The Essex muppets are heading to the lower tea hut at Epping Forest if anyone want to join.

We'll be going to https://www.riverpalacecafe.co.uk/ in Hoddesdon first for breakfast at 10am.

Meet point is Starbucks at Rivenhall (A12 southbound nr Witham) at 8:45am.

Let me know if you're coming from that direction and I'll add a meet point accordingly.

Route...

Coming off A12 at Hatfield Peverel, via the Easters and Rodings. Through Sawbridgeworth and around the top of Harlow.

Warning for anyone travelling by car - parking has to be paid for at all Epping Forest carparks. Bikes remain free though.

Cheers for the heads up.

I hope you have a good time; it's a bit far for me to come at the moment but it's good to have notice of rides.
I'm going on one up here next Monday; heading North up to Alnmouth for a spot of lunch, don't cha know.

The X9OC are meeting at j26 M25 truckstop at 10 so may join them for some breakfast.

Mm.That's yet another meet not on the website.

Waldorf wrote: ↑Fri Jul 22, 2022 3:47 am Mm.That's yet another meet not on the website.

I get what you're saying. But to be honest the X9OC forum is very quiet and whatsapp is a quick and easy to discuss. If anything big is being planned then it's posted. I do tend to post here and its much more busier here.

The X9OC tried to plan the 22 bash and it was slow and cumbersome. But it was important that all could dicuss a large meeting. Via WhatsApp things are discussed quickly.

The Essex muppets have a WhatsApp group. (if anyone wants to join please pm me) for the same reason.

I take your point, Chris.
The trouble is, WhatsApp Groups are private, unlike the Forums, and unless one is invited in one doesn't know of their existence.
I suggest that one reason the X9 Forum is slow and cumbersome is simply that people are using the private platforms behind the scenes. Another, sadly, is a seeming lack of interest/enthusiasm at this moment for an X9OC Anniversary Bash, which is why I agreed with having one next year - starting afresh.
As for your kind invitation for Muppets to join the Essex Group: I suspect most Muppets didn't know until now that it exists and it confirms what I said in my second sentence.
I have seen criticism in the past of the X9OC being cliquey; it isn't compared with the WhatsApp groups.
This is not meant as a criticism but an explanation of the position I, at least, find myself in, ignorant of now three WhatsApp groups connected with public forums, one of which I've been a member of for 20 years and the other since its formation.

Yeah, I did not know the Essex Muppets Group existed... I'll have had breakfast long before 10:00am tomorrow, usually have it around 07:00 and would die of starvation if I had to wait until 10:00

I may rock up for a chat however.