STRATFORD, ONCE MORE UNTO THE BREACH.

This week we take the relatively short trip to Stratford upon Avon. Incredibly the Poppies have no home SLP games in September, wonderful planning. Our only scheduled game against Biggleswade has now been replaced with the eagerly anticipated Northants Senior cup clash with Corby. So Stratford is the first of many away days this month. As you would imagine for a town that spewed forth a literary giant; the footy club has a magnificent nickname ‘Town’, marvellous. Shakespeare reminds me of our old ground Rockingham Rd and all those roads and streets named after famous poets, Shakespeare, Cowper, Kingsley, Shelley and Reservoir.

There are some decent pubs in Stratford with the new Alehouse looking very good with all ales being served by gravity and certainly a good selection http://www.thestratfordalehouse.com/ although the list on the ‘Our Beers’ page seem to have more gone off than on, we’ll have to see.

The Bear adjacent to the Swan’s Nest hotel has been around for a few years and sits next to the River Avon; well worth a visit. http://www.thebearfreehouse.co.uk/

Miles away from the brewery the Old Thatch Tavern is a Fullers pub, but some Poppies fans enjoy a pint of London Pride so no doubt they’ll head for here http://www.oldthatchtavernstratford.co.uk/

There is a micro-brewery in Stratford http://www.sua-brewery.co.uk/pubs-selling-stratford-ale/ Sadly their newly purchased pub The Norman Knight is miles away from Stratford, but the ales should be available from The Bear and The Stratford Alehouse.

No doubt there will be an abundance of Japanese and American tourists walking about with enormous cameras and even more enormous lenses strung around their necks. Whether the PRATS do a bit of sightseeing is very doubtful, having said that; Citra is very much looking forward to visiting Anne Hathaway’s house, he likes a bit of thatch does Citra. He’s really hoping the Hollywood actress is in residence on Saturday, oh dear!

Pharp is still away although he is on his way back from the Shetlands, much to the delight of the islanders. However, the Viking Wind Farm is a tad disappointed having generated record amounts of electricity during Pharp’s vacation. Pharp caught an enormous Coalfish around 27lbs a personal best, that would need a lot of batter and even more chips, don’t mention mushy peas to Pharp.