Over six months ago I failed to find inexpensive accommodation on the South East Coast for Durham’s visit to Sussex and took a punt on the possibility of the County Cricket Club reaching the final of the latest version of the one day competition final at Lords. I was able to book three nights at the Croydon Central Travel Lodge which is located about 100 meters from the East Croydon Railway station. The cost of the accommodation was £19 for 2 night and £9 for the Sunday (£47 in total) exceptional value as it covered the weekend Friday and Saturday nights which are usually the premium rates of the week.
On arrival on Friday afternoon the allocated room was on the second floor, one level above the reception counter, the bar and restaurant and as with wheelchair room previously occupied it was ginormous with three double windows instead of the usual one. The space between the end of the double bed and the desk at the wall was longer than the length of the double bed. It was a great room and I slept well.
Durham did not make the Final on the Saturday losing to Somerset but Surrey, the cricket club from my childhood which had won the County Championship for six years in succession with the likes of the PBH May, The Bedser Twins and Tony Lock, were crowning what was becoming the best year in a long while with their appearance in the Lord’s Final.
I was tempted to attend but hesitated about getting myself a ticket because holding the game in mid September was speculative in terms of the weather conditions and Somerset having narrowly missed out on the County Championship last year and losing the two one day final competitions, and losing out again this year’s 20.20 finals day appeared destined to prove the team with the greater need to win.
When I returned from a family visit on the Saturday I watched the highlights on TV and learned that Somerset failed again. I noticed the large unoccupied areas and that the match had been interrupted on three occasions by rain. There had been heavy rain at least once where I had been so I had made the right decision and although I was pleased that Surrey had won my loyalty is now firmly with Durham although this is not say I might transfer that loyalty should my domestic circumstances change.
Somerset won the toss in the sunshine of the morning but none of their star batsmen, including captain Marcus Trescothick, could make an innings of substance after getting off to a good start. He was out for 15 from 17, Kieswetter 16 from 23, Trego 16 from 14 and Compton 26 from 41. It was left to young England batsman wicket keeper Josh Taylor to make a spirited 86 from 72 including two sixes and seven fours to enable Somerset to achieve an unremarkable 214.
Surrey still celebrating from their promotion to the first division as runners up to Middlesex was not going to be denied from getting their first silverware for eight years. Captain Hamilton Brown opened the innings and was only defeated by a brilliant throw from none other than young Taylor, out in the field, as Kieswetter is the sides number one wicket keeper, when 78 from 62 with seven fours and one six
Because of the rain instead of batting the full 40 overs Surrey were allocated a run chase in 30 overs under the Duckworth Lewis scoring system. Although Somerset took five wickets in all, Surrey reached their target as De Bruyn, previously of Somerset, hit 17 of 20 and Spriegel 24 from 16 with fifteen balls to spare. After watching the highlights I read little before going off to sleep.
The weekend had commenced well as I had managed to get the journey from Newcastle to London for £15 (plus postage £1 (£64) Moreover the train commenced from Newcastle so taking the first eligible Metro train at 9,30 and arriving at 10 am the train arrived soon after I reached the platform and after waiting ten minutes for the reservation tickets to be inserted in the appropriate seats I was able to get one of two free tables in the adjacent carriage close to the entrance and the luggage compartment. Although I could have used the lap top to write I decided on the notebook preparing for my next published piece on the concluding episodes of the fourth series Torchwood, Miracle Day which was finished over the weekend and published immediately on return to South Shields.
I also decided to read the two unread George Gently novels, among the first five of the 46 in the series which ended in 1999, and which had commenced in 1944.I had been given three for Christmas and it had taken time to overcome my disappointment as understandably the author, Ian Hunter who came from Norfolk and spent his life in East Anglia had set the majority of his novels there. Part of the attraction for me was the setting of the first three series in Tyneside and Northumbria and the two episodes of the 2011 series in County Durham and North Yorkshire. The TV series features Martin Shaw a man of considerable individuality although after reading the two novels, Gently Down Stream and Gently on the Shore I can see the links with the original character except I am not sure if Martin Shaw ever sucked the Peppermint Creams which the book man buys by the one pound weight with great regularity. I will write a separate piece on the TV series and the two books later in the week.
The journey to Kings Cross was uneventful with the table only shared by a mother and daughter going out for the day in York from Northalerton. I enjoyed a purchased chicken, bacon and pasta salad together with a belated delivered to the table coffee from the Trolley £1.50 and £1.99 illustrating the mark up for coffee (£67.49).
However the chaotic situation at Kings Cross station is a different story with barriers now installed for platforms 1-8 and everywhere the showing signs of the rebuilding and modernization. I will detail the developments in relation to the return journey. I made the mistake of going to lift on the new entrance to the Underground train system which meant taking the moving stairs with the luggage to reach the main concourse for St Pancras at the read of the restored station which is the desirable route only if it is raining. The best way is to go along the platform of the National Trains and out at the side where here are also the platforms to the Regional services and then cross the new and main concourse.
I just missed the next train to London Bridge, East Croydon and onto Brighton but found a platform seat until the next train arrived and then enjoyed the sight of the latest sky scrapper in the City, reflecting on the business man earlier on the journey south had taken a seat across the aisle at York and was constantly on the phone or using his Tablet and mentioned two and half million at five percent on one call, such is the life others lead.
The walk from my house to the station at South Shields, then between to the London terminals and then down the hill from East Croydon station to the Travel Lodge all brought to the fore my increase in weight and that I get out of breadth quickly pulling the case on wheels with the rucksack on top. The weight problem would hamper what I was to do over the weekend. I have to meet this challenge now more difficult because of the additional year since the last effort.
After unpacking and setting up the computer to confirm the times of the three films I hoped to experience over the weekend I enjoyed the first of two lots of oriental style chicken wings £2.50 (69.99) before setting off back to the East Croydon station and Victoria. The previous evening I had added £15 (84.99) to my Oyster card which registered only 50 pence and where I received an email reminding that the addition would only be activated when I used the card at one of the Yellow card readers and ensure that the light turned green as well as remembering to touch down the card at the end of the journey. Back at East Croydon Station I was unsure if I had correctly used the card and checked with an assistant who reassured that I was OK. It was only when the train set off that I realized I had left my Cineworld Vouchers in the hotel which meant I had to return which would add to the costs of the travel and be rush for the start of the performance. I opted to pay and to go to the Cineworld at Wandsworth getting off at Clap ham Junction and taking one of several bus routes immediately outside the station.
Opting for the stop after Wandsworth Town Hall where I once played Chess on behalf of Croydon Borough Council I went to buy a can of Pepsi at store I have used before on the way from the next stop back to the shopping centre in which is located the Cineworld. Unfortunate I selected a cherry flavoured diet can by mistake and which tasted gross 65p (£85.64) so after a few large mouthfuls I binned the can in the nearest street container for trash. The film I saw was Tinker Tailor, Soldier Spy £6.60 (£91.24) about which I shall write a piece together with my reactions to the first episode of the last series of Spooks.
On the way back to Clapham Junction I noted two pairs of the Police men and women at the main entrance of the station although it is possible that one pair was replacing the other as they moved down the street. It was on Saturday evening that I saw the boarded area that was once Reeves Corner and then on Sunday morning went for look on foot. There was no sign of the rioting at Clapham apart from the police presence. On that first evening in Croydon a helicopter flew over the town centre for several minutes and appeared to make several circuits while the sirens of police/emergency vehicles was heard over a period of over half an hour. I did not go out to observe.
At the M and S at Clapham Junction station I purchased two packs of 4 Pain-aux-raisins £3 (94.24) enjoying two on return with one possibly two cups of coffee during the rest of the evening and also thirsty went to reception where the machine selling cold cans of Pepsi £1 was out of order so I had to purchase a bottle which I drank in the seating area £1.60 (£95.84).
On Saturday I woke early and decided write the piece on Torchwood and became so engrossed that after dressing and sorting out the room I was late for the planned visit to the house and its family with whom I had been raised as a child. I could have caught one of the three buses from a stop close to the Travel Lodge but decided I need some cash as I was paying for the lunch out and was weary about relying just on a Credit card. There was a TSB branch across the road at the Whitgift centre where I withdrew £50.
I then made my way to the bus station from all three buses departed and the first to arrive took the circle route around the once infamous London overspill Roundshaw Estate, passing the large St Elphege Primary school which had been created because of the estate from its site, now a private child nursery centre where it had been a Preparatory school a short walk across one then quiet road from where I lived. My closest cousin in age had been taught to write and simple arithmetic by mother as was the youngest in the family who was born several years after us. The circular route has been changed with the inclusion of one way passing points to slow down movement.
The other thing I noticed is that quite young children appeared to be getting on and of the bus just for one stop unaccompanied. Because I also had a query about the deductions made on the Oyster card I have just sent over half an hour checking the present fares and concessions operating in Greater London and discovered that children under 11 can now travel on buses for free unaccompanied and without having to have a card although they are asked to have age verification if at the borderline. They can also travel free on the Underground and train if accompanied by an adult.
The Oyster card on line system is excellent as one can get a list of all journeys made and the prices charged. I could not understand that it had only cost £2.60 with the card to St Pancras but £2.90 about half the distance to Clapham Junction. This is because the time of travel was during the evening rush hour 16-19.00 and is charged at the higher rate. I also had not had a confirmed check out at East Croydon so was charged £4.40 instead of £2. Having digested all the latest information I will forget by the time I next visit.
For lunch we went to the Toby Carvery at Park place where I enjoyed a large helping of roast beef with roast potatoes cauliflower and broccoli, braised onions and mushrooms followed by a lemon ice cream and accompanied by unlimited diet Pepsi. There were surprisingly fewer people present than anticipated. The final tally for 3 adults was £28.71 plus tip £3 (£127.55)
In the evening I watch an episode of Dr Who, then the X Factor and then the cricket. I also eat the second carton of oriental style chicken wings £2.50 (£130.05) two cups of coffee and one of the pains-aux raisins having eaten another also with two cups of coffee for breakfast. I nearly went for a cold drink but went without.
Tired I went early to bed and to sleep but woke alert in he middle of the night, did some writing and went back to bed and to sleep. I remained uncertain what I would do on the Sunday. It was London Open House that weekend with hundreds of places to visit not usually open to public inspection. I was tempted to visit the new shopping centre at Stratford and see if one could get close to the Olympic Park. However my main interest remained the latest Almodovar film and I was aware that prolonged walking might prove too great a challenge, I would sleep on it!
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