Every year, since 2011, the nerds from TheTF.Net forum (now a Facebook group, because running a forum proved too much like hard work) have met for a weekend of plastic robots and beer. The meet was agreed after a drunken night at Auto Assembly where we realised we needed to see each other more than just once a year.
Our Annual TheTF.Net Forum Meet was born. This is the story of what happened…
2011 – Birmingham
Despite Auto Assembly being held in Birmingham, we decided our first meet up should also be in Birmingham. Accounts from these early meets are sketchy, at best, as they all Blurr into each other (see what we did there?).
Our first meet involved some belly dancing in a restaurant, while Daz and Jon Jerry-rigged a pool table in Subside to offer free play as they wanted beer not food.
Horrifically-coloured Micromasters were purchased by all from Poundland.
2012 – Birmingham
Much the same things happened this year – with the addition of a hunt for Karaoke, for some reason. Instead of Karaoke, a bar run by the Triads was stumbled across.
Daz also believes this was the year he stole borrowed a Jack Daniels bar runner.
2013 – Birmingham
2013 was the last year in Birmingham. The city had lost its appeal – probably related to Daz being absent and in Las Vegas. A new plan needed to be formed… the forum meets had to roll out!
2014 – York
For 2014 we finally moved away from Birmingham, mainly because Jon was bored with the place, and headed north to York. We were followed around York by a Channel 4 documentary TV company filming Daz for a TV episode called ‘The Complainers’, although we struggled to get out of the York Tap at the train station.
We discovered that Daz hates cats almost as much as Colin loves trains. Colin dragged everyone to the National Railway Museum, and we had one of the biggest forum meet turnouts yet as everyone wanted to be on TV.
The TV episode never aired.
Omar was late.
2015 – London
2015 saw a visit to London, and a chance for the Essex massive to attend as it was within the M25. We barely left the Wetherspoon’s, and managed to start a Facebook war with another forum meet taking place at the same time.
2016 – Chester
Chester was one of the most popular meets of recent years, where we learned to never follow Jon’s advice on booking a hotel, and that Alex always stays in a palace regardless of how little he pays. We were joined by Nick, from the Deva Brewery, who talked us through Oatimus Prime while we drank it.
Omar was late.
2017 – Brighton
Brighton saw the first TheTF.Net hike, as we traipsed around the town looking for a curry house. Cheap pizza, fish and chips on the pier and an absence of Billy were the main takeaways from this weekend.
This photo of Alex Classic is the best group shot we have from the weekend.
Colin refrained from eating fish and chips on the pier as he believed it would be disappointing.
Omar was late.
2018 – Bradford & Leeds
For the first time in TheTF.Net Forum Meet history we tackled two towns in one weekend; mainly because nobody was convinced Bradford could entertain us for three days. We were wrong. Strong ale houses and a fire sale at the soon to be closed Toys R Us meant more merchandise was purchased at Bradford than at any other meet up. We also had the largest naan breads in the world.
Omar was late on time.
A quick hop to Leeds on the Saturday allowed us to pick up Spare Alex, as Alex Classic was unable to join us this year. Fudge was forced to Photoshop himself in from the previous night, as he wasn’t allowed to stay out late two nights in a row.
Omar was late early.
2019 – Cardiff
2019 saw our first international meet, as we visited Cardiff on St David’s Day. We enjoyed our second forum hike, making a group of nerds and a five-year-old boy walk almost two miles for a disappointing array of toys.
The Tiny Rebel bar provided some much needed good quality beer. Nerds who had not been before joined us, Colin had successfully engineered a realistic femmebot.
Omar was late. Twice.
