UK networking meeting idea - can we get the ball rolling?

[M.Blackmore]

Someone suggested that us Brits (as a 30 year expat Canuck I probably
count as such by now...) should meet up.

I'd like to start up this thread to see if we can organise a venue and
date.

As a total and utter newbie in GIS and geospatial wotsit I'd be
interested in meeting other people with the intention of some shameless
brain picking and scrounging of help, data and so forth, for the local
environmental and community project I've said I'd volunteer to help out
with. 

I'm deeply ideologically comitted to open source computing etc. having
been a linux/xBSD user for, erk, 12 or so years. Linux Users Groups have
been a great resource for people finding their way into that operating
system, particularly in the days before training courses existed. Open
source stuff like geo data systems would benefit, perhaps, from
emulating such a model...??

Still not very expert at linux though - quite a shallow user! Without
suse and yast I'm lost...

Who wants to try and get things going for networking?

Somewhere easy and cheap to get too. As I've had to take early
retirement and have 8 and 3yr old kids I'm main carer of, my income is
sorely limited and my time constrained. So Oxford would be great!! Hint.

I've emailed my old postgrad tutors at Brookes Planning School to punt
some sort of sponsorship... if don't ask etc.

Cheers all
Malcolm