Florence Nightingale Update

More news on the London Circle meetings in the Florence Nightingale

The general news is that Kevin is definitely expecting us all for the First Thursday in November and for all the other monthly/weekly meetings which were there before the refit, including ZZ9 and the BSFA. As Roger may have mentioned already, the pub's been open since the middle of last week and looks---well, broadly similar, but cleaner and with more seats and lots of dark wood. The upstairs hasn't been affected.

In beer terms---and you'll realise we're the wrong people to pay much attention to this---there was Directors and Courage Best on initially and Kevin proposes to get Real Beer back now that he's not stuffed by the uncertainty about the refit. There's also a new menu, with main courses a bit more expensive than previously (5 or 6 quid for something substantial) but starters/bar snacks at 2.50 or 3 quid each; the food looks interesting.

The specific news is that unfortunately Kevin has a booking for the upstairs room for the Thursday before Christmas (23 December) but that there's obviously nothing to stop us all piling into the downstairs for a Christmas meeting and nothing to make the Nightingale any worse than any other pub in London two days before Christmas. No doubt an announcement will appear in _Ansible_ and other fannish organs if it's happening...

-- Claire Brialey & Mark Plummer

13 Oct 1999