Boozy Britain II

The main reason for coming up to Northampton was to go to a friend’s house re-heating party (long story, don’t ask!)

I’d been out with him and other friends for most of the evening, and we went back to his around 10pm before finally heading back to the hotel just before 1.

I’m from Croydon. I’ve walked through Croydon at 1am, I’ve seen the town centre when the clubs are turning out.

However, nothing prepared me for quite how edgy Northampton is at 1am.

Police everywhere, broken glass over the streets, people standing in the middle or roads screaming at each other.

It really makes Croydon look like some small Cotswold village!

Boozy Britain

Hmm, Northampton, it’s an interesting place.

In the 30 or so yards between the cinema, where I’d caught a late film, and the hotel I was amazed by the number of “surprises” that awaited me.

It was a positive obstacle course of what the papers might describe as “broken binge-drinking Britain”.

Firstly were the pools of previously digested alcohol and curry (x3)
Second were the three police vans screaming past towards the centre of town at full speed
Third was the couple “enjoying each other’s company” in the shop doorway opposite the hotel entrance.

The only thing that stopped it from being the full house was there was no sign of a lady screaming after a man “leave it xxxx, he’s not worth it!”.

Then again, that had probably happened immediately before I checked into the hotel.

It’s a novel way to check in

Perhaps I should be more concerned than I am.

It’s certainly a slightly unnerving welcome to a town

To be checked into your hotel by a police officer means either there’s nothing for the police to do, or they have a very active interest in the hotel.

On arrival at the hotel there were a number of people standing around outside being urged to go on their way, some of them a little worse the wear for drink.

Entering reception I found the bar area was closed off by a human shield made up of Police, Community Support Officers and private security contractors.

The Policeman who checked me in to my room explained there had been a small “melee” that they had just cleared and the hotel staff were just writing up witness statements.

That’s always slightly disturbing when police use euphemisms like “melee”. If they had just said drunken brawl in the bar I would have been pretty accepting, but melee makes it sound like youre trying to hide the true extent.

Though, to be fair the bar area looked in perfect order, no furniture even out of place, so perhaps they were using the word melee to mean a small brawl which they were able to intervene in before it fully kicked off.

However, that wouldn’t explain why the staff were filling out witness statements, why the police were checking me in and why there were security guards riding in the lifts!

Welcome to Northampton, we hope you enjoy the entertainment we’ve laid on for you!