My first "Do" was at a pub in Mayfair, London over six years ago in 2004. And given this was organised by the BA board, the drinks were followed by dinner at the rather appropriately named "Gaylord" restuarant.
Infact the first three FTers I met in person were
RhysUK,
fbgdavidson and
Jenbel. And IIRC,
Jenbel did lead to another FTer rather heavily wetting his trousers that night.
And yes, despite those early mental scars

, I've made some fantastic friends thanks to FT. Shared a lot of moments of joy (and of course, like Missi, slept with some of them

) and have had some great trips with them, and also, perhaps more importantly, been grateful for their unwavering support and comfort in times of sorrow.