Lords audio file
25 years ago my father took a schoolfriend and me to Lords cricket ground. The occasion: England v Australia in the heady summer of 1981. Unfortunately Dad hadn’t bought a ticket in advance; so we stood at one end (the Nursery End for those in the know), cagouls on, catching the odd glimpse from a standing position when the sightscreen wasn’t obscuring our view. It rained a bit, a cold wind blew. We witnessed Botham get one of his ducks for that game.It was uninspiring.
Today I found myself sitting on the balcony of the famous pavillion with old friend Bill and his father Robin, beer in hand – and unfortunately due to the steamy weather – collar and tie, a prerequisite for entry into the MCC members area. OK, Middlesex verses Durham with 150 spectators does not compare with a test match…but in my minds eye I recall as a child gazing longingly at the majestic pavillion building, wondering if I would ever set foot inside. I did today. Our visit included a walk through the (air conditioned) Long Room, where all players must walk through and brush shoulders with the members. There hang oil paintings of cricketers of another world: W G Grace, W R Hammond…I even walked down the steps from the Long Room into the front of the members area, just imagining whose footsteps I was walking on…Bradman, Richards, Gooch, Gower, Botham of course. The stuff of schoolboy dreams. Oh – and Simpy stayed behind in the Camden office, he’s not big on the wonderful game.
The traditional Lancet picnic takes place in regents Park this afternoon. must be the 7th one I’ve been to…memories one year of stumbling off the tube at some ungodly hour clutching the detrytis of the afternoon’s fare in the drunken belief that there were some meaningful leftovers for the following day…and another memory of colleague Stephanie being taken for a furious trot by dear old Norton. Have already alerted staff to the hazards of titbitting labradors, much to Simpy’s chagrin. post-picnic report to follow tomorrow. In the meantime, the Observer food monthly’s picnic feature last Sunday was a nostalgic read for the British picnicker…
audio snippet Less than a week old and this blog is already running out of control. around a month ago Simpy and friends (myself included) took a day out on the watercress steam railway down in Hampshire. Terrific fun. 1950s puffa which ran between alton and Aulesford. Like a trip back in time. And watercress featured in the wonderful lakeside lunch in the Globe pub in Aulesford. Have a listen and let me know what you think.
Well there’s no sign of the heat abating…according to the BBC Online forecast it will hit 35C (95F) by Wednesday – just in time for The Lancet picnic. Hopefully by then this wretched sty in my eye will eff off and die, been plaguing me for a few days, and making me grumpy. Early Sunday morning and Simpy is stretched out downstairs, still tired after roaming around the countryside yesterday. BBQ later today at the outlaws in Woldingham. Time to read the paper now, though the Middle East news is so wretched I can hardly bear to read it. And to top it all, Freddie Flintoff is out of action for the rest of the summer. Someone cheer me up please!
OK realise that Simpy’s french adventures are yet to be posted – soon we promise – but today started with a trip to Rory, our charismatic Irish vet in Clapham. Simpy has a souvenir from Picardy…a tick near a very sensitive part of his body. Oh la la. “What a big bastard”, proclaimed Rory as he hauled Simpy onto the examination table – the tick you understand, not Simpy. In two ticks of a tick’s tail the blighter was out. Rory shocked the yummy mummies in the waiting room by displaying la tique for all to see. Mon dieu. And the great irony, of course, is that Simpy could only get back into the UK last Sunday having had treatment contre les tiques – which cost a mighty E65 for a 3-minute veterinary consultation. But I’m getting ahead of myself – more details in the audio dog-blog of our french visit. This assumes I can work out how to upload an mp3 file onto the dog blog.
A very hot welcome from Richard and Simpson to the new site – it’s 35C outside and Simpy’s going nowhere. Huge thanks to Jonny Perl for getting richardlane.org off the ground. Follow the steps of Richard and Simpy over the coming days, weeks and months – coming soon: an audio guide to last Friday’s Bastille Day in Picardy. Simpson’s first trip abroad was fun and seafoodd-filled.
Today already feels like a week – a rude awakening at 6am as we hurried to Leeds railway station for the Kings Cross train. Poor Simpy couldn’t remember where the lift was in the hotel – so we ended up in the sauna instead – well, cooler than outside.
2 hours later Simpy avoided a mile-long taxi queue and grabbed the first cab – Camden office by 10.30. Can still taste the GNER kippers – actually they were pretty good. Leeds was another long day – Guide Dogs AGM and council meeting. Sadly no time to revisit student drinking haunts of the late 80s. But the Leeds folk as friendly as ever. Only 35 dogs for Simpy to play with this year – he took a shine to Onyx – great name, unlike her owner Rhoda Carrot.
More soon – including audio evidence of a seafood-filled weekend in Picardy, northern France.
