Similar to @Betterlatethan , I think it’s better if you all decide, and I will try to fit in when I can.
No one day is perfect, some are better than others, but there are also several levels of uncertainty at the moment, so I don’t think I should cast my vote for one day over another.
I had lots of fun today, and will remember Barus ym Mharis for a while I should think!
Now that my smallest bug is full time at school, I can make any day either at 10 or 12, work permitting. Yipeeee! 
Does anyone fancy changing venue every now and then? I’m too curious about all these whopping posh buildings and their frothy coffee toting cafes…
What do others think? Any suggestions for venues? OK with me if people would like to do this - just need to make double sure that everyone knows where we’ll be when 
- also might be better to keep to a regular venue on one of the days and ring the changes a bit on the other day.
Pam lai? Might even find one that doesn’t have too much background noise!
There was talk at one point of checking out what Westgate Newydd might have to offer.
Might be too posh though (well, too expensive I mean).
Anyone fancy trying out a group Skype at some time? I don’t mean instead of meetups go iawn, but as a possible supplement. The big advantage of Skype for me would be that you can control the volume, and (well, maybe) eliminate background noise.
Yes - good idea. I promise to only drag you lot round Oxford once a week to nose round other places.
I find some places quite echoesome - lots of work for the ears to do. It’s all these big white walls they have to bounce sound back at you. [quote=“mikeellwood, post:585, topic:675”]
Anyone fancy trying out a group Skype at some time?
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Yes - that would be great! I prefer Skype with visual though - I find it hard to make sense of just the audio. Mind you, that might be good practice!
“Y Llyfrgell” - Diolch John. @johnwilliams_6 Mae’n wych!
Just watched with the Welsh subtitles. I need to rewatch with the English ones (and/or watch the English version) sometime to catch the subtleties.
I’ll try not to give any spoilers, but the Mam of the twins was played by Sharon Morgan, who played Dr Margaret Williams, Home Office pathologist who worked alongside the police murder team in “A Mind to Kill” (and seemingly the love interest for DCI Noel Bain (Philip Madoc) although it hasn’t quite caught fire so far as I have watched.
Was Dan, the younger security guard a northener? Even so, I found him very hard to understand. Must have been an obscure dialect!
Phew! Quite dark! (but aren’t most of these Welsh dramas quite dark…? ).
Wedi argymell! (recommended!).
That would be good, if such a place exists.
That too. I struggle with background noise, whether I am listening to Welsh or English. My ears are OK according to tests, so it must be a processing thing in the brain. The challenge is to find a place that is quiet enough, but has tables big enough for maybe six people. I quite like the Town Hall cafe, but it is rather small. We also need a place that will not object if we stay for a long time. I have not tried any coffee places in Westgate Newydd.
Good point. I rather object to paying silly prices for coffee.
I would be very happy to try new places as long as they are advertised here. [quote=“johnwilliams_6, post:584, topic:675”]
just need to make double sure that everyone knows where we’ll be
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Yes, it might be awkward, particularly if any new people plan to come.
Sue
Not quite what @cat-1 was suggesting, but maybe a pub opening earlier than usual in the morning that serves tea and coffee, if there is such a thing? ( Looks as if Oxford’s ‘Welsh pub’, the Royal Blenheim, doesn’t open until 11:30 unfortunately. )
I only didn’t suggest that because I thought you all might think me a dreadful human!! I can see us all now cwtched up in the snug of the Bird and Babe, letting our Welsh bounce off the oak panels! Spiffy idea!
What’s Welsh about the Blenheim?
Dates back to the 18th C apparently - full story here: http://royalblenheim.co.uk/random-stuff/ but briefly Cornish landlord gets on well with Welsh students from Jesus College and stipulates in his will that his successors should be Welsh (one of whom was the tad of Brain the brewer), and now it’s Cymdeithas Daffydd ap G’s ‘local’ (even though there are a good few pubs nearer to Coleg Iesu than the Royal B )
@mikeellwood @cat-1 @rebecca @RichardBuck @Betterlatethan Clive has emailed to warn that the Ashmolean is closed on Mondays 
(as is MAO), so I think the best plan for next Monday, 8th Jan, is to meet in the Bodleian Library cafe, which is open, and decide there whether to move to another venue for ensuing Mondays or, following @cat-1 's suggestion, become a “circulating school”
That’s the one we went to with Aran, right? They’ve got an illuminated manuscript exhibition on there at the moment which is rather entertaining. Shame it’s not in Welsh…
Work calls me this Monday (I arranged it before we decided to move things about 
) but hopefully will be free for whatever’s happening later in the week
Mine too - hearing like a bat, apparently, yet I really struggle to hear in these big echoey cafes - perhaps hearing EVERYTHING too well is a disadvantage. I like these places, but they are noisy. I don’t seem to have this trouble in Greasy Spoons!
We need carpets - very good at absorbing the frequencies you don’t want to listen to.
Yes, that’s where we went.
As for the manuscripts the Bodelian Library it does look after the Red Book of Hergest/ Llyfr Coch Hergest for Coleg Iesu so maybe that could be one of the exhibits?
That would have been nice, but I’m afraid the emphasis was on English and the early beginnings of graphic design. Still - some lovely things to look at. I’m a sucker for a bit of illumination. 
I noticed there is another cafe further long the road from MiAOw cafe. It’s a bit small, so may not be suitable, but maybe I’ll check it out next time I’m in Oxford.
I’m fairly sure I can’t make it on 8th January, but I probably can make most Mondays.
If that’s the Story Museum cafe, I think you’re right that it’ll probably be a bit too small. Good shop for there for kids presents there though
Helo @mikeellwood @cat-1 @RichardBuck @rebecca @Betterlatethan and anyone else interested.
No preferences expressed so far, I think, for Wednesday or Thursday in place of the Friday meet-up, so let’s go for Thursday (11th Jan) from 12:00 in the MAO cafe.
For Monday’s meet-up (in place of Tuesday,) as the Ashmolean is closed, it’ll be the Bodleian Library Cafe (next to Blackwell’s in Broad St) from 10:00am (I’ve asked for my Monday meeting to be re-arranged, so I’ll be able to be at this meet-up).
We can discuss (in Cymraeg ) more permanent arrangements at the meet-ups. Re the possibiliity of a pub as a morning venue it seems that The Crown (Cornmarket) and The Four Candles (George St) are open at 10am and the King’s Arms (Broad St) and The Mitre (High St) are open from 10:30 am. I tend to be a bit doubtful about anything in George St but the other three pubs could be worth a try (though not necessarily all on the same day )
I like the idea of a pub as a venue because it will hopefully not be full - it’s not peak trade at mid-morning so will be a bit quieter than a cafe which pretty much lives for mid-morning trade. Having said that - I’m completely happy to move to a bit later if that fits in, now that I don’t have to be home to do a pick up at one, so if the world of pubs is opened up to us by meeting at 11, would anyone like to try that?
I know what you mean about George St pubs - they’re sooooo SHINY, aren’t they?[quote=“johnwilliams_6, post:599, topic:675”]
though not necessarily all on the same day
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Also pubs have chips. Need I say more…
OK by me if it works for the others