Temporary stands, terracing, a partisan crowd and a press box which could be best described as cosy - welcome to Layer Road.
In fairness I was making my final trip to Colchester's stadium - assuming the FA Cup draw doesn't throw up any nasty surprises - as the Essex boys will be off to pastures new, presumably a bland new home next to a McDonalds and maybe even a Frankie and Benny's.
The less said about Albion's performance the better. You can read all about that particular ordeal in Monday's Birmingham Mail.
But a few things did occur to me during the match...
1: Carl Hoefkens looked remarkably like Darren Carter with his new haircut. And let's hope his newly-lopped hair doesn't have the 'Matt Carbon' effect, the former Albion centre-half who famously lost his defensive powers after swapping his dreadlocks for an all-over Number One.
2: Albion's away form seems to have dipped since they started travelling on a black coach, albeit a fairly luxurious one with tables, lamps and TVs. Time to recall the silver model perhaps?
3: If Colchester left-back George Elokobi is 21-years-old - he looks older than Sheringham, who's twice his age - then it's time to call in Football's Age Police, assuming they've finished reading the Kanu, Peter Ndlovu and Shefki Kuqi files.
Perhaps it's best I say no more...