Edited by Frank E. Ritter
1 September 1998
Ninth Edition
Also available via the World Wide Web through http://www.psychology.nottingham.ac.uk/staff/ritter.html
With actual comments from Bibby, Brown, Cassaday, Cheng, Derrington, Marshall, Nerb, Reed, Reisland-Burghart, C. Ritter, Shadbolt, Sonders, Underwood, Kathy from TaM; and University of Nottingham Computer Science Dept Communications Research Group
The views expressed here do not represent official positions of the Department of Psychology or of the University of Nottingham. Please check all information before using it. If you are making financial decisions based on the information contained here you must take additional, independent council.
Copyright 1998, Frank E. Ritter.
Nottingham is the chief city of the East Midlands and is considered the Queen of the Midlands. The City was named, way back, after a rapacious lord of the North - Snot, the original appellation being Snottingham -- or the town of Snot's people. From this rather inauspicious start things have only gotten better. All that stuff about the Sheriff and Robin may have just a grain of truth. Certainly the city had one of the finest castles in all of Europe. Unfortunately, it chose unwisely during the English Civil War. Indeed, King Charles raised the standard in Nottingham (on Standard Hill), thus precipitating the confrontation. In short, the Royalists lost, Nottingham was besieged and the castle lost. Things were not improved when the mob (probably sociologists) rioted in the early 1800s and burnt the castle down.
The town overlooks the River Trent with lots of caves downtown, which are often covered by pubs so you don't fall in. Nottingham grew rapidly from 1780, and now has a population of approximately 240K. Its main industries, besides a world class university, are bicycles, drugs (legal, to wit, Boots) and lace. No age-old lace history here, it was started in the mid-1800s. Bicycles came in the late 1800s, and John Player has been contributing to pulmonary disease since 1877. Because the canal interests were strong in the 1800's it did not become a rail centre, and Derby was made the nearby rail centre of the Midlands.
The city combines the best of old and new. Shoppers have excellent modern shopping centres and traditional markets. Cultural life thrives, with a superb modern concert hall attracting well known names from the classical, pop and rock worlds, and two theatres -- including the lovingly restored Theatre Royal. These provide both repertory productions and touring opera, drama and ballet from major national companies - and offer student discounts. Film buffs have varied viewings at multi-screen and arts cinemas, and there is a lively rock scene.
Many fine old buildings remain in the city, including the 15th century church of St Mary on High Pavement, Georgian town houses, and several picturesque pubs. Some have medieval origins: The Trip to Jerusalem at the foot of Castle Rock, reputedly the oldest pub in England, the Bell Inn, the Salutation Inn (both also claiming to be oldest), and the Royal Children. On Angel Row, at the far side of the market place, is Bromley House, built for Sir George Smith in 1752. It is a Georgian house, now used for the Notts subscription library and the headquarters of the Thoroton Society. A former Unitarian church on the fringe of the city's Lace Market area is now converted into a Lace Hall, illustrating the history of Nottingham's most famous product.
Nottingham Forest FC is the 3rd oldest FC, and Notts County is the oldest. Early October brings the Goose Fair, the country's largest three-day fair, believed to date back more than 1,000 years. The modern fair, packed with hundreds of amusements, becomes at night a spectacular carpet of lights.
Nottingham and the surrounding county offer the chance to explore literary associations. Contemporary writer Alan Sillitoe grew up in the industrial outskirts of Nottingham, enjoying his frequent roaming of the nearby University Park and lake. D. H. Lawrence made famous the mining town of Eastwood just next to Nottingham and the surrounding Nottinghamshire countryside.
Based in the outskirts of Nottingham is the University of Nottingham. The University of Nottingham (it is not Nottingham University, don't believe people who use this name) dates from University College which started as an outreach program from a previous university in Cambridge (England) in 1881. Sir Jesse Boot donated a bit of pasture west of the city in 1928, and in 1948 it was granted a Royal charter. Ten years later Ian Howarth helped set up the psychology department, and as they say, the rest is history.
In the remainder of this document we outline some of the places and services in Nottingham that people have found helpful. If you have any comments or suggestions, please forward them to the editor.
Perhaps the first thing you will need is a place to stay, and as it also provides and overview of where other attractions are located, we start by describing various areas of Nottingham.
is a full self-contained village just to the west of the university. Its high street has most amenities. Many members of the university live here, and there are several pleasant (and now one outstanding) pubs, but you may pay up to [[sterling]]5k more for a house than in Chilwell or Long Eaton because of this proximity.
is the area between Beeston to the north and the Beeston Canal to the south. If there is a price gradient, which some will contest, price generally gets lower as one goes further away from the high street in Beeston. There is a train station here, but you don't have to live here to take advantage of it, and there is little else of interest except to residents.
is the area between the university and the Park to the east. Houses here tend to have cellars, and tend to be slightly closer together than in other areas. It is a convenient location, but the value and pleasure of living here are reduced by the fact that it tends to be a bit thread-bare in spots.
is a more residential, almost suburban area west of and blending into Beeston. The prices are lower there, and there are locations that are nearly in Beeston.
are the closest areas to the university. Lenton Abbey's name reflects the fact that an Abbey used to be located on the site of the university (Barnes, 1993). This area abuts the university to the west. Most of the houses used to be council housing, and the price and ambience still reflect this fact, but you literally could have the university in your back garden. Dunkirk is to the south and west, and is a relatively small area. Many students live in this area, and it can be more than a bit thread-bare in spots as well.
just across Trent Bridge from the city centre is a large, self-contained suburb that contains Nottingham Forest football ground, Trent Bridge cricket ground (although various other guides put these two in the Meadows), and its own shopping area. Housing varies from Victorian terraces near the river, to newer semis further south. It is about 20 mins cycle ride (by a middle-aged vision scientist on a folding bicycle) from the university, much of the route along a fairly pleasant riverside path.
is a leafy suburb just north of the university that is NOTORIOUS for subsidence problems because of British Coal mining until about the 1960's and because of the clay soil. However, the area is considered rather exclusive and this makes prices higher. It also suffers from requiring a car because it does not have a very large central shopping precinct.
is a posh area just west of the city centre. Most of the houses here are not detached, but are quite expensive none-the-less, with most of the accommodation flat conversions in large Victorian houses. It is not usually an area for the first time buyer, but is popular with the youngest professors. If you end up visiting anyone there, the top entrance on Derby Rd. is the easier one to get in.
Bulwell is a reasonable location about 6-7 miles from the University and about 2-3 miles north of the city centre, but as pleasant as Chilwell or Wollaton. Several areas of Nottingham are seen as less desirable areas to live by the staff, although some students tend to prefer them because of lower housing costs. These areas include Radford, Sneinton, Top Valley, and The Meadows.
Mapperly has parts that are not attractive, but these places at least have people that will be quite friendly (for a fee). There are some large houses and some good areas, particularly in Mapperly Plains.
When you arrive, you may need quite temporary accommodation while looking for less temporary accommodation while looking for permanent accommodation. The best choice is to stay with a friend or new colleague, but this is not always possible. Two good value choices are listed here, also see the section on hotels.
The University Club on campus provides a convenient location, but it will be somewhat pricey for extended temporary accommodation and is difficult to book because it is popular for university guests.
St. Andrews Hotel (bed & breakfast, and evening meal extra) on Queens Rd., Beeston (ph. 925-4902). Clean typical B&B, [[sterling]]30 per night for a double room. The proprietor and wife are both friendly and helpful; people who stay there have like it, but it has been remarked that the similarity to Basil and Sibyl Fawlty is remarkable!
There are several places that will help set you up with a rental house or flat. None of them have a lot of properties, so you will have to check with several of them. House and flat leasing agencies usually charge approximately 1 month's rent in fees and the landlord will also want at least another month's rent security deposit and possibly a month's rent in advance. (We do not recommend agencies that charge a fee in advance and promise that they'll keep helping you until you find a place. They may have nothing on their computer other than the names of people who paid in advance.) The best of the lot is the Thursday edition of the Nottingham post (see also: things that pass themselves off as newspapers the rest of the week).
Several places that new people have found useful for finding an apartment are listed in Table 1. If you are associated with the University, some rented apartments are available in the halls of residence. There is no central agency for these, it is a question of ringing all the halls. There is a University Accommodation office that provides lists of off-campus housing, but their list is not vetted, and the housing contracts are particularly proper or checked.
Table 1: Places to look for a house, rental and purchase. Capitals indicates relative amounts available.
Phone Location
George Hallam & Sons 950-2852 Rent buy St. Peter's Gate
County Accommodation 955-3232 Rent (fee)
Michael Vernon 922-4521 rent Buy Beeston High St.
Abacus Accommodation 949-1611 Rent 9 Archer Rd., Stapleford
Agency
Singleton & Bloor 941-7915 rent buy City centre across
from Tales of Robin Hood
Comp-u-acomm rent Mansfield Rd. (fee)
The Nottingham Property Guide (like a newspaper) comes out weekly and lists the houses for sale. Frank Innes (Black Horse) are very prominent in the Park. If you believe the house itself rather than its location is the major determiner of its price[1], see the folks at Michael Vernon (ph. 922-4 521) in Beeston who believe this and are otherwise helpful.
Mr. Warner, of MacLaren Warner (ph. 939-5252) in Sandiacre, is known to be meticulous. David Brydon at German & Soar[2] (ph. 943-1531) in Beeston has been used by several people who recommend him. We have a report that Mr Warner of Maclaren-Warner (939-5252) for conveyancing makes house purchase almost pleasant. He is reported to be very efficient, can spell, etc., and offers excellent all round value for money.
Mortgages. Peter Clarke of Roy Pink (old ph. 0923 268 083) is a helpful mortgage consultant, and seems genuine and honest. He spends enough time with you to explain what's going on and how he can (or cannot) help you.
Surveyors. Mr Stokes from Ainsley-Stokes (937 7266) is the average vendors' idea of the surveyor from hell. He can make even the nicest house sound like a crumbling ruin in need of demolition (and that all helps with the valuation) and has an eagle eye for hidden structural problems. We believe several people have used him and been pleased.
Pickfords (the Nottingham office only) has been useful and pleasant to some members of the department. Each office appears to be independently owned and run, so caveat emptor from other officers and movers, some of which have generated quite horrible stories.
The best values, as always in this area, is to do it yourself (unless you have a good friend who does it for a living). Beeston Van Hire rent a good selection of vans at reasonable rates, but some have found them rather dirty inside.
Budget Rent A Car also do vans at a good rate and they do moving kits that include trolleys, blankets and cardboard boxes. They are located at 50 Lower Parliament St. in the City Centre, so you'll have to negotiate the traffic there.
Minimovals (ph. 927-8692), two men with van and insurance, currently charge [[sterling]]20 per hour. Someone who used them reports that this is very good value indeed.
For roofs, Tap and Tile (ph. 978-5841) comes recommended, but may have changed owners. F. Hewitt Builders at 1 Fletcher Rd. (ph. 925-4570) is particularly dependable and honest but not particularly cheap or fast because they are popular and thorough.
For damp proofing, Preserva (ph. 958-7220) comes recommended, and the one person who used Academy was also pleased with them.
For plumbing, Ian Peck (ph. 928-3004) at 21 Trumby Grdns. in Wollaton comes recommended (but is untried).
E. A. Maxwell (ph. 942-2153) at 45 Clifton Blvd. is a general contractor next door to the university, and appears competent, but was too busy to take on work a few years ago.
Ashley Carpet Care (carpet, upholstery & curtain cleaning) has successfully cleaned one oriental rug (Ilkeston, 932-1413). For a small fee (e.g. [[sterling]]5) they will pick up and deliver. Red Carpet Treatment (ph. 960-3036) used to do a complete shampoo of empty house for a bargain [[sterling]]65.
Armari Plastics (ph. 928-1101) north of Wollaton Park on Glaisdale Parkway comes recommended for self-installed secondary double glazing. They are open on Saturday.
For gas pipe work and installation, locally British Gas can be well recommended. They say that they do not offer a discount as a provider of the fuel, but they offer written quotations (not estimates), sometimes are late and pay you 10 pounds then if you ask, and in the end, they are very good value indeed.
As you visit Nottingham for a day, a week or the rest of your miserable life, you will need to know how to get here and how to lure others to Nottingham as well. When you really live here, you won't need this information, but until that time, you may find it useful.
If you are coming by car, the following map shows how to get to the university and a few of the interesting locations.
Figure 1. How to come to Nottingham by car. Map by Charlotte Dewey.
Take Junction 25 off the M1. Go along the A52 towards Nottingham. At the first roundabout (there is a garden centre opposite you), go 'straight' on, which is your second turn, staying on the A52. At the first set of traffic lights, continue on the A52 towards Nottingham. You will pass through some further lights until you come to a roundabout (the Priory Hotel will be across the roundabout and there will be a Shell Petrol station on your right hand side). Turn right here onto Woodside Road (this runs along the west boundary of the university). At the next roundabout, go straight on (this is the west entrance). At the next roundabout, turn left onto University Boulevard. The South entrance will be on your left in about a mile.
Take Junction 24 off the M1. Take the fourth exit on the big exit roundabout, the A453 to Nottingham. Keep following this road until it becomes the Nottingham ring road. Go over the bridge over the Trent and a flyover which bends sharply around to the left. When you see the Showcase cinemas on your left, move to the left and take the slip road (exit) for the A6005 to Long Eaton. Turn left at the roundabout you immediately come to. The South entrance will be at the first set of traffic lights you come to.
(a) If you are comfortable driving and are not suffering from jet lag, renting a car can be a good idea, particularly if you are travelling in a party. The U. of Nottingham has a special relationship with Budget that can put this option at about [[sterling]]30/day private, [[sterling]]20/day business. The drive will take about 2.5 hours. Take the M25 to the M1 to exit 25 (the A52). In about 7 miles the A52 starts to form the north boundary of the university. When you see the signs for the university, follow them.
(b) By rail, you start by taking the underground to London. This is fairly well signposted, and you can safely just follow the signs for you are at the end of the Piccadilly line. Buy a ticket either at a machine or at the ticket window. There is only one underground line from Heathrow, the Piccadilly line (coloured dark blue on the maps), so no choice of train is necessary. This leg will cost you about 4 pounds and takes a little less than an hour.
Get off the underground at Kings Cross station (both an underground and British Rail station), and either come up and walk across the street (actually, about a block), or try to find the passage that leads directly to St. Pancras British Rail station. In St. Pancras the ticket windows are to the left of the tracks if you stand at their end. A small pub is on the right, and a small convenience store is in the centre. This ticket will cost around [[sterling]]18 (one way) to [[sterling]]35 (round trip) if bought on the day and you are not leaving during the morning rush hour (when it can cost [[sterling]]70). These trains leave every hour or more often, and take about 1.75 hours to get to Nottingham.
The easiest way to get to the university from Nottingham Train Station is either to take a cab from the taxi rank outside (about [[sterling]]3.50) or a bus (about 90p) that will leave at Broadmarsh Bus Station a few blocks north (turn right as you come out of the main entrance, so do not exit to the car parking area!). The total time from Heathrow will range between 3.5 and 4.5 hours depending on how well you make connections.
If you land in Heathrow, and particularly if you have lots of luggage, you may wish to investigating taking a bus to Nottingham or part way, rather than the underground. One of the teaching staff as they were moving here almost shut down St. Pancras upon the mistaken advice of British Rail that it would be no problem to shuttle four 70 lb. boxes through the underground station! The Airbus running to Kings Cross/St. Pancras for [[sterling]]6 (one way) would have saved this embarrassment. Otherwise, it is a more expensive and slower way to get into London, but does provide some sightseeing.
(c) By cab. Cabs from Cable Cars start at [[sterling]]70 to Heathrow from Beeston. If you have a lot of luggage or are in a small group, this may serve you well.
(a) If you are comfortable driving and are not suffering from jet lag, renting a car can be a good idea, particularly if you are travelling in a party. The U. of Nottingham has a special relationship with Budget that can put this option at about [[sterling]]30/day private, [[sterling]]20/day business. This airport is further away from Nottingham than Heathrow, and the drive will take about 3.5 hours.
(b) By rail via London, you start by taking the Gatwick Express. This is fairly well signposted, and you should just follow the signs. Buy a ticket at the ticket window. There are several trains that leave, so you must remember to get on the Gatwick Express. This leg will cost you about 10 pounds, take about 45 minutes, and drop you off at Victoria Station in the south of London. Change there to the underground onto the Victoria line (coloured light blue on the maps) and make your way to Kings Cross/St. Pancras station, and then follow the rail directions above. This route will take between 4 and 5 hours.
(c) By rail via Luton. There are a limited number of trains and you don't get to see London and its congestion, but upon arrival at Gatwick you should enquire at the British Rail office how to get to Nottingham via Luton or other British Rail stations. This route, when you can get it, is cheaper and faster, taking about 35 pounds (all in) and 3 to 3.5 hours.
There are at least two bus services that provide city-wide service, the City of Nottingham (green buses, ph. 950-5745 or 950-3665) and Trent/Barton's (red buses, ph. 924-0000). The advantages of the Barton's buses are that their drivers seem to be a bit more helpful; they often go to Beeston (passing the university to and fro); and they will give you change. The advantages of the city buses is that they will accept overpayment for a fare; they will take you where you want to go; and they provide a system wide timetable. Return tickets are available for some routes with Barton's/Trent Buses. These tickets are cheaper and more convenient. Commuters may wish to look into getting a monthly pass.
For longer trips, National Express (ph. 968-5317) has stations at Victoria Centre and BroadMarsh. From there you can see the world.
The train station is located downtown (No phone - you have to phone 'locally' 0345 48 49 50), and includes a taxi stand. The new InterCity ticket number, 0800 450 450, makes this arrangement not as bad as it could be. There is also a useful web site, http://www.railtrack.co.uk/travel/. As you get wiser to the ways of the city and carry less baggage than upon your arrival, you will find walking to BroadMarsh and catching a bus there just as convenient and much cheaper than taking a taxi from the station. Similarly, you will walk to the train station to catch a cab home late at night when your meeting (including drinks and a curry) winds up downtown around midnight.
East Midlands Airport (ph. (01332) 981-0621) is the closest airport to Nottingham at about 25 minutes. It is an international airport (because it has a charter flight to Brussels every year--OK, I'm kidding, actually numerous but not full connections). Birmingham is the nearest big airport, but most travellers are still often forced to go down to London (Heathrow, Gatwick, and increasingly Luton) for their international flights.
From E. Midlands, taxis charge about [[sterling]]10-12 to the city centre, buses are available for [[sterling]]2 to [[sterling]]3. There is a service serving local villages (Barton's) that has sporadic service, for example, leaving at 18:05 and 19:40 arriving city centre at 19:06 and 20:33 respectively. National Express also runs a sporadic coach that is more direct, leaving at 19:05 arriving Victoria Centre at 19:30.
At Birmingham Airport, there are two types of parking, an open air long-stay car park for [[sterling]]22/week, and a multi-story one for [[sterling]]32/week. Both are directly accessible from the M42 motorway via clear directing signs. They take cash, checks, Visa, and American Express.
There is a bus service to Heathrow (National Express). It doesn't have terribly convenient trips out but coming back with them is OK (but they are good if you have a morning flight -- cheaper than staying overnight in London). There are several hotels and busses that serve Gatwick, offering a room and a return ride for approximately [[sterling]]50. For more information on these, contact your travel agent or Orbitas. See also the section, "How to get here".
Manchester is another close airport. It's easy to get to by train, for it is about 15 min. from Manchester Piccadilly, and that station is connected directly to Nottingham. If you need to stay overnight, the Holiday Inn (0161 498-0111) on weekends has had good deals for a double, but is a bit dear during the week.
Nottingham was a trial city for urban cycle path development--it sort of worked. So as UK cities go, Nottingham has pretty good cycling facilities though the paths can be slow. A network of cycle paths runs from Beeston into the city. Paths also exist southwards (along the A52 to Clifton and through the Meadows to Wilford) and eastwardly (from Colwick). Facilities in the north of the city are poor. The "Pedals" guide has maps of all cycle routes around the city, plus information on cycle shops and other cycle facilities. It is available from most bookshops including the on-campus Union shop above the Portland Building for about [[sterling]]3. Just the cycling routes guides can be obtained FREE from the leisure department of Nottingham City Council.
Good bike shops include Sid Standard (Beeston), Freewheel (Goosegate - bit flash though), and Bunneys (ph. 947-2713) near the train station - friendly, stock availability is uneven at times, with bike hire available.
Most taxis are just taxis, and all have mnemonic phone numbers. Those without meters tend to be cheaper, for example, A2B cabs at 9-70 80 90. Cable cars (ph. 9 229 229) running out of Beeston, have always had cheerful, helpful drivers who know their way around campus, but have meters.
City Car Hire at Canning Circus offers a good value car and van rental. On weekends rentals can be tight, and you should make reservations several days in advance. The university also has a set contract with Budget. When you would be using the car for university business, see your groups secretary who will be able to reserve you a car. One of the advantages of Budget is that they will drop it off at your house or office and they include a CDW. Budget can be hard to find in the City Centre, especially in a car. CDM car hire in Beeston has provided some members of staff with problems.
Purchasing a car. We cannot recommend Hooley Ford in the city centre. Their West Bridgeford office appears to be better, or Cowies or Stuarts. Speeds of Beeston sells Volvos, and also sells used cars. They do OK repairs we're told, but their sales force negotiates too hard for their own good. The value of a warrantee from a dealer can be valued (you can buy warrantees starting after their's end), and my guess is that it is about [[sterling]]150 for the first year; you can get more accurate amounts by consulting a dealer about extending their warrantee.
Like in War Games, the only way to win with a used car salesman is not to play. If you do play, consult a detailed used car price guide, preferably Glass's. Your best deal on a used car often is to buy it through a private individual. There are several newspapers that specialise in this in Nottingham and the East Midlands available at most newsagents. Before buying a private car, it is worth having the car inspected by a mechanic. The AA car inspection (ph. 0345 500 610) appears not to be good value, for half of their price of [[sterling]]105 (in May 1993) you could have a tune-up performed, which would be as thorough, and the car would end up with a tune-up in hand.
Auctions are another way to go if you have the time and the savvy. There is a local auction at Portchester Rd., and another (or larger?) one at Meesham. You should go a few time to see how it works. Then, when you do go, take a friend or have enough knowledge yourself to judge the car, and set a strict maximum price.
Car repairs. Mann-Egerton (Rovers, Jaguars and Bentleys) seems to have good service and reasonable used car salesman, but they virtually guarantee that you cannot get it done dearer. Michael Key Auto Engineering (ph. 973-3928) on Thrumpton Ave. in Long Eaton can be recommended as an alternative. We have heard equivalently good things about their body work. For tyres, Uncle Martin recommends, and at least one person has tried, Treadfast Tyres (ph. 979-0429) near Mann-Egerton at 3 Triumph Rd. In Long Eaton, Just Tyres (451a Tamworth Rd., 972-3744) does a good job. For batteries, either Midland Magneto (ph. 950-4 441) on Canal St., auto electrical engineers who will check your charge system and sell you a battery, or Boothby Batteries (Bridge Gr. off Muster's Rd. near the cricket ground in W. Bridgeford, ph. 982-2434), who will just sell you a battery but are open on Saturday.
Car insurance. Several people use Oddie-Dalton (ph. 981-2921), an insurance agency in West Bridgeford for low cost auto insurance. No news yet about their claim help. AA and the RAC both offer a quotation service based on numerous companies on their computers, which are often the best deal you can find.
Frizzells offer discounts to university lecturers on car and house insurance, and their claims settlement is embarrassingly good. One member of staff had their house burgled three weeks after taking out a policy (they had moved it because the AA insurers took 6 months to pay up for a stolen bicycle), and Frizzells settled, new for old, within a fortnight.
Driving lessons. Once you have a car, maybe even before, you will want to know how to use it. Steve Bellaby at Nottingham Driving Academy (ph. 978-4 024) can be recommended for advanced drivers, and we suspect beginners as well.
Ensleigh Insurance is conveniently located on campus and has fast courteous service including a 10% discount to lecturers, but is not believed to be a member of the Insurance Ombudsman Scheme. Swinton Insurance can be recommended , as can Oddie Dalton as agents (ph. 981-2921).
The Barclay's on Derby Rd. (they at one point did not themselves know the closest cross street, but it is Lenton Blvd.) is convenient for those living in Lenton, and who have another reliable financial institution to take care of loans, depositing foreign currency, cashing checks, and credit cards (such as a rich mother, which Barclay's once recommended you use for foreign currency transfers). One of their personal banking staff stated that a Giro is defined as "a banking term".
American Express at 2 Victoria St. (ph. 924-1666) may be one of the financial institutions you use. They offer relatively good rates on foreign currency and traveller's checks for everyone, and can cash checks on the spot if you have an American Express card (Barclays once took 4 weeks to cash a foreign check, 7 days for a UK check, and 3 days to transfer cash to an account!).
As they now all offer exchange rates, it's fair to mention post offices here. The post office downtown (ph. 958-5585) can answer most of you questions (but for Postman Pat). There are more local offices in Dunkirk (the nearest, on Lace St. on the other side of University Boulevard near the flyover), in Beeston on the High Road, and on Derby Rd. roughly across from the AA shop.
The Cripps Medical Centre on campus is a convenient place to receive care, and in 1994 it came under new management.
Dentists. We've heard good things about Mr Overend and Mr Walton in the Queens Road Dental Centre on (253) Queens Rd. in Beeston (ph. 922-2100); the only problem is that Mr. Overend no longer takes new patients (8/96), and Mr. Walton has left the practice. Mr. Navarro, 3 Devonshire Ave. (ph. 925-4169), has also been recommended.
Emergency dental care. If, for example, you go skateboarding with your face and lose a tooth, then you may be interested in attending the Meadows Health Centre (ph. 986-1835), which is open on Sundays and Bank Holidays.
Veterinary Surgeon. If your pet is ill, not you, Andrew Kettles (ph. 978-5036) can help sort them out.
Eventually, perhaps, you will find that you are leaving town. This may be on a temporary or on a more permanent basis. There is an on-campus travel agent, Pioneer Travel in the Travel Centre on the Portland hill (internal 72-1114, external 935-1113; 1000 to 1600 M-F). They can do an OK job, but they don't look hard for a bargain (at least the business section), unless encouraged.
Several people use Orbitas Travel (925-1112) in Beeston on the High Street. They provide pretty good deals, and their people there are generally helpful. They are useful for more complicated itineraries. Lunn Poly (ph. 925-4377) on the Beeston High Street, in one instance at least, was much cheaper than Orbitas on a very simple air ticket, but we suspect that you may not wish to use them exclusively because they do not do all things and tend not to deal with complicated travel arrangements. USAirtours (ph. Birmingham 0121 585-7775) has had good prices on trips to the US.
The Walton Hotel is a pricey but elegant and close to the University in the Park -- a haunt of all sorts of B movie types. It has a terribly overpriced bar, even if you ask for the free crisps which they provide (ph. 9475-215).
The Lucieville St. James (the Lucieville). Many interviewees end up here. Veronica, the pleasant desk clerk, night concierge, waitress, and porter, will take a pleasant interest in getting you to your interviews on time, and will make sure that your butter is suitably stamped with your initials. She also works at a sister hotel to the north-west of the city, the Nuthall Lodge. From [[sterling]]40 per night.
The Westminster. The only drawbacks to this hotel is its location far (20 min.) from the university on Mansfield Rd., one mile north of the city centre, and its rates are a bit dear during the week. But its features are many. It has a pleasant staff, offers rather good food (it has a restaurant open to and, tellingly, used by non-residents), and has a comfortable set of rooms for arranging conferences and meetings. (ph. 955-5000).
The Holiday Inn. Part of a chain named after an old Bing Crosby movie, the local site is just up the canal from Sainsbury's. It has a discount rate for University staff of about [[sterling]]42 room only. They have better discounts in holiday periods.
Several types of services are held on campus in the Portland Building on Sunday mornings.
Anglican. Like most English cities the largest number of churches are Church of England churches.
Catholic churches. In Lenton, there is St. Paul's at the corner of Lenton Blvd. and Ilkeston Rd. (ph. 978-6236). There is also a (small) cathedral downtown, which is listed with English Heritage.
You can take back newspapers, glass, and aluminium to the Sainsbury's at Castle Marina and in Beeston.
There are several places that people have found particularly good to take children. (This section written by Nadja Reissland.)
The White Post Modern Farm Centre, Farnsfield. Nottinghamshire, NG22 8HL. (ph. 01623-882-977). The White Post Farm is a must. It is an educational working farm where the children learn about which different types of eggs belong to which animal. They can feel in boxes and devine what they felt: hay , straw, corn etc. Or they have, for example, the hen Henriette, which just had her chicks and children are asked to count how many chicks she got. They have a tea-room with green lemonade but also some healthier food. And they have the "animal show", where different races of sheep, cows, and goats are introduced in a fun way. Included in the information is how many litres of milk are produced and where the animals come from (which is shown on a map), what their coat is used for, and how the animals are bought and sold in an auction. Children can "drive" a tractor and mowing engines, and can feed the four-legged animals with four-legged animal food purchased at the entrance. Children can enjoy bottle-feeding the lambs and holding a variety of animals, including mice, ducklings and baby-rabbits.
Our Little Farm, Lodge Farm, Plungar, Nottingham NG13 OJH. (ph. 01949 860-349).
Sherwood Forest Farm Park, Lamb Pens Farm, Edwinstowe, Nr Mansfield, Nottinghamshire NG21 9HL (ph. 01623-823558/822255). This farm has rare breeds. According to one child: It is very pretty but one can "only" look at the animals. One is not allowed to hold them or feed them.
Wollaton Park. This is a park where the children can play on a playground, walk around the lake or watch deer either in nature or in pens, and in autumn let their kites fly.
University Park. Boating on the lake: this is a popular with the kids if you have the nerve to let them hold the oars. There is also mini-put golf and several trails around a man-made lake with two islands and a waterfall (when it's turned on).
There are several leisure centres with swimming pools. One is at the Bramcote Leisure Centre, Derby Road, Bramcote. Tel. 0115 925-8241. And since 1996 there has been a new pool on the University grounds beside the sports centre and nursery.
Wollaton Hall. There your children are allowed to stroke dead animals, including badgers and a giraffe. They can feel skeletons and push various buttons to hear animals roar and grunt. Sometimes there are some events, such as a lute player explaining his instrument and playing tunes.
Nottingham Castle with its Museum Nottingham's 19th century castle houses an art museum as well as where children can learn the blood dripping history of Nottingham and where they can dress up in period costumes. It is conveniently close to the Ye Olde Tripe to Jerusalem.
The Lace Hall where the children, not the adults, get a souvenir from a lace machine operator and can admire lace dresses. High pavement, Nottingham NG1 1HN. (ph. 0115-948-4221).
Caves of Nottingham. Drury Walk, Broad Marsh Centre, Nottingham NG1 7LS. (ph. 0115 924-1424). Walk around real caves, some from medieval days.
Japanese Water Gardens 251 Toton Lane, Stapleford, Notts. (ph. 9397-926). If you or your children like fish, then it is worthwhile to visit the KOI carps which can get very old.... up to exactly 243 years, if we remember well. Or there is garden centre beside the Japanese one, Bardills Water Gardens. Here you can also enjoy a good meal. The Japanese tea rooms are not to be recommended. When asked what sorts of tea they have, the reply was: "Typhoo, I think".
Finally, you might consider visiting the Beeston Library, where during holidays they read stories and children can play or read books and meet other children. There are different activities during holidays and one can get an information leaflet from the Tourist Information in the city centre. These activities range from a Picnic to making toys or baking.
For city centre shopping (e.g. BroadMarsh and the Victoria Centre), the best methods of getting into the city are the Park and Ride Schemes. [[sterling]]1.20 to park and for a whole car load of folks to bus to and from the city. Frequent services. Parking in the City is both expensive and can be a trial on Saturdays. There are multi-story car parks at the two main shopping malls, and there are several small lots located around the city centre.
Between the city centre and the university on Castle Blvd. there is a shopping area called Castle Marina. It contains a Sainsbury's (see grocery stores). There is also a Homebase (ph. 941-3800) where you can find most of the necessary DIY items you need. They also have a cashback scheme that you can join if you are either very handy and fix a lot, or if you are very unhandy and break a lot. In this complex there are restaurants (see the Baltimore Exchange under dining out rather than actually go there), a McDonnalds, and a strip of shopping stores including a Curry's.
With a former HoD secretly wearing them as his only dress shoe, DM's are a shoe of choice in the department. Other members of staff also wear them, but eschew the traditional colour black. A good place to buy Doc Martins is at the Gas and Welding Equipment store at 239 Ilkeston Rd. (a bit towards town from Lenton Ave., ph. 942-0519). They mostly sell welding supplies, and let the shoes go for a large discount. Backlash, across from the Theatre Royal, is another a good place to buy DMs and second hand clothes.
For electronics, people have had success with Curry's (longer return policy), Argos, the catalogue showroom place, has offices near Victoria Centre, Broadmarsh, and on the square in Beeston. The closest Curry store is located on Castle Boulevard near Sainsbury's. Some people swear by Jessops (the Nottingham Branch of John Lewis), which is in the Victoria Centre, who will not be knowingly undersold.
There is a Blackwells bookshop in the Portland building (ph. 958-0272) and scattered over several separate shops with branches in the new Arts centre (selling art and children's books) and in the medical school (selling medical texts, right across the bridge and down one level by the front door). There are several remainder bookstores downtown, particularly on Clumber St. near the Vic Centre (e.g. Country Bookshop) and on Mansfield Rd.
If you're really looking for stationery rather than books and have a university account, there is a good value store in the Trent Building. Coming up the hill, right before you enter the archway going into the courtyard, turn right, enter the brown doors, and inside is the Stationary Office. Department secretaries may have price lists. They have A4 binders for 60p, for example.
The Student's Union Shop, near the main library, sells newspapers at a discount, including the Financial Times for 15p instead of 65p, as people who write for it are quick to point out.
While not strictly a book store, the public library (ph. 9412 121) in the city centre is on Angel Row. You must bring proof of address to get a card.
Sainsbury's (on Castle Blvd. and in Beeston) provides most of all the vittles you would ever want, but they don't properly hang their meat. If you want beef that tastes like beef you will also have to see a butcher (and have your head examined, 8/96). One of our favourite butchers is Geo. Hogg & Son (The People's Butchers), on the Beeston High St. near MacDonalds (ph. 925-034). The other butcher close to them are quite helpful and the quality seems about the same. Although ASDA (in Lenton, for example), Tesco (Vic Centre), and the Kwik-Save (in Beeston near the bus terminal) are also available, but aren't as enticing. Cheap meat and fish is available in the market section of the Victoria Centre. The nicest supermarket we've found is the Safeway on the A52 (ring road) near Gamston and the Nottingham Airport. Macro is a buyer's club for small businesses, and can sell without VAT if you are so privileged. It is on the ring road across from Showcase Cinemas. Hyperama (ph. 985-1301), Bull Close Rd., is across from Macro, and does not require you to have a membership card; they sometimes will let you have one at the door.
Small newsagents/corner stores are liberally sprinkled around Nottingham. Leen Gate News (on the corner of Leen Gate and Gregory street within sight of the medical school, ph: 9784-918) is a typical one used by several members of the department. It also rents movies. Beeston News on the Beeston High Road run by Manu and Vina is friendly and delivers papers.
There is a bread supply and organic food store on the street that runs past the council house, over the hill, and on the left, called Hiziki's (15 GooseGate, ph. 950-5523). They also sell popping corn, as does the health food store on the Beeston High St.
Bardill Garden Centre (Toton Lane, Stapleford. Tel. 939-2478) is slightly expensive, but is more than just a garden centre; there is a good coffee shop, a large gift shop, and an aquarium centre there.
Homebase, the Sainsbury's version of a DIY store, is located at Castle Marina near the grocers. If they don't have it, they think you don't need it, which is not always true. For larger projects that you probably shouldn't tackle yourself, you will appreciate knowing about the (B&Q) Depot (ph. 986-4818), a larger store (like a Homebase on steroids), with a larger selection on Queens Rd. in Riverside Retail Park, about 5 min. from the Dunkirk flyover. It also is open later, typically 6 PM on Sundays and until 8 PM on other nights. It is not as easy to use as Homebase.
Often you will want to just get a single screw or a small pot of paint. In Beeston these needs are well met by Wilkinsons ('Wilko's' on the square), and Apelbys (near the McDonnalds).
There is a locksmith on Alfreton Road, about 400 yards from Canning Circus, Halls (ph. 978-0141). George Boyd at Leengate, Lenton (ph. 978-1181) is an ironmonger wholesalers, but will help finding hard to find kit.
For wood chips, Fernlow Fencing on Radcliffe Rd. in Gamston (ph. 981-1338) offers a pretty good deal for covering your garden. They deliver.
Christmas trees. You can find them when you don't need them, but when you do, you can find them in several shops on the Beeston High Street, the B & Q, and Macro. If you want a more adventuresome experience, you can just head north of the city, and there are numerous small farms around Sherwood Forest, not surprisingly, which sell them.
Like most English cities Nottingham is well served with off-licenses and pubs for buying your drinks. There prices tend to be slightly higher than you would want (particularly pubs). There are several interesting alternatives. Oddbins (downtown at 2 Middle Pavement near the BroadMarsh Centre) offers very good value on a widely changing selection and has a wine tasting on Saturdays between 2 and 5 PM. There is a Victoria Wine company outlet in Victoria Centre, but it is small and poorly stocked, mostly with beer. Sainsbury's (the omnipotent) offers good value on modest quality and modest quantities of beer, wine, and spirits. The University's Staff Club offers reasonable value on campus for picking up something to take home in addition to a loaf of bread and a pint of milk. Majestic Wine on Castle Boulevard has an interesting selection and sells some very nice chips, but the minimum purchase is a case.
For watch repair, Onyx the Master Goldsmith (ph. 925-8744) on the Beeston High street has provided one repair at a good price. Ideas Giftshop (ph. 925 2363) on the Beeston High Rd. is a convenient place for replacing watch batteries.
Photo repairs. Try Abbey Photographic on Mansfield Road (in the City).
Camping equipment. Easily the best camping/backpacking shop in Nott'm is at Castle Mountain & Moor at 40-44 Maid Marian Way (ph. 941-4059), but they only offer high quality stuff, which tends to be dear but long lasting. Other stores, which include a modest selection of backpacks, are the Army and General store across from the train station and The Yeoman's store, Beeston High Rd.
(perhaps)[3] The Best Indian in town is at Sagaars (ph. 622 014) restaurant in Sherwood at 473 Mansfield Road - you have to wrestle the King Prawns to the ground, they are nearly mini-lobsters, and they taste good too. Others just say that it has good vegetarian food and large portions. Despite the high prices, they are good value. The Beeston Tandori restaurant (150 High Rd.) is a well liked, slightly expensive Indian restaurant on the high road in Beeston (and it has a good take away service, ph. 922-3330). Other Indians worth a visit -- Lagunas, Anilas.
The Mogal-e-Azam (ph 9473 820, 7/9 Goldsmith St across from the Theatre Royal), also known as "The Mogal". Eammon sez the best Indian restaurant in town. Are going to believe the professors and the rest of the department who added their suggestions to this or are you going to try this place out on the off chance that Eammon is right?
There is a very nice Indian restaurant just next to the Johnson Arms on University Boulevard, A Taste of India (ph: 978-4957). In addition to take-away it now offers a sit down area.
There is sound, but expensive if you order ala carte, Chinese food at the Ocean City Restaurant on Derby Road down from Canning Circus. Try the Dim Sum on a Sunday Lunch time.
Silver Tree, 27 High Rd Beeston. Chinese Take Away. Pretty good; the Sechzwan prawns are really good (ph. 922-1942). Further down the road, the Golden Crown, is very well worth passing by for takeaway, but we've had good dinners in (N=3).
In the city centre (Hockley), the Mandarin Restaurant (23 Hockley, ph. 958-6037) offers very good food indeed (but the service can be quite slow indeed).
The main claim of the Chinese take-away near the west entrance to the university, the Lucky Star, is its large portions.
If you need a Chinese restaurant near the train station and you have some dosh, Noble House is for you at 31/33 GreyFriar Gate (ph. 950-1105). The food is OK but somewhat pricey (hot & sour soup [[sterling]]2.30, kungpao chicken [[sterling]]5.60).
The Mayfair on Mansfield Road is cheap and cheerful. Bring your own booze (they don't have a drinks licence).
Muchachas at 140 Alfreton Rd. (ph. 979-2191) is available for those who need a fix of Mexican food. Scruffy Murphy's on Derby Rd. near the Park's north entrance appears to also sell Mexican or Tex-Mex food.
The Blue Nile on Broad Street (in Hockley) is an Egyptian restaurant -- the meze is nice but a bit expensive for what you get. Avoid the belly dancer!
There are two interesting Italian restaurants near each other on Derby Rd. in Stapleford. Bel Paese (ph. 939-1075) at 198 is busier; San Marco (ph. 939-9422) was friendly, and the food quite good, although not as good as in Italy my dining companion reminded me. But both are far closer.
Captain Cod. 141 Perry Rd at intersection with Hucknall Rd. (ph 9858 351). (This changed hands sometime in 1995, and we solicit another review.) "This is a must, even though it is North of the City and several miles from the University. The smell in the shop is gorgeous (almost worth going there just to inhale); it is spotlessly clean, the fish is always freshly cooked (plenty of people go there, but no long queues); and the chips are good. They do burgers and kebabs too. The service is really friendly. Phone ahead for scampi."
The Humber Rd. Chippy, the local to your humble editor, we've been told has been going down hill for several years. At this rate, the 80's must have been the golden age of chippies, for even now the fish is good, the chips crisp and not too greasy, and the value for money quite high. It has been rumoured that the Vice-Chancellor at the university sends a driver round occasionally to pick up his lunch.
Yod Siam, Thai takeaway and fish and chip shop (ph. 925 8217) at 107 Central Ave. in Beeston has a bit of a schizophrenic feel to it. On one side of the shop is a traditional fish and chips shop (well, almost) that also serves Thai chicken and chips, and the other side of the shop is a quite pleasant Thai takeaway.
Harry Ramsden has opened the world's most famous fish and chips shop in Riverside Retail Park near Clifton Bridge (near the B&Q Depot, ph. 986-1304). For [[sterling]]5 you can eat in for fish, chips, bread & butter, and a cuppa. For [[sterling]]3 you can have it take away. While not the absolute best fishnchips, it offers fast and friendly service, a posh atmosphere (chandeliers!), and beer with your meal. You should avoid the scampi, for in addition to its own problems, professors in the AI group will make fun of you for ordering it.
Traditional Fish and Chip Shop 41 Chilwell Rd. Beeston. Reasonable (but No Scampi)
Heath's (ph. 0116 273 6148) in Evington Road, Leicester is "Totally awesome". It's above a fishmonger of the same name. Fresh fish daily, etc., etc.
T2. A grungy student cafeteria still named after its location on the initial architectural drawing. It is best to get food for take-away there unless you like a loud atmosphere and chairs bolted to the floor. They do reasonable soup, pre-made sandwiches, and good value jacket potatoes. The Orangery across the walkway is a bit nicer but has a smaller selection. There is a similar cafeteria that serves full hot lunches in the medical school that Dr. Etal frequents because they don't know that he's not that kind of doctor, and he doesn't know that they're heavily into recycling over there.
The Portland building. The student cafeterias on the second floor offers very good value, and is often the first place staff consider in their lunching plans. There is also a bar on the ground floor for those who wish to drunk their lunch. On the top floor there is the imaginatively named Top Floor Dining room (formerly the Private Dining room). There are rumours of a staff room where you can have a nap after lunch on an upper floor if you went to Oxbridge.
The new arts centre: Cafe Lautrec. In October 1993 Cafe Lautrec (ph. 951-5791) was out of favour. In 1995 it came into favour and has remained there. It's not run by the university's in-house catering unit. It tends to serve very nice food, in a pleasant atmosphere. Its portions have come into relation to their price, making it a relatively good value, if you like your food to taste good, which not everyone cares about. They do have good coffee, and it is worth at least a visit to decide if you need that much value, and it a pleasant place to take guests. It is also a good place to edit manuscripts.
The University Club. The slightly cheaper beer ([[sterling]]1.05) than normal is a loss leader to get you in. The food is slightly upmarket, but good value. Kirby, the waiter, takes good care of you.
The medical school cafeteria. The ambience could hardly be worse, buried in the bowels of a hospital with doctors and sick people wandering around along with people crying in the corners. But, the prices are very good indeed (in 1994, two plates of salad, veg and chips for a pound, chicken Grand Marnier for two), and the food is not too bad. It's on level D (3), in the E/W block.
Parker's Cafe at Dunkirk flyover: It is not open after 5 PM. It appears to be similar to an American diner or truck stop.
The Lenton Friary. Your standard or slightly below standard fish and chips shop on Abbey Road. Fish is good, chips are OK, everything else tried so far (N=6) disappoints.
Anatalya, next door to the Beeston Tandori, is now a Turkish restaurant. It has friendly service, and the food seems to be ok. In 5/94, 6/95, and 10/97 it has come under new management and needs to be reviewed again and again.
These restaurants offer a couple of possibilities for good food without really pushing the boat out.
The Baltimore Exchange. Located in Castle Marina, this TGIF-like American theme restaurant will probably disappoint in some small way, but it often crowded. It's slightly expensive, and those who know opine that the authentic American taste is not quite accurate. The beer (mostly lager, which is what one should drink for the bitter is very poorly kept) is expensive, and the crowd somewhat yuppie. The best thing to say for them is that while their barbecue and milkshakes are not authentic, they are at least very good. But it has balloons.
Le Grenouille (ph. 411088, 32 Lenton Blvd.). Eammon's recommended wining and dining restaurant with an ironic name. A bit pricey. Run by real French people. It's just like being in a foreign country! Their fixed price menu is good value, and you get a lot of food. Their wine list is pleasant and fairly priced as well.
Pierre Victoire (in the city centre somewhere) offers good food and a lively, slightly bistro-esque atmosphere. It is a chain, but it's a *French* chain restaurant, so it's just like all the French restaurants in France as much as McDonnalds is like all the American restaurants. Actually, that's unkind.
The Dome (ph. 979-9995) 13 St. Peter's Gate has a nice set menu for [[sterling]]5. The portions are not large, but the pommes frites can help out. The music can be a bit loud, so it's better for smaller groups than for large.
Mayfields, Wheeler Gate. Food until 8 PM. Wine happy-hour 6-7 PM.
Cafe Rouge, in the city centre, should be tried more.
It ain't Chikaga (Chicago) by any means, but reasonable interpretations of pizza are available from Dominoes in Beeston (ph. 9 436 363).
(the 2.80 place downtown!) Deep pan pizza (or is it Deep dish Pizza?) across from the Theatre Royal.
A pleasant oddity is the Loch Fyne Oyster Bar at 17 Kings Street (ph. 950-8481) -- probably the best oysters and best value for money seafood anywhere south of the Great Glen (Scotland). Another oddity, with disappointingly good food, is the Cottage (ph 01509 672 449) on the high street in Kegworth. It basically offers 4 course meals of good food for a tenner. The disappointing aspect is that you have to drive for 25 min. to get there. With the local pubs there you could make a night of it.
The Town House on Low Pavement. It's stopped opening in the evenings altogether. It is a sort of cafe style restaurant, in that you can just have a cup of coffee or a bowl of soup, but they do cook real food as well. The food is excellent, especially the pizzas.
Jesse's (in Goose Gate, or is it Hockley?). Doesn't look too posh from outside, but it's very good-- they have a menu for about 12 pounds, and do a la carte, which is dearer.
Perkins Bistro, Plumtree, 6 miles south of Nottingham on the Melton Road - book well ahead but worth it -- recommend pint of prawns and strawberry shortbread.
Sunny's (ph. 947-3041) in the city centre. A bit pricey (entrees for [[sterling]]10-15), but it is quite good.
The White Lady at Newstead Abbey in a posh location with OK food.
Brasserie 69. 69 Chillwell Rd. 925-9994. Not inexpensive and not small portions. A couple can leave feeling stuffed for about [[sterling]]50 including wine.
Empirical work in this area (Ritter et al., 1995) is an enjoyable activity within any psychology department, and ours is no exception. There is keen debate about where to go, between the Johnson Arms and the Victoria. Below is a listing of pubs convenient to campus, or of particular note within the Nottingham area. Additional information is available from Nottinghamshire County Council in their (undated) brochure of pubs.
CAMRA (ph. 923-5360, 145 Abbey Rd., West Bridgeford, NG2 5ND) hosts the Nottingham Real Ale Festival at the Victoria Leisure Centre in Sneiton every October. There is a lot of data, enough to make you drunk if you try too many experiments.
Quite nearby
- The Johnson Arms (Dunkirk)
- Three Wheatsheeves (Lenton, Derby Rd.)
- Rose and Crown (Lenton, Derby Rd.)
- The Boat (Dunkirk, around the corner from the Johnson arms)
- The White Hart (Dunkirk/Lenton)
In Lenton, Beeston, and nearby areas
- The Crown (Beeston)
- The Star
- The Three Horseshoes
Interesting ones down town
- The Trip (Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem)
- The Salutation Inn (Ye Olde Salutation Inn)
- The Running horse
- The Falcon Inn
- The Bell
The Victoria. This is a pub becoming relatively established on the Beeston scene, and a much welcome one. It is run by a former landlord of the Limelight and Lincolnshire Poacher. Like them, it features a revolving selection of well kept real ales, a basically friendly atmosphere, and pretty good food. It is behind the Beeston train station on Dovecote Lane. (ph. 925-4049). They also have a nice lurcher dog named Fritz. These three pubs (Vic, Limelight, Poacher) are part of a Tynemill chain, which offers doubly disappointingly high quality service, food, and beer. Doubly disappointing, that is, that you have to travel so far to get to them and disappointing that they are so little copied.
The Limelight. This pub is next door to the Albert Hall (and adjoining the Playhouse Theatre), serving mostly theatregoers in a very pleasant atmosphere, but all are welcome. It has several bars, and seating downstairs. As noted in the table, it has one of the largest selections of draft beers in the city. The seating downstairs is quieter, and has all the ambience of a high school cafeteria, but you get to drink beer there without being told to bus your table. (ph. 941-8467)
The Lincolnshire Poacher. A friendly pub located on the left hand side of Mansfield Rd. north approximately three blocks from the Victoria Centre. It serves Bateman's real ales and a variety of other visiting real ales. It has a pleasant conservatory in the rear as well as a patio. It serves a limited menu, but generally the items are of high quality. It appears to have Irish music sessions upon occasion (ph. 941-1584). The Golden Fleece is nearby, and some like it for the same reasons.
Sir John Borlase Warren. A slightly posh pub in Canning Circus with a mix of students and locals. A place to warm your feet on the way to or from another pub or event downtown.
The Royal Children. A snug, slightly posh pub in the city centre catering mostly to workers there. It's fairly clear, the pub's name and notes not withstanding, that 23 year old Princess Anne did not visit the pub on 2 December 1688 for a week. There was no pub by this name before 1799, and in 1688 Princess Anne didn't have any children. So it is not nearly old enough to have hosted the royal children in question. It is alleged (Etal, E., 1993, personal communication) that upon the birth of a royal child all the regulars are given a glass of champagne. It does have a picture of the fattest man in England in the lounge though (54 s, by the way). Look for a similar picture in the Trip, and, indeed, in various other pubs throughout England.
The Martin's Arms. A genuine village pub 20-30 minutes south of Nottingham. It has good beer, and it has good food, but this part is a bit pricey (main dishes [[sterling]]7-12, pub food for two with one appetiser, [[sterling]]22). On one visit it had lots of fresh flowers that annoyed Dr. Et al.. In summer that have a garden, and in the winter, fires. It's good enough, in fact, and obscure enough, to deserve a map, shown in Figure 2 (or use a map or take the A52 to the A46 or use a map).
Figure 2. Map to the Martin Arms pub. Note: never used to get there.
The Ferry Inn. (ph. 981-1441) On summer, if you are free that day, a delightful way to spend the evening is on the Trent River in Wilford at the Ferry Inn. They also do food in the evening.
The Crown at Old Dalby (towards Melton Mowbray). Excellent range of beers served straight from the cask. Good (but expensive) food. Boules on the lawn. Les Routiers recommended. Very hard to find. Take one of us and we'll show you.
The White Swan in Sileby, further towards Leicester than Old Dalby. More limited range of beers than the Crown, but good value food that is good. They have a small beer garden, and sell their own sausages. From the A46 follow the signs to Sileby, about 2-3 miles north of Leicester. Follow the road into the centre of the town, and where the road twists left, you should stay straight onto Swan St., which after about 100 yards will take you past the pub. There are boxers there as well.
The Radcliffe Arms. Bunny. Opposite the Toyota garage. Large old pub, does pub meals and the beer is OK. Nice walks are available in the town, and the church has a plaque commemorating the 'Wrestling Baron of Bunny'.
As this guide evolves we hope to be able to recommend a pub along the River Soar just south of Kegworth in a location where you would really want a nice country pub, in this, the most south-eastern area of Nottinghamshire. For there are reports of a riverside pub at Normanton, a Nottinghamshire village near the border with Leicestershire. The mythical pub has a garden leading down to the River that forms the county boundary, and this is, of course, the River Soar.
Table 2: Listing of pubs for planning your pub crawl.
+ indicates guest beers
N indicates the number of visits so far, a measure of quality and convenience.
F indicates Fires in the winter.
G indicates gardens to sit in.
D indicates dart board available.
B indicates Bowser is allowed in at least one room inside.
X indicates Bowser is not allowed inside at all.
Name Location Beer N Food Accout- Other
rements
The Three Lenton Shipstone 8 L/D DG
Wheatsheaves
The Royal Children City Home 2 ?
Centre
Ye Olde Trip to City Hardy & 3 Oldest
Jerusalem Centre Hansons
The Bell Inn City Free 2 L/D +
Centre House
The Grove Lenton Free 3 none none Most crowded
House
The Salutation City Whitbread 4 L Oldest too
Centre
The Ferry Inn W.Bridgefo Premier 1 L/D FG
rd
The Johnson Arms Dunkirk Shipstone 6 Rolls FG
Sir John B. Warren Canning Shipston 4 L/D G
e
The Limelight Canning Freehouse 2 Lots of real
ale
The Commercial Beeston Kimberly 10 L XD poor beer
selection
The Victoria Beeston Free 7 L/D BG
House
The Three Beeston Shipstone 30 L GDB closest
Horseshoes
The Star Beeston Shipstone 2 no FDB+
Lincolnshire Vic Cen Batemans+ 6 L/D G lots of real
Poacher ale
There are things to see and do in Nottingham if you ever have your work done. There are often free magazines about what's on, right now Citylights (http://come.to/citylights) has been useful.
Nottingham Tourist information centre (ph. 947-0661) in the Council house on Market Square is a good place to get further information about Nottingham and to buy Nottingham trinkets.
There is a general ticket office at the Victoria Centre (ph. 941-9741). They sell tickets for a variety of venues and times.
Student run movies during term time at the university. Haven't been. Probably a bit studenty.
The Broadway (ph. 952-6611; Seats: 1:450 E. 2:155 XE), downtown on Broad St. near the Vic. Centre, shows art and foreign films. Students [[sterling]]2.50 and normal people at [[sterling]]3.50. The best way to know what's on is to ask them to send you their schedule every month.
There are other more run-of-the-mill cinemas. The Savoy on Derby Road (ph. 947-2580; Seats: 1:386, 2:128, 3:168) is nice -- old-fashioned (still has double seats for loving couples and a small bar). It does current films and some classics.
The Odeon (on Angel Row; ph. 941-7766 (recorded information) Seats: 1:924, 2:581, 3:141, 4:153, 5:114, 6:96) and the MGM (ph. 945260/941-8483; Seats: 1:764, 2:437, 3:280) cinemas downtown are pretty standard. The Showcase cinema, the so-called 'American cinemas', (ph. 986-6766; 3,200 on 13 screens) is a multi-screen place, just out of town on the ring road, but within walking distance of the University.
Video Magic, 105 High Rd. Beeston. One of a chain of shops throughout Nottingham. Rentals as low as [[sterling]]1.00 for two nights (best deal in town). Rather unimaginative range of films (e.g., no Woody Allen), but otherwise a good range. ID for joining (no fee): 2 things with printed address (e.g., phone bill) and 1 with signature.
The Nottingham Playhouse -- does quite interesting stuff. The pantos at the Nottingham Playhouse are better than those at the Theatre Royal, if that's not an oxymoron, if you are not going with children and want more wit (but if you do, why are you going to a panto?)
The Theatre Royal (ph. 9482-626) -- has touring companies (usually for only a week at a time so you have to be careful you don't blink and miss them) such as the RSC, Opera North, sometimes 'West End' style musicals.
The Royal Concert Hall -- next to the Theatre Royal. Major orchestras visit (e.g. Halle, CBSO, etc).
The Bell (pub beside Market Square) has jazz on Monday nights -- Dixie stuff.
Cafe Metz, opposite Oddbins at the top of the Broadmarsh Centre, has a Latin jazz band on Saturday Nights.
There are a wide variety of these! This information here changes quite often.
The Irish - this place reminds you of a village hall or a school disco. It is cheap and packed with students. It has to be seen at least once -- a real Nottingham institution.
Rock City - as well as hosting live bands, this is a nightclub. 'Student Night' is on Thursdays, 'Rock Night' is on Fridays, and 'Alternative Night' is on Saturdays. They also give quite good student discounts, and it will certainly be an experience.
Madisons, Ritzy's - two nightclubs downtown.
The Cookie Club - very small (exclusive?) place opposite Bankrupt Clothing on the way up to Hockley. You wouldn't notice it during the day. Not usually very busy but OK if you are with a group of friends. No dress restrictions.
The Market Bar - in Hockley, beneath Trent Bridge Travel. Very trendy place - lots of imported bottled beer.
Hippos, the BeatRoot - two clubs near the Market Bar.
The Black Orchid - large (and easy to get lost in) club out of town near the Showcase cinema. Has a student night (Monday?) otherwise dress restrictions are tough. Recently renamed, but don't know the name.
Miros - large old house near the station. In early 1994 it was trendy, but now, who knows?
The local radio and TV is rather provincial, but comes in good. See Table 3 for details.
See Julian Pine to join the staff football team. Nottingham Football Association (ph. 941-8954) can also put you in touch with local, casual football teams.
Nottingham has two football clubs (FA), Notts. County FC (ph. 986-1155), and Nottingham Forest (ph. 982-1122). One is often in the Premier division, and the other is sometimes in the Premier division.
The university has a fairly well equipped sports centre. It has several halls for badminton, indoor football, squash, and even snooker and rock climbing. They also let you hire equipment for these sports, including whistles. A swimming pool was installed in December 1996. For a nominal [[sterling]]10 (staff, [[sterling]]8 student) and a passport photo, you are issued a booklet noting that you are a member. To reserve a room, ring x15516.
Table 3: Radio Stations in Nottingham.
AM band (kHz) FM band (MHz)
Radio 1: 1053, 1089 kHz 97.6 - 99.8
Radio 2: 88. - 90.2
Radio 3: 90.2 - 92.4
Radio 4: 198 kHz 92.4 - 94.6
Radio 5: 693 kHz
Classic FM: 100-102
Trent FM: 96.2
GEM-AM: 999/945 (MW)
Radio Nottingham: 1521 103.8, 95.5
Radio Derby: 1116 kHz 104.5, 94.5,
95.3, 95.1,
104.9
Radio Lincs: 1368 94.9
[This table taken from the Nottingham Post in 1994, and is known to include errors.]
For tennis, there are three outdoor courts at the sports centre, and the halls in the sports centre can be made into indoor courts (but we've never seen it happen). Across the road from the university is the "largest tennis centre of its kind in the country", the City of Nottingham Tennis Centre. It has 8 indoor and over 20 outdoor courts, changing rooms, and a small refreshments stand. Fees for peak (6 to 11 PM) indoor time in the winter are steep, [[sterling]]12/hour, but even at that price it can be hard to book. Bookings can be made at 915-0000.
People into wind surfing should make the effort to get down to Rutland Water -- 34 miles south of Nottingham you pass through the lovely county town of Oakham (good food and beer). At Rutland Water you can surf, sail, bicycle and get very drunk at the White Horse, Empingham.
There are several dry slope and indoor ski slopes in the area. The worst, perhaps, is at Richard Harrod Leisure Centre (ph. 961- 2949) in Carlton. They are open on Sunday mornings with a 60m slope that is around [[sterling]]4/hour, including rentals. Sheffield Ski Village (ph. 01142 769-459) claims to be the largest such facility in Europe, and after [[sterling]]10 for the first hour, additional hours are about [[sterling]]3. Snowdome in Tamworth (ph. 0990 000-011) at junction 10 on the M42 offers shaved ice skiing for around [[sterling]]13 per hour.
For three days starting from the first Thursday of October the Goose Fair comes to Nottingham. It is probably the largest and oldest Fair in England, and perhaps Europe. It used to be held at the City Centre, but is now held at the Faire grounds a mile north of the city. You should go once, at least, but probably will not find it interesting five times.
At the old cattle market a flea market and auction is held every Saturday. And reflecting on it, the organisers have a sense of humour.
Wollaton Hall, now a museum but was once a great mansion, is just north of the university. It is surrounded by a vast park which is very picturesque. It was given to the city in the 1930's to avoid the tax man, and has since been turned into a deer park, private golf course, several meadows, a fishing lake, a Natural Science museum, and an Industrial Museum. The Natural Science museum has lots of stuffed birds, lots of moths and other exhibits in traditional and sometimes rather run down presentations. It's worth a visit sometime. The Industrial museum has a large collection of lace making machines, cars, and a working beam (steam) engine; definitely worth a visit for anyone remotely interested in industrial archaeology. Watch out for the various annual and other occasional events in Wollaton Park, such as the Steam Fair and hot air balloon launches.
The Tales of Robin Hood: 'A Picture Book Journey through the Robin Hood Legend'. 30-38 Maid Marian Way. Nottingham NG1 6GF. (ph. 0115 9483284). We believe that this is probably just a tourist rip-off downtown on Maid Marion Way (but there are often queues). We look forward to going and buying silly presents for our friends. "The sights, the sounds, the people (and the smells [!]) of medieval England are recreated in the retelling of the Tales of Robin Hood." Probably good if you have kids.
Attenborough Nature Reserve. If you go out along the Beeston Canal, past Beeston, you will run across the a nature reserve. On weekends it can be crowded with people watching wildlife, but it makes a pleasant day trip in any case.
Sherwood Forest. 25 miles north off the A614. There are nice walks and a nice interpretative centre. Not nearly as exciting as you hoped it would be when you were 10...
Newstead Abbey. 9 miles north west on the A60 to Mansfield, founded 1170, Lord Byron's family seat, beautiful grounds. Can go by bus from the Victoria Centre Bus Station (means walking a mile or so from the bus stop when you get there).
A fairly complete listing of the museums in Nottingham are shown in Table 4.
The smallest National trust property. At 5 & 7 Blyth Grove are two houses that serve as time capsules from the 1930's. It is only open from 1 pm to 5:30 pm from Tuesday to Saturday between April and October. Bookings can be made by writing to The custodian, 7 Blyth Grove, Worksop, Notts (enclosing a SSAE), or by calling (01909) 482 380.
The Friends of Nottingham Museums offer guided tours of the Drury Hill Broadmarsh Caves every Wednesday at 1930, for [[sterling]]1 for adults and 50p for concessions. You must book in advance at 948-3504 ext 3600.
Green's Mill and Centre, Sneinton, Nottingham UK (ph. 915 6878) is a restored working windmill once owned and operated by the mathematical physicist, George Green (1793-1841). (The Science Library at the University is named after him. It got Dyson to visit.) The adjacent centre tells the story of the mill and of Green's great contribution to science and integration through hands on exhibits and displays. There is a programme of educational activities and public events. Green's Mill also has a web site which includes details of the other Nottingham City Museums (http://www.innotts.co.uk/greensmill/). The Tourist Information Office is at (115) 915-5330.
Table 4: Museums in Nottingham.
Venue Opening Hours Fee Phone Topics
times
The Castle daily 1000-1645 free* 915-5555 Art and stuff
Museum
Brewhouse daily 1000-1700 free 915-5555 ext
Yard 3600
Green's Mill Wed-Sunda 1000-1700 free 915-6878 Working
y windmill,
calculus and
double
integrals
Industrial Thurs 1000-1630 free* 928-4602 Industrial
Sat & stuff
1330-1630
Canal Wed/Thur 1000-1700 free 959-8835 Canal and
Sat 1300-1700 water stuff
Costume & daily 1000-1700 free 915-5555 ext Costumes and
Textiles 3540 stuff
Natural M-Sat Sun 1000-1630 free* 928-1333 Bones and
History 1330-1630 stuff
University M-F Sat 1000-1900 free 951-3192 Art stuff, so
Art Gallery 1100-1700 called.
* indicates that there is a 'small charge' on Sundays and bank holidays.
Belvior Castle (pronounced 'beaver', hehe) is off the A52 east of Nottingham (Grantham, Lincs, (01476) 987-0262. It is owned by the Duke of Rutland, and has jousting festivals in the summer. Open from March to October.
Bunny is a village just south of Nottingham. It makes a pleasant half day trip. You can get lunch at the Rutland Arms, walk around the town, and see a memorial plaque in the village church to the 'wrestling baron of Bunny.'
The Peak District is a national park that starts abut 40 min. north west of Nottingham. It is good value. The Chatsworth house and grounds are well worth a visit. The Bull's Head near Ashford has been recommended as a good pub, as has The Peacock in Hassip.
The Scotsman's Pack Inn (School Lane, Hathersage (A625) S30 1BZ (0433) 650-253, 650-712) comes recommended as a base to take hikes from, to stay, and to eat and drink.
Bakewell is a pleasant market town about an hour and a bit north. The Bakewell Pudding Shop, when it can bother to open, serves nice food and good Bakewell puddings. We have had a very nice meal in a wine bar there. The Castle and the Red Lion pubs serve very touristy, traditional British food.
Lincoln is easy to get to by train. Old town, castle and cathedral plus lots of nice tea shops. Their medieval Christmas fair is worth attending once or twice or even more, and this can beneficially be combined with a trip to the whiskey shop in town. The White Hart is a pleasant pub.
This collection of small towns can reached by train every hour from Nottingham station. We can recommend Dillons Hotel (Belsize Park or Swiss Cottage), ph. 0171-794 -3360. Singles from [[sterling]]27, doubles from [[sterling]]35 (including VAT and continental breakfast). The International Student's house at 119 Great Portland St. (ph. 0171 631-3223) looks like a nice and good value place to stay, but we have no experience as of yet to report because they are always booked months ahead. The Regency at 71 Glower St. (Ph. 0171 637-1804) is closer in with better breakfasts, but expectedly slightly more expensive at around [[sterling]]42 for a double. Great location though. We've also heard good things about the Edward Lear Hotel (ph. 0171 402 5401), but don't know its prices.
Amsterdam is only 40 minutes away by air from Nottingham, closer than London in some ways. It remains the adult male's version of Disney Land. A good value place to stay is at Hotel ,,P.C. Hooft" (#63 P.C. Hooftstraat, 1071 BN Amsterdam, ph. ++ 020 6627107). They are two blocks from the Rijksmuseum, and offers singles for 65 guilders (approximately [[sterling]]20). It's run by a nice Egyptian family and has cable TV in four languages. While in Amsterdam, be sure to rent a bike and tour the country side. You find a bike shop readily enough just by strolling, and the countryside is only 20 minutes away by bike.
All references, unless noted, are available from their authors.
Barnes, F. (1993). Priory demesne to university campus. Nottingham: U. of Nottingham.
Nottingham University, Physical recreation department handbook, Updated yearly. Contains much more information on the athletic facilities at the University.
Nottinghamshire County Council (undated) Discover Nottinghamshire Pubs. Available from the Nottinghamshire County Council, ph. 774215, -4 Smithy Row, Nottingham, NG1 2BY.
Ritter, F. E., Reber, R., Ritter, S., Reber, P., Ritter, C., Reder, L. M., Ritter, J. M., & Bodenhousen, U., Etal, E. (1996). The effect of price on gustatory perception of fermented malt beverages. J. of Irreproducible Results, 41(3), 18-20.
Trease, G. (1978?) Nottingham, a biography. Oatly, West Yorks: The Amethyst Press. Available from the library downtown.