Phase II

Mike and I have been joking in public about “phase 2” for some time and I’m really glad we can stop joking about it and say “Yes! It’s a Go! Go! Go!”

Here’s the simple version: From Friday 10th October, the Tuttle Club will hold it’s Friday meetups at the ICA in The Mall instead of the Coach & Horses.

Of course there’s a more complicated version too:

1. More space – when we push above 40 people, the Coach can be very tight and uncomfortable. There are a couple of separate spaces we can use in the ICA cafe and capacity for up to 200. Which bloody well better be enough.

2. It’s still a little bit secret. The place doesn’t open properly normally until 11am and we’ve been given special permission to go in at 10am. So admission will be through the “back door” in Carlton House Terrace, maintaining the grand Tuttle tradition of entering in a manner that feels a little bit special and naughty.

3. It gives us a foot in the door to do all sorts of other events at the intersection of contemporary art and social media (an intersection which is HUGE). Yes my lovelies, this could well also include some evening events for those poor souls who are brutally chained to a desk every Friday morning. But don’t worry, slack-fans, it could also mean more morning stuff too 🙂 For example, having got his Meet Harrison Ford merital badge earlier this year in Cannes, Mike is now setting his sights on the Dennis Hopper firestarter badge.

4. The wifi is strong and just works and I’m guessing that there’s someone whose job it is to ensure that it stays that way.

5. It will be slightly further to walk for those in Soho (but really, no really Allix, not much) Here’s a map of the route from the Coach and Horses though I can’t for the life of me understand why it sends you all the way over to Regent Street. See me if you want a short cut. Also see me if you want to have a race to decide once and for all who is right about this. (Hint: it’s me, me I tell you).

6. On the other hand it will be nearer for those who come from Westminster or Victoria. Anyone with an office, say, overlooking St James’s Park will no doubt be pleased.

7. The proximity of the venue to the Palaces of Buckingham, St James and Westminster has caused a few raised eyebrows – are we selling out our bohemian roots? Not at all. I love that we’re doing something anarchic and subversive in a Regency House a few hundred yards up the road from Her Madge. The ICA is deeply bohemian.

8. The bar is equally well set up for tea as for coffee and from midday, I believe they are licensed to sell the native beverage known as bee-urr.

Huge credit for getting this whole thing off the ground goes to the combined forces of @sizemore and @whatleydude who have acted as lloyd-pushers, string-pullers and lubricators extraordinaire. James Scroggs, man of vision (who ancient tuttlers will remember brought us the Spinvox Future of Voice bolt-on) is the dude on the ICA board who is encouraging them to make us so welcome.

I do also want to heartily thank Alastair and his staff at the Coach for their hospitality over the last few months. He took a punt on this weird bunch of (mostly penniless) geeks continuing to turn up regularly when we really had not much more than a twinkle in our eyes. I’d urge you to continue to use the Coach for free wifi and good food and beer whenever you’re in the West End, singalong on Wednesdays and jazz on Tuesdays plus a new comedy club and of course remember that Alastair has the two upstairs rooms for hire during the day as well as for lunches and a damn fine dinner service for private parties.

Photo Credit: futureshape on Flickr cc:by

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