Haslemere long-distance taxi to Manchester
Last Saturday, the 28th of August, we drove a regular customer’s wife and two sons from Haslemere to the Etihad Stadium in Manchester for the Man City v. Arsenal Premier League game at 12.30 PM. Setting off at 5.30 AM we had a very easy journey, via the M6 Toll road before breaking our journey an hour before the destination. It was the birthday treat for one of the boys, a Manchester City fan, and a visit he has wanted for a long time. His brother is an Arsenal fan, so whatever happened someone was going home happy. I think we all knew beforehand the likely outcome but it was an exciting occasion to suddenly see the undulating roof of the stadium come into view. It was remarkably easy to park up to await the arrival of the father, who had taken the train from Leeds, having watched the previous day’s Test match at Headingley with England on top against India. He then took the Metro which took him to the stadium station, which is the great advantage of a brownfield site being used for a new piece of infrastructure. The stewards outside the ground, as well as the City fans streaming past us could not have been more relaxed, friendly, and helpful. The whole atmosphere made a pleasant change from London matches!
The view from the perimeter of the Etihad stadium, Manchester
We initially parked up outside the athletics stadium adjacent to the main ground, with a small roof reflecting the curves of the football ground.
The family had plenty of time to walk around, soak up the vibes, and visit the club shop. Their taxi waited from 10.30AM until they left the ground at 2.30PM and this waiting time was charged at only £15ph before the long trip home. The 5-0 win for Manchester City was great for the birthday boy but the Arsenal brother was remarkably sanguine about it all and filled us in about Arsenal’s shortcomings, both on and off the field, on the way home. The whole journey, including the M6 toll road costs, came to £545, which was far less than using the train and having to get hotel rooms! A good day was had by all and we are grateful for being trusted with the logistics of such an important day out.
The Etihad Stadium on a typical sunny Manchester day!
A very relaxed and helpful bunch of Mancunians made it a highly easy and pleasurable day.