Every time I`ve `gone under cover`at a cricket ground,I`ve ended up chilled to the bone.It`s not as though the excitement of the game keeps you at high temperature and even at Lord`s at a T/20 it`s bloody cold in the lower tier of the C&E stand. Let`s bring some realism to our demands of the Club......but then,Worcester has always been the resort of choice for the disillusioned and disaffected!

How is asking for rooves on stands in a climate where it rains quite a bit lacking in realism, Rupert. Remember that rooves are also useful in good weather giving people somewhere to shelter out of the sun.

Maybe you are more fortunate than me, being fair-haired and light skinned I go bright pink very quickly in the sun.

Have been at New Road on many occassions when it rained heavily. I can't remember anyone deciding that it was a good idea to guard their seat and sit in the rain. Sensible people run for cover - mostly crammed into the NR stand. But when that's gone we're knackered !

Will this be the last season where we have to see that eyesore of a building the Severn bar/former club shop ? It was ugly over 40 years ago and remains so today.

latest on hotel etc:

http://www.worcesternews.co.uk/sport/wccc/8305714.New_Road_hotel_remains_vital_to_County_s_future/

With even Lancashire and Yorkshire reporting alarming downturns in their hotel occupancy rates,you do have to wonder if this plan really is the panacea we all hoped it would be. If we are sharing costs-and thus returns- with a developer and Premier pay rent based on occupancy,it seems a gamble to me at this time.

I think that the difference between us and some of the other clubs is that Worcester is a growing tourist destination, and there is without doubt a shortage of decent places to stay in the town centre. I organized a conference a little while ago and took spaces for 80 people at a certain town centre hotel, and to be honest, it was quite grotty - worn out rooms and indifferent service. So there is space for a good clean modern Hotel.

Whether it should aim for a higher end of the market than Premier do is a matter for debate though.

Worcs needs a decent hotel. That's not the problem. The new hotel might well generate sufficient funds for cricket in the short to medium term but unless there is a curb on player wages inflation we'll all be back to square one in 3-5 years. The hotel might require prices of £500/night to keep up.

In fact, the problem might never go away and we may still be stuck in neutral from Day 1. Assume the hotel provides £200k towards player funds for 2011 (dates and amounts are irrelevant). So Bumpy targets players X,Y,Z. But all other clubs are equally ambitious/ have development plans / have Test match revenues / benefactors / are equally foolish with money. Suddenly, by Worcester becoming an additional player in the market those same players X,Y,Z will be offered £300k somewhere else.

The only benefactors of this development will be the players.

The hotel can not come quick enough, a quality hotel in our fantastic location is like Gold Dust.

Just like buses, you can wait for ages then two come along at once !

http://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/8334853.High_quality_hotel_proposed_for_city/

I think that the present supposed higher hotels (Fownes in particular) need competition. It sounds as if the two proposed new hotels would be catering to different parts of the market. Our Premier Inn is only one notch above a TrevelLodge. I suppose that the difference in available ground area is of the essence in these two proposals - there is oodles of empty space down in Lowesmoor.

To declare a bit of an interest, I have used Premier Inns on many occasions for business. They really are budget hotels but with high quality- very customer-oriented. They will be a superb addition to Our County Ground.

And no- I don't have shares in them. I'm not Lenny Henry either!!

Yes WBB, I have used Premier Inns and they are great for their purpose. But they are not really Hotels in the old sense of the word, with lounges, meeting rooms etc. as I suppose is being suggested in Lowesmoor. I hope there is room for both.