A Transformers-themed pub is in the running to be crowned Britain’s Best Home Bar, in a competition being run by Liberty Games.

The winning bar, chosen from proud home-bar owners who have submitted their own photos, would win the accolade of being named Britain’s Best Home Bar and they would also win a year’s supply of beer for their owner.

The Transformers-themed pub, named The Grimlock Inn (a pun based on the popular pub name ‘The Lock Inn’) features an decorative pub sign coloured by Transformers artist JP Bove, and drawn by legendary comic artist Geoff Senior.

Based in Ellesmere Port, just outside Chester, the home bar features all of the usual things you would expect from a well-stocked pub. It has an old mahogany bar, a coin-operated pool table, a dart board and a 90s arcade machine, featuring the Michael Jackson classic Moonwalker.

Most importantly – it also features draft beer using one of the Perfect Draft systems which have become increasingly popular during the UK’s lockdown, with regular pubs being shut.

For Transformers fans, it isn’t just the name and pub sign that makes the bar a Transformers-themed pub. The bar also sports an Optimus Prime bust, carved by local chainsaw artist, and world-renowned tree carver, Simon O’Rourke. The bust, which is carved in the shape of the original Generation One Optimus Prime, is made from the tree as the lion from the Countess of Chester Hospital.

Other Transformers elements of note include some display cabinets crammed with ‘collectibles’, and a number of Transformers dotted about the bar. The theme is mixed with Star Wars, as a large coffee table houses the humongous Lego Ultimate Collector Series Millennium Falcon.

The competition, from Liberty Games, closes at the end of the month with the winner being crowed Britain’s Best Home Bar and receiving a year’s supply of beer, worth over £300.

This last weekend saw yet another Transformers convention take over the Metropole Hilton, in Birmingham. These weekends have become a staple of my summer over the last 15 years or so, and 2019’s was probably the best yet.

Some years ago, probably around the last Auto Assembly (before TFNation was a thing) I was starting to lose my love of the big summer ‘cons. The nerds (sorry, friends) I had grown with over the last decade and a half had mostly stopped coming to the convention. A new breed of fan was emerging, a breed of fan I didn’t know. Like most Transformers fans, meeting new people wasn’t something I particularly wanted to do.

However, since TFNation took over from Auto Assembly the quality of the convention has gone through the roof. It’s bigger, bolder, slicker and much, much better. I strongly advise anyone who has dropped off the ‘com scene and hasn’t been to a TFNation to come along next year – you won’t be disappointed.

So what stood out this year?

First off, my youngest came along for his first taste of a Transformers convention – and he thoroughly enjoyed it. I also enjoyed sharing the whole experience with him, and introducing him to some proper nerds – the sort of nerds who can identify a particular Transformer’s accessory just from a photo.

The cosplay competition, which was always memorable, became the highlight of the weekend as the winner of the mech category demonstrated an incredible act of generousity by gifting his award to a young girl who received an honourable mention. He explained how people like her grow up to be people like him, and that she deserved it. An already great cosplay contest became a lesson in humanity – from a man in a Thunderclash suit.

We discovered that a cheap Fireman Sam toy that Transformers into a fire engine would draw more attention than this year’s must have toy, Siege Jetfire. Everyone wanted to see Fireman Sam!

The Gundam Wing proved hugely popular, as they gave away free kits to show people how easy it was to put together a Gundam figure. This proved shrewd business as different members of our nerd contingent completed the free kits and then bought additional sets to take home. Great business lesson there!

I managed to pick up some original G1 Marvel comic art and, as an added bonus, the money I spent on it went to charity thus supressing my usual buyer’s remorse.

I also met Gregg Berger, voice of Grimlock, many times over the weekend. This, for me, is why TFNation beats other conventions. It’s the access you have to the guests. At a Comic Con, or other UK convention, you’re lucky if a guest is ushered past you at speed before being encased in their booth where you have to pay, handsomely, to meet them. At TFNation there is no charge to meet the guests. No charge for photographs. No charge for autographs.

Furthermore, the guests socialise with the attendees in the bar, and over breakfast. We were lucky enough to have the lounge access at the hotel where we bumped in Gregg Berger many times during the weekend, and even had him test out a joke on us that he would go on to use the next day during his panel. That’s the sort of access you don’t get at other conventions.

Below is a gallery of the photos taken at the event, so you can see what goes on when nerds unite at a hotel in Birmingham. A big thanks to all of the staff who made the event happen and, of course, to Billy. He knows who he is.

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.

2020 – ???

This weekend saw our annual forum meet being held in the Welsh capital of Cardiff. Each year we meet in a different town or city in the UK, alternating between the north and the south. We do this to make it easier for people to get to at least one meet every two years, and because we like to experience new things.

I say new things, I mean new bars, new beers and new toy shops.

Previous meets have been held in Birmingham, London, Brighton, Bradford, Leeds and Chester. This was our first ‘international’ meet of sorts.

Anyhow, the meet kicked off in The Prince of Wales pub, by Cardiff train station. After a few pints, as is tradition, we took in a few toy shops while we awaited the arrival of more nerds.

Coming from all over the country it’s impossible to all arrive at the same time, especially when one of the nerds (no names will be mentioned here, but he knows who he is) is late every single time and, this weekend, managed the unprecedented feat of being late TWICE.

We visited shops such as The Galactic Attic, Magic and Mayhem, The Entertainer, The Lego Store, The Disney Store, Hamleys as well as the much maligned trip to The Pumping Station to see the various toy stalls in there.

Note to other geek meets in Cardiff, it’s not really walking distance from the centre. Especially if one of your party is five-years-old. Additional note, if you do walk to The Pumping Station you may find you miss any boats that may or may not have been planned, angering those who wanted to ride on a boat. She knows who she is.

The pub visits were more successful, with impressive numbers of pints being consumed in the Waterguard and the Tiny Rebel bar, as well as many others besides. Our meet climaxed, as it always does, with a curry on the Saturday evening at The Purple Poppadom – again something of a walk from the centre, especially when the Welsh weather is being particularly Welsh.

In all we managed to lure 14 nerds to the meet up, which is pretty impressive seeing as we have a core nerd base that won’t travel north of Watford. There are more nerds in our ‘collection’, and we’re hoping for an even bigger turn out next year.

Plans for our next meet up, probably February/March 2020, have already begun, with destinations suggested of Edinburgh, Dublin and Blackpool. I do hope these places are ready.

Almost 18 years ago (crikey, has it been that long?) we wrote a review of our visit to Transforce in August 2001. It was a seriously hot day, but a great UK convention.

We’ve recently uncovered some video footage from that convention, which features dealers’ tables, lots of toys and interviews with the guests.

If you were there all those years ago, you may spot yourself in this video.

If you play the mobile game Transformers Earth Wars, and you’re looking for a good Autobot Alliance to join, then seek us out in the game. We’re called The TF Netters and we’re a super friendly bunch with players of all levels. We’ve some level 15 HQs and some newcomers to the game, and all we ask is that you try your best and take part in the wars and events.

We hope to see you there.

It’s been six months since we last bothered updating this site. Not because we’ve lost our love for Transformers, but because we really can’t be bothered to post. We have other things on, such as socialising and drinking. That being said, we’re up to some socialising in February for any Transformers fans who’d like to come along, meet with a group of nerds and drink – while talking about Transformers.

Our ‘Northern Meet’ takes place in York (lots of pubs) on February 22nd and 23rd and everyone is welcome. We’ll be meeting in the York Tap at 12:00 noon on the Saturday, where we’ll be having a few before moving on around the city. Leave a comment if you’d like to come along, or just turn up – you’ll easily spot us: big group of nerds drinking and playing with toys.