We’re a sociable lot and meeting up is the primary purpose of any decent LUG! This page explains the venues we’re known to use.
If you’re after a list of scheduled events and those we’re considering, you should have a look at the calendar instead!
Map
Workshops take place at the ‘Innovation Centre’, it’s unnumbered unlike IC2, 3, 4, etc… so just look for ‘IC’ on the side of the building. You can find information on parking and other details below.
Workshop postcode: ST5 5NB
Socials take place at ‘The KPA Clubhouse’ which is a little deeper in to the campus and near Keele Hall.
Social postcode: ST5 5DY
Workshops
For past and upcoming workshops featuring presentations and practical lab activities please see the calendar.
We use of a room with 30 desks (each with a PC and phone), a big TV, printer and whiteboard. Here is what it looks like…
We think of this as our ‘Workshop’ but it’s actually Internet Central‘s ‘Workplace Recovery Suite’ where their customers can use it if their usual place of work suffers some kind of cataclysmic issue! Our fantastic benefactors at Internet Central allow Function Office the use of the room for its projects, such as StaffsLUG. If you’ve got other uses in mind then contact us. We do ask that everyone keeps the place nice and tidy, in case the room needs to be suddenly used by a customer!
The room is handy for things like…
- Presentations and courses
- One-to-one help (bring in your own device if you like)
- Multiplayer gaming
- Practical lab sessions with a PC for everyone
- Taking professional online exams
- and much more…
Workshop meetings can (subtle word choice there!) take place every Tuesday, where the doors open from 6pm to the general public.
IMPORTANT
Unless we’ve got a scheduled activity on that Tuesday, you’re required to let us know (via the meetings@ mailing list, by at least noon that same day) that you’ll be coming so that someone knows it’ll need opening up.
The workshop will always be available on nearly every Tuesday if you, or a group of people, would just like to use the facilities. If you’re seeking one-on-one help on a particular subject then let us know in advance, as we’ll try to find someone with the right knowledge to be there with you.
Only about a third of these Tuesdays (in a fortnightly pattern) will feature a presentation or lab activity that always begin at 7pm, but the doors still open from 6pm regardless. This is so people have time to travel in from work or have some tea. See the calendar for details on what is scheduled.
The only reasons why we may not open the workshop are…
- We’re all at a StaffsLUG social or on a trip! (see the calendar).
- It’s a holiday period, such as Christmas.
- The very unlikely chance that no one with a key is available.
The full address…
Internet Central, Innovation Centre 1
Keele University Science & Innovation Park, ST5 5NB
If arriving by car you’ll notice two entrances to the building and you’ll want the bottom one (at the back of the building). On this side of the building are 30+ spaces, all of which (in the evenings) should be available and parking is free (the parking enforcement signs don’t apply due to our lease!).
If you ever need to be here before 4pm then use a space marked ‘Internet Central’ if you can or use the Keele Campus “Pay and Display” parking (by the Students’ Union)…
https://www.keele.ac.uk/connect/howtofindus/parking/payanddisplay/
If arriving by bus from the direction of Stoke-on-Trent or Newcastle-under-Lyme then you’ll likely want the number 25 operated by First or if you’re coming from Cheshire you may want the 85 operated by D&G.
Historically we used to run workshops from the Navaho offices in Stafford, this was mostly work surfaces and power plugs to help people install Linux and also the occasional presentation.
Socials
For past and upcoming socials please see the calendar.
If you just want to sit back, relax with a pint and chat about whatever you like without a screen blaring away at you… that’s what we call a social 🙂
We use The KPA Clubhouse which is ran by the Keele Postgraduate Association and is also on Keele campus. It’s essentially a pub on the inside but has a nice atmosphere and a function room we can use for free upstairs.
The full address…
The KPA Clubhouse, 97 Horwood Road
Keele, ST5 5DY
Historically we used to have socials on some Mondays at ‘The Yard’ and then ‘The Picture House’ pubs (both Wetherspoons) in Stafford. Bizarrely very few socials actually took place in North Staffordshire which is where the bulk of the population is for this area.
Trips
For past and upcoming Trips please see the calendar.
For us a trip is any excursion to somewhere that’s not ran by StaffsLUG itself. These can include expos, museums, unconferences, other LUGs, etc…
The tradition of going on organised trips will continue and we’ve got a dedicated separate mailing list for discussing and organising them. We’d love to hear your thoughts.
