Halloween Meet-up - Reading - Saturday 28 October 2023

Meetups United Kingdom
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:world_map: CITY/REGION: Reading, Berkshire, UK
:round_pushpin: MEETUP PLACE: The Museum of English Rural Life, University of Reading, Redlands Road, Reading, RG1 5EX, United Kingdom.
:calendar: DATE: Saturday 28 October 2023
:alarm_clock: TIME: 11:00 UK time onward
:page_facing_up: MEETUP PLAN: We will meet at the Museum of English Rural Life (https://merl.reading.ac.uk/), a fantastic little museum in Reading which “explore[s] how the skills and experiences of rural people, past and present, help shape our lives”. It had 15 minutes of fame a few years ago thanks to an archive photo of a rather rotund ram, the Absolute Unit. There are all sorts of rural artefacts, from milking equipment, a radio playing samples of The Archers, to a lot of wagons and ploughs. The MERL is also home to the Ladybird Gallery, which showcases some of the University of Reading’s collection of artwork from the Ladybird Books series. After exploring the museum for c.1.5 hours, we will head the short distance to The Dairy (The Dairy | Reading), during which there may be opportunity to see some of the University’s historic London Road campus (London Road at the University of Reading Virtual Tour). At The Dairy, we can eat, drink, sign postcards, and have some Halloween fun (all treats though, no tricks!).

The Meet-up Postcard design will be confirmed in due course.

All venues are accessible.

Reading is well connected by train (Reading - Facilities, Shops and Parking Information), with regular services to and from too many places to name. Reading town and its surrounds are well served by Reading Buses (https://www.reading-buses.co.uk/); the number 21 bus will take you from Reading railway station to the London Road campus (alight at the Kendrick Student Village stop). Parking at the MERL itself is limited, hence if driving you may wish to park at the nearby Oracle shopping centre (Parking in Reading | The Oracle Shopping Centre).

Please comment below if you would like to attend this Meet-up. Given that the MERL and The Dairy are not the biggest venues, places will be limited to a maximum of 15 people.

Going

  1. @chrisbonham11
  2. @SashaUA17 (10 postcards)
  3. @JustJo (7 postcards)
  4. @JennyAssis (20 postcards)
  5. @SusChris
  6. @friedgold91 (10 postcards)
  7. @charzevans (15 postcards)
  8. @papapaff (20 postcards)
  9. Barbara (@papapaff 's wife)
  10. @redharry (5 postcards)
  11. Debbie (@redharry 's mum)
  12. @tashac (15 postcards)
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I’m going to take part in that Meetup.

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3

Please add me to the list :jack_o_lantern:

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4

I’ll be there! :jack_o_lantern::ghost:

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5

I would love to attend this spooky meeting and @SusChris :jack_o_lantern:

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6

Oh this sounds like fun! I can’t come sadly as I’ll be in Rome but have a great time!

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Please sign me up :blush:

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8

Oh no! We do have some alternative ruins in Reading, in the form of the Abbey. I can’t make any promises about the availability of gelato, however…

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9

I would have also loved to have been here but I am in Japan! The next one you organise I’ll be there :blush:

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10

:joy: I’ll stick with Rome this time then but hope to come to a future meet!

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11

Oh dear! There are a few Japanese eateries in Reading, if I can tempt you. The trains, while many of them serving Reading are from a Japanese company, are no Shinkansens however!

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12

I hope to be there!! :+1:t4:

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13

Hello from Germany,
me and my wife would participate.
We are in UK this time.

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14

Grand, @papapaff ! Is your wife also a Postcrosser? I’ll add her Postcrossing username to the attendees list if so; if not, her actual first name will be grand for the list.

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She is not a Postcrosser, her name is Barbara.

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Hello folks, I’m looking forward to seeing you in Reading for our Halloween Meetup next month! I’ve been advised that the design of our Meetup postcard is nearly ready, thanks to our very own @JennyAssis : obrigado, Jenny! There’ll be a few other spooky treats for folks too! :ghost: :mage: :jack_o_lantern: :woman_vampire: :bat:

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Drum roll please! :drum:

Here’s our official Meetup postcard!

ReadingHalloweenMeetup_Front
ReadingHalloweenMeetup_Front1914Ă—1324 164 KB

It features Reading’s Maiwand Lion in a rather ghostly Forbury Gardens.

Obrigado @JennyAssis for the grand design!

A printer is being finalised at the moment, hence I will edit this post once I can give a cost per postcard and am able to open orders for postcards.

Edit 23/09/2023: printing has been finalised! Cards will cost 14p each.

Please reply below to let me know how many you would like.

:mage: :broom: :black_cat: :ghost: :jack_o_lantern: :vampire:

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Can I be the annoying maybe as always?

I fly to Pakistan early on Sunday morning but also Halloween is my fave thing and I cannot miss out on that card :smiley:

(on a side note if any of you want a card from Pakistan send me your address)

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Of course, no worries! If in the end you can’t make it, PM me your address and I’ll send you a signed postcard, plus any blank ones you’d like to order.

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Hello Chris,

I’d like 20 cards.

Many greetings

Martin

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