UAFC guide to Twickenham

[29xThePain]

Some train stations also have places where you can store luggage, however, there is a charge.

Pretty sure Euston has one of those places.

Mike makes a very good point about engineering works - Liverpool fans are angry because of the limited trains available to them from Lime St on Cup Final day.

More info on train delays can be found at: http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_d ... today.html

Some delays initially take 30 mins but can also take hours. Worst thing to look out for is a 'person has been struck by a train'... this tends to carry a MINIMUM delay of 90 minutes, due to a variety of reasons. They happen a bit too often on the Underground

[Surrey Red Hand]

Anyone know of luggage facility in or around Twickenham. Flying in dinner time on Friday and have got tickets for the Amlin Final - need somewhere for a case during the match! I know theres no need for a case for a rugby weekend but we r travelling onwards to Europe on the Monday so cant do without it. We are staying central in London so wont have time to drop it off before the Amlin final. We had only planned to go to the Cup Final but the tickets were so cheap and it should be a great game between the two french sides didnt want to miss on getting tickets - then i frickin remembered about the suitcase. I know I can leave it in Heathrow and go back for it on the Sunday but just on the off chance if anyone knows of any such luggage facility in or around the Stoop?

You could try contacting the Stoop itself to see if there is anywhere you could leave a bag in the stadium. They have a bunch of corporate and meeting facilities there so are bound to have cloakrooms or somewhere to leave a bag.

From someone with an Ulster accent

Yeah Heathrow airport is all I can think of!

[Ithryn]

In advance of Mike's guide to the local pubs, if any of you are staying for the weekend in central London, can I put a shout out for O'Neills in Great Queen Street - run by an Ulsterman, always a couple of Ulster and Irish guys/girls on the staff, decent pints and they've always looked after Ulster/Irish rugby fans pretty well, showing matches on obscure channels, even if they have to stick it on a back screen because there is footy on etc. So if you're wandering around the west end/covent garden, rather than taking the weight off in an All Bar One or something, give them a look-in! And mention the fact that they got a mention on the fans website!

seconded, cracking wee bar not like a normal o'neills at all.

[Big Smoke Culchie]

To be honest, as little time spent in Twickenham the better. It's a dump. There are a couple of pubs near the river, other than that it's like Larne on a bad night.

If you're heading in that direction before the match I suggest you head to Richmond and get some beers in by the River. If you're bringing the missus, she can do some shopping while you hoe down on the Guinness. If you're smart, book a table at one of the restaurants before you head to Twickenham. Just turning up and asking for a table at 7pm when there's a game on at Twickers is guaranteed to have you go hungry.

It's even possible to do a pub crawl to Twickenham, if you're that way inclined. Personally I'd get drunk in Richmond then train it to Twickenham (2 stops). It's only a short stagger to the ground from the station.

[mikerob]

Yeah, would agree with you on the pub situation & will update my post when I get a bit of time. There are a couple of pubs by Twickenham station (Cabbage Patch, Garryowen) that get mobbed and are nothing special anyway. Some pubs in town and by the river are better, but are a longer walk from the stadium.

If it is good weather, the riverside pubs in Richmond are good, however these can get very busy as good weather brings out the non-rugby punters as well.

[Backed_up]

Richmond looks to be a recommended choice. Pub guide on the TotallyRichmond site on the link below.

http://www.totallyrichmond.co.uk/pubs.html

[Surrey Red Hand]

Good pub before the game is the WINNING POST pub just west of the stadium and about a 10 minute walk to ground

We were in there before the Quins HC game a few years back, good beer and grub !!!

http://www.beerintheevening.com/pubs/s/ ... st/Whitton

[isleofwighter]

Not a big fan of the Winning Post myself, and agree the pubs in Twickenham are a bit dire.

Definitely recommend The White Cross on the Riverside at Richmond. Good food, and seating outside with views of the river.
Couple of other pubs/ wine bar type places on Richmond riverside are also ok, but suspect the entire area will get crowded very quickly so get there early.

You can then walk/ stagger to the stadium . Takes 20 mins if you head across Richmond Bridge .

[mikerob]

Definitely recommend The White Cross on the Riverside at Richmond. Good food, and seating outside with views of the river.
Couple of other pubs/ wine bar type places on Richmond riverside are also ok, but suspect the entire area will get crowded very quickly so get there early.

... sometimes a very good view of the river during high tides when there has been a lot of rain! Every year there are car owners who return and find them submerged, and a couple of years ago people inside the pub needed to be taken out by a boat when the pub was turned into an island. It can get really busy, however when the weather is good.

[isleofwighter]

Indeed Mikerob.
Having lived and worked in Richmond from 1989- 1999, several tmes I found myself staring at the rising river levels, fearing for my personal safety as I ordered yet another gin and tonic before waiting for the tide waters to gradually subside.

Imagine if you can, the agony of being trapped in a warm comfy pub, unable to do anything other than consume copious quanities of alcohol for literally hours on end!
It was torture, I tell you!

Naturally should this occur on the 19th then I will have no option but to pay the nearest small child twenty quid to piggy back me out of there.

[AndyB]

Is the Orange Tree still on the go in Richmond?

How long does it take to walk to Twickers from Richmond? Will be getting the tube to there from central London.

[scrum5]

Staying at the Hotel Sofitel at Terminal 5 Heathrow, what's the best way to Twickers from here.....

[RichmondRedHand]

Is the Orange Tree still on the go in Richmond?

How long does it take to walk to Twickers from Richmond? Will be getting the tube to there from central London.

Yes, the Orange Tree is still going and in a handy location (it's just across the road from the Richmond tube/train station). There are loads of average pubs in RIchmond that would work ok for the purpose of pre-game beers: One Kew Road, Old Ship, the Duke. If you walk through the Quadrant/Hill Street in Richmond, there's also a generic All Bar One and (up opposite the Odeon cinema at Richmond Bridge), there's a Pitcher & Piano (average pub, great location).

Some other options include The Cricketers and the Princes's Head just off Richmond Green. I prefer Richmond to Twickenham but if you go into Twickenham itself, there's a buncj of bars on Church Street. There is also St. Margaret's as well.

They usually have buses to Twickenham to Richmond along the A316 on match days. I usually walk, which takes me about 25 minutes. There aren't great pub options near the stadium itself.

[AndyB]

Cheers RichmondRed - I had forgotten about the Cricketers. Haven't been in Richmond since the early 90s.

[Big Smoke Culchie]

For those of you not totally focused on bladdering as much beer down your throat as possible there are a couple of decent options in Richmond. If you are prepared to walk up the hill (and the weather is good), The Roebuck is a good spot. The pub itself is pants, but everyone takes their beer outside and sits on the benches above the terrace gardens for the view of the river and Petersham meadow and on down the Thames valley. Believe it or not, it's a protected view. Turner painted it (it hangs in the Tate Britain if you're over for longer than Saturday) and the view has hardly changed since his time. Also, the hotel next to it is where the International teams tend to stay when they're playing at twickers, so there's a chance Ulster might be there as well. I've seen various All Blacks and French players wandering about on game weekend.
Round the corner on Friar Stile Road there is the Marlborough. It's got a huge beer garden outside with guiniepigs and rabbits and stuff to keep the kids amused for hours. The food is ok as well. Not too many chavs on the hillside the atmosphere can be quite gentile.
If you head down from the hill through the terrace gardens to the the river and head back towards the bridge there is Steins, a German beer garden. You need to buy food as well but it's just like being in Bavaria, without the fat Bavarians and their weird leather shorts.
On past the bridge back into Richmond Riverside there is the Slug and Lettuce and the White Cross. The White Cross is my favourite pub in Richmond, but it gets really busy, so the Slug is a good alternative as they give you plastic glasses and you can go outside next to the river or sit on the grass terracing.
One pub worth seeing for the memorabilia is The Sun. It's near the station and if you're into rugby memorabilia this place is full of it. Signed Lions shirts and England shirts and various other international teams are all over the walls. It used to get very buys during games, but they stopped their Sky subscription and the last time I was there it was empty. I've seen a few ex international in there. Jason Leonard comes to mind last year.
Personally, I would be spending the day in Richmond. The centre of London can be awesome, but only if you know where to go. Otherwise it's just like Temple Bar without the culture. And just as expensive.