Bath away

[Brunswicker]

Anyone on the easy jet flight on Saturday morning ?

[29xThePain]

Is everyone in the terrace?

I can get a return train fare and a terrace ticket for around £46, and it's so tempting provided there's some familiar faces around me!

[Brunswicker]

Stand last year terrace this year.

[Glynncommando]

Terrace too
GC

[HwoodMike2umate]

I left the organising to someone else and 10 of us are in the IPL Stand and not the Terrace.
Me and junior do arrive the night before and are staying both fri & sat nite in St Christophers Hostel, Bath
so would appreciate any local knowledge from previous visitors to Bath as to where Ulster folk are likely to
gather before the game. What time do pubs open on a saturday in Bath?

[Flat-top]

Mike you probably are already aware that your hostal is indeed very central as its positioned pretty evenly between the Abbey and the Roman Baths. Your room would be less than 10 minutes stroll to your seat in the IPL and the hostal itself is situated above a very large music/bar/pub called Belushi's (live bands on Friday's and disco type stuff on Saturdays). Would probably be pointless to list all of my 'personal' favourites to direct you to as we all have our own reasons for liking certain pubs. What I will say is that you have a choice of say 10 or 12 bars withing 5-6 minutes of your accomodation and dozens more if you are so inclined to search them out. I would say that on the Friday night you will have a good craic in the Pig & Fiddle or the Saracens Head (both across the road from you), earlier that day maybe try Sam Wellers for a good pub meal and some rugby chat and if its a cold day (course it will be!) then the open fire in the Crystal Palace will help. The Volunteer Riflemans is close by and serves a good pint although little room to congregate and for novelty value have a swift one in the Coeur de Leon as Baths smallest pub but with some special ales. Last year many of the travelling crew made base in the Pultney Arms and the Royal Oak (very close to the Rec - one on either side with the Pultney being closer to your hostal but the Royal Oak handier for the entrance you will want to use to access the Rec). Opening times vary, some of the cafe type bars will be open from 9am on the Saturday but most tend to aim for a 10am or even as late as 11am opening. Bear in mind it will be one week from Xmas, a very busy city centre and rammed full of tourists and Xmas shoppers...this might persuade a few of the bars to open earlier. Above all you will have a great time in Bath, the larger pubs and therefore teh best to meet in large crowds tend to be the national chains but personally i would recommend you try more of the smaller unique bars and get a real feel for the city on the pre-match days, after match in the clubhouse is where we need to congregate in numbers and as last year sing, dance and drink the guinness dry. If you need any more tips just let me know. SUFTU.

[Cap'n Grumpy]

Mike ....... you have a choice of say 10 or 12 bars withing 5-6 minutes of your accomodation and dozens more if you are so inclined to search them out. ......

.... Oh he'll be inclined alright!

...... and knowing Mike, he'll manage to sample them all .....

...... and then he'll be even more inclined!

[HwoodMike2umate]

Flat-top

Thanks for the info.
I presume by clubhouse afterwards you mean a/the bar in the ground.
Is there just one?
Can one bring pints to one's seat during the game?

[Flat-top]

several bars in ground, on each of the four sides plus some mobile units but only one clubhouse (directly behind terrace). Unlike scoop bar though there is no restriction of access to the first level so that's a good place to meet before kick-off and again after finalwhistle, wait one hour after that and then you can move upstairs to second floor and meet a few of the players. it was this bar the Ulster faithful effectively 'took over' last year as we celebrated the win.

No problem taking drinks to seats but you will be served in plastic cups if you want to take a drink out of the bar and into the stands, also no smoking anywhere in the ground for those who partake of that vice,

Hope this helps

[Glynncommando]

....i would recommend you try more of the smaller unique bars and get a real feel for the city on the pre-match days, after match in the clubhouse is where we need to congregate in numbers and as last year sing, dance and drink the guinness dry. SUFTU.

Seriously looking forward to this trip!
GC

[darkside lightside]

...the open fire in the Crystal Palace will help..

now you're talking!! looking forward to this one, was in Bath for leinster a few years back and it was a great trip, one of the nicest places I've been to in England..

[BR]

one of the nicest places I've been to in England..

So nearly as nice as Larne then?

[HwoodMike2umate]

Flat-Top

Further request - a link to a website that has for free a nice wee A4 size map of Bath central that i could print out showing street names,the bars you mention and the ground and St Christophers would be great.

As Martin L. King once said to his girlfriend in Memphis -- "If only i had a map of this place."

[Flat-top]

Hostal = <<http://www.st-christophers.co.uk/bath-h ... on-in-bath>> click through to detailed map on right once link opens

Bars = <<http://www.viewbath.co.uk/pubs-bars.aspx>> not a map but address of all bars, select Bath area and it will list all 166 with addresses and then find street on first link...simples. Sorry but never needed to use a map for this Mike. Very compact city, you won't have problems finding a drink!

SUFTU

[darkside lightside]

one of the nicest places I've been to in England..

So nearly as nice as Larne then?

it's up there!