Cornish Pirates

January 16th 2009

A Trip To Jerusalem? Well, Yes, But Read On!

Last weekend a group of senior Pirates travelled to Nottingham by coach for an eagerly awaited weekend break. The group departed Penzance on Friday morning with Paul Greaves the navigator, John Gendall shotgun, and yours truly the 'tour' organiser who read the roll call at every stop.

We arrived at the Britannia Hotel just after 4pm, allowing ample time to 'suss' out what the city centre had to offer, which was a lot - restaurants, shops, trams, and even an outdoors ice-skating rink.

However, the real good news, was that there were pubs aplenty, including a very special one, called............Ye Olde Trip To Jerusalem! Reputed to be the oldest pub in England, it was also situated just a few minutes from the hotel. Perfect.

Delighted that Dicky Evans joined us on Saturday, at lunchtime we boarded the coach for Franklins Gardens, home of Northampton Saints, where we would watch their local 'derby' Premiership match against Leicester Tigers.

Members of the 'Press Gang' were also there, having travelled up from Cornwall during the day.

The Cornish Pirates developed excellent relations with the Saints last year and they made us very welcome, with Captain Benbow also given the opportunity to meet up with Northampton's mascot 'Bernie'.

As for the game, it was one deservedly won by the home team - our support obviously helping their cause. We arrived back at Nottingham in time to finish off an enjoyable day with - yes, you've guessed it - another short trek to Ye Olde Trip To Jerusalem.

On Sunday it was match day for the Cornish Pirates, the team to play the 'Green & Whites' of Nottingham at Meadow Lane, which is the home of Notts County FC.

The walk from the hotel to ground took less than half an hour via the canal route, with the Nottingham Forest FC and Trent Bridge cricket grounds in close proximity.

The match report on the Pirates game will already have been viewed by many, it suffice to say that the disappointment and frustration of losing 23-19 has not yet diminished.

Post match, my wife Sally and myself walked back to the hotel to relax and freshen up before taking the lift down to the hotel bar, but there was nobody there.

Hmm - was was everyone still at Meadow Lane? No, their instinct, I'm delighted to say, was the same as mine - it to make one final trip to 'Jerusalem', where the camaraderie was special.

A couple of pints of 'Legend' went down a treat, but it was time to eat and it not long before we found a superb Chinese restaurant. The food and service was excellent, although there was concern on my part when Dicky asked for the manager to take all knives and forks off the table. Chop sticks it was then, and they worked - there no need to resort to using a fork hidden craftily under the table by one of our number!

On Monday morning we boarded the coach for home, but now with a couple of stowaways in the shape of 'Press Gang' members 'Marshy' and 'Blazey Pirate', who had missed (now I can't confirm if this had been on purpose!) their bus that had returned to Cornwall the night before.

Weather conditions for our return home were wet and windy, but it mattered not as we journeyed county to county with music, joke-telling, and Captain Benbow's snoring keeping all aboard suitably entertained. Back home on Monday evening, it was back to reality, but with happy memories to bank from an enjoyable weekend - to Nottingham, and Jerusalem!