Ged, Jonny, Morg, Daisy & Harsha (Nigel AWOL) – Photo by Sam
It seemed like less than a year since our previous visit. Perhaps because it was less than a year…by a few weeks:
Anyway, Daisy and I did our usual thing in Leamington – stopping there for a game of real with Dr Snoddie & his pals; also lunching and shopping in that fine spa town, before driving on to Birmingham (Moseley).
This time we had taken an out house in a family home as our Airbnb, which was less eccentric than the 2024 place but not quite as spacious and posh as the 2022 place in Edgbaston.
Still, plenty of room for producing smoked trout and smoked salmon bagels, smoked chicken, duck and cheese sandwiches, grape and strawberry courses and assorted snacks.
Nigel joined me and Daisy for dinner at Sabai Sabai the night before the test started. Harsha was unable to join us until Day Two, hence his absence from the pre-test repast. He (and we) had very much enjoyed that place in 2024, much as we all did in 2025.
A fairly large table, including cricket writers Simon Wilde and John Etheridge also dined in Sabai Sabai that evening. Being cricket writers, they must be discerning folk who know what they are on about food-wise.
Here we are gathered at the start of Day One, brimming with antici…
…pation.
Jonny Twophones was making a third appearance this year, while his friend, Huge Morg, whom I had met through Jonny at Lord’s a couple of years earlier, was making his first appearance at a Heavy Rollers event. Unfortunately we neglected to conduct Morg’s initiation ceremony this time, so it will have to be a more extreme version of the initiation next time. Something for everyone to look forward to.
Did Sam come and visit us at lunchtime on Day Two?
Of course he did.
Daisy took a good few photos around the back of the Eric Hollies Stand over the three days, which will find their way as an educational feature on the King Cricket website in the fullness of time. A link to that feature will be annexed soon after that fullness.
Here is an example of such a photo, not used in that feature.
My performance in the traditional Heavy Rollers prediction game was dismal this year, whereas Daisy, professing to “knowing nothing” did quite well for a change.
As always, the days seemed to fly by and sooner than we possibly could imagine we were all on our way.
“On our way…” There is always a moment of sadness as farewells are bade, knowing another Heavy Rollers gathering is about to conclude. The 27th official event was a touch poignant, given the absence of past stalwarts, but equally celebratory due to those who continue with this superb tradition. Nigel and Jonny discovered they were early for the shuttle buses to New Street so shoe-horned onto the 45, known at this time of the year as “the City Crawl”. They decided to be clever and disembarked early to complete the journey by foot. Jonny’s credentials as a true Blue Brummie were only momentarily challenged as they passed Harvey Nicks a third time. However, having “two phones” enabled a deft bit of navigational-recovery to avoid having to ask a proper local where the station is. Efforts to blag an earlier train proved unwieldy, as did their attempt to pass through the barrier to await their respective departures. “No chance”, barked the jobs-worth. “You may have two phones but he can go through. You can’t”. But before any legal precedents were asserted Nigel’s antecedents with jobsworths ensured the gate was duly opened, and the weary duo continued ‘on their way’.
Thanks Nigel. Your comment would be worthy of a full billing King Cricket match report or Ogblog posting.