Well – I’m back. I’ve spent a weekend in glorious Wolverhampton with some wonderful people. So – how was it, what happened, and what did I think? Here goes:
What Happened
We (that is, me, neuro, pickle and jriddell) arrived in Wolverhampton and managed to find the hotel (which was a relief) by about 7pm. The front door was locked, so we rang the bell for attention. There was a phone on the wall which rang, and I answered. It appears the hotelier was ill in bed, and there was a key hidden by the door, and that our room keys were on the front desk with instructions as to where the rooms are. The Baron’s Court Hotel is idonsyncratic, but lovely. I particularly liked Barney, the resident marigold-blue macaw, although we spectularly failed to teach him any of the good phrases from Enemy Territory.
Friday evening we headed out to the HogsHead for drinks with the LUGRadio faithful (having already met some of them – kNo, Russ and Jen, Xalior and Lejt, Aquarion and kryptops were all staying in the hotel too – plus some I’ve probably forgotten). The HogsHead in Wolverhampton actually does table service for food and drinks – it is like no other pub. Upon leaving the HogsHead (on the way to a club) I did a foolish thing – I helped finish off a drink (it was going to waste) known as ‘TVR’ – Tequila, Vodka and Red Bull. I shall not be drinking it again, as it was the main cause of some stunning digestive pyrotechnics that night, and again the following morning. In fact, I could not eat or drink anything but water for the next 12 hours 
Saturday morning arrived and we headed off to the venue – me still a little the worse for wear. Upon arrival I was greeted by a smiling davee, which cheered me up no end. Omahn was also there setting up neon – our Enemy Territory server.
The event itself passed really quickly – I managed to catch a couple of talks, buy some clothes, play some Enemy Territory, and did my best to meet a load of folk that I’ve talked to but never met.
The end of the event was the stunning live recording of LUGRadio, which was hilarious. Plus I was awarded £100 of O’Reilly books for services to the LR community, which was totally unexpected. So I now have a nice shelf of Linux books, and a lovely trophy built by yonkeltron from Philadelphia, which I need to be careful with as I have to return it next year.
In the evening, having been back to the hotel, freshened up, checked email, etc, we headed out to the Standard for a curry. We had a great time, although the service was better on our table than some others, and they royally screwed up the bill. But other than that it was OK. Sunday was a lazy morning (after a full English breakfast 
) and then the drive home.
The people
The best thing about something like this is meeting all the people that you have spent 12 months talking to on IRC and the forums – you know these people, but you’re finally meeting their ‘meatspace’ 
And it was great – the LUGRadio community has some fantastic people, and, for all that the internet is a great communication medium, face-to-face is something special. I was just sad that I didn’t get to meet everybody I wanted to – but there were apparently 250 people there at one point, so maybe it wasn’t surprising.
The Review
It would be easy to talk about the things that weren’t perfect (I’m not going to say “were wrong”, because that would be inaccurate) about LRL. But I’m not going to. I had a fabulous time. I met some wonderful people (most of whom I already knew were wonderful). I bought stuff. I saw stuff. I met a man who has been in space (Mark Shuttleworth rules!). I drank beer and ate curry. LUGRadio Live was everything it had promised to be, and a whole lot more.
There will be a LRL 2006, I am sure of it. It will probably be bigger, better, (possibly even more scrotal*), but it won’t be LRL 2005. It was the first. And I was there, at the beginning of an era. It makes me proud.
* in joke for the LR crowd
mrBen
