Bydgoszcz 2005 - A Ringside Perspective

[gary pops 0]

a few group photos taken on the night with the Bydgoszcz crew

 

 

Does anyone have these photos?

[Rico 210]

Does anyone have these photos?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

HenryW has some - any chance of getting them on the web somewhere young man ?

 

Rico

[TheStartTart 0]

HenryW has some - any chance of getting them on the web somewhere young man ?

 

Rico 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I'm reliably informed that a certain Poole supported who accompanied me to Bydgoszcz will sue if any photos appear of her on the web, (I'd be worried, she works in a solicitors) LOL, Dunno why she is worried, she was probably the most sober of us all!!!!!

 

TST

[Papa Bazarou 0]

I'm reliably informed that a certain Poole supported who accompanied me to Bydgoszcz will sue if any photos appear of her on the web, (I'd be worried, she works in a solicitors)  LOL, Dunno why she is worried, she was probably the most sober of us all!!!!!

 

TST

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I'll got was 5 pictures of her hand !

 

Lightning re-actions when the camera was in range.

 

I am back online now - totally screwed up my Netgear router, tried updating the firmware, couldn't remember the password I'd set on the router etc. then couldn't get my ISP to work now. All sorted now though will finish the webshots and write up a little resume of the weekend.

 

Don't worry TST no dodgy pics.

[gary pops 0]

[ will finish the webshots and write up a little resume of the weekend.

 

Don't worry TST no dodgy pics.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

love to see some of those photo,s

Now can i just indulge myself briefly...

Champions!!!!!!!

Come on you Rockets!

[Papa Bazarou 0]

Sorry for the delay folks . .

 

Day1

 

Its an 0810 flight to Gdansk on WizzAir.Com from Luton so a 5am set off from Coventry (with my old school buddy and fellow Bees fan Scotty) was in order to meet the 2 hours before departure check-in slot, this adter having about 3 hours kip on the sofa (every year I never learn to get things sorted earlier). This would be Scottys first Poland trip. Its been some years sice I last flew from Luton (19 to be exact !) as Stansted or East Midlands has been the normal outbound airport for many a GP trip over the last 4years. I'm glad we set off early as the M1 was pretty busy. Luton's certainly changed and all I can say is that the onsite parking is not cheap, even long stay, and from the pink long stay car park give yourself plenty of time as the shuttle buses are only every 15mins or so.

 

All checked in, re-fuelled with the obligatory fry-up at the airport, security went without a hitch and we were 'airside' ready for calling to the gate. Lutons new airport is OK, but pretty much like most now UK airports now with the sole aim of you departing with your hard earned GBP or Euros as much as possible. The lack of organisation at the gates and lack of seats also clearly evident.

 

Being an LCC (Low Cast carrier) Wizzair, Like Ryanair do not have seat allocation but try to adopt a boarding sequence process with a number being pre-printed on the baording card - net result everyone ignores this at the gate and its a free for all ! even to the extent that people race across the tarmac to the aircraft - safety first eh ! Rest assured there will be a seat for you, but if you are unlucky to be at the back of the scrum on a full flight then your may not be able to seat with your cherished / loved ones. Moral of the story travel with a child or elderly person and you can pre-board ! Thats my rany over with about LCC's, they're all the same. But if you are lucky get someone primed for bit of seat grabbing, to the extent of laying across a block of 3 if they board quickly.

 

Onboard the pink-bus (Wizz have a fleet of spanking new Airbus A320's complete with purple leather seats, very swish) I was expecting to see more Speedway fans, quite often (Wroclaw being an example this year) the planes are almost be-seiged by a who's who of British speedway and travelling fans. Not today, but at least todays flight would have both Scott Nicholls and Pepe onboard, their travel being dictated by the previous nights Ipswich-Coventry encounter which was unfortunately rained off. Full marks to both though for making the arrangements, clearly Bydgoszcz is reachable post Thursday nights racing in the UK - Hans Andersen please take note and advise the DMU accordingly.

 

The flight was uneventful, a couple of potholes in the sky on approach to Gdansk but nothing for the hardened frequent-flyer.

 

It would be my first routing via the Baltic coast city, previous routes to Bydgoszcz having been via Berlin or Poznan. Transfer from the airport to Gdansk Glowny station was taxi, and at 42zln (about £7.50) which is OK as it must be about 12km out of the city. It takes you less than 30seconds to be reminded that you are in Poland as the driving standards are well . . .unique. A note for anyone going via taxi, quite a lot of cars run on LPG, so do not be alarmed by the huge device that looks like a bomb in the boot ! its also a pain as well if you have big bags as the tank takes up most of the boot.

 

What amazes me in the 4 short years that I've been going to Poland, is how much western-europe/american influences are evident. Case in point the TGI Fridays directly opposite the station - mmmmmmm baby back ribs with JD sauce please (well OK not just now) We decided to transfer straight away to Bydgoszcz, done via the almost hourly PKP train service. At 30,03zln (juts under £6 for a 160km or 100mile journey) then thats fine in my books. We'd chosen to go 2nd class, not realising that the train would orignate from Gdynia just up the line, being a very touristy area on the coast, the train was absolutely wedged. PKP trains are like British Rail of the late '70's - all corridor stock with compartments. We managed to locate small flip down seats in the corridor - no problem for us, roughing it a bit adds to the whole experience. However if you pay the extra 15zl (£2.50) and go first class - getting a seat is less of a problem, we adopted this on the return journey well it would be an early train so why not !

 

2 hours later we trundle into the familiar haunts of Peron 3 at Bydgsoszcz Glowny. A swift taxi transfer followed and we arrrived ready for 3 nights at the City Hotel. My 3 previous visits had all been spent at the Brda, this year we fancied a change. Its certainly a bit more expensive and I believe is a star rating higher than the Brda, but both have showers, TV in the room, beds and continental style breakfast so not much in it really. For info the City Hotel was 480zln per night for a twin room - so it came to £250 for 3 nights, or £125 per person or £41 per person per night b&b so I guess not too bad in the scheme of things, however the Brda and the Pod Orlem (Rico's haunt) are cheaper I believe. Location wise the Brda is closer to the station but farthest to the stadium, the city is the reverse of that and the Pod lies between the 2.

 

I've never been one for practice sessions, so we decided to opt out and have a jaunt around the square. Bydgoszcz is no Wroclaw, but has its own square and bars to sample. Chicken and chips (Polish style) was had in a super little eatery, which was a combination of reataurant, bar and cake/sweet shop, and very cheap too, and the constant eye candy is well . . . . constant, and of the highest order.

 

Next we'd pop back to the hotel for the 3 S's and ready for the Brda meet-up at 8pm, but on the way back found a super little spot with the locals whiling away the time playing chess. Just to the rear of the McDonalds for those familair with Bydgsoszcz, is a small park containing a few waterfalls (on my webshots) and purpose built granite chess tables for the locals to use as meeting place. There must have 20-30 people spanning all age generations playing either chess or cards or even draughts using bottle tops as counters.

 

Anyway, onto the Brda for 8pm and it was very quiet, no sign of anyone at the bar. Chris Morton and his Belle Vue entourage were just leaving (had I remembered to de-odorise . . ? yes of course I had !) After about 45 minutes a few familiar and not so familair faces started to appear. TST and her Poole friend (the lovely Steph) both appeared suitably adorned in readiness for a bit of cake eating at midnight. How that cake had made the journey is anyones guess. A quick inspection of said cake revealed that a suitable speedway theme had been adopted and a picture from yesteryear depicting Per Jonsson, Armando Castagna, Gary Allan and Tony Langdon in action - the Papa anorak comes in useful from time to time !

 

It must be said though that in the 45 mins prior to anyone turning up, a rather odd intoxicated Polish lady was trying to make contact with us - the language barrier was a problem no doubt, but the constant crazy gestures (finger gyrating to her temple) was a sign that told us all we needed to know ! In the blink of an eye she'd gone thankfully.

 

By now Rico, HenryW, Mateusz and the Bygdoszcz a.net fans had arrived. The usual chitter chatter and greetings ensued, along with a few Pivo's ! Come midnight and it was cake time, Papa turning into cake-waitress. Glad to say that a few of the Poles sampled the delights of victoria sponge with sugared icing in order to celebrate TST's birthday. Also present at the Brda were forum listee 'Tone Deaf' from Ipswich and family including 7year daughter also I believe on their first visit to Bydgoszcz. Well past midnight now and something was missing, and it was the stomach that was calling - a Kebap was needed ! A quick jaunt down to the Istanbul II and for 4,60zl (75p) you could have a kebap that literally walks all over UK kebabs. Orders were taken and a foil wrapped one for TST was also procured, but I was later to learn that it journeyed around Bydgsoszcz at the bottom of her bag for the next 24hours - delightful ! (bet she ate it as well )

 

Its half one and I've hit my natural wall - and enoughs enough. Suitable berating by Rico about my shocking performance, even more so when you consider I'd been outdone by a 7yr old from Ipswich ! the weekend was young still and I'd promised that I would make it to Chesterfields on the Saturday.

 

Back to the hotel, lights out and zzz, zzz, snore, zzz, you get the pciture.

 

Day 2 to follow.

[Hazzman 72]

All you lot stayed in these posh hotels, whilst we roughed it in Hotel Chemik.

Anyone with a Bydgoszcz map, look for Hotel Chemik. If you look further on, you cant continue due to the chemical plant which has planes flying in at night.

 

I forgot to add on to my blog, we got fined on the trams for fare-dodging. By the way Gdansk is beautiful. How about the World Cup in Poland next year involving Zielona Gora, Gdansk, Bydgoszcz and Torun, all reachable within Poland's superb train service.

[Mateusz 0]

How about the World Cup in Poland next year involving Zielona Gora, Gdansk, Bydgoszcz and Torun, all reachable within Poland's superb train service.

Not a bad idea, but Wroclaw is the best anyway

And Zielona Gora and Torun don't have spotlights at their stadiums..

For me an ideal World Cup week would be something like this: Gdansk - Bydgoszcz - Wroclaw. Gdansk and Wroclaw are lovely (I mean pubs and night life generally), Bydgoszcz is Bydgoszcz so that should be a really cracking trip

Edited September 18, 2005 by Mateusz

[TheStartTart 0]

How that cake had made the journey is anyones guess.

Same way you did Papa, 0810 from Luton having given up it's seat to Scott Nicholls!!

 

Orders were taken and a foil wrapped one for TST was also procured, but I was later to learn that it journeyed around Bydgsoszcz at the bottom of her bag for the next 24hours - delightful ! (bet she ate it as well  )

 

You lie like a cheap japanese watch Papa, it was only in there for 12 hours !!!!

 

Suitable berating by Rico about my shocking performance, even more so when you consider I'd been outdone by a 7yr old from Ipswich !

 

It wasn't the fact you went to bed before the 7 yr old, it was the fact that she was drinking beer and still stayed up long after you had gone to bed......

 

 

TST

Edited September 20, 2005 by TheStartTart