Gone to the dogs.....absolutely not! (Yarmouth)

Member Name: hypno06

Product:	Yarmouth
Date:	26/02/09 (159 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A fun, relaxed night out - and I won too!

Disadvantages: Could lose a lot if you get carried away.

I enjoy the horse races at Newmarket - going into the Grandstand, drinking Pimms and eating smoked salmon on a summer's evening. I have always associated greyhound racing as being a very "working class" activity, - a slightly grubby stadium with men with flat caps, whippets and overalls........yup, I'm a snob.

So when a chap from our office arranged a "social outing" for staff to the Greyhound races at Yarmouth, I was less than enthusiastic. However, I don't get to do something different very often, and as the price was reasonable, I found myself boarding the minibus along with others after work earlier this week.

Yarmouth stadium is on the edge of Great Yarmouth, almost in Caister, so is easily accessible for locals and holidaymakers alike. There is plenty of parking, although the parking area seems to be in need of re-surfacing - my impressions (although it was dark and raining, so perhaps not the best introduction) were of a large patch of waste ground used for cars......not a great start.

However, those first impressions soon improved, as we were directed to a large modern building - the stadium was refurbished a couple of years ago, with a great deal of thought (and money) being pumped into it - and it has certainly blown away my initial "grubbiness" thoughts!

We had bought our tickets in advance, on a 2 for 1 offer which included entrance into the restaurant area, (offering covered seating for the duration of the evening - very handy in winter), a table for the whole evening, a meal, and our race card. This works out at just £7 per person - not a bad price at all! We were asked to produce our tickets as we entered the stadium, and were directed up stairs to the restaurant area where we were shown to our seats.

Considering it was a Monday evening, out of the holiday season, I was expecting the place to be almost empty, but it was full! So a tip would definitely be to book in advance, or you may end up outside in the cold and wet!

The arena has a bar, with reasonable prices - a pint of coke was £2.20, and a large gin and tonic was £4.......a latte coffee was £1.50, cloakrooms and plenty of tables, each with a good view of the track. In addition, there are numerous screens so that you can see the full race very easily.

The food was very good, especially when you consider the price - I had a stilton and vegetable crumble, with chunky chips, salad and garlic bread, and it was more than sufficient. Other choices included steak, pork, chicken and vegetable lasagne. Between us, we probably had most things on the menu, and everyone cleared their plates while mumbling very appreciative comments. Starters and desserts were available, at an extra cost of about £3-4 but we didn't need them - the main course was good enough!

All food is claimed to be cooked freshly, so you are warned that you may have to wait in busy times, but as you are there all evening, it really doesn't matter that you might wait an extra few minutes......and I would rather wait, than have food that has been microwaved without any input from a chef.

You can bet a minimum of 50p, so you can really make this a reasonably cheap night out. There were 13 races on Monday, and some of our group were betting the minimum, some a lot more, but there is no pressure on anyone to bet at all - it really is very relaxed.

One thing that really stood out for me, was the number of staff - this stadium has got it right here. There were plenty of staff about to make sure that tables were cleared promptly, that drinks orders were collated swiftly, and even that your winnings were brought to your table within a couple of minutes of the race ending. Yet there was never any indication that staff were standing around doing nothing.......it was all very impressive and efficient. Staff wore a uniform that meant you could easily spot them, and they really did give a good impression.

The races themselves are short - it is all over in a minute or so.......but in that minute, you hear a lot of whooping, and much encouragement for your dog. Whether you are betting 50p or £50, or just watching without betting, you cannot fail to get caught up in the excitement. And of course, if your pooch comes in a winner, so much the better, and the next drink is on you! We had a group of about 15, so took two tables, and we all had a winner except one unlucky chap.......and none of us bet more than a couple of pounds. The first race was at 6.30pm and the last one at 9.45, so it was a reasonable time to finish off an evening during the week.

Obviously, even with a great entrance deal, you can spend a great deal of money on bets, with no guarantee of a winner at all, so please be responsible, and never gamble money you cannot afford to lose.

I will admit, that I thoroughly enjoyed my evening out, despite my initial reservations, and I would not hesitate in going again. It is family friendly, so you can take your kids, and of course is smoke free inside.

I won on the last race, so recouped all my previous losses and the cost of my G&T, so I came away happy, but even if my last dog had limped in last, I would have gone away knowing that I will return.......

I have lived in the area all my life, and never been to this stadium, but I am glad I have been now.

So, whether you are a local person, or are visiting the area on holiday, I would certainly advise you to look up the race meets and see what deals are available......and go and have fun!

Summary: Cheaper than Newmarket racecourse, and I didn't miss the pimms!