Weekend in Nottingham

I invited myself up to Nottingham to see newly turned 21 Eoin. Inviting myself is the only way I have found to do this, Eoin being far too disorganised. So I just stated when I would arrive and what we would do and lack of demurral was taken as consent!

That isn't entirely true. It is possible to make arrangements through his girlfriend Niamh, though what the poor girl has done to earn herself a job as Eoin's social secretary I don't know. Must be some awful deed in a past life.

Anyway, I booked myself into the Bentinck Hotel which is literally across the road from Nottingham station with the intention of going out and finding a pub and getting Eoin and Niamh to join me, but it turned out that the place had just the perfect hotel bar, so instead I got myself a drink and window seat and waited there.

And in due course the young couple found me, and Eoin sank into the vacant chair.

I had booked us an early dinner at the Calcutta Club, a top notch Indian restaurant. We quizzed them on how they made their chicken so incredibly delicious. Marinating apparently. 

Then I had booked us into a comedy club, for which Eoin insisted we sit at the front. Which we did, all alone. Until the MC came on and bullied the back row into sitting at the front with us. Anyway, all the comics were good (even the one Eoin didn't like), so it was a really excellent night. Then Eoin announced he wouldn't object to another drink. So we went to a Brewdog. Until that closed. So let me just summarise by saying, in hindsight, I didn't need an extra couple of pints of cider in a Spoons in the city centre after midnight.

So this is main square at about 1:30am I think. I did get back to the hotel ok, but I wouldn't say I was at my sunny best Sunday morning. Sick as a dog.

I skipped hotel breakfast and did some touristy stuff on what was a glorious day.

Nottingham Castle. Despite the fame brought by Robin Hood, very little of the original castle remains

Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem which claims (amongst many others) to be the oldest pub in England - see date of 1189 painted on wall. In fact the earliest part of the building is only 17th century, but it was part of the medieval castle's brewhouse, so it is fair to say there would have been on site drinking for a long time.

Brewhouse Yard - just beyond the Trip

I booked us Sunday lunch at the Roundhouse which was a very good pick on my part - its the round building below. Unlikely as it may sound, it was built as part of the general hospital at the beginning of the 20th century, but is now a pub

The restaurant was really lovely, but to my surprise, really empty. No need to have booked!

Good beef roast

Niamh slumping into her post lunch cocktail

And to finish off we found a pub by the canal for another drink. The good news is that they had TVs outside so we could watch the last day of the Premier League season. The bad news is that we couldn't, because the TVs outside didn't work.

 So we retired indoors (saving my bald patch from sunburn in the meantime) to watch the Man City West Ham game on the working TV inside. Eoin, a Hammers fan, fancied them to cause an upset now that they had nothing to play for. His optimism lasted under 90 seconds by which time City had scored and the rest is history.

Anyway, a thoroughly lovely weekend with two of my favourite people. Just needed less alcohol. At my age you wouldn't expect me to be so easily led would you?😂