MONDAY, 12TH SEPTEMBER, 2022

My first visit (incredibly) to Meadow Lane. Been to the City Ground a number of times in the past.

Train tickets ✔️

Accomodation ✔️

Match ticket ✔️

Paid for match ticket over the phone and it’s to be collected at the hut behind the Jimmy Sirrell Stand.

ACCOMODATION

Hotel? Not Trivago. I’ve found Booking.com to be the best for sourcing the cheapest accomodation and best deals.

Will be staying in a hostel centrally, it’s maybe 1.5m from the football ground.

THE JIMMY SIRRELL STAND at MEADOW LANE

PUBS ALONG THE WAY?

If you prefer to wander out a little but still remain within close proximity, then you have a selection of pubs and bar within a few hundred metres of the stadium. There’s the Trent Navigation Inn (aka the Navi), which is on Meadow Lane – the road – itself and serves a good selection of beers, some great food and also has a great beer garden.

Venturing further up but still remaining on this side of the river Trent you have the Embankment and the Riverbank bars, and if you don’t mind crossing over the bridge, there’s the Southbank, which is one of the city’s finest sports bars.

If you’ve taken the train and have got off at the station, just across from the front of the station down Queensbridge Road is the Vat and Fiddle situated next door to the Castle Rock microbrewery. There is also the Waterfront complex of bars (including a Wetherspoons outlet), which is across the road and just a short walk from the train station.

On London Road, you can also pop in to Hooters, a restaurant and bar chain known worldwide for its waiting staff clad in the brand’s distinctive uniform, and it also does some delicious food, serves alcohol and is very sport-orientated.

What a great name the VAT And Fiddle is. Reminds me of Minder. Large VAT please, Dave.

That’s all for now. All that’s left is to pack a bag with all that’s needed for an overnight stay.

10AM start in the morning, changing at London Waterloo onto the underground.

THE MORNING AFTER

Well what could we make of all that? 118 fans was okayish – I did expect it to be 150+ though considering that we actually just won a home game and took 200+ to Oldham on a Friday night.

The first admission of course is that the best side won. In the end, County were light years ahead of us and the win was a comfortable one

Although, the first half hour was evenly matched and we might have been one or two goals up had our chances resulted in more fortuity.

During that first half, I was quite sceptical of the home end but second half at the first goal, wow!

And it was doubly amplified when the second goal went in – how that roar echoed around the stadium.

I would have been jubilant had we managed to take a point but our profligacy and the managers inability to make a substitute or pick the correct one is up for real scrutiny right now.

i believe we have some promising players and Iffy always puts in a shift. However, it’s quite clear that Molesley isn’t up to the task of leading this group and I think defeat Saturday when, would you Adam and Eve it, we finally get on the tellybox, may mean the board will wield the axe. I for one hope so.

Congratulations then to the Pies. I think Chesterfield and Wrexham will finally shuffle off the National League coil and maybe this time, Notts County can join them.

EARLY DOORS NOTTINGHAM

Much hustle and bustle in a city of this stature as I saw on my early morning walk and part of my sojourn.

I had lived here in 1988, loved NOTTINGHAM then and love it still. See this KFC, ours back home would never have a welcome like this.

Nottingham-By-Sea. Move Nottingham to Dorset now, if not sooner.

And as ‘almost famous but not quite there yet’ Jimmy The Mower was mentioning Dr. Martens recently, I saw a shop in one of the many, many mini high streets that knit Nottingham together.

Captured this shot of what presumably is the Guildhall. 🤔

The hostel I stayed in was excellent. The bed was comfortable and the duvet felt like a 20 tog, so warm that I spent most of the night sleeping in top of it.

All the dorms and rooms are themed and I was to be cottaging (thought that was a thing of the past). 🤭

It was all rather English with private shower rooms unlike in Europe where you often find communal showers.

Cleanliness was very good throughout really. Towels in the bathrooms…

… and everything you might need in the kitchen.

The lounge from the kitchen proved to be a comfortable and peaceful place.

TRAM-ENDOUS

Back to the walk and I captured two trams together. How fabulous to have trams in your city centre.

I haven’t found Broadmarsh Shopping yet but will do before that 11am train. I do remember the Victoria Centre though from all those years ago.

Wait, what? The Broadmarsh shopping centre is being demolished.

Now why would they want to go and do a thing like that?

I’m recommended that the SoBar does a very good cooked breakfast and so that will be the first thing to do once I’ve published this post.

That was supposed to be open but wasn’t though it was to my advantage. Found a place in Queen Street called Bill’s which served up a breakfast that was off the scale. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟