As I sit here at my Travel Lodge desk directly overlooking the esplanade, pebble beach, sands and seaweed before a gentle tide at Worthing I am torn between wanting to go out and further explore, despite the greyness of the weather and the wish to write up the great sporting events of the past week in which I witnessed Durham winning the County Championship and Nottingham the 40 over competition at Lords, my vehicle failing to start when commencing the journey from the Travel Lodge at Croydon to here and was then quickly sorted by roadside assistance after which I enjoyed an Indian meal in Brighton yesterday lunchtime after passing a man walking a dog with the sign No Nukes just outside the entrance to the annual conference of the Labour Party.
I have stayed at this Travel Lodge once before, over a weekend, when a traditional jazz band played in a small square outside a small shopping precinct a short distance away from here and I have previously written of my experience visiting the Museum and Art Gallery, having come by bus from a subsequent stay at Brighton. I will take the same bus to Hove cricket ground tomorrow for the start of Durham now irrelevant game against Sussex in terms of the county championship although it would be good for the standing of the county if they were to win the game and become the first to win the championship with 11 wins out of the 16 games played since either the inauguration of the 4 day game when there was just one division or since the creation of the two division competition.
Yesterday I woke after a good night, packed and prepared to motor the short distance from the Travel Lodge to the M23 and on to Brighton when the engine refused to turn. I waited for five minutes and then turned again and it failed so I contacted roadside assistance provided by the LV car and household insurance and Rescue 247 came within half an hour having said the wait could be as long as one hour. Although I was told that the problem was a simple flooding of the carburettor the action he took suggested an air lock although I know nothing about the workings of car engines, unable to grasp the basics of how any engine works.
Once started I was anxious about stopping but I did at a garage just before the motorway in order to purchase a bottle of milk for this morning‘s cereal breakfast and a cold drink which at 1.18 for a can of Pepsi was exorbitant. I also wanted to advise others that all was well after all.
After the initial shock of potentially having the vehicle out of action for a few days I quickly realised that with a little repacking I would take case, shoulder bag and Sleep Apnoea Treatment machine, selecting a hat and a coat and take the one station stop at South Croydon back into East Croydon station as I had done the previous morning and the take a fast train to Brighton and Worthing, and then a taxi from the station down to the sea front. I would then return to Croydon to collect the car when it was ready from a local garage
On the journey I remembered how close Gatwick airport is to Croydon reminding that it in effect replaced Croydon the former principal London airport once it was appreciated after the war that the site could not be expanded to cope with the transatlantic and transworld jets and their volume of flights.
Apart from a reduced speed delay for some improvements/or repair works for those travelling in the opposite direction I soon reached the outskirts of Brighton and the short stretch along the dual carriageway A 27 for the turning for Shoreham Harbour where I parked the car by the automatic lighthouse at Port Shoreham and the Lifeboat station which I shortly visited being taken round the large rescue boat with capacity to rescue a large number of people in all conditions as well being shown the inshore boats which are most used and where shortly a proud mum and two envious younger brothers watched the eldest in what appeared to be a training assessment exercise. Nearby an elder had been bathing in the harbour waters from the short pebble beach.
For lunch I went to the Chilli Pink Canteen Indian restaurant in Brighton which served authentic recipes where I added to a pork based curry upgrade with a selection of small sample dishes, savouries and a sweet called King Khali, a photo of which was posted on face book without my appreciating it was being done at the time! I had some water and also one of their fruit concoctions which was refreshing.
On my last visit to the Worthing Travel Lodge I had failed to appreciate that I had signed up for a single room, a compact bedroom overlooking the rear of the hotel whereas on this visit my room looks directly on the promenade with its single row of white lantern lights before the flat stretch of pebble beach and then a sharp incline down to the sea which is slowly drifting in and where at the waters edge a woman is walking her dog in the distance. Shortly before this a couple of Asian looking ladies were painstakingly gathering something from the pebble beach.
Although I arrived at 5pm I was able to park across the road from the Travel Lodge as on Sunday ( 22.09.2013) there are no parking fees although on other days of the week time the rate is 20p for 12 p or £1 an hour from 9am until 6 pm.
Apart from this morning when I have been down and paid for two hours with the car parked directly by the hotel I shall get myself organised well before 9 and take the car to the lifeboat parking station and then the bus to the Hove ground which is a short walk from the bus stop ( I think). Later this afternoon after lunch which I plan to have in Shoreham I will time the journey to the ground for with the 10.30 start I will aim to arrive around 9.15 to 9.30 on the first day to ensure a good seat taking account of the weather. I obtained entry on the first day for £10 online and for subsequent days I will purchase at the box office subject to weather conditions and the state of the game after the first day. There is a £2 fee for tickets bought at the box office or collected from it. I have not checked if the fourth day is free having purchased tickets for the first three days as was the position on my last visit to the ground before the County was relegated having won the championship three times in four or possibly five years.
Last evening in a dyslexic comprehension moment rather than an elderly one I went in search of a car park with a weekly season ticket rather than having to pay the £11 required for an 24 hour stay, not grasping that unless one wanted the security of a covered car park the only need in the town was to cover the period 9 until 6 and in reality there is no where free as from my two hour walk noting the car parks there is zone parked to ensure the residents do find they or their visitors cannot park in front of their houses.
My walk took me to part of the residential area behind the hotel to where there is Amelia and Victoria Parks with one merging into the other. I then found my way to the civic centre where at a local inn had a lively atmosphere with people packed inside for some live performance and outside at tables. I continued passing the Morrisons local crossing the busy East West vice versa main road to where the is a huge deserted car park at this time of night in an unpleasant almost derelict site area but did nto continue to the railway station, my original plan having opted for the slower bus which with my national pass would be free. I did note the main Morrison’s supermarket across the busy road to the right of the main junction. If necessary I am more likely to visit the two supermarkets in the Shoreham area which I know from previous visits. However at the present time I am only in need for some small waste bags which I forgot to bring and later in the week something to add to my daily salads forsaking bread until my weight get back to 6 stone and below.
Thus was my mood and inclination when just before 11 am I set off in the car having deposited £2 of small change to keep the car for two hours where it had been parked overnight.
I was going to Shoreham for lunch although at that point I was uncertain whether I would have another celebratory meal or something al fresco. Parking became the first objective and on my first entry into the town I missed the car park at the station, I missed the station in fact although I had walked through the crossing several times over the Christmas where I was last in the town. I also missed the shoppers car park and went passed the lighthouse and lifeboat station to the traffic lights and then turned left but instead of going up to the traffic lights and turning left go to the huge Tesco and M and S complex or across and then down to where I stayed at Christmas I took the first left and along a road which I assumed was parallel to the coast road. I was broadly right although it did move inland further than anticipated so that when I did turn toward the town centre I parked the car at the far end of road which brought me back to the level crossing by the railway station. By the time I had walked through the town centre debating whether to have a proper meal noting the various offers from two seafood course offer for £10.95 to a one course £8, 2 courses £11 and 3 for £15 set menu at the place where I had a meal on the last visited and noted that half a pint of Shell on prawns were available as a starter!
The sun was shining brightly and it had become warm and local residents were out everywhere sitting at pavement tables drinking coffee. I purchased a copy of the Times at W H Smiths and sat on a bench overlooking the river. The main interest as it had been over the previous 36 hours was the horrific killings by grenades and automatic weapons at the shopping mall in the capital city of Kenya within the deaths of children and a range of others who could not immediately prove they were Muslims. The president who lost relatives promised painful retaliation on those responsible, an understandable reaction in the circumstances. At least four British citizens are known to have been killed todate.
The domestic story concerns Scum Macbride who as the scum doctor for the obsessed with power Gordon Brown engaged in foul tactics which Ed Miliband states he condemned at the time and since. There are those who cannot believe that Brown and Ed Balls were not just unaware of his activities but at a minimum took no action to discourage or stop his activities. In fairness scum MacBride has not as yet condemned his former employers with his disclosures egged on and no doubt paid for by Tory mischief makers. Just as the UKIP conference has been derailed by the joking of a an MEP at a fringe meeting scum Macbride seems determined to do likewise for the Labour Party.
In Sport the big news is the sacking of Paolo Di Canio by Sunderland after they agreed to send packing a dozen players during the summer and bought another dozen with the consequence that the club has one point from the opening games with four major games coming up with little likelihood of getting a point let alone a win from any of them. Surrey tried to do the same and were relegated at the end of last week as Durham celebrated, The other football news was that Man City thrashed Manchester United 4.1 but Chelsea who had lost badly at home in their European Cup game did win while Liverpool lost and with Arsenal, Spurs and Everton winning they are all now doing better than Man U in 8th. Newcastle also lost to Hull at home and slipped from their promising start to mid table.
There was also speculation about the Ashes Squad which was announced at midday with Ben Stokes of Durham included and is clearly favoured along with Root, Bairstow and Balance of Yorkshire, but not Onions. Durham’s Wood has joined the Development Squad although he will not travel over Winter asked to work on a special programme to build up his strength and Fitness.
After the read and a sit I went to the Coop store where I purchased some King prawns in shell for £3.50, a heated sausage roll £1 and a carton of grapes £2 £6,50 for the three courses which I enjoyed in the sun drenched churchyard where a number of others doing likewise. I needed the loo and coffee and made my way to the McDonalds situated between the Tesco and MS north of Shoreham which I enjoyed after the comfort break. I now have a free coffee having completed the card.
It was then time to park at the lighthouse where I caught the 700 almost immediately but forgot the building which to alight and in fact the bus turned towards the ground and then along the parallel to coast shopping street although I was only to find this out on the return. The consequence was a good 20 minute walk in the hot sun although I did have the radio afternoon play for company. The walk also reminded that the walk from the station would also be longer than remembered.
Not only was the ground open but the coffee tea restaurant was open with a sign encouraging passers by to come in. The great disappointment is that the park bench and deckchair area had gone and there are no seats above the media centre from which to view the cricket above the wicket. There is a good size stand now to the left at the entrance providing about the same view as the middle tier or lower upper tier at Durham but this will only be effective for wickets at the middle or to one side. The cafe restaurant is located to the rear of the new stand. I am yet to explore if the rest of the ground including the Members Pavilion is as before and hope to do so when I arrive tomorrow. Not seeing a 700 bus when I reach the shopping road again I continued to sea front and had to walk some distance to the first bus stop and it was here that I realised the bus would shorten the walking journey considerably by the route which it takes,
Arriving back at the car parking the journey through Lancing to the promenade across from the Travel Lodge was slow arriving just before four so I used up more cash for the two hours before free time.
Later after an evening meal of cuppa soup, cuppa noodles, and smoked salmon salad I went out to M and S with the aim of buying some already cooked spicy chicken for lunch tomorrow. However it closes early part of the week at six so I continued to the pier and on the picture house which was open as is the other small cinema off the high street. I will have to decide whether to go to MS in the morning when it opens at eight, make a salad up from one of the two tins of crab meat, or take pot luck when I get there. I will decide in the morning.
On return I appreciated the value of the fan which after having turned off for a brew the room is heating up and the traffic noise outside would only become worse if I am able to open the window a little. I have already been to the basement cafe of a Pepsi Cola with ice) small for £1,40 and had I the change with me I would have done better with buying from the Foyer machine at £1.50. I watched channel four on the Labour Party conference and the re-election of the party of the German Prime Minister but who will need to form a coalition which last time took 67 days. This will not affect the policies of the austerity Queen something which Ed Balls was said to have also emphasised Labour will continue if elected. On this note I end and go back tomorrow the great win of Durham and my day at Lords for 40 overs Final last Saturday.
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