I’m pretty sure it was a family only affair that year and not all that many people. Phillie really wasn’t at all well by then. I’m pretty sure Pauline didn’t come that year and I don’t think all the youngsters came, although I think Charlie and Chris were there.
Th gathering was on the Saturday evening, but Janie and I took the Monday off; possibly just to enjoy a bit of the summer; I don’t think we did anything in particular.
Janie and I are partial to a bit of Eugene O’Neill; almost as partial as we are to Tennessee Williams. While this early play is not one of O’Neill’s great plays, like the Williams, it shows all the signs of an emerging great playwright and was a thoroughly enjoyable evening at the theatre.
A very strong cast and production from a regional source; the Royal & Derngate Northampton, did great service to both productions.
One of my favourite King Cricket “match reports” this – it is the story of a freezing cold day at Lord’s in mid June with Daisy (Janie) watching Middlesex play a match to help warm up the Australians.
This was a really powerful production of a fascinating but shocking play about a femme-fatale; but is she the abuser or the abused party? Janie and I were both affected by this piece and spent ages debating the play’s points afterwards.
Superb production in our little local gem The Gate. What luxury it is to be able to pop round the corner and see a cast and production of this quality.
I almost missed out on reporting this one – in my diary with question-marks and the like, but it seems we organised a mini-outing for the very keen to this match.
Looks as though Jez did most of the organising:
I’m just dropping you all a quick line with the arrangements for tomorrow night. Firstly, I may be slightly late as I have to go and get my wedding registered in North London, but as long as they run on time (famous last words), I should be at the gates with plenty of time to spare. As a precaution, I have given all of your tickets to Simon S…
I chimed in with some of the more vital logistical details:
I suspect it might be quite busy on the Tavern Stand side again tonight, so I suggest that all those who arrive in decent time come straight in and help me to hold sufficient good seats…I’ll probably aim for a little closer to Father Time in the Lower Tavern Stand, Jez, for the “Turkey Corner” effect. It’s the least we can do for brother Ben.
“Brother Ben” is Jez’s younger brother who, perhaps for contrarian reasons, supports Surrey almost as fervently as Jez supports Middlesex. Other guests that night were the two Kiwi Simons (Strez and McMullen), Ben Morris, Heinrich Groenewald and Louwrens Verwey.
The scorecard – click here – suggests that this was not one of Middlesex’s better matches nor one of the better matches from a neutral spectator’s point of view.
I’ll guess that Simon McMullen’s (first left in the picture) favourite memory of visiting Lord’s was the previous year – click here or picture below.
2009 at Lord’s. Simon M, Me, Linda, Jez, Garry Sobers and Nick
I remembered that we had done the Lord’s T20 thing with John and family a couple of times, but it wasn’t until I found diary/e-mail references to this Sunday afternoon gig that I realised that there were several years between visits.
I recall that, in many ways, the 2010 outing was more successful. None of the Friday afternoon/evening stress – this was a Sunday afternoon outing in good weather.
I think the girls had genuinely enjoyed the Lord’s visit in 2007 so had been really looking forward to this afternoon visit and they weren’t disappointed.
John was possibly a little disappointed by the result – another “close but no cigar” match for Essex. Here is a link to the scorecard.
I’d had the bath surgeon re-enamelling my bath at the flat the previous day – without drama and very successfully – perhaps he uses ingredient X?
Anyway, this Royal Court play/production had a superb cast. including Lesley Sharpe and Indira Varma.
Very pacey play – almost to the point of being all over the place. Some very funny lines. Despite its flaws, I think we rather enjoyed it, although I seem to recall enjoying the first half more than the second half of the play. The bants started to grate after a while.
Janie and I don’t much do weddings, but we’re very fond of Mat and wanted to be there on his big day. After all, he’d turn up and keep wicket for Z/Yen and/or The Children’s Society whenever we asked. Good batsman too.
I knew Mat from Lambton Place (now known as BodyWorksWest), where he worked; I had known him for a good few years before the wedding. Mostly cricket was the thing we had in common, but we’d chat about all sorts. He was a talented musician and wrote poetry too.
The young woman he was marrying, Catherine, seemed absolutely delightful, as did her Canadian family. She was an expert in 18th century fine art (professionally) and seemed steeped in the 18th century generally.
So I suppose no surprise, as they had settled in Battersea, that they married in the beautiful Georgian church of St Mary’s. Here’s a charming vid about the church:
The weather smiled on us that day, as it had smiled on the cricket I attended on both preceding days.
Janie and I fondly remember sitting chatting outside the church after the wedding with several people; mostly friends and staff from Lambtons; Laurence, Tina and John especially come to mind.
We’re not 100% sure which Battersea hostelry was blessed with our company for the wedding breakfast and dance. I think perhaps The Woodman.
Anyway it was a very enjoyable evening, with a chance to meet the bride’s family properly and indeed Mat’s, plus some more time with other friends.
Dance is not really my thing. Watching dance isn’t really Janie’s thing.
But Anthea and Mitchell were keen to go to this and were raving about it being original and different.
I’m sure it was.
I liked the music in the second half; all Bowie, Eno, Iggy Pop and Lou Reed, The Bruce Gilbert and Wire music in the first half left me a bit cold.
The dancing is of course incredibly skillful, it just doesn’t do anything for me.
I could see why Anthea and Mitchell, as fashion show photographers, would relate to the piece; it felt (to me) like watching one long fashion show parade.
We ran into my former colleague Angela Greenfield at the Barbican, sitting directly behind us – how weird is that? We’d sometimes bump into her at the theatre and it seems that she, like me and Janie, was there with friends who had dragged her to something she wouldn’t normally see. I think she enjoyed it as we did.
We went on to the Hix Oyster and Chop House in Farringdon for a late but much needed meal, which was very good and gave us all a chance to chat and catch up properly.
