ACD Forum's 4/20 Gathering 2025

[Ghost]

Excellent write up so far @Lemming

A nice jolly pic of us outside Het Gelderse

De Kade was a quality session again and with a good crowd of us down there again fantastic

Did we go somewhere else after Cafe Havalaar did we go to the tribe or another venue

[Lemming]

Saturday 19th April 2025 - Utrecht & Boat

It's a late start for Igraine and me. There are 115 unread WhatsApp messages on my phone so clearly the rest of the crew have already been busy. I tell everyone that we're on our way and we grab a croissant from the local Albert Heijn supermarket en route to the metro station.

Het Gelderse is already full of ACDers when we arrive. Our ranks have swollen since yesterday. There's AzLaker, Bedge, Choppermike, Ghost, Jollylittlehun, Kushola, Trad and Worsall and now Igraine and me. A lot of people in a little coffeeshop!

We don't stay long, some of us are off to the station to catch a train to Utrecht.

Somehow we finish up on a slow 'Sprinter' stopping train. [It's only much later that I discover that these trains not only stop everywhere but actually take a longer route.] Nevertheless, we're soon at Utrecht Centraal, trying to find the right exit. I've led our little group towards the corner nearest our objective. There's a big glass window through which we can see our target, but there's no door.

Eventually we escape and descend the escalator to street level.



Our plan is to head for Andersom first. It's an easy place to find because there's this huge marker pin standing outside it, like we're inside a Google map. It's labelled The Domtoren.



When we get there we find Andersom is buy and fly these days. While we're standing outside the shop, admiring the sunken Oudegracht canal and discussing plan B, an armada of little boats suddenly appears and begins milling around to entertain us.



The consensus is that we should start walking towards Culture Boat. Along the way we pass a 10-piece brass band playing enthusiastically right outside Magic Mind smartshop. We also pass Pleasure and Wietstok but march on without stopping.

Our intrepid expeditionary force of AzLaker, Ghost, Igraine, Jollylittlehun, Kushola, Lemming, Trad and Worsall has made it out here and is ready to board the boat.


Culture Boat

I've never actually been inside here before. It's a nice environment and we soon have a proper session in progress.



On our return walk we cross the Oudegracht a little further up.



When we get back to the station we somehow split into two groups. The clever group manages to find an intercity express to Amsterdam while the rest of us finish up on another crawler. [At the time I still didn't know how much difference that made.]

On the train there are messages flying around all over the place. There are last minute changes to the boat arrangements for this evening so we need to ensure that the various groups manage to converge at the new time. There is also the more imminent conversation about where to eat.

Back in Amsterdam we descend on a place called La Gouch. This is actually a steak house so not too promising for a vegetarian like me. I'm pleasantly surprised when the truffly veggie burger turns out to be rather good.

Next up we walk back across in front of the station to that bar that used to be Rokerij II with the bland and confusing name. There we round up the gang to for our boat trip. It seems like everyone has got word of the changes and we're all here.

According to my photos, the ACD pirates are AzLaker, BatRadia, Choppermike, Gapie, Ghost, Igraine, Jollylittlehun, Kushola, Lemming, Mjhowy, Nuggz, Sammysarahh, Talkrum, Trad, the TransApenninesCouple and Worsall. We start off in daylight and begin the task of trying to smokebox the boat.


By the time we re-enter the city from the Oosterdok, the bridge lights are coming on.

Back on land we return to Coffeeshop Amsterdam Café where we're rejoined by Bedge, Jamie Dodger and Stevesec so the party isn't stopping any time soon. All the paraphernalia is out again and the world is getting hazy again.

420 Day tomorrow!

[Trad]

Excellent read, thanks Lemming.
You get some really good photos, well done.

[avfc-herbalist]

Brilliant read, Lemming!

Shame Utrecht coffeeshops are mainly buy n fly now. Is Culture Boat the only sit inside coffeeshop left?

Thanks for the write up

[Jolly]

Great read Lemming. Great pics. That was a really good day. Culture Boat is fantastic and instantly one of my favourite coffeeshops. Proper Super Silver Haze as well.

Look forward to the rest.

[Ghost]

What a Fantastic read that was, you bought back some good memories there. Culture Boat was fantastic it had been a long time since I last visited there and with the ACD crew in tow it made it a great venture out of town. I remember we had that big long table to ourselves and I rolled up 6 Big Fat Blunts for the boat cruise later that night, I think I may have rolled a couple for @AzLaker as well

When the Buddha Lounge people text to say the boat was cancelled that night panic set in and I was worried it wasn't going to happen but after a few frantic calls they managed to set us up with another boat from the Bulldog Crew so we managed to sail and it was a great sailing with a full boat of ACD Pirates and we managed to smuggle @Nuggz in as well

Yes you guys were unlucky with your train back @Worsall and I had eaten by the time you guys arrived at the restaurant and I also agree that I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the food.

What a Great day it was with the wonderful people/friends of ACD

[AzLaker]

Another great read @Lemming!! You definitely have a nice way of putting your words and pictures together.

AzLaker

[RoMoney]

Great write up Lemming, looks like it was a well attended edition!

[Trad]

It's even a good read the second time.

[Lemming]

Sunday 20th April 2025 - 420 Day!

After breakfast at Puccini, our first stop today is Bagheera. I'm pleased to find that old favourite Lemon Bubble is in stock so that's our first purchase. I'm also pleased to find that Bruce Van Dam from Haarlem, Worsall, AzLaker, Ghost, Bedge and Jamie Dodger are here.



In time we're also joined by Professoref+Wife and Jollylittlehun. The group is still growing and we're expecting more later.



After a couple of hours of chatting, smoking and vaping, we decide it's time to mount a raid on 420 Café.

I find myself standing across the busy alleyway opposite 420 Cafe trying to get a shot of the shop without people. Eventually I give up and settle for this portrait of a guy taking a selfie.



420 Café

Inside we find it's quite busy. Most significantly, there are random people at the traditional big table. So random, in fact, that some are even attempting to play chess!

We adopt a collection of tall stools from which we can stare down at the target table. We've been joined by the TransApenninesCouple, BatRadia, Nuggz, Kushola, Sammysarahh, Stevesec, Talkrum and Trad so there's quite a few of us. Over the next hour or so there's a steady migration from the lookout posts down to the big table, gradually colonising it.

With the time rapidly approaching 4.20, Frank is watching over us, checking that we're primed and ready to try to overwhelm the extractor fans.



4.20 is celebrated in the traditional fashion and then it's time to catch a tram to The Stud.

The party now consists of Igraine, Ghost, Kushola, Stevesec, AzLaker, Talkrum, Jollylittlehun, Trad, Sammysarahh, Jamie Dodger, Bedge, Professoref+Wife, Worsall, Gapie, Mjhowy and me.

The Stud





Notice the Volcano warming up behind our Bedge. A serious session is soon in progress. Our host, MJ (Mjhowy on here) is looking after us well.



About 9pm we all stumble out of The Stud and split up into smaller hunting parties. Igraine and I take a tram to Rembrandtplein and then into Hunter's Bar on Utrechtsestraat.

After grabbing some food, we find ourselves on Warmoesstraat. It's about 11pm now and we're passing The Tribe so we pop in.


The Tribe (in green)

A quick check with the barman confirms that this place is very weed friendly and welcoming so we message the rest of the gang and ask if they'd like to join us. We'd considered going back to the place that used to be Rokerij II earlier. Everyone is spread around now but a few are nearby so we soon get a nice little session going to finish off the evening.

[Looking at that picture reminds me that we've got a cancellable reservation at Hotel Ben Centre for '26]

My favourite coffeeshop tomorrow...

[avfc-herbalist]

Great read Lem. Thanks for taking the time

[Lemming]

Monday 21st April 2025 - Ballonnetje

The weather starts out a bit damp but soon improves. We enjoy a nice breakfast at Panorama before rendezvousing with the rest of the gang at Green Place on Nieuwmarkt. From there we catch a metro to Weesperplein and stroll around the corner to my favourite coffeeshop, Het Ballonnetje.

On entering the shop we get a very warm welcome from our host, Florian, and all the lovely Ballonnetje staff.

It's great to see the new-ish terrarium growing nicely.



The view through the window is also very interesting. There's this dramatic new sculpture outside and there are trams running up Roetterstraaat, which I haven't seen in many a year. It seems that tram number 1 has been diverted along these long-abandoned lines.



We're guided up the little stairs to the mezzanine level, followed by Ballonnetje staff carrying drinks and weed for us. Did I mention that this is my favourite coffeeshop?



Gradually more ACDers join us until the full party consists of Bedge, Ghost, Jamie Dodger, Choppermike, Worsall, Gapie, AzLaker, Talkrum, Jolly, Rob_OG, Trad, Igraine, Audlembabe and me.

The buds here now come in cool new packaging. These Ballonnetje-branded resealable bags are pretty and practical.



Some of the nice samples distributed amongst us are Bubble Runtz (described on the menu as Runtz and Bubblegum), Sherblato (Sherbelato - Gelato and Sherbert), G.S (Gelato Sorbet - Gelato #33 and Sorbet), Monaco (Azulcar #22 and Lemon Cherry) and W.B (White Balloon - houseweed, similar to White Widow).

Looking over the balustrade at the happy customers chilling in the rest of the shop is delightful.



It's interesting to compare this with a similar view from 2006. Crazy to think I'd already visited the shop many times over the previous 20 years before that!


Ballonnetje 2006

After about 3 hours of indulging in Ballonnetje's generous hospitality, we say our goodbyes and thankyous before stepping outside.

Next stop is Spirit for Ghost's pinball tournament. This involves two tram journeys. The first one, to the Leidseplein, is straightforward but the second leg involves a diversion around roadworks. Tram 5 takes us on a little excursion onto Bilderdijkstraat and then back onto Marnixstraat. Somehow in my stoned haze I manage to lead us all off the tram two stops too early and so we have to walk the last bit (sorry people).

Once inside Spirit the session resumes with a vengeance.


Professor 2 Joints

The pinball competition is very successful.



Especially for Jolly, the winner.

After a couple of hours we're all getting hungry. Some of us stop at a Chinese restaurant around the Leidseplein.

The group is then reunited at The Tribe. Yesterday's session here was very relaxed so we're back for more.


In The Tribe, bathed in weird green light

Our tribe by this time consists of AzLaker, Bedge, Gapie, Ghost, Igraine, Jamie Dodger, Kushola, Lemming, Sammysarahh, Trad and Worsall. It's quite a small space but we seem to have it all to ourselves.

Another three hours or so pass in good company over beers and vapes until we're all ready for our beds.



Haarlem tomorrow ...

[Smokeybee21]

Great read, great photos, great use of the world "balustrade". Craving a visit to Ballonetje, haven't been in since 2019, where I took a similar photo:

FB_IMG_1767839960195.jpg

[RoMoney]

They have Iron Maiden pinball in Spirit? Very niche, was never much of a pinball person but love a bit of Iron Maiden......first album I ever got was "Caught Somewhere in Time"

Nice to see Kushola made it too, havent see him in a few years, we had fun at Spannabis a few years ago!

[avfc-herbalist]

Another great instalment, Lem. I need to get out to Het Ballonnejte, I’ve never been!

I really enjoy your photos of the past and the present