London Midland services back to London Euston (EUS) from Bletchley (BLY) are 21:39(4)/22:26(4) arriving 22:37/23:27.

Oops, that should have read 'Will use London Midland from Wolverhampton (WVH) at 17:37 (platform 3)' not '17:57'.

Hope you get well soon, Maggie and you car is sorted. Shame you can't join us. Yes, long story but we're back together recently, we haven't told anyone. xx

We've always stayed in touch, and have been working on making things, err, work... better :-)

That first reply was me! xx ( Richard didn't log out when using my laptop :/)

LOL Yes :-)

I am still vacillating over this Richard, but it's looking unlikely I will be able to come, sorry. I have caught some bug which has been dragging on, has quite knocked me out, and there is no knowing if I will be over it by Saturday. Bleaaargh.....!!

No problem, hope you get well soon.

Looks like that Euston 8:46 (platform 11) splits into two trains, one heading to Crewe (via Stafford) and the other to Birmingham New Street (arriving 11:01 on platform 3A). Catching the Birmingham 11:05 (3B) to Wolverhampton 11:24 (1) shaves 3 minutes off the time.

Ah really Richard? I thought you had done something to the Maybe button, LOL! I couldn't imagine why though. Yes, great "improvement",­ isn't it?! It now just puts people under more pressure to give a definite Yes or No! I'll have to look into transport more first; I have contacted the festival organisers, I hoped they might be organising a mini-bus or some such, but they are not. Never mind. It is not just the expense of getting to London from Aldershot (although that is not inconsiderable) it is also the time, it takes forever! I will have a think about the options.

Sadly another 'improvement' was removing member access to venue details and reviews. Yes, it's a long train journey up north.

I think for some events like meals out at a restaurant where you have to book a table it is essential that ppl are decisive, and it's quite rude for them not to be decisive and to be no shows, but for a lot of events it is not so important and we should be able to decide whether or not to allow a maybe button on those events.

Exactly Lesley, it is for us to decide. I agree that sometimes you need to be definite, if, for example, you are going to a meal where they have to book a table, but for a lot of events a Maybe suffices. I don't feel bad about giving a Maybe response and then not going to something, whereas I do feel bad if I say Yes, then have to pull out. It is often very hard to say ahead of time whether or not you will be able to do something, with the best will in the world, so I prefer to leave it open. I just feel I am being put under pressure when I have to give a definite Yes or No, and that I am letting people down if I say Yes, then have to change it to No. I assume you are not going to this Festival, as you haven't responded? It would be great if you did, maybe we could travel up there together then! One thing that puts me off is having to do such a long journey by myself.

You can read the reasoning for dropping 'Maybe' at http://meetupblog.mee...­ If I ruled the Meetup world I'd have simply given 'Maybe' as an option available to organizers/hosts to include on their event :-)

Thanks Richard, I have just read that. Their reasoning still does not convince me though!

Their reasoning is a bit convincing mainly because I am so fed up of flakiness when it comes to booked meals but then you still get some ppl who reply Yes then do a no show anyway, AND are too rude to even explain themselves, so I do not think anything will stop those ppl being flaky, they will just have to have it on their record that they've been no shows, which is prob better than allowing them to be maybes! No, we're not going all the way to Wolverhampton, it is much too far for us, and we usually attend the Animal Aid Xmas Fair event here in London anyway, much more convenient, on 2nd December this year.

I take it Richard that you will be getting your Why Project photo done at this event? I have almost given up on that ever happening for me as it seems to me that the organiser is not very serious about coming to London to do it, he has had ample time by now to arrange something if he had really wanted to, I feel we've been messed about a bit there. I wanted to take part in that Why Project but am not going all the way to Wolverhampton, anyway it is the day after my birthday and would rather not have the stress of a long tiring day with a long journey, we might do something nice for my b'day that day instead of the Friday night anyway, and I prefer to keep flexible for now about that.

Thanks for pointing out that Richard and his "Why?" Project will be at Wolverhampton Lesley, I didn't know. Annoyingly, he was a no-show at London Vegan Fete, perhaps he should have said he'd be a maybe ;-)

Having only Yes/No RSVPs means people are forced to use 'Yes' who'd otherwise have used 'Maybe'. With waiting lists, it would've been great to have Maybes bumped down onto the list whilst Yeses would get bumped up.

Yes I had heard he had been a no show at the fete - and it was nobody elses's fault that he hadn't read the messages properly on his own event page - but did you not see the messages on the Why project page later where he explained and apologised that he had simply got mixed up about which event was being discussed? He thought Napak was asking about this Wolverhampton event apparently, which is where he will definitely be! It was clear enough I thought, that she was asking about the London Vegan fete and you put up a link for him to that event, so I was not sure how he could get so confused about which event was being discussed, but anyway he did confuse the two events somehow. I'd suggest checking the facebook page, all the messages are on there. Best double check he will still be at the event. I hope I have got this right!

Turns out he'd never even planned to be at the fete for a photoshoot there, which I thought was a real missed opportunity, with so many veggies and vegans at one event. I couldn't make it to that event but I am sure a lot of ppl there would have been happy to take part in his project. I also asked him if he could do a photo shoot in Brighton either before or after the Farm Animals Demo (again lots of us in one place) but yet again he said no even though I asked a while ago with lots of notice! I think to be honest his only priority is the midlands area, but I will eat my words if he does come to London after all..

Richard IS going to Wolverhampton, I'm on his Facebook event. I did specifically say London when commenting to him before the Summer Fete.

Yes I know you were very clear, so was Napak, and there was no clear reason for him to get confused.
I have a white t shirt all ready for if he ever does get to London to do this. I want to talk to Helen and MJ about inviting him to do a photo shoot at a London Vegetarian Drinks which is always a Friday, since I've seen nothing happening about him coming to vegan drinks (and anyway I can't do Thursdays usually). I think both the drinks events attract a lot of ppl at Tibits so it should be worthwhile.

I thought Richard was working with Robb to attend Vegan Drinks at Tibits.

I've got a London Midland voucher and we'd intended to take the train, though I need to confirm their service times. I'll have to use Google maps to get an idea of car fuel costs.

You can RSVP as a 'maybe', on here and/or the other Meetup groups that list the event. Would you be up for Veggie World too?

I might be. So you are not planning to stay the night then? I presume you have not already booked your train ticket, in that case. Is the voucher you have valid for a certain period? I am thinking I might take the train too, but I still have to get into Central London, to take advantage of this, and that is a long way from where I live. Hmmmm.....It needs more thinking about.

No Maggie, we're not going to stay the night. The Great Escape vouchers are valid between Saturday 20 October – Sunday 4 November 2012. We haven't booked train tickets, but we already downloaded the voucher and will have to bring it when we buy tickets at the station. It's £15 for standard class and you can travel anywhere across the London Midland network on the day. If you want more details, go to http://www.londonmidl...­

Maggie, can you use Oyster to get to London from where you live?

Thanks for the info Napak, I will check out the link.

That link is also at the bottom of the description, under 'Great Escape', along with a bit more info. There appears to be no commitment to buy a ticket when you apply for the voucher, so no harm in trying to get one now.