Nottingham. Famous for some bloke in a poncey green hat and tights with a bow and arrow. Oh, and some permanently drunken football manager bloke. But there is more to the city than that. As a tourist attraction, ok, the city is all about Robin Hood and precious little else - though I should perhaps include the Galleries of Justice,the Caves of Nottinghm, some exceedingly old pubs (the Trip to Jerusalem and the Salutation) and the Lace Museum as well, though I would strongly suspect they don't have the draw of Mr. Hood. As a sporting centre, well - we've had better years here. Since forest self-destructed a few years ago there hasn't been any premiership football in the city - just first and second division (some might say third rate....) football. The cricket ground is still going strong with the (apparently) 'World Renowned Trent Bridge Inn' (it says so on the sign) on the corner of the ground - renowned for the fact that nobody goes there since Bass took it over and hiked the prices to London levels - but the weather in this country makes watching cricket something of a lottery. There is a half-decent rugby club (Nottingham), an ice hockey team (the Panthers, known 'humurously' as the Pussycats their local rivals, the Sheffield Steelers) based at the now-completed ice arena, a fairly impressive sight (or possibly site as they still seem to be doing cosmetic work to the exterior of the building) and the National Water Sports Center at Holme Pierrepoint which offers white water rafting for those brave (and fit) enough to give it a go. With that out of the way though, the best aspect of the city is it's night life. The city centre is compact enough to never need a taxi from one pub to the next, and remarkably the pubs appear to be driving even established banks from the main Market Square (where all the buses stop) and converting them into cavernous bars, and the best example of this is Lloyds cafe bar at the top of Hockley, a former (you've guessed it) Lloyds Bank. Starting at the Railway Station, if the weather's good check out Bar Risa, The Waterfornt and Via Fossa down by the canal. Bar Risa also includes a Jongleurs comedy venue, open for late drinking should you wish it. On the Square itself are a number of pubs, mostly of the Yates/Goose/Wetherspoon type. Off the square are some hidden away bars - the West Side Bar and Bar Oz on St. James' Street, soon to be joined by (another) Fothergills or Wetherspoon or other Identikit Pub, and on Hurts' Yard a great little cocktail bar called Cucamara, and a salsa bar called Cuba Libre. Also close to the square are the Walkabout Bar (the Irish pub craze for the new millenium?) casa and the hidden away but very very cool Bar Humbug. Worth looking for. If you head out of the square towards the Theatre Royal the pubs and bars become increasingly cheesy (Ruby Tuesday, Liberty's, The City Trader etc. etc.) along with the odd modern, stylish bar (Edwards) and culminate in McLuskeys', a huge venue that has been several different clubs, most recently Essence. Also up here is (yet another) Firkin Pub, a sports bar (RKO's, recently refurbished and looking quite tidy) and the infamous Rock City with adjoining venue The Rig. Loud and sweaty. Back in the square, heading into hockley brings a different kind of boozer - the flashy modern kind. Starting at Lloyds, you can move to Bar Centro, Browns, The Establishment, the Market Bar etc. etc. - very stylish, although the difference in price between these oasis' of modern chic and the more prevalent townie pub is negligible these days. In terms of late drinking, there a re a number of late bars (The Social, Cafe Barrio, The Market Bar) catering to all types of music taste, and moslty reasonably priced. There are a number of clubs also, from the very trendy Media and The Bomb (formerly the Hippo, home to Peel Me Off The Ceiling) to the calculated cheese of The Palais (formerly Ritzy - you know what that means.....) and Ocean.
A great night is there to be had in this lively and energetic city, and you will make your own dicoveries wandering around the Square and its' environs. I should also mention the large number of restaurants in this area - from the solid cheap fare of the Fat Cat to the the contemporary (expensive) cuisine of Sonny's, via great Thai (Siam Thani, Pretty Orchid) and curry (Mogal e Azaam, Shimla Pinks etc.). Now if only we could do something about the weather......