The town of Nottingham has been alive with crowds of folks on the streets including many grown men dressed in tights. I thought it charming that they'd re-enact Robin Hood for us so often. But when we started seeing Tele Tubbie and Rooster costumes as well, I realized this wasn't Sherwood Forest any longer. We learned that men in Nottingham have a charming tradition of donning stupid costumes for stag parties, cricket matches, and big football games. Tonight England challenged Italy in a quarterfinal football match for the European Cup and packs of wild men prowled the streets looking for the right pub to park themselves. We found ourselves in a pub before the match started and when I took a photo of these crazed boys through the window, I was noticed and the Red Rooster boy came inside to explain the finer points of the English flag to us (it is not the Union Jack). The town turned into a ghost town when the game began. Only mounted bobbies and taxi drivers stirred--everyone else was in a pub with a pint. (England lost but we departed before riots ensued.)
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Now THAT is a tradition that we could borrow from the Brits! How cool is that, dressing in costume just because? Love the Sun front page, too. Can't wait to listen to The Bugle and get their take on the sporting disaster.
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