31st January 2026
The Blog will be celebrating its seventeenth birthday next January 28th 2026.
Hello,
It is getting closer to the next Birthday Bash, and I post this as a reminder. I will be in London from Friday onwards. The main event will be in The Bridge House in Little Venice from about noon on the 31st. There is a good menu for those were wish to dine. I will be bringing some macarons, but maybe not as ambitious as last year.
You can just turn up as you wish, but it might be helpful if you could let me know via comment here. If you want further guidance let me know here and I will email back.
In the past, things have started to wind up in the pub in the evening (7-8pm) and hardy souls have gone on to a local Chinese restaurant, and that could happen again if you wish.
I have had a go at a crossword to entertain any lulls in the conversation, and anyone else is encouraged to contribute a puzzle/quiz or similar even if they are saved for the train home. If you want me to print out copies, I need them the Wednesday before (28th Jan – the actual date of the launch of the blog in 2009)
I have been to quite a few Birthday bashes over the years and every year, Network Rail and whatever rail companies are involved, have contrived to make January travel a nightmare. I am going to stay over on Sunday as KingsX is a bus transfer to Peterborough! and I will be blogging the Toughie on the Sunday from my hotel.
It has been suggested that a summer get-together may help. The advantage of London is that it provides plenty of alternative diversions for partners (or Mama Bee’s) who don’t do crosswords, but if anyone knew of a suitable venue a bit further north, I will investigate the possibility. Peterborough or Cambridge in the East and somewhere on the West Coast line between Oxford and Crewe come to mind. Suggestions for dates and venues can be made here or at the event.
I will be doing a Teams link again if you like, but bear in mind that communication in a busy pub can be a problem. Let me know if you want to try again
I have started the ball rolling with The Bridge House and reserved the bar area we have used in the past for Saturday, the 31st January, from noon onwards.
I hope that those who came last year enjoyed it and it should be just as good again, however, I don’t think Mama Bee will be able to cope with a weekend in London again. I expect she will spend a weekend with my sister “babysitting”.
Last year, Smylers provided a quiz, Prolixic a couple of puzzles, Elgar a double toughie and Rahmat Ali contributed too. I am also hoping that as well as Bloggers and Setters, anyone who comments will feel as welcome as I did the first time I came. There is not a lot to do in the way of organising, but an assistant to welcome attendees/manage name tags and Teams links would be great – a volunteer is worth ten pressed men.
Big Dave was very keen on explaining crosswords, and “Putting the words to lights – crossword clues explained in plain English” remains in our banner as his mission statement. Rookie Corner is one of the finest things he initiated, and it has introduced many people who have gone on to set puzzles for The Telegraph and other national newspapers. I invite anyone to consider setting a puzzle for the Birthday Bash, even if they are mainly completed on the train home.
If you would like to see what we have got up to in the past have a look at the gallery here
The nearest Saturday to the actual date is 31st January 2026. I have spoken to (well emailed) the venue we have used in the past, The Bridge House in Little Venice, and they are happy to reserve us the same area in the pub as before.
In the past, several attendees have used the Paddington Novotel, I have booked already through Hotels.com / Trivago. Whether to stay there is up to you, and other hotels and booking apps are available.
The main event of the get-together will be at The Bridge House in Little Venice during the day. There is a wide-ranging menu here. Although Sue is forgoing sugar now, I or one of our other keen bakers may wish to bring a cake or other sweetmeats to celebrate our 17th Birthday. Transporting the Macaron “cake” was probably the biggest challenge last year, but I will probably be doing something similar, if less ambitious, this time.
A few people got through on the Teams link (Kiwis and Steve C, amongst others), even if communicating over a noisy bar was difficult, I will endeavour to do the same again if you wish.
I am not looking for commitment yet but please use the comments to suggest anything you would like to see, or volunteer to help with the administration. I was a bit lax at taking photos and delivering nametags so I would appreciate a bit of help. All comments will be directed to me, but replies, if needed, may be a bit delayed during the week.
Booked my travel, be great to meet many of you for the first time. So far, my train company (Avanti) is running!
Great, will the Bichons Frises be joining you?
I’m afraid that Alfie and Poppy (hence my handle) are now over 13yrs old and the thought of getting them to the bash and maintaining the survival of Avanti West Coast, London Underground, the nation’s capital and indeed myself is too daunting ☺!!!
I understand, although they would be very welcome, I was practicing how to pluralise Bichons Frises really.
I don’t trust the trains from Shropshire to London so I’m travelling by National Express. 😊
Love The Divine Comedy.
I should be there, although will need to leave mid-afternoon for a family event
As you know from last year, there will be a rotating crowd throughout the day. I look forward to meeting again.
I do so want to be with you again but as I have said 31st is G’s 93rd birthday- I could get away during the day but now hear that the grandsons are hoping to come for G’dads BD and if they intend staying for the weekend it really would be a no no to not be here. Botherbotherbother.
No problem, as I said before Family is first. I will send you a link to a Teams meet, but as you know it can be a bit too noisy to hear things over the pub hubbub.
We love ‘pub hubbub’, Sloops!
Haha, I think you were at least 70% of the pub hubbub last year.
Extremely fair.
To apologise again, my mother in her infinite wisdom decided to give birth to me on the 27th, so we usually go abroad to celebrate (and get some much-needed warmth). That is also the case this year, and we don’t land back until breakfast time on Feb1st. I hope all who go enjoy each other’s company and have a great weekend.
If there is a summer bash I will do my utmost to attend, with an early vote for somewhere to the west.
I second the vote for somewhere in the west. 👍
Would Oxford count as West? I am thinking that the venue needs to allow partners or others to find something else to do over the weekend. A pub linked to Colin Dexter/ Inspector Morse may be a possible.
Works for me John.
And me.
I’d love to come to a summer meet-up, since I’m missing this one and unlikely to make Sloggers & Betters in October this year,
I’d probably be prepared to travel wherever it is, so I’d vote for wherever the most folk can get to. Birmingham’s well connected for trains, and the city centre is pretty decent these days, if the West Midlands counts as west? (Edinburgh’s also nice, and famously farther west than Bristol, but probably not what Young Salopian meant …)
Many happy returns – 27th Jan 2026 would have been my Father’s 89th birthday but alas he didn’t get such a good knock.
I was looking forward to meeting up and introducing myself, but a family event involving a 1 y.o. great- grandson has got in the way. Maybe next year.
Zenas reliably informs me that he will be there and Kairos has told me in no uncertain terms that I should prepare a couple of crosswords to mark the occasion and who am I to ignore myself! The crosswords should be available on-line for the NTSPP for the day but I will send our esteemed MC copies for those attending.
Great, I have had a go at a very dodgy puzzle myself. It came from a grid fill to suit a Nina, and I am sure I have plagiarised many of the clues. I will put it in reserve until I find a test solver to tear a strip off it/me.
I hope to attend, GWR permitting.
God’s Wonderful Railway may be a bit of a misnomer these days but they are doing better than what passes for LNER in 2026
I hope to be there too, but will be relying on South Western Railway.
As part of my crosswording revival I also intend to come, a nice round ten years since my only previous appearance. Like others this relies on train service – Southern – but I’m not coming so far. I just need to remember the get the train home
The more the merrier, I look forward to meeting you.
Well make sure you get the train, Simon even if we have to carry you on to it! 🤣🤣
Ha ha thanks, rather than over-indulgence (though not out of the question) I was thinking more likely being engrossed in conversation and carrying on to a Chinese dinner or some such 🙂
Hi SJB – By coincidence am working round the corner from The Bridge on 31st and would like to come by. Can I just turn up for a quick drink at a random time or do you need a more formal commitment? I can probably only stay for a short time., I’ve only been on the blog a short time but am curious to put names to faces!
You will be more than welcome, according to the website, The Bridge House opens at 10:30. A few of us will be there then, as trains home north are somewhat chaotic. I expect most people around noon, but you will be welcome anytime.
This just turned up in my Facebook Memories – January 2020 before the pandemic properly took over! I tried to make the photo smaller but didn’t succeed
Great pic. A shame that sugar is off the menu Chez Sue.
P.S. You will need a hankie for Samuel in the Toughie today.
I agree about the Toughie. I have just completed it (not without help) and it is quite poignant.
That is magnificent!
If I say so myself, I think the one I did for Bristol in January 2014 was better, decoration-wise
As seen in the Gallery
https://i0.wp.com/bigdave44.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/P2080022.jpg?fit=640%2C479&ssl=1
I am in awe of your talents, CS. That is another wonderful creation. 👍
I am hoping to come. Currently working out a saunter around a bit of London in the morning and aim to arrive around lunchtime and enjoy whatever dishes they have on offer this year. There are engineering works on our line this weekend with our trains terminating at Clapham Junction but hopefully that is just a minor inconvenience. Looking forward to meeting you all again.
Itwill be good to meet again. I am planning a coffee ☕️in Farringdon, an art gallery or two (Courtauld &or Wallace) a few beers with Elgar et al, in Maida Vale and dinner on The Cheese 🧀 Barge, and that is just Friday😲
I hope to swing by for a while, Met line permitting, to put faces to names and test my limited social skills on a new crowd. I do like a trip to Maida Vale and the Bridge House would be a new pub for me.