INSIDE THE WORLD OF MEETUP

  A few afternoon drinks in a predictably packed out Weatherspoon's. Spend around 3 hours chatting to the Derby crowd many of which I hadn't seen for a while.  Headed back on the last bus. 

  The weather wasn't great and it was an event I was generally lukewarm about attending. It was closer than home to most and I used the journey to plan future walks.  We visited a few stalls located near the clock warehouse but I felt we spent far too long hanging around. As usual I was one of the youngest in this group. Then we headed up the canal for coffee and some nice but overpriced chocolate orange fudge. A stop at the Malt Shovel pub followed where we chatted for around 45 minutes. We went down to the boathouse for more of the same. By that point I'd seen enough and headed home.

  An opportunity to visit a pub in Sawley which I'd never been to before. The weather wasn't great (cloudy) and the group was a bit subdued. The "garden party" consisted of us sitting in a large beer garden while some DJ played Ibiza tunes. The meetup group as usual with Derby Sociables consisted mostly of an older crowd.  It was ok for a couple of hours as the sun came out, drinks flowed and a younger crowd started to arrive. 6pm I had to make a decision between getting the last direct bus home or staying longer and taking 3 buses. It was an ok afternoon but nothing special so I got the direct bus.

 I thought I'd try my hand at hosting a non walking event so picked a live music night at a venue I'd attended several times before. I posted the meet 6 weeks before the even and waited. One person signed up then quickly dropped out. Not one single other person out of over 14,000 members joined. This I thought was very strange. The good news was that the Derby group was also hosting the event so I closed the RSVPs on the last day and joined theirs instead. Derby only had half a dozen turn up by the venue was busy and it turned out to be a great evening.  https://www.facebook.com/thecastleinndonington/videos/417064477632494/

  It was a rare (4th in a year) meet with Derby socials but I'd not been here before. Nursing a painful back injury walking was one of the few activities I could do. It didn't help when the organiser didn't put the map pin in the correct place and I was searching for the start point a couple of hundred meters down the road.  We followed the nutbrook tail for around 3 miles to the excellent coffee shop for a break. One of the group had a drone which he briefly flew to take this picture. The rest of the walk had a "make it up as you go long" feel but it was ok.

  Derby Sociables has been a bit thin on the ground for suitable events so it was good to get a walk not too far from home. Despite the weather forecast the turnout was around a dozen in Aston on Trent. I'd never been here before.......... We set off across the fields in the direction of Shardlow where the festival was taking place. It was very busy in terms of people and boats. There was a temptation to have a stop in a pub but the queues and risk of getting "too comfortable" made us decide against it.  The route back was along the canal, by this point the heat was getting far too much and it was very uncomfortable. I was glad to get to the malt for a large diet coke with ice. 

  Another canal walk but this time somewhere slightly different, it was a bus and a train ride (via Long Eaton) to get to Willington. Met at the marina and walked towards Stenson for a coffee and cake pitstop. Helped out with getting a boat through the lock then walked a slightly different route back to the starting point.

  It was a rare meetup less than 10 miles from home. Not only was I going to a pub that I'd never been before but also a town so close to home. As with the night in Derby the previous week the turnout was a disappointment at just 5 of us. It was good to catch up with one person I'd not seen in over 2 years. We had a pre booked table right near the stage, the atmosphere is the pub was good and the band was good. The major downside is the noise was not good for conversation and getting to know others in the group. There was no after drinks or anything like that.

  Despite being a similar distance from home as Leicester, Derby, Nottingham I hardly ever go near Burton On Trent. I nearly pulled out after getting soaked before even catching the bus, but it had forecast sun by the time I arrived. Burton marina was a scenic although I almost missed the start of the walk by approaching it from the wrong side. It was about as simple a route as you could get, walk north alongside the canal stopping at the Bridge Inn pub. We did a circuit around Branston Water park before retracing our steps for the last third of the walk. Hardly the most creative route but OK.

After a terrible Christmas in which I was struck down by a horrible flu for nearly a month a good night out was long overdue. We met at the standing order for a couple before heading off to the flowerpot, nobody seemed to be doing dry January as both places were packed. Apparently it's a popular live music venue in Derby but I'd never been before. The band were great and the atmosphere was outstanding, I met a load of familiar faces with the group as well as some new ones. Had a few drinks after the band had finished, I didn't have the energy to carry on after midnight but everyone else seemed to be going anyway. Got absolutely soaked walking back to the bus station......

Bit early in the month but who cases, first meetup for a while but this one was going to be a big turnout. It was a case of bring your own food then at the end of the night they were begging people to take it because there was far too much. About half of the 60 people I had seen before including several my own age from the Leicester group. It was a bit of a quiet evening up until the final hour when the alcohol kicked for everyone. Unfortunately by the time I was enjoying the evening the night at the 102 club was over. Around half a dozen of us went into town and ended up in a club until the very early hours. I got home around 5am...…………………………….

With the night out in Leicester getting a tad repetitive I gave it a miss this weekend and opted to go Derby and from there a trip to Matlock bath . Some of us met in the Merry Widows pub just across from Derby train station and caught the train after an hour. I'd not been Matlock for over 30 years and it didn't bring any memories back when we arrived. Went in 2 nice if a little overcrowded pubs The Midland and the Fishpond with a short stop in the arcades in between. It had a very tourist town feel about the place and I'd never seen so many fish and chip shops on one street in my life. This picture was taken outside the fishpond. We then went to see the boat parade followed by the firework display, most of the group did question if it was worth paying 7 pound to see fireworks that you could have just viewed from the street for free. After it was stuff yourself with fish and chips before heading back to Derby, they were going for a drink after but my bus arr...

Change of plan, walking instead of drinking this weekend. This was the closest meetup to date from my house and was still 11 miles and 2 bus rides away. About a dozen of us went which we all agreed was a good number. It was a good day to walk, clear, sunny and not too hot. We headed around Staunton Harold reservoir and had a short food stop. Then headed on to Calke abbey where it was very busy but managed to get a table for another food and drink stop. After the walk I had 50 minutes to kill before the bus home so half the group went to the Wheel Inn at Ticknall, overall it was a good half day out and I was very tired by the time I got home.

I had 2 choices, a big night out drinking in Nottingham or a more low key pool and darts night in Derby. After a sleepless Friday I didn't have a 2am drinking session in me so I opted for the more low key pool night. We met at the Waterfall near the train station, nice building and layout (the pint of carling I had was a bit flat). There was about a dozen of us with 2 faces I recognized from previous meets. Spent nearly 2 hours having random games on the aged tables in the back room. I won 4 lost 3 which was not bad for saying I'd not been on a pool table in years. After that we went to a nearby pub called the Brunswick an old school real ale pub. We all played a big game of darts between us (I won on double 2).  Overall a steady night...………..

I don't gamble much these days but a night at the dogs was long overdue. I'd been here before but not with meetup. Unlike previous trips this was not a heavy drinking night as I had the bus home to think about. 14 people was about the right sized crowd, unlike at the horse racing you have only 16 minutes between races so it was a constant circle of bet, sit and chat, go outside to watch race and repeat. I did better than usual and finished about 4 bets worth down in the end, Claire the event host just seemed to win everything. A good night was topped off when a couple gave me a lift not to the bus station but all the way home which saved me a lot of travel time.

First night out drinking in Derby for well over a decade. It was a hot and sticky evening especially on the bus going over. Arrived early and met the group in the standing order which I have vague memories of going in many years before. Being a slightly older crowd than the Leicester group and being a sitting outside type of night we went to pubs like the old silk mill. Also ye olde dolphin just across the road, it was a good social night with nearly 20 people. Finally we ended up in a loud place with a dancefloor. Unfortunately I'd peaked too soon as I went through my first few drinks very quickly after getting off the hot bus earlier on. I left earlier than I should but overall it was a good night.

After being removed from the Leicester group I thought I try a different city. Previously Derby and Nottingham were always special occasion nights out requiring expensive taxi rides to get home after midnight. Now we have the skylink bus going to and from those cities running via east midlands airport. A bit time consuming but cheap and doable. Not been those cities for decades so this was a dry run to test out the logistics of going. I rode to the airport where my bike would be safe in the cycle shed. Then went in the city before taking a steady walk to the Mosa restaurant . 12 of us attended the meal, it was an older crowd but they all seemed friendly enough. The food was good and conversation flowed with whoever happened to be sitting closest on the long table. Some went to a pub after but I was after a (rare) alcohol free weekend. One of them gave me a lift back to the bus station which was great. I would be going back to Derby