Hotels in Middlesbrough
In the end I gave up and booked the only one I could find that looked reasonable on Late Rooms, the Thistle. After my experience on Tuesday with Premier Inn, I felt that might be an idea, but that didn’t work out, as the one in the town itself was fully booked. I phoned the others locally and they were all clueless about how you get to the Riverside by public transport. They just assumed everybody comes by car and you could almost hear the sentiments that only losers use public transport down the phone. Premier Inn don’t even provide decent maps on their site about where the hotels are.
Incidentally, there is nothing on Middlesbrough FC ‘s web site either. After all, all I would need is a cosy B & B. Or don’t such things exist any more?
I have since cancelled the Thistle, as I have found a B & B, which sounds pleasant.
Premier Inn
On Tuesday night, I stayed in the Premier Inn by the Tower. I have stayed in places like this in the past, but what a revelation; a very clean room, a disabled shower, that was a joy to work and had a seat, full Freeview digital television, so I could listen to Radio 5, a compfortable bed, that you could fall onto safely a la Lenny Henry. So the breakfast wasn’t really too coeliac-friendly, but as I skipped it, it didn’t matter. If I’d wanted one, as it was the city of London, there are lots of places to have a snack.In the book, I will be using more of the hotels, but I still haven’t managed to get anything in Middlesbrough.
Travels With My Stroke
Yesterday, I proved that I could undertake simple journeys by myself. Admittedly, I had lifts to and from home, but everything in the middle was done by myself, whether on train, tube, bus or by walking.
Did I have any problems?
Not really!
I thought about it afterwards and feel it could be a newspaper column, followed by a book. I could visit all of those places, I’ve never been before, stay in cheap hotels or with friends, travelling most of the way by public transport.
Yesterday, was the first trip, although I suppose you could could the return from Hong Kong.
I travelled up and back to London, by train from Cambridge, then used the Circle Line to get to my hotel and then used buses to get back to Kings Cross. This would seem a model that could be used for many trips.
My first planned trip will be to Middlesbrough for the first match of the season. My secretary will drop me at Bury St. Edmunds station on the Friday afternoon and then I’ll take the train to Middlesbrough, changing at Peterborough and York. I’m still trying to find a hotel in Middlesbrough for two nights, as hotels and especially near the Riverside Stadium appear to be very thin on the ground. Surely, places to stay should be one of the priorities of a council these days, as it attracts visitors, who spend money and thus create jobs.
The next weekend, I’m going to Edinburgh to see Jarlath Regan at the Gilded Balloon. Again it will be by train, with perhaps a rush back to see Ipswich on the Saturday.
I’ll see how it all progresses.
The Anonymous Widower 