He Really Should Have Gone For That Pint

The coffee machine has been fixed but the hot breakfast items again appear to be in short supply so we decide to go elsewhere for breakfast. We check out and when I point out my dissatisfaction with yesterday’s breakfast they take it off the bill, which was good of them. 

We eat a full English in a large city centre pub instead. It was a Wetherspoons sort of place but wasn’t actually a Wetherspoons. The breakfast was much better than the hotels and much cheaper as well.

We get the train back home but having to change at Sheffield this time. Again we struggle to find a seat that isn’t reserved. I don’t really understand the system. People are free to reserve seats even though they might only be doing a small part of the train’s total journey or even to reserve seats when they may have off-peak any train tickets like ours where they might not even get on the train they have booked a seat on. I find it all a bit bizarre.

Once home, we head off to collect the dogs from the rescue centre. They haven’t been rehomed but have been health checked and bathed... Let me get this straight... they bathed Doggo and people still have limbs attached? Blimey.

Back home I catch up on the day's cycling, that we didn’t have tickets for and also the World Squash Championship which was also in Manchester this weekend and has been televised by the BBC.

Sheffield’s Nick Matthew wins the squash title and at the cycling Laura Trott adds her second gold of the weekend with an impressive Omnium victory which for once she had pretty much in the bag before the final 500m time trial after winning the Scratch Race.

Things will be a bit tense in the Trott-Kenny household though after Kenny failed to get through the qualification round of the sprint. He really should have gone for that pint in the Sandbar.

Becky James took silver in the Keirin, yes behind a German, Kristina Vogel winning her third gold and Jon Mould took bronze in the scratch race.

(Sunday 3^rd November)

Bloody Germans

After taking them for a ‘final’ park session we drop the dogs off at Babbington Rescue Centre. We’re not actually giving them away, the Rescue Centre also has boarding kennels and it’s that they’re booked into, we hope.

It is cheaper than the old kennels but they are inside and don’t get a room with a view like at the old place.

Then we catch a lunchtime train to Manchester. I had pondered for a long time about whether to get the train or to drive. Somehow the train seems easier although the cost amounts to approximately four times the cost of driving, the only other saving being no parking fees to pay and I dislike trains...

Having arrived at Manchester Piccadilly, we find our hotel, the local Ibis, before going for a pre-Velodrome pint in the Sandbar. It's a Good Beer Guide recommendation (never go anywhere without it) which serves a mean pint of Porter and some decent food.

Then it’s a case of tracking down the Metrolink tram and heading out to the Velopark.

As sort of expected Great Britain win both the men’s and women’s team pursuits with the girls twice lowering their own world record for the all new 4km 4-person event with the women now riding the same distance as the men.

Dani King not only impresses in that but immediately goes back on the track to take 7^th in the next event the 10k scratch race before returning for the pursuit medal ceremony with a change of skin suit required each time. In the same race emerges a potential new star, Scots lass Katie Archibald who takes silver.

The women’s team sprint duo take silver behind a couple of Germany policewomen with thunderous thighs, otherwise known as the Olympic champions. The men take bronze, again behind some bloody Germans.

 

With a thirst created after all that we tram back into the centre to the Joshua Brookes pub across the road from our hotel. Brookes was an eccentric clergyman, whatever that means. His pub's alright but it's not got the most eccentric of beer ranges. 

(Friday 1^st November)