My first weekend in Nottingham-UK

I got off the National Express bus at Broadmarsh Bus station, to the wide, lit, wet and empty streets of Nottingham. Clutching the handles of my two suitcases, a heavy backpack on my bag, and one more handbag, I stood to take in my surroundings. The tall buildings stared back at me, the air felt moist and devoid of any scents. I knew my hotel was across from my University (Nottingham Trent) but I wasn’t sure how I would get there. I kept calm, dragged my suitcases, and walked into the bus station. It was after 3 am, and there was no activity, no cars, buses, or trains in sight but a couple of people sat on the floor, and others walked about. Late travelers like me.  You see, I had not planned my travel to arrive in Nottingham at such an hour, it was due to circumstances beyond my control.

While back at home I had booked an 8 pm bus taking about 4 hours from London to Nottingham knowing I would make it to my destination around midnight. But friends, my connecting flight was delayed by over an hour in Amsterdam…..

On my long solo journey, I’d made a friend so the wait hadn’t been as lonely. Shout out to you Hamida!

…and we arrived at Heathrow a few minutes before 8 pm. I ran through the airport to the security check but, there was a long line. Good enough, it was moving steadily and I got checked a few minutes past 8 pm. Somehow I still thought I would make it….hehehe. I dashed to the baggage carousel and I found my bags fast. You should have seen me and the speed with which I was moving …pheew. But through that large airport, it didn’t seem like I was moving fast enough and the suitcases were a bit hard to drag through the slanting parts toward the exit. I asked someone where I could get the bus, I was told to get on a lift to level 1. There were many people waiting for the lift, so I thought, why not take the stairs. I hauled my bags and entered some lift but it didn’t lead to the said floor. I asked for directions again, got in the lift again, got off and realized I was in the wrong lift, got onto another and this eventually led me to the bus area. But the bus had gone, obviously! But lucky for me, there was one more bus heading to Nottingham at 11:30 pm. I had to be on that one.  And lo and behold, I managed to book a seat on it hence the 3:00 am shenanigans.

So back to the bus station, a security officer passed by me and told a lady that was sleeping on the floor to get off. I used the chance to ask him how I could get a cab to take me to my hotel. I had no internet access and wasn’t so sure how to get an Uber or Taxify. The Officer was kind to point to me where I would likely get a taxi, I walked out of the bus station to the opposite side of the road. A couple of taxis came around but they’d been called and were looking for particular people. I was stranded and contemplated going back to the station to sit until the day broke.  There were what I guessed as students in groups walking and I later learnt from the driver I finally got that the city has a vibrant nightlife. I had finally got a random cab and the driver agreed to a cash payment. He was chatty and had a friendly tone but so have all the drivers I have had the pleasure of riding with during my stay so far. He asked me where I was from and why I was in Nottingham and we had small talk as we drove through the empty but lit streets of the City Centre. Occasionally I’d spot a person and before I knew it, we were at the hotel. That’s how I managed to make it hotel after 3:30 am. I hadn’t been at the bus station long but the uncertainty of being in a new place and not being sure of where to go, being late in the night made minutes seem longer.  The hotel staff received me well and I checked into my room, which was spacious. After over 16 hours of travel, I could rest and had the best sleep until I was woken up by the ringing phone. It was around 6:30 am and my parents were checking to see if I had reached safely. I went back to bed after that call.

This is the largest latte i’d ever had. I didn’t anticipate the mug to be this huge when I ordered a large size for my brunch:)

Saturday 1^st Oct 2022.

A bit of a back story, I’d been given a UK Simcard (Lebara) back in Kampala but I forgot to activate it during the long wait for a bus to Nottingham from London. I activated it on Saturday morning and walaaa, I was online. When I checked out of the hotel I had to find where to stay for the weekend as I waited to get to my student housing on Monday. A former colleague connected me to another former colleague of ours currently living in the UK but in another city. She was super helpful because indeed two heads are better than one and between us combing the internet, we managed to find me an affordable Airbnb. The hotels/ Airbnb’s that were closer or within the city were rather pricy or fully booked due some ongoing popular event that was happening (Goose Fair). I walked around the city, and being the weekend, the university’s official business was closed. I ensured to stay on the same side of the street so I could find my way back to the hotel where I had left my bags. I marveled at my new surroundings in wonder. The organized clean streets, and people walking so fast and I wondered how long it would take me to navigate the same with ease.

Goldsmith Street, Nottingham

In the evening I got a taxi to take me to the Airbnb about 40-30 minutes from the city centre in an area called Mansfield. On the journey, I enjoyed gorgeous views of vast greenery with a large forest cover and I also saw some horses plus my driver was amiable. He left after I had been checked into the house. My room was on the top floor with a scenic view of the neighborhood and the night was restful.

The view from my bedroom window

Sunday 2^nd Oct 2022

I woke up, made myself a cup of tea, I watched movies, and read a novel. By 3 pm I was tired of being in the house if not curious about my surroundings. I messaged my host inquiring about nearby places I could get food and he didn’t respond immediately so I left, and went on an adventure trusting google maps to find my way around. Typical of me. I was in an estate so I decided to walk in the opposite direction from where I had come from. It was a dead end, just around about, so I walked back to the route from the city centre. I got to a junction and decided to stay on one side of the road walking as I kept checking online for the nearest eateries. Friends, there was no sign of a town close by but I kept walking and thought if this leads nowhere, I would have exercised a bit. It was a lonely road with forest cover on either side save for the fast-moving cars. I only met I think two people on that walk, a lady walking a dog and some young man on a bike.  I stayed on the main road because then I would turn back to the way I came. After about 30 minutes of walking, I saw an eatery, Pub, and Grill. I went in, was given a table and I ate a nice meal.

My meal

And ohh, my Airbnb host got back to me and I told him I had gone on walk and where I was, and he was kind enough to come and pick me up. I was well-fed, got back to the house, watched more movies, and called it a Sunday. And friends, that’s how my first weekend in the UK went, it easy on me. The next morning, I called a taxi that brought me back to the City Centre to my current residence. It’s less than a 10-minute bus ride to the City center and about 25- 30 minutes walk to my University’s City campus. My course is taught at a campus in a different town and I had quite the adventure trying to get there for my first class. That’s a story for another blog…

I have diaries for the days that followed including starting my classes which are pretty great.  But by far, Nottingham has been kind to me and it’s been because of all the wonderful people, virtual and in-person that have been placed on my path to make this journey less daunting. I forgot one thing, the weather…woooo! It’s cold and has been living in Jumpers, which I am yet to get used to.

Until the next update stay well and welcome to my UK adventures….