It\'s that time of year again when we start thinking about our MoneyAM Xmas Meal. This is a chance for old friends and those who have never met up with other MoneyAM/Shares users to celebrate the festive season. In a change to previous years we have decide to head North and join the North Westerners in what has become a regular fixture in their calender, organised by Ruth, with drinks and a meal in Manchester. All are welcome to come along, but please can you let me know by the 23rd November either by email ian@moneyam.com or post on this thread you are coming. So here are the details: Friday 7th December 2007 19.00 (7.00pm): The Old Monkey Pub, 90-92 Portland Street, Manchester, M1 4GX Nice pub owned by Holts Brewery, short stagger to the Tai Wu. How to find Old Monkey Pub 20.30 (8.30pm): Tai Wu, 44 Oxford St, Manchester, M1 5EJ Very good Cantonese restaurant. We will be eating in the Lower Ground Floor Buffet Restaurant. Cost will be 11.50 per head plus drinks payable on the night in CASH please.Tai Wu Buffet menu How to find the Tai Wu There\'s a secure NCP car park above the restaurant which can be entered from Great Bridgewater Street.

Attendees

Ruth Bullshare Martini IanT Steph Graham ptholden chocolat CC John Gaynor HelenW Big Ron Bakko Harlosh

Iain,:-) a short stagger to the tai wu,:-)
Is Big Al coming:-)

I will be coming however I want the subject of Madeleine banned for the night or a few more might disappear in suspicious circumstances over dinner.
M

Martini, :-) i will be too busy looking for a potential husband, dont worry:-)
oh thats enough to keep the men away hey:-)only jesting, one is enough
In all seriousness, always a good night out in manchester, restaurant is cheap as chips , hope a few of you southerners are going to go for a few bevvies afterwards too.

Ian, can you please add Steph and Graham,

Ruth,

Done,

It's just not the same without a menu, Ian :(


Can you at least offer a with or without squirty cream choice please?

chocy,

I just assumed most would go for the squirty cream option anway :)

I think what I'm probably looking forward to most is seeing Iain and Spacie in their Santa's little helpers' outfits.

Choccie, whos going to be the father xmas?

Which reminds me who has a birthday coming up very very soon. Clues is, chopsy woman!

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Blimey, will actually be in the UK for this one. Stick me down please Ian.

Roof, if you were looking for a husband, you should have said ;)

pth

PTH, well if your offering , the current one is easy disposed off, i have a big patio, :-)

I think he would prefer it if you had two big patios.....

Sadly, I already have a commitment around that time in Birmingham so Manchester is definitely out. Shame, would like to have seen Bernard Manning at his club.

Did someone say dead?

I'll be there.

secure carpark about the chinese hey. Must be better than the dodgy place I parked it last time

last time someone keyed 3 panels on my car. Cost 1020.

Oh well insurance claim I thought. Excess on my policy 470. ouch.

Yep, Bones, those are my initials :P

However, for those attending with a camera, can you please keep an eye on Choccie (assuming she goes) and keep MG off the tender meats (assuming he goes.

Good evening Chocolat :)

'ello Bonesie :P

Not sure of my schedule around then, but ceetainly stick me down for an orange juice and a burger with fries.

;-))

Al,

Have added you and thanks for your menu choice - keeping up the tradition there :)

Ian

Ian - can you add me please

Sorry too far to go - it's my company Xmas party the night before so definitely won't be travelling

Have fun though

Ian, can you add John and Gaynor please

Ruth,

no probs - added to list


Ian

Ruth,

I was looking at hotels - had a look at the premier inn and the travel lodge, but looks like no room available. Can you suggest any other places near to the pub and restaurant please and not too far from the station (have the early train out in the morning back down sarf :)

There's loads around there, Ian.
I'll have a look for you later if you like.

Cheers I had a look myself, but as I am not too familiar with the area, just wanted to make sure I don't book something which is too far a stagger back to:)

Dunno why you don't just bunk up with Mikey ;)

Midland hotel, picadilly hotel, britania all close by,

thanks Ruth

Ian, on late rooms, the picadilly is avail at 69 for a single room or 105 for a double, depends if u want to share with another person i guess, could always ask for twin beds if you dont fancy a hairy bloke at the side of you:-),

I shall do some investigating tomorrow - thanks

Ian
Try here

Cheers Martini

OOH I can't wait, me uncle Mike is comin to see me!!!

oh goodness - she is back :)))))

Don't worry Steph I'm sitting as far away from you and the girlies as possible. I've booked a table for one just for me!

Unfortunately I will not be able to come as I have a big day on the Saturday after this and need to be behind my desk in the morning. Have a good time anyway.

Well why don't you bring your desk with you?

Please put me down as a possible, might be able to wangle a Wythenshawe trip to coincide with this bash.

cheers from some no doubt, though i would very much have liked to meet PTH for the first time, but as i am off to sunnier climes on biz (yet again!) on the Sunday, i regret i shall have to give this a miss

Sadly due to the location I won't be able to make it this year.

Anyway, I wish you all a good time.

Can you arrange another xmas dinner in the south for those that cant make this one.

oily,

I am afriad we are just doing the north this year, after doing every one in the south since we started, we thought it only fair we go up north for a change.

Ian

Not far enough north, like, but you're getting there. LOL!

err, plenty far enough Al :O)

What about the West Midlands then?...don't answer that -):

LOL

Manchester's north???

Have a look at the map with your specs on:-)

Al,

Gets too cold for us soft southerners if we go any further north.

Stan,

I am from the west midlands, so Manchester is exotic to me,

Seymour,

Manchester is in the north - as far as I understand it you are not supposed to cross that yellow part as shown on your map without your passport :)

I thought you only needed a passport to cross Hadrian's Wall.

Hils :)

Looks like a good line to run the bandsaw through, Hil, although I'd personally run it from the Wash to the Severn. ;-))))

Come to think of it a detour just over the north side a Birmingham might also raise the quality of life. LOL

If they did that, Big Al, how would all the Man Utd fans get from Woking to Old Trafford?

What's this North business, you mean there is actually something up there?

The North has many wonderful features;
Dramatic and awe inspiring countryside. Wonderful ales, beautiful women, value for money (that'll be a shock to you southern jessies), friendliness and good old fashioned service.
Unfortunately MAM have chosen Manchester, so you won't see any of this. :-p
Alan

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Skinny,
it is grim up north i agree and i live here:-)its very grim,
but its what u make of it,:-) and we certainly know how to have a good time up here, :-)

Actually Ruth - the post didn't work, it should have had all the northern 'Word' menus etc - I'll try and sort it later. I must admit that a lot of my long term mates are from north of Watford :-)

This from an area of the country whose greatest offerings appear to be jellied eels and the incomprehensible "eastenders"!! The speakers of estuary English, and the home of the Essex girl. From people who live in the North or East of the capital and insist they are going "up the westend"!!
A race so subservient to their masters they are prepared to pay yet another tax to use roads that are frankly undrivable and employ barmen incapable of tightening the sparkler on a beer pump. Whose greatest architectural legacy in recent years are a wobbly bridge, a big wheel, a semi inflated dome shaped tent and a gherkin!!
A place where one has "made it" when one can afford a cupboard with a bed settee in an old warehouse and a visit to the countryside means going to a city park to breathe diesel fumes and catch HN51 from the pigeons.
You're right. We in the North miss it all very much.
How do we cope, earning 20 a week less in an area where everything I buy is so much cheaper. How do we manage having the Dales, pennines, Peaks and Lakes on our doorstep. How are we not starving having given the world roast Beef and yorkshire Pudding. How can we look at ourselves in the face when we have retained our own identity and local accent, rather than adopting some kind of language that is a feral mix of european and Chav.
We are profoundly jealous of Southern superiority.
;-)
Alan

Alan - must agree on the beer pump sparklet (sparkler?) :-)

...Actually it's called "Ale" old beams -):

Alan - you can actually live in the South without living in London. We do have nice countryside, towns and villages, pubs with real ale, etc.

Well if we're going to be like that...........................
Skinnys post does say;
Proper English; Et Voila !!!????
It also has the Northern guy typing Youth, whereas anyone who has listened to our Southern cousins knows the correct pronunciation is "yoof", yet the wonder program failed to pick this up.
2 errors in a simple translation. Must have been designed by a southerner. ;-)

I know, Isaacs, but its great fun, isn't it???
Anyway, I didn't start it. i'd be much happier ripping the pi55 out of Manchester.
That really could unite the masses!!

The link to the Northern version of Word http://www.avolites.org.uk/jokes/northerners.doc

"We do have nice countryside, towns and villages, pubs with real ale, etc."

Yes that's all right but nearly all of the conversation (assuming that you can get any out of them ) mainly revolves around House prices, do-it-yourself and work.

Anyway there are a few of us soft southerners coming up North for the Xmas meal , so be nice to us ;-)

Hils - you got that right. ;-)) A bit like all those ruskie fans Chelsea have these days. Perhaps they're forced to go as the alternative may be a trip to the Gulag. ;-))))))))))

Nice as cream pie without the pies, Mikey ;)

If you look at the whole UK including the Shetlands, Newcastle may be the middle (centre point north/south) of the country.. So Newcastle is in the midlands, Manchester is in the south and Wallsend (Hadrian's wall on the north sea) is just in the north of the UK. H

If you want to stretch a point, wouldn't the Falklands be the most southerly part of the UK.

I think the Falklands, like the Channel Isles are not part of the UK, although they are British. I think the most southerly part of the UK administation area are the Scilly Isles. H

Talking about the Channel Isles S, I was interested to be informed that the policing is the responsibility of the Hampshire constabulary...without going off topic of course -):

I will be spending that weekend in some far flung place as it clashes with a family wedding and I'm committed to spending pretty much the entire weekend with 'em.

The wedding party is on the Saturday night at some dive called 'The Midland Hotel' and the northern flat-capped whippet-racing chips-and-gravy-eating mob that my cousin is marrying into can't even pronounce the word 'cousin', let alone 'bath' or 'grass'.

... may sneak out for an hour or two and join u guys for a drink.

G

Gausie,:-) the midland is one of the better hotels in manchester,youll be ok, just make sure you have those locking wheel nuts on:-)

Nothing wrong with up north.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScyRmiaEOUw

Hi Ian

Stick me down for 1 please

Bob

Bob,

Have added you to the list - see you there,

Ian

Ian, she is definately back!!!
Manchester is very exotic especially when Ruthie is there!
Bullshare I heard you gone off the girlies! (Shh! Say no more!) x

Steph, get your coat babe youve pulled:-)

I always wondered if this was a dating site, my lucky night:-)

Spaceman I shall be in my Benchill abode if your up my end.......Wythenshawe that is.Feel free to pop in for a Tenants Super or two

Ps you may want to dress to impress as in :

Steph, dont forget to bring your whip.

Iain, Rowlandsay for me, can you guess where? a beer or two sounds good.

I was thinking of wearing a full Burka myself....

Silver Birch or The Cornishman. Or even The Benchill

Is Clem going ?

Who?

not unless he's got 10m in his pocket

He can just issue some more shares to fund that.

I think we need some more girlies at this gathering. Can you put me down, please.

Your bum looks big in that.

G :-)

I was tempted too Gausie :-)

.

can you put me down as a possible, please

Your bum possibly looks big in that.

;-))

just booked my hotel so theres no escape for me now :)

Ian please add Big Ron.
Spacey, old mate! If you are comin I will definately bring the whip!!! x

Steph,

Have added Big Ron,

Ian

could you add me as a possible, please.

bosley,

I have added you as a possible


Ruth,

I have the original closing date for end of play tomorrow. Do you want firm names and numbers by then for the booking?

Ta

Ian

Just spoken to Ruth, and if all those who have put themselves down as possibles could let me know over the next few days whethe rthey are going to make it or not, that would be a great help so that we can get the table booked up,

Thanks

Ian

Ladies & Gents,

It is with great regret that I have to announce yours truly will be otherwise engaged on said date. Work schedule has changed and I'll be in't middle of North Sea during this dubious gathering.

This is affectionately called a "right pisser" and I'm not pleased. However, I have every intention of taking up an NW night out next year as it seems it's the only gathering that happens on a regular basis near here. S'pose me and Treb could get a beer one night. ;-))

Anyway, strike my name from the records please.

Al,

Shame you can't make it, I have taken you off the list,

Thanks for letting us know,

Ian

cant come, wont come...



*damn*

Speaceman and goforit,

I have you both down as possibles, but we need to confirm with the restaurant tomorrow, so could you let me know as soon as possible if you are able to come or not.

Anyone else wnating to join us, same applies to you,

Thanks

Ian

Sorry, but due to an unforseen problem I will have to say I am unable to come

goforit,

Shame but thanks for letting me know,

Ian

I've not been invited.

KEAYDIAN,

Consider this your invite - do you wanna come along :)

Ian

Na.

KEAYDIAN :)

Ian

Can you add a couple of late entrants in Harlosh and myself please

bakko,

Ruth is the organiser I will speak to her and see what we can do and let you know here

Ian

Don't let 'em Ian :)

I'm still a 50/50 :S
Can't work out which is which though.

lol, im sure we cant fit 2 more in:-)

Bakko,

Looks like you are booked in,

Ian

ahem!

I saw that Peter :-)

John :)) See you on Friday, don't forget yer wallet :))

Choccie , tell Dominic not to ring me this time cos I aint answering

:-)

All set for this evening (well as ready as I can be) - I have told my wife that if I do not get off the train I am supposed to return on tomorrow lunchtime, she is to go to the police straight away and to send out a search party for me :)

Very sadly....... I'll still be able to make this meal but as I am on a teetotal christmas I will be the quiet one sipping water in the corner being a humbug :-)

Ian, may i suggest to let her know the most probable place to look first would be the lapdancing club, if that fails, the casino, if that fails god knows where you will be:-)
Bully, im getting a lift in, so will not be tee total , but Steph will, oh and its usually so much fun getting her intoxicated isnt it:-)

Hope you all have a great day today.

Blimey, no-one told me Roofie was drinking, I'll stay at home ;)

pt,

you are a wise man :)

Dil - all the more fun having you on autodial :P

And Ian - the trick is to ask the very nice man in the red coat to wake you up with a coffee ... and a kiss if you strike lucky :)

PTholden, i was going to be chasing you too:-)

Oi choccie ... has Mike played my xmas greeting yet ?

Harlosh!!!!!

Where's a bit of protection when you need him??

Guess he must have, Dil - why else would he be on the wagon :)

You don't need me Peter. I'm sure you're more than capable on your own :-))

Sounds like a wild party - have a great time!

Have fun at the dinner tonight you lot! Wish I could
have made it but have a great time all :-))

Off to a good start.

No room at the inn for Martini and Mikey.
It's gonna be a starry, starry night ;)

Choccie, theres always the benches in piccadilly, i will put a few blankets in the car just in case :-)

Oh yeah ucking hysteryical 7 Dom Simpsons and no one to dance with eh ... sounds like a billy no mates to me :-)

My apologies he usually gets an instant response but one of the Ebbooo 5's missusses had a fortieth today (old enuff to be my mother) and I had to attend.

Any videos of me on Yootube dancing on tables cannot be verified and you aint got the address anyway :-)

Hope you all had as a good a days as we did .... happy xmas Dominic


xxxxxx









twats :-)

Ian

Please add me and Sam to the list :-)

Dil:-)
well great night in Manchester, filled with laughter as usual, Bully havnt a clue what steph meant re 51:-)thanks to all who attended and made it a good un:-)
not often i drink, but was well the worse for wear by the end of it, but as always impeccable beahviour :-) i have witnesses:-)
who suggested the new union pub in the village? i will blame it on Graham,:-) quiet a bizzare place, but what a scream it was,very late night for me, i cant hack it like i used too, i know im getting old;-)

Hey girls must say the male totty of traders is getting better each year, what do you think,?
some serious husband tackle:-)
Gausie looking dabba in his pink shirt, oh i do like hunky bad boys in pink:-) looked the part in his peaked cap when doing chauffeur duties too.
Pt Holden, as ever the gentleman, offered me lessons for 200 an hour,in golf i think:-)or was the golf afterwards:-) fancy teasing a girl like that, :-)
CC, as ever always a gentleman,
Martini, pure gentleman ,sure Bully and Gausie could tell us a few tales though:-)
Graham, im worried about the pictures women send him on his phone,:-)
typical alpha macho male, hillarious outside the new union pub, those there know what i mean:-) think he loved the attention really:-)shame she batted for the wrong team hey Graham:-)
John, as ever a gentleman , always up for a good chin wag and good fun,
Bakko, always smiling, lovely character
Harlosh, lovely character, will have to join them in the casino next time,
Ian, softly spoken , 100% gentleman,
Bully, well what can one say, Bully is Bully:-) with his flasher mac:-)
what was Steph saying about a tiddler?thank god she was sober hey:-)

And as for the ladies, great as ever, giving as good as they got:-) Steph sober, i know its a shock, but was witnessed by all last night:-)

Great night out, with great company and good food, its all you need isnt it ,great combination:-)
big thanks to the southern softies who made the journey up north and a big thanks to Helen too for her long journey up as well, :-)and a big thanks to the usual north westers well , hope a good time was had by all.
Ruth xxx

Glad you all had such a great time. I hope the rest of your Christmas celebratations
are equally enjoyable....

Can't wait for the pics to emerge...

Alan

Roofie

I think you're still pissed :)

Golf? I don't remember owt about golf, must have been summat else ;)

Many thanks for the lift girls and miracles of miracles I didn't egt mugged in me hotel room overnight, well, at least I don't think I did.

pth

PTH, :-) they dont mug anymore, they just clone your creditcard while your asleep:-)

Great to see everyone :)

I can't believe you left out Spacie and Iain, Ruthie - talk about tackle.
So glad you liked your Christmas message, gorgeous.
Quite threw me for a couple of seconds when the lovely Sam spoke - I kept thinking you said that without moving your lips, Gausie.
And I reckon Martini should bring a nurse next time.

Cheers everyone :)

Thank god I stayed on the water all night otherwise I would be blaming my sorehead on wine and beer!

Great to meet everyone again, good company ( well with a few exceptions but thats enough about Steph), plenty of food and wine, and great banter!

Thanks all


Mike

Forgot to say ... watching Steff explode was an absolute treat :)

Pictures/evidence please!

ruth have you given up drink? I missed that one!

Excellent night out. Sorry girls I was limp I will try harder next time!

Couple of pics

Sue,:-) its very rare i have a drink, im crazy enough sober:-)
What is Ian showing Choccie on his phone thats making her giggle,? :-)
look at all those empty glasses, think that was stage set:-)
Bully great view, impressed,:-)

So where are all the pics eh ?

Why has it been so quiet after the event - was this like the other recent Manchester party with subsequent rape allegations etc ?

Or was the Northern hospitality not so good ?

at least Ian is taking a pic above the table and not from beneath it!

cynic,do you fancy strawberry nosed ladies?