[Silverstar]

Current Info

Signing is at 1pm on the 3rd November at:

Eason & Son, Ltd.
20 Donegall Place,
Belfast, BT1 5BA

The meet afterwards will be held from 6pm to 1am at:

McHugh's
29-31 Queens Square
Belfast, BT1 3FG

Info regarding the arrangements for the meet.

Note from Parris: PLEASE PLAN TO BUY AT LEAST ONE BOOK AT THE SIGNING. Although it is fine to get old favourites signed, the bookstore needs people to purchase books while they are there in order to make the signing worthwhile for them.

Parris said:

The store is willing to take orders for books to be signed by GRRM if you or someone you know is unable to get to the signing. This signing is not restricted to the Vance antho or the ASOI&F series, so if you want copies of FEVRE DREAM, the WILD CARDS series, WINDHAVEN. DREAMSONGS, or other titles, give them a call NOW and ask them for specific titles. They'll have enough time to order those titles and have them on hand for George to sign for you in person or by order to pick up later. (Didn't check this, but most bookstores will also ship to customers for regular shipping costs).

Current Possible Attendees

GRRM
Parris
Silverstar
Ser Renasko
Padraig
Rimshot +1
serMountainGoat
nedkarstark +1
JacMac30
Shaun Snow +2 (?)
Ser Hamish (+2?)
Dennai
Ser Mel T and guests
Iylliana +1
williamjm
jodles +1
Themountainthatcrawls
SuzanneJohnston +1
Werthead
Jamie Heron
mattmcq +1
Nick Snow +1
Romulocks +1
Ace Jones
moody by nature
Knight of the Teabags
sugo78ma81
adogblue

This post has been edited by Silverstar: 25 October 2009 - 03:56 PM

[Renasko]

I'm interested!

Not yet part of the BwB's, though, so there'll need to be some officials at the meet to preside over things, and adjudicate whether I'm fitting or not. :P

[mormont]

The BwB is all of George's fans: everyone is a member. You don't need to be 'official', there's nowt to 'preside over' and so long as you have some experience of having a good time, you're golden. ;)

[Renasko]

I was joking, Mormont. I most definitely know how to have fun, that's for sure. :D

[Padraig]

Well, i'm hoping to make the Belfast signing too. But obviously, i'm going to be useless with the organisation. :)

[Parris]

Thanks so much for starting the topic, Silverstar, I hope that there's a couple of Belfast area folks who are willing to gather some information for us and let us know where's there's a good pub for the first Belfast moot.

George and I have stayed overnight in Belfast, but have never had a chance to explore the city, and are looking forward to meeting some of the local folks while on this visit.

So please, if you are reading this and live in Belfast, or know the city well, please consider helping set up the moot, or giving us information on what venues near the bookstore would be friendly to a bunch of book-loving folks turning up in the late afternoon? early evening? to spend time and money in their establishment.

Even if you can't help set up the moot, please do let us know if you plan to attend the book signing/moot. We're going to take a head count on this and the Dublin moot 2 weeks before the events, and then finalize plans, and a lot of that depends on how many people we're anticipating.

Let's try to keep these two topics near the top of the listings for the next two weeks so casual visitors will see them easily, and let's continue to encourage spreading the word that George is doing the signings and about the moot. I have to admit, after 35 years in fandom, it still delights me to see new folks come in, get a taste of the best of our attributes of hospitality and friendliness, wit and wonder, and decide that joining in is a great way to enlarge their social circles and interests. So if a couple of dozen new people turn up at the moots, I'll be very happy, and so will George.

[Rimshot]

Parris, on Sep 25 2009, 03.54, said:

Thanks so much for starting the topic, Silverstar, I hope that there's a couple of Belfast area folks who are willing to gather some information for us and let us know where's there's a good pub for the first Belfast moot.

George and I have stayed overnight in Belfast, but have never had a chance to explore the city, and are looking forward to meeting some of the local folks while on this visit.

So please, if you are reading this and live in Belfast, or know the city well, please consider helping set up the moot, or giving us information on what venues near the bookstore would be friendly to a bunch of book-loving folks turning up in the late afternoon? early evening? to spend time and money in their establishment.

Even if you can't help set up the moot, please do let us know if you plan to attend the book signing/moot. We're going to take a head count on this and the Dublin moot 2 weeks before the events, and then finalize plans, and a lot of that depends on how many people we're anticipating.

Let's try to keep these two topics near the top of the listings for the next two weeks so casual visitors will see them easily, and let's continue to encourage spreading the word that George is doing the signings and about the moot. I have to admit, after 35 years in fandom, it still delights me to see new folks come in, get a taste of the best of our attributes of hospitality and friendliness, wit and wonder, and decide that joining in is a great way to enlarge their social circles and interests. So if a couple of dozen new people turn up at the moots, I'll be very happy, and so will George.

Hi, Silverstar has asked me to have a look at pubs around Belfast. At the moment, I'd say McHughs is your best bet. It is based in the historic 'Cathedral Quarter' and is only 10-15 mins walk from the Eason. It is also the oldest building in Belfast (1711 I think) and has a very nice basement room which I've been in before for private functions. It would be quite easy to get a taxi to it but it is also very easy to walk to (weather permitting).

I'll give them a ring about price/availability etc. If you need me to I can book it but I need to know who's paying for it eventually.

I'll get back to you

oh and I'll be there too!

[Silverstar]

Thanks, Rimshot :)

If you could get availability details and so on, that'd be really handy.

[serMountainGoat]

Just to let everyone know I am considering making the trip to join you guys so put me down as a "probable" please :)

[Silverstar]

Just a quick note to anyone travelling to this from the London area.

If you book today, Ryanair seem to be doing flights from London Stansted to Belfast City for £4.99, all inclusive.

This post has been edited by Silverstar: 25 September 2009 - 07:51 AM

[serMountainGoat]

Ryanair? :ack:

[Silverstar]

Yup :P

Hey, I'm broke.

[pj818]

Another Belfast resident here.

I tend to be away quite a bit with my job, but I'm going to really try and be around for this.

And I'd be more than happy to do what I can to help out too, so PM me if there's anything I can do. I reckon Rimshot's idea of McHugh's is a good shout anyway.

[Rimshot]

I have provisionally booked McHughs for 3rd November in my name.

I have told them that it will probably be late afternoon (I'm not sure how long the book signing will last) but I think they are flexible with the time.

It is a basement room which has it's own bar.

Cost is £50 if we just use the room or free if we want food and drink (dedicated bar staff for us).

The room can hold 160 people so hopefully that will be enough.

The website for the bar is

McHughs Bar

Please let me know if this ok (can someone check with the Martins?).

Should be fun!

[Silverstar]

At the moment, we've got a grand total of eight of us, so it should hold us ok :P

I'm guessing that we can always tell folks who show up at the signing about the meet afterwards, as well, if we don't get masses of people sign up here.

I expect Parris will be checking here at some point over the next couple of days, Rimshot, so she should see this and talk to George about it :)

Thank you very much for sorting it out!

[Parris]

Rimshot, on Sep 25 2009, 09.38, said:

I have provisionally booked McHughs for 3rd November in my name.

I have told them that it will probably be late afternoon (I'm not sure how long the book signing will last) but I think they are flexible with the time.

It is a basement room which has it's own bar.

Cost is £50 if we just use the room or free if we want food and drink (dedicated bar staff for us).

The room can hold 160 people so hopefully that will be enough.

The website for the bar is

McHughs Bar

Please let me know if this ok (can someone check with the Martins?).

Should be fun!

Wow, thanks so much Rimshot, that's great news. I'm going to try to contact the bookstore next week and talk to whoever is running George's signing and get some more information about the plans for the signing. I'm pretty much conflicted on when we should hold the moot. The signing itself starts at 1pm, IIRC, and even if it runs 2 hours, that would mean starting the moot around 4pm, which seems way too early for folks who are working and hope to come by, and if we decide to hold it starting at 6pm, there's bound to be people who just don't want to hang around downtown Belfast for hours after the signing waiting for the moot to start. Having spent time in the Republic in late fall, I'm all too aware of the short days, long, dark nights and the eternal damp and cold that autumn brings for the island.

So, folks who are planning to come to the Belfast moot, please let us know if a 4pm or 6pm start for the moot would work best for you. A little feedback, and getting more details as we get closer to the date, will help us determine what time to hold the moot and how large a room we need for the event.

On a personal note, I hope you are enjoying the work on YOUR HIGHNESS. I know you can't talk about what is happening on the set, but if you see a fellow extra coming to work in a ASoI&F t-shirt, they're probably a friend of ours, so go up to them and say hello. A little bird has warned me that the Paint Hall is very cold already, and I should bring my best thermals and sweaters/jumpers if I intend to visit the set. Spread the word about the signing and moot where you can, I know there's plenty of folks working as extras on YH who are hoping to work on the pilot, and many of them read the series long before HBO decided to shoot the pilot. I'm sure some of them would like to attend the signing (if they're not working on the set) or come to the moot.

I think we're going to have a great time in Belfast. Thanks for helping in making that happen.

This post has been edited by Parris: 25 September 2009 - 11:15 AM

[Parris]

Silverstar, on Sep 25 2009, 09.45, said:

At the moment, we've got a grand total of eight of us, so it should hold us ok :P

I'm guessing that we can always tell folks who show up at the signing about the meet afterwards, as well, if we don't get masses of people sign up here.

I expect Parris will be checking here at some point over the next couple of days, Rimshot, so she should see this and talk to George about it :)

Thank you very much for sorting it out!

I'm thinking about creating a handbill to give out at the book signing, that would have info about the moot being held that day, and some information about the various websites and fan groups associated with George, such as Westeros, BwB, WiC, and his 2010 GoHship at Octocon. If anyone has a site or group they would like to include, let me know on this thread, or PM me here. I don't have any info on the local SF groups, or the NI SF con. If there's someone out there who would like to gather up information and get an ok from the local SF groups/convention, I'd be happy to include that, or hand out their own flyers while at the signing/moot. This could be a great opportunity to let people know about the various SF groups and websites that they may not be aware of.

[Silverstar]

Parris,

I expect the answer to this question is probably "I have no idea", but I'll ask it anyway!

Do you think it's possible at all that David and Dan and/or some of the cast or crew might fancy a drink after the signing?

[Parris]

Silverstar, on Sep 25 2009, 11.39, said:

Parris,

I expect the answer to this question is probably "I have no idea", but I'll ask it anyway!

Do you think it's possible at all that David and Dan and/or some of the cast or crew might fancy a drink after the signing?

Well, it's likely that a few folks would come, I suspect that having the moot at an later hour might be better for their schedules. Once production starts, 12-14 hour days are not unusual for the producers, staff, cast and tech crews. Believe me, we will certainly make sure that the production staff etc., will know about the signing and the moot.

Rory McCann certainly strikes me as a guy who wouldn't mind coming by for a pint or two. Hell, I'll even buy his first pint.

[Silverstar]

Fantastic :)

As far as I'm concerned, either time will probably do. I'm sure I can entertain myself for a few hours if things start later. If there was no meet, I would probably have travelled home the same day, but as there is one, I'll book somewhere to stay overnight.