General Chat

So some good parts some bad parts....but mainly....he liked the tour.

Well done for organising it all.

I am back.

First, let me tell you that the air con in a Smart for Four is excellent.

I drove the first bit, almost to Oxford, where OH took over 'some' of the driving. It is a new car so you can imagine how much more driving I did! Of course, the hard part was getting off the south coast and through the Bucket and spade traffic so he is not crafty in any way!

Nobody seemed to know where Claude Gibb was and we spent ages looking for it.

To my utter disgust, I found that Sodexo run student services at Northumbria University which explained why they were so cagey in the booking confirmation about whether the breakfast was included in the price.Luckily, we found a coffe shop on campus that served a decent breakfast. Unfortunately I put brown sauce on my lovely £1.50 double egg stotty and it was really heavy on the cinnamon which I cannot stand so there was a lot of breakfast wasted.

The taxi we ordered to take us to the stadium was too high for me to get in (my feet sprout out of my bum!)

So, we get to the stadium and I sit quietly with my weirdo books and my two soft drinks and who do you think runs all the catering at the stadium? Only bloody Sodexo which I believe is French for mediocre.The tour with a meal cost the same as a tour without and I believe you really do get what you pay for but, the most important part, Freds mate loved his tour and says it is the best birthday present he has ever had.

We thought we might show him a few extra exciting things on the way home so we went via Middlesborough so he could have a go on the transporter bridge and wouldn't you know it was not running. Good of then to let us sit there for ages in a queue with no notice to tell us!

Had a lovely stay in a B&B near Whitby and carried on home via Flamborough and the Humber bridge.

It is sad that the memory of my first visit to Newcastle is mostly of the mediocrity of Sodexo.

Would that dirty book be Fifty Shades of Cog... ;-)

Hope the trip there was good and you have a great time.....don't read any dirty books in the pub we discussed this before it'll attract the wrong sort of attention. Enjoy!

So how did it go? Don't envy you travelling in all this heat!

Printed the routes, got the road atlas out, got the rolls for the sandwiches, must get out the books I need to see me through ninety minutes in the pub while they do the tour.

Looks like I will be driving up. We are leaving about tennish if we get up!!!!!

It seems I will be in the pub from about twelve thirty Monday until two, alone, so, if anybody is looking for a lonely old biddy, you know where there will be one.

Looks like we are going after all. He has been told by the hospital that he can.

I am hoping that we can get the tour changed to the 11.30 one so we can get lunch over with and head back home so we see more in daylight.

Don't know why I couldn't get it.

Anyway, I have had to spoil the surprise. He has to see somebody at the hospital about his back on Tuesday and said he was not keen to go to Wales with us for the day on Monday because he was a bit worried about travelling that far in the car so he needed to know how far we were planning to take him next week.

He said he knew where he wanted to go but was not expecting to be taken there but was thinking it would be somewhere like London.

Anyway, he knows now and is going to try to take the appropriate steps to get there.

Just glad you got it, I feel the same about not having at least some idea of the menu before I go somewhere - hope it looks ok for you!

Thank you so much Kucinta.

You must have magic technological powers because all I could get was the offers.

Sharron,

I've tried to download and message the menu to you - can't guarantee if I've got it right!

No you can't.

They only tell you what the specials are.

It makes me a bit nervous when I can't see the menu before I go.

Sharron,

If you Google - NUFC Nine sports bar, you can see the menu

Great that you have booked your visit, hope you enjoy the change of scenery

Lizxx

Haven't been in "Nine" for a while but I believe the food is quite good.

It used to be called "Shearers".

Next time I'm passing I'll have a look at the menu.

You better come in the pub when we are there then. Fred's mate will be very pleased to meet you.

What is the food like in that pub anyway?

St James' Park is BETTER than Wembley.

My tour was not the usual one. It was an evening tour which was organised by the Newcastle United Foundation which is the Charity arm of Newcastle United FC. I am involved with the Foundation as a Volunteer - refereeing Walking Football organised by the Foundation. There was also a Celebration to thank the Volunteers and we had food in the Sir Bobby Robson Suite.

Oh I am pleased.

They have done Wembley and loved that so I hope this one is as good.

Do you get any souvenirs with the tour?

Sharron,

Been on the Stadium tour - it was brilliant.
Fred's mate will be impressed.
It is a magnificent Stadium.

We like Holiday Inns breakfasts better.

I think it was Runcorn we particularly liked on one occasion.