Oolite Bulletins

Selezen wrote:

I was contemplating a Midlands Gathering too, Duggan, since I live in Derby. Everyone seems to organise stuff at the nether ends of the country but no-one seems to go for the centralised location. Nottingham would be my location of choice.

Smivs wrote:

Nottingham would suit me

Duggan wrote:

I'm in Derby too

I could make it to Nottingham, too.

Now we just need:
- a good venue : Ye Old Salutation Inn;
- a day of the week Saturday;
- a date 16th June 2012;
- a start time someone will be there (wherever 'there' is) from 4pm.

Suggestions / ideas?

I found this page of pubs near Nottingham station
http://www.beerintheevening.com/pubs/re ... tml/tr/397
There are several likely candidates, but no one stands out. For example the Vat and Fiddle looks good except for limited food, and the Olde Trip to Jerusalem is appealing although it sounds rather touristy. Although I live near Nottingham, I have not visited any of these myself.
As we are approaching summer, I was wondering whether we should be thinking evening, or if something like a Saturday or Sunday lunchtime might be a better bet.
Any thoughts on any of this?

I tramped the streets of Nottingham for three years as a student and regularly run back there!!

The Trip to Jerusalem is probably the best place to start, as it's a reasonable distance from the station and is a damn fine pub. It IS touristy, but it's not TOO bad. It has three areas to sit in - inside (cramped when it's busy), the back courtyard (covered over) and the front areas on the street. All are good, and if the touristy bits offend then sit outside.

Next would be the Old Salutation, 5 min walk from the Trip. Can be quite busy but is a good pub, has good service and again has a decent outside seating area.

Moving into the city centre more, there are two that stand out from personal experience. The Pit & Pendulum is a gothic themed place but serves GOOD beer and has a good atmosphere. They do interesting cocktails too. The Bell is another favourite. It has two smaller bar areas with a traditional pub look and one large rear area with a more modern feel. They are both within 15 mins from the Sal.

The Vat and Fiddle I remember being nice, although the last time I went there was about 8 years ago. Another city centre one is the Yates' pub there. It's a bit "towny" for me, but it serves some good beer. Market Square has a lot of pubs and eateries around it and there's something there for most tastes (including a Wetherspoon's that does nice real ales and reasonable food).

June or July for the event? May, even? Don't want to step on the toes of any other events, but I'm eager to meet people!!

Saturday afternoon kick off would be good, I think. That should give any possible long-haul visitors enough time at each end to get to Notts and back. Birmingham and East Midlands airports are local enough. I can recommend Premier Inn hotels (the one near Nottingham Trent University is my favourite place to stay over in the city).

Eateries are plentiful and in particular Frankie and Bennys and the Mogul-E-Azam restaurants have always been good to me (although F&B can be a bit "commercial"). The Mogul is close to the Premier Inn I mentioned.

Wow, I'm dead excited now.

There do seem to be many options, so it might even be a plan to decide on a date and time, then meet at a convenient location (outside the station?) and decide where to go depending on how busy various pubs are. If there are many within a small area we could just wander around until we find a suitable 'base'.

Smivs wrote:

If there are many within a small area we could just wander around until we find a suitable 'base'.

That sounds like a pup crawl to me

Fatleaf wrote:

Smivs wrote:

If there are many within a small area we could just wander around until we find a suitable 'base'.

That sounds like a pub crawl to me

Well, we'd obviously have to try them out otherwise how could we decide which is best

Smivs wrote:

Well, we'd obviously have to try them out otherwise how could we decide which is best

I like that thinking. Gold Oolite badge to that man.

Let's sort out a suitable date then just take the pubs as they come. I would like to suggest meeting in the Trip, since it's the nicest pub in spitting distance of the station and most people wandering round Nottingham know where it is (just in case anyone gets lost) and it's signposted to boot!

I vote mid June for the gathering (Sat 16th would be ideal as it's PAYDAY the day before!!).

Sounds like a plan!
As far as I know Sat 16th is fine for me.

Nottingham's theoretically possible for me too - a couple of hours train journey from Coventry, and not too expensive with a railcard. Although I have absolutely no idea what may or may not be happening in the future, I'll be keeping an eye on this on the off-chance I might actually be able to turn up!

Awesome! Two "maybes"!!

I'll be in Nottingham this weekend on another drinking session, so does anyone want me to check anything out?

Incidentally, if you need hotel rooms, Premier Inn are doing a £29 per night offer but you have to book early I think. PI's rooms are always good and the food there is nom nom nom.

Nottingham Rail Station
Carrington Street
NG2 3AQ

Good Beer Guide 2007
Vat & Fiddle
13-14 Queen's Bridge Road
NG2 1NB
From station: 0.1 miles

Newshouse, 123 Canal Street, NG1 7HB, from station: 0.3 miles

Cock & Hoop
25-27 High Pavement, Lace Market (interestingly, my fingers entered 'Lave Market' the first time)
NG1 1HF
From station: 0.4 miles

Olde Trip to Jerusalem
1 Brewhouse Yard
NG1 6AD
From station: 0.4 miles
(I've been here; an interesting establishment which should be visited when in Nottingham, if you like pubs.)

Kean's Head
46 St Mary's Gate
NG1 1QA
From station: 0.5 miles

Bell Inn
18 Angel Row, Old Market Square
NG1 6HL
From station: 0.6 miles

Gatehouse, Toll House Hill, NG1 5FS, from station: 0.8 miles

Old Moot Hall Inn
27 Carlton Road
NG3 2DG
From station: 0.8 miles

Lincolnshire Poacher
161 Mansfield Road
NG1 3FR
From station: 1.1 miles

Sir Charles Napier
209 North Sherwood Street
NG1 4EQ
From station: 1.2 miles

2007??? Little out of date! That might actually pre-date the Salutation's refurbishment (although I'm not sure - it might have been 2005...).

I went to the Newshouse a couple of years ago wasn't overly impressed with the atmosphere, being comprised mostly of either fresh-off-the-train tourists or the type of old men who were either born in there or evolved from the dregs of the beer.

Cock & Hoop, never been there (although the name is worth a laugh).

Trip - you know my opinion!

Kean's Head - never heard of it (Lace Market area isn't a popular haunt for non-tourists like me!).

Bell Inn - you again know my opinion!

Gatehouse - I've heard of it but never actually been. Apparently it's one of those "upper class" places with overpriced fizzy beer and no REAL beer in it. Sounds like a "wine bar" to me!

Old Moot Hall - never heard of it, but I know the area well (I used to live in it). Not sure, but the area isn't one of the more "reputable" ones. Hey, it could be a diamond in the rough. Just make sure you keep a hand on your wallet when you leave.

Lincolnshire Poacher - never been there, but it looks like a real ale pub to me, so WIN! Anything named after a number station wins for me...

Sir Charles Napier - my god, that's a blast from the past. The "Napier" was one of the places we used to hang out at university. It's slap-bang in the middle of Trent University country and is a student haven. It's a bit out of the way, locked in the middle of student accommodation high-rises. The Saracen (just up the road) is the distant cousin of it that no-one talks about (my mate Max used to go there more often than the Napier). Nice enough area if you like students though.

The quality pub crawl, even until the last time I was in Nottingham was Trip -> Sal -> Bell -> Pit. All in roughly the same area (Market Square and surrounds). I think that Vat & Fiddle and maybe the Newshouse could be added to that. If Fellows, Morton and Clayton is still there (about 0.1m from station) then that's worth a visit. They brew their own and they do some very nice "special edition" beers.

Sadly, my "local" always was the Tap N Tumbler, but Brenda (the old owner) sold it and it's now under new management who have changed the "ambience". An old geezer pub up the road shut at about the same time and the old uns all migrated to the Tap. Not the same any more.

All that said, though, I'm easy with wherever the final decision is. I just wanna meet up with some of you guys.

I've lived in Notts, on & off, for 35 years. I don't drink in the city much these days but I do know that the Trip (to Jerusalem) is and has always been very touristy. Personally i always thought it lacked atmosphere (the Salutation too) but maybe that's just me.
'The Bell' has always been popular and is right in the middle of the City. Goose Gate/Lace Market areas (5 min walk from The Bell) still have some good pubs/bars although you might have to step over vomiting townies raping their way out of Revolution or The Market Bar along the way. Kean's Head, The Old Angel, The Broadway Bar, The Pitcher and Piano and the Nottingham Contemporary are all in the Lace Market. It's a 'trendy' area so, expect slightly higher prices and people disappearing up their own arses.
The Lincolnsire Poacher has always been good. It's a bit of walk from the city centre but there are lots of other good pubs nearby (The Peacock, The Rose of England, The Golden Fleece, The Nags Head). Great pub-crawl potential

Like I said, i don't get out that way too much these days so i'm assuming these places still exist

Hi Billy and welcome aboard. Sorry it took us a while to approve your first post... it wasn't flagged-up for some reason. Poo-tee-weet!

Thanks for the welcome, El Viejo

El Viejo wrote:

..it wasn't flagged-up for some reason.

So it goes.