>> accessibility options and presentation space.
>>>
>>> We're also still following up on Edinburgh Uni / Teviot, and Codebase as
>>> options.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> +++ Type of venue
>>>
>>> While brainstorming last week we also thought about reading up on
>>> alternatives such as libraries (if any stay open to run evening
>>> events/programmes) and local community centres.
>>>
>>> This brings a question back - do we really need the venue to be a pub? A
>>> few raised hands when we discussed this in person last year indicated that
>>> there was a preference for this, but I'd like to suggest we reconsider that
>>> with regards to aligning our activities with talks... we can always move on
>>> to a nearby pub afterwards.
>>>
>>> From Codebase notably, there's the Blue Blazer and The Chanter close by.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> +++ Day of meetup
>>>
>>> Finally, we might benefit from re-considering what evenings we want to
>>> convene altogether.
>>>
>>> We tried to move the evening at the Southsider but it turned out they
>>> had events on every evening which put a stop to that. A change in venue
>>> might also be well served by a change of evening. First/Second/Third/Fourth
>>> Mon/Wed/Tues/Thu of the month?
>>>
>>>
>>> +++
>>>
>>> I'll have to gather all these thoughts into polls, but there's the lay
>>> of the land on this front.
>>>
>>> We still have Ross scheduled to talk in March, so let's hope we'll have
>>> found our new home by then..!
>>>
>>> Tai
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> ===
>>> Tai Kedzierski
>>> Linux Operations and Deployments Engineer
>>>
>>> RHCSA # 170-060-834
>>> <https://www.redhat.com/rhtapps/services/verify?certId=170-060-834>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> I use LibreOffice <https://www.libreoffice.org/> , a free,
>>> Freedom-respecting replacement for MS Office
>>>
>>> *Open Source Free Software is a matter of liberty, not price.*
>>> https://www.fsf.org/about/what-is-free-software
>>> --
>>> EdLUG mailing list
>>> EdLUG at lists.edlug.org.uk
>>> https://lists.edlug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/edlug
>>>
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>>>
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