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Goodison Park (Everton FC)
by Karonher As I life-long Evertonian I will always remember the first game I saw at Goodison Park. It was against West Ham on October 4th 1975 and I can still remember how green the pitch looked as I walked up the steps to look for somewhere to stand on the Gwladys Street. Since then I have been everywhere else in the ground apart from Lower ... Bullens but I can live with that. I am now back in the Gwladys Street - Upper this time with the whole stadium being seated and I can see me staying there for good. Apart from a slight need to lean forward when there is a corner to the left of the goal it is a perfect view. Goodison Park is one of the few old, traditional grounds and there is an acceptance that changes have to be made. At one time it was one of the best grounds in the league and was chosen to host some of the World Cup games in 1966. It has a soul that is missing from the sterile grounds that are being thrown up but one day it will go and be missed by many. It still has some of the blue criss crossing between the Upper and Lower levels that made it so noticeable in the past but by and large a lot of it has been removed. The first League game here was in September 1892 although the team was formed in 1878, and saw a 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest. The attendance was 14,000 although all figures are given as 1000s and not exact numbers. It was a far cry from the record attendance in 1948 when the Derby attracted 78,299. The all seater stadium now has a much lower capacity of 40,200. The ground is in the North of Liverpool and has four separate stands with various levels. The most recent to be built is the Park End. It is near to the away fans and is not the best place to be and certainly does not have the best atmosphere. That falls to the stands behind the other goal - The Upper and Lower Gwladys Street where most of the singing starts and the original Lower Gwladys Street was home to the Boys Pen where young lads were crammed in and kept away from the rest of the fans. Rumours of 30 year olds going in there as the price was lower are easy to believe. The Upper and Lower Bullens are still very much in keeping with the old style as much of the building is still wooden. Facilities are not great but the view is largely unobstructed so the match is watched without the need to move around. Towards the Park End is the area for away fans and it is easy to see who is well supported depending on whether or not they take the allocation for both the Upper and Lower Stands. The fourth side of the ground has three levels and is also the area where the players come onto the pitch. The Family Enclosure is where there are dads and lads but don't believe that this means it is safe and serene - the worst language can be heard there but maybe not from the middle were the boxes are. Here fans can arrive early, have a meal and then either stay inside in bad weather or step out in the sun to see the match. Next level up is the Main Stand where the Directors Box is located and many ex-players can be seen watching the Blues. Finally the Top Balcony. If you want to be freezing cold and see 6' players as ants then this is the place to go. The ground is well provided for when it comes to public transport as there are bus stops near to 3 sides of the ground and Kirkdale train station is just a 15 minute walk away with the soccer bus bringing supporters to the ground. Taxis are always available to bring visitors from either John Lennon Airport or Lime Street Station. The Grand Old Lady has so much history that it will be a wrench when she is finally torn down. I know the club needs to move on but I hope I don't have to see the day she is gone. The news of Dixie Deans record 60 goals a season and then memories of the more recent record of Bob Latchfords 30 league goals in a season. The relief at not being relegated against Wimbledon on May 7th 1994 and on other occasions the sorrow of hearing that two Goodison heroes had died at the match - Dixie Dean on March 1st 1980 at a Derby game and Harry Catterick on March 9th 1985 against Ipswich Town. I can't think how many times Z Cars has blasted around the ground as the players run out but whenever it happens it either brings a smile to my face or a tear to my eye. Read the complete review |
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Airkix
by hollywoodmum What is it? Airkix is basically indoor skydiving, brilliant for those who would like to experience flight but without actually jumping out of a plane. It's also a cheaper alternative. Airkix have two centres in the UK, one in Milton Keynes and one in Manchester. I recently visited the Manchester Airkix and therefore that will ... be the focus of my review. Airkix is basically a vertical wind tunnel. Air is circulated through the tunnel and into the flight chamber. Manchester's flight chamber is bigger and more powerful than the one in Milton Keynes, reaching a maximum speed of 180mph. Flying at Airkix Manchester is apparently equivalent to skydiving from 12 thousand feet. Anybody over the age of 4 can fly at Airkix as long as they are ion good health, have no shoulder or back problems, are not pregnant and are in good health (no heart conditions, etc). There is however a weight restriction, so those over 18 stone cannot fly. Prices Airkix has to bands of pricing, Off Peak or any time. Off peak is Monday to Friday 11 am to 4pm, except during school holidays when off peak changes to 9am to 10am. To fly on a weekend or Bank Holiday you will pay the anytime price. There are then many different packages to choose from. These are: Early Bird kix Start - which is only available at Milton Keynes Kix Start - 2 flights Off Peak £41.99 Anytime £46.99 Air Born - 4 flights Off Peak £67.99 Anytime £72.99 Learn To Fly- 10 flights Off Peak £159.99 Anytime £179.99 Family Flight - 10 flights (can be shared between 5 people) Off Peak £159.99 Anytime £179.99 Each package includes a pre-flight breifing, covers the cost of the instructor and you also get a personal certificate. After your first time, if you return within 3 months you are entitled to cheaper flights. Manchester is slightly more expensive than Milton Keynes, I assume this because it's bigger and has more power. Gift vouchers are also available. Booking Flights can be booked online at www.airkix.com or by telephone 08453316549. Location Manchester Airkix is located next to Chill Factor E near the Trafford Centre. Take junction 10 off the M60 and it is signposted from there. Other info Airkix provide the jump suits, helmets, goggles and ear plugs at no extra cost. each flight lasts for one minute. There is a cafe bar situated in the viewing gallery selling beer, spft drinks, tea, coffee and snacks. Yet flyers are not allowed to consume any alcohol before a flight. Flyers must arrive one hour before their flight time, lace up shoes must me worn and all flyers must complete a statement of risk on arrival. Photographs and DVD of flights are available to buy afterwards. My Experience For my boyfriend's birthday last November his sister presented him with a box from buyagift.com. Inside was a voucher for indoor skydiving for two. It was valid until September 2011 and included a free DVD of the flight. He was going to redeem the voucher in January but if truth be told it's not really his scene so he just let it sit in the box. I however love getting a thrill, especially a cheap one and so after much nagging he finally booked it for Monday 22nd August. We knew it was going to be a pain to get to as although he can drive, he doesn't own a car and I cannot drive at all. we hopped on the met from our home in Radcliffe, into Piccadilly Gardens and got the 250 to the Trafford Centre. Now I love my boyfriend dearly but he has a habit of not checking the small print. So firstly he hadn't checked the location and wasn't sure where to get off the bus, we got off on the wrong side of the Trafford Centre and ended up having to walk for 20 minutes before we found it, he also hadn't read the rule about lace up footwear and there I was wearing my sandals. But most importantly he hadn't read the rule about having to be there an hour before. So 2 hours after setting off from home we had reached our destination and unable to fly. The staff on the desk were quite helpful and informed us of our options, we could change to later in the day at no extra cost, but the only slot they had available was 9pm, this would mean hanging around for 9 hours or we could change it to another day at a cost. At first we chose the following Monday but as this was a bank holiday it would've cost us and extra £24, so we opted for the Friday at a cost of £10. So Friday arrived and we managed to blag a lift of my mum and it only took us 20 minuted straight down the motorway. Airkix has very ample parking so finding a space wasn't a problem. We booked in and then were directed to some PC's to complete or statement of risk, this took about 2 minutes. We were then told that our instructor was called Chris and he would call us in at 5.15pm and we would fly at 6pm. Excitement and apprehension were starting to build up inside me and I was busting for a wee, all in all I think I had about 3 wees while waiting for our class. This isn't helped by the fact you wait in viewing gallery and see everybody else flying and I didn't really like the idea of everyone watching me. At 5.15pm we were called into the classroom by a god like creature, this was Chris our very handsome instructor. we watched a ten minute video on different hand signals, stances, etc. The Chris gave us a brief outline on what it feels like in the chamber and gave us some tips like, "don't open your mouth cos you'll look a fool". There was about 8 other people in our class. We were told we would all get 2 goes each, 2 minutes of flying time altogether. We were then taken out of another situated behind the flight chamber and given our equipment. There is no need for changing rooms as you put the jump suit on over your normal clothes. There are lockers available for bags, glasses, jewellery at the price of £1 but this is none refundable. I just gave my bag with all my stuff in it to the instructor who put it in the equipment room. All the goggles were yellow except one pair of red ones, apparently whoever picks these goes first. While I was waiting around for my turn I got more and more nervous and more aware of the people watching in the gallery, when it got to my turn I felt fine on entry but once in there I struggled a little. I wasn't very good at it. The idea is that you keep yourself in one position unless the instructor gives you the signal, I found this very hard and kept going down, and when I went down, instead of keeping my hands and arms where they were my natural reaction was defensive and put them out to protect myself even though I knew there was noway I could fall. In the chamber itself, it's a very weird sensation, it's cold , it's very fast and takes a moment to catch your breath. It's not a bad sensation at all and despite being ultra crap at it I also found it exhilarating and very enjoyable. I also have to admit my boyfriend was much better than me. Afterward Chris presented us with our certificates and proofs of the photos were sent to us via email the next day to see if we wished to purchase any of them. watching the DVD was a little boring as it wasn't just us on it, it was all our class but they usually charge £14.99 for these but it was included with the gift. I'm not sure how much is sister paid for this, she has admitted that at the time she bought it buyagift.com had a sale on, I've just looked on the site and it's now £98. Overall This could prove to be a bit of expensive hobby for some. I am glad I tried it but if it hadn't been a gift I would never have paid for this myself. It's something a bit a different and would be great for adrenalin junkies. I would highly recommend this to anybody who can afford to go. Despite the short flight times, it's very rare to get a buzz like it. Read the complete review |
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Hollywood Bowl
by marshall1993 Hollywood bowl at Bently Bridge. Near to Wolverhampton Me, my Boyfriend and a couple of friends decided we wanted a fun night out, so we thought that bowling could be a good idea for a nice change as we hadn't been in a good while. My friend suggested we went to Hollywood Bowl instead of the one nearest to us, as it is a bit ... more modern and cleaner. So, off we went in my car, and drove to Bently bridge, ready to do some bowling, this is my opinion of Hollywood Bowl, in Bently Bridge. *Location* The bowling alley is located on a shopping complex, which is divided up into shops, and a sort of entertainment side. It was in the latter area, along with a pub style restaurat, Chiquitos, a Subway, a Cineworld, and a few other bars etc. When we arrived, I was pleasantly surprised at how nice it looked, the shops were lit up, and the area looked alive and bustling with people. The centre is placed right on a large carpark, where parking is free, which I think is great, although, it is a little out of the way, so to attract people, I feel that free parking is a must have. We went on a tuesday evening ( in the 6 week school holidays) and I must say, the car park was very busy, it was quite difficult to find a parking space nearby, but in the end we found one and it was only a short walk, not a big deal really. The parking isn't really the fault of Hollywood bowl at all, it just shows how popular the complex is. *Prices and Value for Money* Prices we were offered were £9.95 each for two games of bowling, or for £12.95 we could have two games, plus an alcoholic/non alcoholic drink and food. This was quite a good price in my opinion, as the place we usually go offers a similar price, but the alley itself isn't as nice, and the facilities there aren't as modern. All 4 of us paid the £12.95 expecting some okay grub, however, I was very dissapointed. What we recieved was an oval plate with some nachos on it, absolutely covered in 4 dips. Chilli con carne, Mayonaise (looked more Philidelphia like) a Salsa dip and this green substance, which I decided was Guacamole dip. Considering each of us had paid extra for food, I was to put it politely, quite annoyed that all they gave us was this pathetic excuse for food, the dips were vile, and every nacho was covered in one dip or another. We paid an extra £3 for the food and drink, so I wasn't expecting miracles, but was starting to feel like they just threw the word food in to make the deal sound better. We had basically paid the £3 for the drink we received. The value of the food was no where near good enough. However, I put this aside, and decided to enjoy the night with my chums! We recieved 4 vouchers for our drinks, to redeem at the bar, as I was driving, I gave my voucher to my friend, to buy an extra alcoholic drink, and brought a soft drink, as they were cheaper. Plus we got an extra alcoholic drink instead of paying for it. *Facilities* There is the main bowling area, which has a modern juke box, where your song choices (£1- 3 songs £2- 7 songs) are played throughout the centre, an arcade style area, where you play racing games, coin games and the like, and a bar area. The bowling alley also serves food. -Toilets- The decor is attractive, and colourful, as well as being relatively modern, however, only about 2 cubicles of approx 10 doors actually locked, which I thought was quite a let down. On top of this, alot of the cubicles had no toilet roll in them, one or two, had even had the toilet roll holders ripped out! Sadly for me.. I realised this once it was too late, and had to call to a friend.. oops! Some of the taps didn't work, so you ended up trying each and everyone just so you could wash your hands. There is a sign in the toilet stating that they are checked regularly throughout the day. I was there from 7.30 pm until about 10.30 pm and visited about 3 times, and each time, they were in the same state, with mess on the toilet seats, and toilet tissue thrown on the floor everywhere. Not impressed. -Arcade area- Had a selection of different games, and was quite good, after bowling we had a quick go on the Dance games. Shoot 'em up games, and shoot the duck games were there too. I liked this part quite a lot, added a little bit of childhood fun to the night! They were all lit up, and all of the games worked. -Bowling Area- There were roughly 20 lanes for bowling, each with it's own seating area and TV screen. You can choose to have bumpers in the lane up or down for each player. They are automatic and flip up and down as each player takes their turn. This was a good feature, as with some older alleys, you either have them up or down, and that's that, usually needed an attendant to pull them up with a hook. The designs around alley were modern and pleasing, with clean new looking floors, and many varying weights of balls to choose from to suit every person. Unfortunately, our area wasn't clean either. About six children had been let loose on it before hand with their hot dogs including ketchip and mustard. They carried on playing around us for a while until their parents had finished eating. Considering they had finished playing a while ago, noone had been around to check over the bowling areas to make sure they were clean, there was condiments all over the chairs and we had to find a few napkins to clean it up. By this point, I was starting to wonder what the staff were getting paid to do here. -Snooker and Bar- This is a seperate area away from the alley and arcade area. There are about 4 snooker tables, and comfy sofas, and a bar. This looks relatively new, and has a more dark, and evening bar look to it. It seems a bit more grown up than the rest of the bowling centre, and has quite a nice look to it. I didn't go in there myself, but I looked in as I went past, as it has an open front to it and is sectioned off. *The Staff* They were friendly enough, especially when we arrived. The girl there was polite and cheery as well as the man that sorted out our bowling shoes. When we ordered more food, as the food we already brought was substandard, they did come and collect the plates eventually, however, the general up keep of the centre, in terms of toilets and wiping over the surfaces every now and again really did let them down. You can make something as nice as you want, but if it isn't kept clean, it defeats the object of spending thousands of pounds on giving it all these gadgets and what not. *Overall* At the end of our games, we got a print out of our score boards. It is safe to say, I pretty much ruled the night! The cleanliness of the place didn't really bother me too much, as I'm used to seeing toilets in a worse state than that, however, it is a bowling alley, and wasn't super busy during the time I was there, it only needed tidying up. Especially with kids running around, you want things to be nice and tidy and safe for them, you dont want them picking bits of dirty loo roll up off the floor! Apart from that I'd say any child would be well away walking into this place, the bright colours, the modern sleek design, and the general bright and happy look of the place I cannot fault. The deals they do need to be a bit more honest though, do be careful, as they dont specify how much food you get for the £12.95 offer with the bowling. The negative points about the place didn't totally ruin my night, I had heaps of fun with the people I was with It's just, I really REALLY hate being taken for a mug, even if it is only a few pounds or so. I would go there again, however, I would be a little more prudent with my cash, and would just buy the 2 games, and maybe buy some food separately, it seems to work out cheaper. I give it 3 stars overall. It looses one for cleanliness, and loses another one for the food. Read the complete review |
Sporting Venue |
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Sporting Venue / Westport Golf Club, Carrowholly, Westport, Co. Mayo. Tel: 00 353 9828262 Fax: 00 353 9827217 |
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1 review Sporting Venue / Belvedere, Mullingar, West Meath Tel : +353 (0)44 48366 Fax : +353 (0)44 41499 |
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Sporting Venue / St. Margaret’s Golf & Country Club, Skephubble, St. Margarets, Co. Dublin Tel: 00 353 18640400 Fax: 00 353 18640289 |
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Sporting Venue / Luttrellstown Castle Golf & Country Club, Castleknock, Dublin 15 Tel: 00 353 18089988 Fax: 00 353 18089989 |
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1 review Sporting Venue / Corballis, Donabate, Co. Dublin Tel. +353 (0) 1 8436205 - Fax: +353 (0) 1 843 6860 |
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1 review Sporting Venue / Hollystown Golf Club, Hollystown, Dublin 15, Ireland. Tel: +353 (0) 182 07444 Fax: +353 (0) 182 07447 |
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Sporting Venue / Whitechurch Road, Rathfarnham, Dublin 16, Dublin Tel : +353 (0)1 4932889 - Fax : +353 (0)1 4939490 |
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Sporting Venue / Glasson Golf & Country Club, Glasson, Athlone, Co. Westmeath. Tel: 00 353 90285120 Fax: 00 353 90285444 |
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Sporting Venue / Donegal Golf Club, Murvagh, Co. Donegal, Ireland. Tel: +353-(0)73-34054 - Fax: +353-(0)73-34377 |
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Sporting Venue / Curragh, County Kildare Tel : +353(0)45-441714 |
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