[LAF] Friday postmortem

[steve ash]

As previously stated I blame LARC entirely for what happened on Fri. We had a good speaker, a good turnout of nine (I've always thought anything more than a dozen is too many) and we had booked a good venue (despite its slack management). As far as I'm aware we had people there by 7 or soon after and it was down to LARC to actually have the venue open. 

Once this bit of entropy had been introduced things went down hill from there. Joy's idea to hold the event in the park was good in theory and we left directions at the venue, but I'm not surprised that Tim was less than enthusiastic about it when we discovered it was crowded with drunks and smelt of piss. We eventually consensually agreed to head for a pub instead, which turned out to be quiet enough to talk in. Alas we did dither a bit and not make quick enough decisions I think, especially when it was clear that he was not too keen on the park as a location and his companions obviously less keen. But that's how it goes. Perhaps people are too concerned with consensus and not with asserting themselves fully, after all one way to get a quick consensus is by balance of assertion, not waiting for others to make their minds up :) We need to remember that everyone present at a meeting runs the meeting and so has a responsibility to make sure it goes
 smoothly IMO.

Initially we thought the pub would be too noisy for a talk and we would have a general discussion instead. Unfortunately when we arrived people didnt seem to hear Tim say he thought he would be able to do the talk after all as it was fairly quiet, and the table kept on chattering away (partly initially inspired by me admittedly). This seemed to annoy him a bit, as he probably rightly thought we should me paying more attention to the speaker. But he was prepared to wait till we'd finished and start when we were ready. Unfortunately his companions were pissed off with being dragged across Whitechapel just to find another pub and decided to leave, at which point Tim also apologised and went home. Which in a way was fair enough as by then it was nine and they had travelled from Tonbridge Wells to get here and had to return there at some point. Tim himself later said he felt guilty about leaving but had his own insurrection on his hands. Joy left around the
 same time, so it was left to just three of us to hold a brief discussion that broke up around 10pm. In principle it could have been a good meeting had LARC not been shut. I for one won't have anything to do with them until they change their ways as they are totally unreliable and socially irresponsible in my view.

But I don't think the slight faults on our part, combined with unfortunate circumstances should dishearten us to much, in some ways we almost become to optimistic and idealistic in some ways, few early meetings I went too had more than half a dozen present, and that was when we were advertised in Time Out (we should look at that again) and we never used to be so concerned about consensus if people weren't asserting themselves. That's all I think we need to tighten up.  

Tim has suggested we discuss his paper online, and has posted it on his Facebook page, I'll post it here for comment in my next post.

I also think we should offer him a place on one of our Bookfair slots this year, if we agree to do that again, and if he can make it. 

Steve