APAT Coventry: Friday, 25th March 2011.
"The Flesh Was Willing But The Spirit Was Missing"
The first APAT live event of Season 5 is in Coventry at the lovely G Casino at the Ricoh Arena and I left work at lunchtime to head up for the drive to my hotel, the Holiday Inn M6, Jct2. It sound like such an attractive name..conjuring up leafy glades and the like.or perhaps not.
Regardless, I made good time and the trip was uneventful with the exception of the very end. As I was about to turn into the hotel slip road as was forced into a slight detour as someone cut me up on the inside. Annoying, but it proved to be serendipitous as I was forced to drive past The Mount Pleasant, a Greene King/Hungry Horse pub just a couple of hundred yards up the road from the hotel. I'd forgotten about it from the previous trip to Coventry and this was a handy reminder of a place to eat.
Once I'd gotten back round the couple of roundabouts to the hotel I arrived bang on 3pm.
I'd gotten a very good rate of £39 a night for Friday and Saturday but I got a little bonus, of sorts when I checked in. The young lady on the reception desk went through all the normal procedures and said "Yes, Mr Davis, we have you for two night's Bed and Breakfast". Hmm, I don't remember booking that.I normally don't bother with booking breakfast as its usually overpriced and, equally normally, I not usually awake and/or compos mentis enough to be up a ready to eat by the time they've stopped serving.
Whatever, I thanked her and went off to the room. I unpacked and unlimbered the IT kit and checked my copy of the reservation and sure enough I'd booked at an even more advantageous rate than I'd thought. I suspected that it would be wasted though.
I recharged the phone and decided to get something to eat as my stomach was crying out for it. I drove over to The Mount Pleasant, ordered a pint (or two) and a plate of meat and chips. It's a decent enough place with reasonable prices and pleasant (sorry) service.
Replete, I drove over to the G Casino arriving about 5pm (as I recall). As I'm coming down the escalator I see Glen Laming has already arrived but he's the only face I know. Having said that there weren't many people about, early for a Friday I suppose.
Deciding that I should pace myself (as I have to drive back to hotel tonight), I settle on a cup of tea rather than diving headlong into the alcohol. As it turns out I'd somehow managed to miss the presence of Craig MacGuinness.although how I have no idea.but he'd brought company in the forms of Ray(?) and Cath.both of whom were at similar volumes to Craig which, if I had to guess, would be around 13.
The casino opened a cash table for us and much against my usual preferences I sat down. I'd already decided to give the £15 chip chucking comp that was on tonight, primarily because it was self dealt. As it turns out this was a good idea on two fronts, firstly because there were allegations of deck rigging and cardsharping from what I heard third hand.
Secondly, because I made a pretty good profit (for me) ending about £70 up from a £50 buy-in. That went straight in the skyrocket.
The cash game filled up but other APATers had started arriving, Jack Prime for one, and since I was the only APAT left in the game, I took my profit and headed back to the bar area.
Des and Sian arrived and I think I saw him buy a round but keep it to yourselves; he doesn't want that information getting out.
Now look.don't get me wrong, it was a grand night and all, and even though I only had a modicum of beer to stay under the limit (well mostly, Officer) there was something missing. The group was more subdued than normal..oh, Craig was as boisterous as ever and we had a good laugh, but still.it niggled at me for a long time before I twigged what it was.
Yes, Ger.it was you. Without you there, it just wasn't the same. There as no-one driving the conversation to its normal extremes, no-one starting the rounds of shots of black sambuca or Jaegermeister, no-one suggesting trips to "gentlemen"s clubs"...
JUST.NOT.THE.SAME.
Don't do it again.
Eventually, I went back on the hot beverages before heading off to the hotel, around midnight I think and since Glen was also staying there, I gave him a lift. Glen stayed outside for a pre-bed ciggy so I wished him a good night and headed into my room.
Frankly, even though I hadn't overindulged, I was dead tired and crashed without any of my usual pottering around.
