LACE AND PACE

By Peter Davies

Day 2 ,Nottingham v Sussex in the County Championship.

Maybe 8-10  previous visits to Trent Bridge -and some of my most knowledgeable cricketing friends now rate it as second to Lord,s in terms of facilities and atmosphere.A great compliment. Notts made 255 and Sussex struggled to 189 with Ball taking 6-49.Notts then made 228 for 7 in their second innings ,with Patel 88 not out.Pace bowlers dominant throughout. Notts 294 runs in the lead.

FRUIT CORNER

Had an hour or so in town prior to the cricket. Had a Patisserie Valerie strawberry milkshake and got some good advice from a nice girl in Tourist Information. Also bought some fruit from a couple with a barrow-raspberries,strawberries,apricots and red grapes-had a cup of tea in Nottingham M@S (upstairs).Also reacquainted myself with Old Market Square, the central city square,and bought a local paper, The Nottingham Post.The low-down

Price 60p
56pp
Front -page lead:local murder investigation
Editorial on new tram system.
Notts Forest to sign Matt Mills
Luke Wood,s "remarkable " century for Notts v Sussex
Lots of good local cricket coverage :South Notts League and Bassetlaw @ District League.

LOCAL TRADE

I knew Nottingham was famous for lace ,but I bought a book that told me more about the significance of the lace industry to the city:"Nottingham Lace 1760,s -1950s-The Machine -made Lace Industry in Nottingham",by Shelia A.Mason. There is also an area of the city centre known as the Lace Market. In the nineteenth century,Nottingham was the centre of the world lace industry.

CAFE SOCIETY

Found a good church cafe:St Peter,s Church, right in the middle of town,with the new trams passing by all around.The church website says:"A choice of freshly -made sandwiches ,cakes and light lunches....Special Offer! Enjoy a Toasted Teacake,Crumpet or English Muffin (all with butter and jam ) with a cup of coffee or a pot of tea for one for just £2.50 .Available until 12 noon," It is excellent 10/10. I had a cup of tea.

BAR NONE

Arrived for the cricket at noon, with Sussex struggling. Sat on the shop side of the ground and enjoyed the peace and quite-only a handful of people in my part of the stand. Walked round the ground and discovered a smart new coffee bar for non-members (eg.me )above the bowlers arm, opposite the pavilion. Met a Notts fan from Keyworth, south-east of Nottingham. He told me:

He had been supporting Notts since 1946.
Trent Bridge was now a "very nice "ground.
His hero was Notts Reg Simpson

BAT OUT OF HELL.

Had a wander and ended up in a smart corporate hospitality suite. All very nice. Then to the shop for the second time-for a Notts CCC gift for my Croatian friend Maiden(a miniature bat )

Then to NG3, to meet my friend Miaden.