Attention: Please take a moment to consider our terms and conditions before posting.

tour of the valley

edited August 2006 in General Charlton
Yesterday I had a day off and I took my grandad, dad, friend and her husband and my brother on a tour of the valley.

kevin nolan was the tour guide, and I'd recommend this to anyone! I think the tours are pretty much ad hoc and not advertised as a fixed feature, but kevin definately enjoys doing them, and they are definately worth it, so the more people that ask, maybe it would become a permanant fixture? or at least more regular and advertised.

we started in the main reception and made our way up to the directors seating for a bit of history talk, comments from others on the tour about their memories, and also talking about the game the night before.

we then made our way back into the boardroom to look at the trophy cabinet (surprisingly fuller than you might think!) including the boot colin walsh wore at the return to the valley, a pic of prince william with curbs, an fa cup replica, the championship trophy etc etc

then we went through all the lounges up to the observatory suite, where we looked over the sights over the thames. in each lounge there are pics of shirts of each country we've had a player represent when they've played for charlton. then there are loads of old photos on the walls too. it was fascinating. then we went down to the changing rooms, and had a nose around there. we found some boots in iain dowies changing room, so picked them up and then turned them over and they had LR on the underneath so took a pic of them! dowie is very much a slogan man! "charlton victorious" is printed out on an A4 sheet on the wall! as are loads of other tips and motivation slogans

then we went into the refs room, then the opposition team tiny changing room. then up the tunnel, up the side of the pitch, where powell was forking away at the ground with that other groundsman. apparently the pitch is only just getting back to what it should be at the beginning of the season from when elton john and his diggers moved in and ruined the pitch. if they do that again it should be more may time than it was, as it really damaged the pitch apparently. we then sat in the dug out for a couple of pics and a rest. then walked round to the east stand and went up the steps and walked along the walkway out the back and went into the sky box, which is tiny!! then made our way back down, round in front of the north and back down the tunnel. we then went into the press conference area and sat in the press seats and kevin explained what happened there etc.

the photos on the walls of the championship final, the celebrations at being promoted and then the old valley overgrown and then a more recent pic. amazing to look back to just a few years ago, let alone further back

in the board room there is a partition wall that has the "1947 victory bus parade" photo on the wall. amazing photo with only 3 players on what could be called a roof on the bus travelling up floyd road with kids with bikes and rattles running after it.

definately get onto the club to have a tour tho yourselves, we were on it for over 2 hours, and we all learnt something new! we then went to a lounge for a hot buffet lunch! all included in the £12.50 price.

ours took a little longer cos we had a large group and some special needs fellas, downs syndrome etc, and they were the funniest lovliest people, one got locked in a toilet at the back of the east stand and didn't come out for ages, one pretended to be iain dowie and talked into the microphone at the end in the media press conference room, and they thoroughly enjoyed the day and made it all the more enjoyable for everyone else! one was even wearing a man u jumper and his mate grassed him up!

i've sent some of the pics to LoOkOut to post in the gallery section if you'd like to have a little butchers
Linky
«1

Comments

  • edited August 2006
    [cite]Posted By: suzisausage[/cite]
    we found some boots in iain dowies changing room, so picked them up and then turned them over and they had LR on the underneath so took a pic of them!

    dowie's boots had L & R on them ???
  • great post Suzi.
  • i told my mate to turn them over to see if they were labelled left and right, but they were labelled LR on each one!

    which threw us for a moment (and dowie if they are in fact his and not les reeds!)
  • Great stuff Suzi! Hope you told Kevin Nolan not to try too hard tomorrow:-)
  • Sounds great- maybe a special one for the forum members here coud be arranged?
  • edited August 2006
    [cite]Posted By: suzisausage[/cite]i told my mate to turn them over to see if they were labelled left and right, but they were labelled LR on each one!

    which threw us for a moment (and dowie if they are in fact his and not les reeds!)

    les reed has LR on the sole of each boot ???...how does he know what boot to put on which foot ?
  • [cite]Posted By: stanmoreaddick[/cite]Sounds great- maybe a special one for the forum members here coud be arranged?

    i'd defo go on it again. people that were on it have been on it before, and they said they learnt different stuff last time.

    kevin sat down with us at the end when we were eating and it turns out they share friends. terry caldwells dad, peter? or something like that. my dad used to play football with him, such a small world, but we even learnt more sitting down listening to my g'dad, dad and kevin banter about old stories about old players that they knew
  • I would definately be up for it- i've seen most of the Valley but the guided bit sounds excellent- what's the maximum number?????
  • Yeah lets get sommat sorted! I'll be up for a tour like!
  • There's now a link to the Gallery album in suzi's original post, in case you missed it.
  • Sponsored links:


  • Count me in!
  • [cite]Posted By: stanmoreaddick[/cite]I would definately be up for it- i've seen most of the Valley but the guided bit sounds excellent- what's the maximum number?????

    there were 30 of us on it yesterday. he did some at 10.30 too, and us at 12.30 and there are also 2 happening today (i assume just finished) i think they do it this time of year for school kids etc and not really during the other times of the year. but kevin said he just gets a call from the club as and when, and as he writes for south london press (I think) he has time to do them every now and then.
  • But did you get in the bath like me and sue did during our tour??
  • [cite]Posted By: ltgtr[/cite]
    [cite]Posted By: suzisausage[/cite]i told my mate to turn them over to see if they were labelled left and right, but they were labelled LR on each one!

    which threw us for a moment (and dowie if they are in fact his and not les reeds!)

    les reed has LR on the sole of each boot ???...how does he know what boot to put on which foot ?

    perhaps he waits for a motivational instruction from dowie??!?!

    one of the things on the wall was "don't think about what you should have done, think about what you can do now"

    it was quite weird going in the changing rooms knowing that they were there the day before. the man u changing room only has 10 showers!

    there was a book on the table "man u set pieces" there were dots with rg, cr, and rf all over them and squiggles where dowie had tried to make his point of where they should be!!
  • Those baths are well cool, when the gym first opened there wasn't any changing rooms so used to use the first team changing room and showers! I had a bath in them!!! (not at the same time tho)
  • I'll phone the club and find out the dates and post them.

    Probably half term will be the next ones
  • when the gym first opened? you must have been about 10?
  • Sooze, I did one of these tours about 4 years ago, and I'd also highly recommend it. Kevin Nolan also did our tour - glad he's still doing it as I also thought he was an excellent host. Very knowledgeable.
  • edited August 2006
    [cite]Posted By: Curb_It[/cite]But did you get in the bath like me and sue did during our tour??

    they said they've taken the baths away due to health and safety reasons!!!!

    edited to say : not that i'm implying it was anything to do with after you and sue visited.....
  • Perhaps we could have a tour then a pissup somewhere!!
  • Sponsored links:


  • Spoken to the club- normally thursday/friday on the next half term- October time now probably. Unless any other (more influencial posters) can exert some influence!!!! ;-)

    The club will call me and i'll post the times and details when i get them. I did suggest a later one especially for the forum members and she didn't see why not why could very well lead on to a few post-tour beers.
  • Good work stanmore... I wish I could come!
  • [cite]Posted By: 04_MCS[/cite]Perhaps we could have a tour then a pissup somewhere!!

    You wont have to walk far, seeing that lunch (at the end of the tour) is in Bartrams.... (the bar, not round AFKA's gaff)
  • edited August 2006
    it wasn't yesterday!
  • Like I said, my tour was a few ago.....!

    I'll shut up now ;-)
  • Hi suzisausage. You must have been on the 12.30 tour. We did the 10.30 and there were only 7 of us. Brilliant couple of hours and Kevin Nolan is the perfect host. Recommend it to everyone. We might even do it again - or is that being a bit sad.
  • definately not sad. someone on our tour had done it 3 times already.

    can't help thinking if the club had promoted it, they could have got an awful lot more than 7 people!! i rang up and asked if they were doing any, at no point over the summer was it advertised.
  • [cite]Posted By: stanmoreaddick[/cite]Spoken to the club- normally thursday/friday on the next half term- October time now probably. Unless any other (more influencial posters) can exert some influence!!!! ;-)

    The club will call me and i'll post the times and details when i get them. I did suggest a later one especially for the forum members and she didn't see why not why could very well lead on to a few post-tour beers.

    Just had a chat with the Club and it's probable we can do something before the half term They've said that if i put a few dates together they'll see when Kevin Nolan is available- Maximum number on the tour is 30 and they'll do it for £150 (not including food- but food available afterwards in Batrams to accompany some beers?) which i work out at £5 per head if we take 30 ( razor sharp i know!)

    if people would their post prefered days and times and an indication of their interest and i'll see what can be done.

    My preference would be a late afternoon tour- preferably a Thursday.
  • i think we should wait for Suzi to get back from holliday. She's great at organising.

    Sounds like a nice plan though. Tour of the followed by a few beers and a get to know you session.
  • so it would mean taking time off work? could it not be 6pm or something like that?
Sign In or Register to comment.

Roland Out Forever!