17 March - Whitchurch wobble?

[amberaleman]

I've floated this idea before, and MiB has just asked about it in the alcoholic Cambridge thread.

Sutton are at Boringstoke on Saturday and Salisbury have a home match, so would there be sufficient interest in meeting up between the two in the late Lord Denning's home village?

As well as having an all-important railway station, Whitchurch boasts three entries in the current Good Beer Guide (that's one more than Andover ;D ). Intriguingly, one of these is the sports and social club adjacent to Whitchurch FC, which sounds suitably tinpot. (Apparently anyone with a CAMRA membership card can get signed in!)

To maximise attendance, this may have to be an evening rendzvous. I believe Medibot is travelling from beyond Offa's d**e in the morning and won't arrive in Hampshire until after kick-off, while I've got a couple of village pubs near Basingstoke lined up for pre-match drinking. But I'm planning to go to Whitchurch after the match irrespective of what others are doing. I'm expecting to get there shortly before 7.00.

[bh]

Sounds a good plan AA, alas I'm missing the game due to work commitments, missing match and proposed meeting!

[medibot]

Might be in Wales longer than expected so will have to play it by ear. It's sort of on the way home so i might make it.

If i can be there i will be.

[ambersalamander]

I would love to but have no money

[bh]

No money, wonder why?? How much is a train ticket to.......

[ambersalamander]

Why? Because I get paid peanuts for working extremely hard, that's why. Nothing to do with train tickets.

[bh]

Ouch!!!

[amberaleman]

Well, three of us tinpotters made it to Whitchurch. Access to the sports and social club was via an intercom. Having buzzed about three times, with no respoonse, I eventually received the cordial greeting "just open the door, you t*at!" Within was some drinkable London Pride but not a lot else of note.

We later progressed to The White Hart Hotel, owned by Arkells of Swindon. Interesting split between a sedate dining area upstairs (all vacant tables reserved) and a livelier drinking den downstairs. When it came to claiming a table here, Medibot nobly deferred to an expected expectant lady. We had to run for the train back to Basingstoke and London.

Tamworth and Sutton both won today, so we weren't unduly bothered by the evening's minor tribulations. Amber the aardvark said she enjoyed the evening.

[MiB TFC]

Was a good day out although having the shortest train journey on the way back I had the opportunity to drink (yep, apart from two small hot dogs before the game and some of Medi's M&Ms on the train I never did get around to eating) some more - can anybody tell me what I did in the latter part of Saturday night and what time / how I got home? (actually I've a horrible feeling that there's a few people that'll be more than willing to remind me what I did )

[malxscfc]

Sorry we didn't make it. Never even got close, really. Totally focussed on the dull, soul-destroying nothingness of our 0-0 draw with Furrock, and couldn't think beyond that momentary despair...

[amberaleman]

malxscfc said:

Sorry we didn't make it. Never even got close, really. Totally focussed on the dull, soul-destroying nothingness of our 0-0 draw with Furrock, and couldn't think beyond that momentary despair...

So we gathered!

Talking of soul-destroying nothingness, maybe next season we'll make it two stops further to Grateley.