London Casino Crew meets (RIP the Arcade)

[DEL]

Jonst wrote;

I really feel bad about not shopping at raven anymore...guess tony must have fallen on hard times? Even the online shop is barely kept upto date,been like it for years.The signs were there when Jason left as there wasn't enough work then about a year later he split from his wife...I used to love hanging out in that shop on my lunch breaks...I'm surprised it's still hanging on.

Yeah I'm surprised too. It was already looking like hard times in the shop a few years ago. The moment the import market dried up, the fortunes of Raven went rapidly downhill. Like I mentioned, the World is changing fast nowadays and not for the better.

[Jonst]

It just felt to me the last few times that I did visit the shop,that the life was sucked out and it wasn't keeping up with changing tastes.other importers still seem to be doing ok.i can only think the marriage breakdown was the final staw.Even the site looks like it can barely be bothered.gutting that there's nowhere left to physically visit anymore.i still wish it all the best as they were a great place for me for many years like I said,really friendly people too! Like you say,times change quickly,especially these days...

[CHI]

CHI getting married...?
Naah, he's attending one....right?

Yeah. I was his personal stylist in an afternoon of suit shopping. He looked pretty dapper in the end - keep an eye on that bride!

Went to that smoothie place with games in it. Kinda fun! I played some guys on SFII Turbo and had to give the pad up because I was embarrassed at how bad they were, and played some Gun.Smoke, Xevious, Mappy, Pac Man and Donkey Kong on the Mame tabletop thingy.

[Skykid]

So... no HOG for anyone today?

[JDE]

I can't make it to HoG this weekend, sorry.

[hzt]

I was going to come out today but I'm far too hungover to do anything now

[Skykid]

Oh well, another day then. When do you lot want to go down there?

[Smraedis]

Okay, I'll be in London between the 19th and the 23rd of September, am really wanting to go to the HoG on one of the days, maybe on the Saturday?

[hzt]

I can't really afford to go to HoG tbh.

[spadgy]

Hello! I'm alive!

So sorry I've been gone almost a month (and before that I was sketchy for a month). Since I last posted, I had Gamescom in Germany, a print deadline week, then straight to Barcelona, and have been working every bloody evening and weekend.

But that's about to change! I wanted to try new things, so I handed my notice in! Death before success!

So I am about to have a lot more time on my hands! I'll be doing the magazine up until September 27th, and then he plan is to be freelance, which likely means a lot of sitting around in my pants not leaving the house and fretting about money as all I've achieved in my career drizzles away to nothing!

But I'll be back on the forum (interacting rather than just modding!) more, available to meet you lot more, going down HoG more, and having people over more!

So sorry about all the empty promises about meets around my place, but if you haven't lost all faith in me, very soon, I'll be all over the Casino Crew like a rash again! Really, soon I'm up for tonnes of meets at my place!

Moving on...

Skykid - are you still in the country? So sorry I've missed you thus far! I'm really up for catching up.

Everybody - I have a spare download code for the full LittleBigPlanet Vita - anybody want it for free (Casino Crew hardcore get first dibs).

And CHI - you look dashing! What a flamboyant stylist you must have!

[DEL]

spadgy wrote;

But that's about to change! I wanted to try new things, so I handed my notice in! Death before success!

Wow, that's an odd move, considering the Recession/Depression. Was someone stressing you at work?

That said, self-employment is awesome
The best years of my adult life so far were my self-employed years.

I'll be over in the last week of October.

Regs,

DEL

[spadgy]

Wow, that's an odd move, considering the Recession/Depression. Was someone stressing you at work?

Well, I feel ingrained enough in my industry that I should be able to find work, especially including some consulting, research, events stuff and so on. A few doors have already opened for me on the journalism, so we'll see! But, yeah, it may reveal itself to be a very silly decision!

Be ace to see you again in October DEL!

[Rupert H]

Everybody - I have a spare download code for the full LittleBigPlanet Vita - anybody want it for free (Casino Crew hardcore get first dibs).

PLEASE!

[Skykid]

Skykid - are you still in the country? So sorry I've missed you thus far! I'm really up for catching up.

I iz, I saw Rupert last night for XRGB hijinks and a smattering of SDOJ. Would love to see you too! If you can make HOG any time, I'm really up for going soonish (this weekend?)

Although we might not understand your motivation, I know what it's like when you really have to just quit a job, and when the gut feeling is that strong it's most certainly the right thing to do - so well done, Freeman, you're a free man! Good luck with freelancing, looking forward to discussing your life changing decisions soon.

[spadgy]

Everybody - I have a spare download code for the full LittleBigPlanet Vita - anybody want it for free (Casino Crew hardcore get first dibs).

PLEASE!

It's yours! I'll text you the code.

Although we might not understand your motivation, I know what it's like when you really have to just quit a job, and when the gut feeling is that strong it's most certainly the right thing to do - so well done, Freeman, you're a free man! Good luck with freelancing, looking forward to discussing your life changing decisions soon.

Yeah - best I detail my motivations in person! I feel daft leaving a job at a mag I love that brings me great opportunities that I've worked so hard to build, but sometimes you gotta move on.

And well up for a HoG love-in. At a wedding this weekend, so maybe a week night next week?

[Skykid]

We need to arrange a day for HOG and then a proceeding evening of drunken banter ASAP!

I'm not in the country forever and I want to hang out and be intoxicated well past reasonable bounds

Spadgy can can bring his LSD since he doesn't drink.

Please let me know when is good (I'm free most days).

[Smraedis]

I'm down London tomorrow, still not sure what day to do HoG, most likely on Saturday or Sunday.

[Smraedis]

Hmm, looks like I'll need someone's place to stay at for the time there, everyone around the area is now saying no, which is a bit frustrating as I'm down tomorrow until monday.

I'll be down with my friend, hopefully someone will be able to put us up, I don't want to cancel the day before

[Skykid]

Hmm, looks like I'll need someone's place to stay at for the time there, everyone around the area is now saying no, which is a bit frustrating as I'm down tomorrow until monday.

I'll be down with my friend, hopefully someone will be able to put us up, I don't want to cancel the day before

I can't do it unfortunately, I'm squatting in my parents place currently.

[Smraedis]

Thanks, looks like I'm going the cheapish hotel route for the first time in many many years, should be interesting!

[JDE]

Spadgy Goes Rogue

I handed my notice in! Death before success!

Well I wasn't expecting that! Best of luck being self-employed spadgy, hope it works out well for you.

Weekly Casino Crew Meets at Loading Bar

Since Casino died weekly meets have become more like monthly ones, and that needs to change - especially now that there are some decent new places to hang out at.
I would love to have weekly meets at HoG, but it takes ages for me to get there and the combined travel costs and entry fee are too much to pay regularly. I think the same goes for MX7 and hzt.

Loading Bar is somewhere that we can all get to though, and is a lot cheaper. Well, unless you buy an extremely exotic gaming-related cocktail.
So who's up for restarting weekly meets at Loading Bar? Anyone free to go today, Friday or this weekend?

Smraedis, want to check out Loading Bar as well as the HoG while you're in London?

[dan76]

Yep, I miss the weekly meets. I even miss not being able to make them because at least I knew something, somewhere was happening (man).

Wednesday and Thursdays are best for me, plus I could make Sunday after 4 this weekend.

[Smraedis]

Hey everyone, I'll be at HoG tomorrow, and am free on Saturday, think I'll try to get to that Loading cafe at some point, would be nice if others are there too!

[Skykid]

I quite like the LC, but it's also pretty damn expensive. Rupert and I were commenting that that is it's biggest drawback, £4 a drink. It doesn't help that it's normally fairly busy too, so you can't get near many games, and only one of the downstairs Mame cabs is worth playing - the other one is running slow.

I just want to make a day of HOG, just once, can't all you bums get it together!

[CHI]

Work has fuct-up my rota at the last minute for this weekend... i'm free from this sunday evening... could've worked-on something for tonight and tomorrow evening... shit always happens at work

[JDE]

Hey everyone, I'll be at HoG tomorrow, and am free on Saturday, think I'll try to get to that Loading cafe at some point, would be nice if others are there too!

I can definitely make it to Loading on Saturday, what time were you thinking of going?

Work has fuct-up my rota at the last minute for this weekend...

That sucks, but don't worry, the great thing about weekly meets is that if you miss one the next isn't far away!

I quite like the LC, but it's also pretty damn expensive. Rupert and I were commenting that that is it's biggest drawback, £4 a drink.

If you treat Loading as a pub then it's very pricey, but if you drink elsewhere and go for the games instead of the booze, it's super cheap: you just have to buy a single drink for £4 to get in.

To be honest I'd prefer to go to HoG because the cabs are just so much nicer, and there's more space too, but I really can't afford it at the moment - and I'm not alone there - which is why Loading is the best venue for regular meets at the moment.

Anyway, I'll be at Loading tomorrow and it'd be great to see some of the Casino Crew there!

[Smraedis]

Hey everyone, I'll be at HoG tomorrow, and am free on Saturday, think I'll try to get to that Loading cafe at some point, would be nice if others are there too!

I can definitely make it to Loading on Saturday, what time were you thinking of going?

Hmm 2-3pm sounds fine to me tomorrow.

I think I made a day of the visit to HoG today!

[MX7]

I would love to see people round Soho today. I am feeling a little rough this morning, but spam this thread with the deets and I'll probably come.

@JDE Just out of interest, what's your route from Stratford to Loading?

[JDE]

Casino Crew Meet Today (21 September) at Loading Bar

Start Time: 2PM
Venue: Loading Bar, 53 Rupert Street, Soho
Website: http://loadingonline.co.uk/
Nearest Tube Station: Piccadilly Circus

@JDE Just out of interest, what's your route from Stratford to Loading?

I take the Central Line to Holborn, then the Piccadilly Line to Piccadilly Circus, and after that it's just a 5 minute walk to Rupert Street where Loading lurks.

Skykid, can I tempt you to tag along if I bring that BNC to RGB cable you've been craving?

[hzt]

I can't make today but I like the idea in theory.