Meetup/London/200

London 198 (10 December 2023)

London 200 (14 January 2024)

London 201 (11 February 2024)

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London Wikimedia Meetup Number 🎉 200 🎉

Come join for a double celebration: our 200th meetup, and Wikipedia's 23rd birthday!

Date and time: Sunday 14 January 2024 — 13:00 onwards
(join at any time you can, no need to stay for the whole afternoon)
Location: Penderel's Oak Pub, Holborn, London WC1
We are usually at one of the tables opposite the main entrance

• 
  Location map (click to enlarge)
• 
  Penderel's Oak, High Holborn
• 
  Wikipedians taking the air

A social gathering for Wikimedia enthusiasts, where we...

• Drink coffee, tea, soft drinks or beer, and some of us have Sunday lunch.
• Chat about Wikipedia and any other topics we fancy.
• Go home invigorated and look at the pictures. https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/d5sfr911jca409hgg91o0/h?rlkey=oumgxrkdlt71kyp2n851qsjvk&dl=0
• Exchange books, maps and other source materials.

Mainly a casual social event. You can expect to meet some very keen Wikipedians; however, this is also an open invitation to anyone interested in finding out more about Wikipedia, other Wikimedia projects, projects re-using Wikipedia, and other collaborative wiki projects. Feel free to come along and raise these discussions over a beer. Alcohol consumption is optional.

People of all ages and all Wikimedia projects are welcome. Complete newbies also welcome!

Please also invite any London Wikimedia people you know (or have had wiki dealings with) – spread the word!

Topics and events

• There are other Wikipedia Day events being planned on this day around the world, so far I see NYC and Toronto. Maybe we can video call into them briefly to link up the celebrations! the wub "?!" 23:15, 10 December 2023 (UTC)

  Time zone difference makes this suggestion unlikely. OhanaUnited^{Talk page} 21:17, 13 January 2024 (UTC)

• Don't forget to invite Jimbo Wales. Cielquiparle (talk) 12:15, 1 January 2024 (UTC)
• Shameless plug for the Brighton meetup on 3 February for any Londoners who fancy a trip to the seaside! HJ Mitchell | Penny for your thoughts? 14:37, 3 January 2024 (UTC)
• To celebrate this milestone, should Wikipedia make everyone who attends this meetup an admin on English Wikipedia? Joseph2302 (talk) 21:04, 12 January 2024 (UTC)

Attending

Attendance at the 200 meetup was good.

Add your name to the list by adding an asterisk and four tildes like this: * ~~~~

• the wub "?!" 23:00, 10 December 2023 (UTC)
• Edwardx (talk) 01:13, 24 December 2023 (UTC)
• Really hope to make this one. Johnbod (talk) 02:40, 24 December 2023 (UTC)
• HopefullyAlmost certainly. HJ Mitchell | Penny for your thoughts? 05:22, 24 December 2023 (UTC)
• Plan to be there. Joseph2302 (talk) 10:49, 24 December 2023 (UTC)
• Must be there for the bicentennial with yuitsum. Andrew D. (talk) 18:46, 24 December 2023 (UTC)
• No way I'm missing this one! Suntooooth (talk) 19:30, 24 December 2023 (UTC)
• Elshad (talk) 23:27, 24 December 2023 (UTC)
• Can confirm that I'll be present for London 200; my first time at a Wikipedia event there since Wikimania 2014 and my first meetup since Manchester 2019! Acalamari 11:30, 27 December 2023 (UTC)
• Of course I'll be there :) Freedom4U (talk) 19:00, 27 December 2023 (UTC)
• Cielquiparle (talk) 12:12, 1 January 2024 (UTC)
• If the appropriate parts of the public transport system aren't on strike, yes, definitely. Ritchie333 (talk) 14:56, 6 January 2024 (UTC)
• Dom walden (talk) 09:01, 14 January 2024 (UTC)
• Yes, but won't be there for the start. --Redrose64 (talk; at English Wikipedia) 12:20, 14 January 2024 (UTC)
• Broichmore (talk) 15:07, 14 January 2024 (UTC)
• ClemRutter (talk) 21:59, 14 January 2024 (UTC)

May be attending

• --Discott (talk) 15:46, 17 December 2023 (UTC)
• Will confirm in the next couple of days, but I should be able to make this one! Acalamari 10:34, 24 December 2023 (UTC) Attending! Acalamari 11:30, 27 December 2023 (UTC)
• Will try. AirshipJungleman29 (talk) 14:08, 24 December 2023 (UTC)
• Unlikely but not impossible. Thryduulf (talk: meta · en.wp · wikidata) 20:20, 28 December 2023 (UTC)
• Possibly, but cannot confirm until a few days beforehand. Looking forward to meeting everyone. Fermiboson (talk) 07:40, 3 January 2024 (UTC)
• hopefully yeah, Tpbradbury (talk) 21:24, 9 January 2024 (UTC)
• Mike Peel (talk) 21:17, 18 December 2023 (UTC)
• hopefully. Wittylama (talk) 19:12, 13 January 2024 (UTC)
• I literally just saw this?! TheLonelyPather (talk) 08:48, 14 January 2024 (UTC)

Interested but not attending

• I would love to be there, but I'm travelling in south america. Enjoy :) Ridiculopathy (talk) 07:17, 6 January 2024 (UTC)
• Would be there, but there is no service between Peterborough and Farringdon. Rich Farmbrough. 11:53 14 January 2024 (GMT).

London 1 revisited: Where are they now?

The first London meetup took place on 5 June 2004 at Inn the Park. That was a restaurant in St James's Park run by Oliver Peyton. The place is now run by Benugo as St James's Café. I've been there several times myself and it's a good place to have a snack while watching the waterbirds and passers-by in the park. Some attendees then went on to a Wetherspoons in nearby Whitehall : Lord Moon of the Mall. That building was originally the bank Cocks Biddulph and is now under new management as the Horse and Guardsman.

Many of the attendees are familiar from Wikipedia's history. Here's a list of them and the year of their most recent edit which will be in the English Wikipedia, unless otherwise noted.

• Angela : 2021
• Arkady Rose : 2017
• ArnoLagrange : 2014 (Commons)
• Bodnotbod : 2020 (deceased 2021)
• Camembert : 2023
• Charles Matthews : 2024 (En + Commons + Wikisource + Wikidata)
• Christine Wales
• David Gerard : 2024
• Enchanter : 2022
• Ed g2s : 2023
• Fuzheado : 2024 (En + Wikidata)
• G-Man : 2020 (Commons)
• Jdforrester : 2024 (En + Commons)
• Jimbo Wales : 2023
• John Foley : 2023
• Kevin Burley
• Kira Wales
• Máirtín : 2023
• Morwen : 2024
• MykReeve : 2022
• Nommonomanac : 2023
• Oliver Pereira : 2023
• Theresa knott : 2015
• VampWillow : 2008
• Warofdreams : 2024

So, for this keen cohort, my impression is that the number of complete burnouts and departures has been quite low and that their editing has dwindled rather than cutting off dramatically. "Old soldiers never die, they simply fade away." But perhaps this anniversary and the pings from this post may trigger some of them to attend this event. Perhaps we should send them all a personal invite and reminder to make sure that they know...? Andrew D. (talk) 18:08, 8 January 2024 (UTC)

About the meetup

The Penderel's Oak in Holborn

London meetups are generally casual social events where we...

• Drink coffee, beer, tea and some of us have Sunday brunch. Sunday roasts are no longer offered but they do a reasonable pizza now and have a range of other snacks and dishes.
• Welcome guests from around the world and other groups which meet there
• Chat about Wikimedia or any other topics
• Experienced Wikimedians help out new editors and share experiences about anything from copyright to editing tools.

You can expect to meet some very keen Wikimedians; however, this is also an open invite for anyone interested in finding out more about Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects such as Wikimedia Commons, Wikidata, and Wikisource.

New and prospective editors are also very welcome.

The pub is quite quiet and family-friendly on a Sunday lunchtime, so younger Wikimedians will also feel welcome and safe. Alcohol consumption is not compulsory!

Disabled access

The pub has an accessible loo on the ground floor. There are some sections of the pub that are only accessible by steps, but we always meet in the main step free section, usually opposite the main doors.

Location: Penderel's Oak

The Penderel's Oak is a Wetherspoons pub in Holborn.
Address: 283-288 High Holborn, London, WC1V 7HP (OpenStreetMap) (Google Maps)

It's easy to find us – we're usually the crowd with several laptops on the large tables straight ahead of you when you enter the pub. If not, then look for a tabletop Wikimedia/Wikipedia poster and laptops with Wikipedia stickers on them. Wikimania t-shirts can also be a good clue.

Getting there

	Chancery Lane	0.2 miles (350 m)
	Holborn
	Farringdon	0.5 miles (800 m)
	Temple

The Penderel's Oak is between Holborn tube station and Chancery Lane tube station. Farringdon station and Temple tube station are not too far. The pub is also within walking distance of Waterloo railway station (1.3 miles; 2 km), St Pancras railway station (1.2 miles; 1.9 km) and Kings Cross.

Several bus routes also go directly to Holborn station; if travelling from Waterloo, it is quicker to travel by bus than by tube.

Bike hire (TfL scheme) is in Red Lion Street, just opposite the pub.

Visit the TfL Journey Planner for more information about your fastest route.

Back-up plan

In the rare event of a kitchen closure or another problem at the Penderel's Oak, the meetup will be relocated to the Shakespeare's Head – another Wetherspoons pub located nearby. To get there from the Penderel's Oak, when exiting onto the street turn left, then when walking past Holborn tube station turn left again down Kingsway, and after a short walk the pub will be found on the left-hand side.