Nottingham Weekend

Short Version

Friday

• 5 hrs journey up. Stone-chipped window, rear tyre pressure low.

• Pizza for dinner

• Stayed at the Travel Lodge, basic but functional 

Saturday 

• Breakfast at the Ruddington Arms. Good food, coffee not that great.

• Caught up with Wendy Bell-Brown, mother of Lauren. Coffee at ØKENDE, one of Robert and Laurens' favourite haunts. 

• Walked around West Bridgeford park and debated potholes.

• Nottingham city centre in the afternoon.

• St Peter’s church, rebuilt 5 times.

• Market square, French on the right, English on the left.

• Left lion, right lion

• Church turned into a pub, weird but popular 

• St Mary’s church, closed, dodgy area, so you can only talk to god during specified times. 

• Huge cemetery with views of Nottingham and the surrounding countryside.

  
  

Sunday

• Walk around Victoria Embankment and the War Memorial.

• 4 hours and we were back home as if nothing had happened.

Long Version

Nottingham, what can I say about Nottingham? Well it’s a lot bigger than Poole,  in Poole you walk around in about 10 minutes. Walking around Poole Town Centre is not really worth your while. The town centre is fast becoming a ghost town, with so many closed and boarded-up shops. 

Nottingham, on the other hand, is vibrant and full of quirky shops and historical buildings. Quite a few tourists mingle with the locals, spending their money. Nottingham’s history is fascinating. Did you know the Old Market Square used to be divided? Legend has it that the French stayed on one side and the English on the other, until they finally "tied the knot" (hence, Nottingham). There are two lions on either side of the entrance to the building, watching over the square. Very aptly named, Left Lion and Right Lion. Officially named Agamemnon (Left) and Menelaus (Right), they are fondly known as Leo and Oscar. They serve as a meeting point, with folklore suggesting that they roar when virgins or honest politicians pass by. I watched a young couple walk past the lions, and they did not flinch; the folklore must be right.

Saturday morning, we made our way to the Ruddington Arms for a much-needed breakfast. Great eating place and not that expensive. Then on to West Bridgeford to meet Wendy, loving mother of Lauren, who is in Rome, teaching the Romans art and culture. Being a world renown Jewellery designer, her skills are in demand. Lovely 2 hours catching up with Wendy Bell-Brown, while enjoying a coffee and a Danish pastry from ØKENDE in West Bridgeford town centre. Really good coffee and tasty pastries. 

Next stop, Nottingham town centre.

While I went to explore St. Peter's Church, Susan and Robert went in search of coffee. Robert has favourite, different and unique coffee shops he frequents, and this was no exception. Created by a couple from Hong Kong, they decided to open a coffee shop in the middle of Nottingham. I believe coffee is about £6 a shot, not sure what it was like, but they seemed happy when I met up with them after exploring the church. 

Saint Peters Church was absolutely amazing. Originally built in 1108, and through civil wars, fires and dodgy foundation has been rebuilt 5 times. One of the oldest Anglican churches is still in use and is really worth a visit. If you feel like delving into the church's history, this link tells the tale. https://southwellchurches.nottingham.ac.uk/nottingham-st-peter/hhistory.php

Walking around, we found another church that has been converted into a bar and a very popular bar, but then Nottingham was fairly busy. The owners of the Pitcher & Piano have retained the beauty of the old church, as well as making it a very sociable venue.

We then walked to Saint Mary’s church, which is meant to be a really old church. That was closed, it seems this church follows strict business hours, a little tough if you can only talk to God during business hours. Chains lock the gates, pity, it is a beautiful building from the outside.

Finally made our way to the Old Market Square, as I described earlier in my blog, so will not bore you with more details. I do call on any politician who feels they are honest to come forward and put the lions to the test. Rumour has it they have never roared.

There is a sadder part to this noble city. The Nottingham City Council is bankrupt. Consequently, all the non-essential work is at a standstill, potholes are a big problem, and many building projects are at a standstill, patiently waiting for money to arrive, so graffiti adorned the temporary walls. But in between the building site there are a few gem like the Nottingham College. The good thing is they are all on the outskirts of the city centre and do not distract from the well-maintained centre of the city.

Southern Cemetery and Wilford Hill Crematorium

Wilford Hill’s name is derived from its position within the local area, and being 250ft above sea level, it makes for one of the highest points in Nottingham, enabling stunning panoramic views of both the city and the surrounding countryside. Southern Cemetery covers approximately 46 acres and was opened in 1919, at first only for burial services. Wilford Hill Crematorium was later opened in 1931. Churches and cemeteries have always fascinated me; maybe it is the serving of the living and the dead. I did come across a tombstone of a Martin fellow, he was born exactly a year after me, which made me remember my mother's old saying, we have 3 score years and 10, after that it is just bonus years, enjoy them.

Beautifully peaceful and calm, with the most amazing views over Nottingham City. They also have a giant pizza oven! 

On my next visit to Nottingham, I want to go to Rock (Church) Cemetery, I believe it has a unique landscape and sandstone caves, underground ‘catacombs’ and beautifully grand memorials. Address for those interested, 49-51 Forest Rd E, Nottingham NG1 4HT

What about the trip? 

You might ask, well, that wasn’t uneventful. Firstly, on the Newbury bypass, you know the A34. Well, to start with, we heard a sharp bang and realised it was a stone that had hit our windscreen. Seems we were lucky, no mark that we could see. We carried on until Susan, with her keen eye, spotted in the right corner, right at the bottom of the windscreen, a little crack appearing. Hopefully, it wouldn’t spread while we are driving. Shortly after a warning light came on, “Right rear tyre pressure low.” This was about an hour and a half into our journey. It rained the whole way, and the traffic was horrendous, broken down cars, roadworks and Friday afternoon traffic all playing their part. After almost 3 hours of what should have been an hour and a half journey, we stopped at Moto Cherwell Valley Services. We feel this is about halfway, and we have our customary McDonald’s cheeseburger, Costa coffee and Jensen has a wee and his lunch. 

After more holdups, we finally got to Robert's house in Ruddington, 5 1/2 hours later. Normally, it takes about 3 1/2 hours, but unfortunately, the rain and the roadworks contributed to a slower journey. Then, I always say to Susan, it’s not about the destination, it’s the journey that counts. It’s an old saying made popular by an advert from Nissan Motors.  I know I have people in my family frowned upon a Nissan, but I tell you what, a Nissan Qashqai is one of the best cars around.

I know at this stage you’re wondering what we ate well, that is quite amazing because Robert got his culinary and baking skills out and we had home-made pizzas in his pizza oven on Friday night, absolutely amazing. Saturday night, Robert heated up a lasagna he had made in advance. The Middle Smiths have a rival,  it was rich and full of flavour, served with a fresh salad, and topped off with a Sticky Toffee Pudding, absolutely perfect.

Sunday, time to depart

Robert joined us for a cheap and cheerful breakfast at the pub attached to our hotel. Robert took us for a walk around the Victoria Embankment and the War Memorial. This large park has the river Trent flowing around it, with the beautiful Trent Bridge. Lovely open space and very few people there, mostly runners.

The Verdict

We only saw about a quarter of the city in our hour-and-a-half walkabout, but that was plenty for us. Nottingham is a massive, bustling place full of tourists and history. It’s a big, civilised city with a lot of stories to tell—just watch out for the stone chips on the way there! 

Finally, the crack in the windscreen grew a little, but we made it home in 4 hours, and it is still there; I must get it replaced.