Licence To Roam

Sunday I’m at the Velodrome again and then afterwards in the Exeter Arms with the Lad. Naturally he's a babe magnet, well not just a babe magnet an everyone magnet because it’s not just the girls, all the boys are going gooey eyed over him as well.

Monday, I’m back in London again. This time it’s Islington and I’m on my own, so it’s by train. It was supposed to be routine visit to upgrade their computers but it took far longer than I expected. I ended up having to leg it for my 4pm train, with little or no time to crash out in the First Class Lounge let alone the Parcel Yard bar. L thinks I’m just pretending to be in London to grab an extra couple of quiet hours away from the new puppy.

Tuesday, it’s L turn to hit The Smoke. She is chaperoning her boss, which in the current climate seems essential whoever his patient is. So I walk MD, which is a bit of a change of pace after only walking Doggo for the last few weeks. Then I take all three dogs to dog training in the evening. Perhaps I should accuse L of pretending to be in London to grab an extra couple of quiet hours away from the new puppy.

She says her stress levels are puppified to a new level now and she’s fantasising about sitting on a beach sipping a cocktail. I bet the Lad would absolutely love the beach.

On Wednesday, I go home after work to mop up the puddles and to de-cage the Lad before heading back to pick up my Dad for the match. Derby play Leeds and it was all Derby. The game should have been all over by half time and we should have been at least four up but of course it was Leeds who went ahead. Derby did equalise but then the same thing happened in the second half. It finished 2-2. This season is slowly going down the pan.

I finally get on my bike on Thursday which is a nice (almost) spring day but we’re not fooled. Winter isn’t done with us yet. Thursday is also squash and my opponent tells me about his No-C Diet – which means no Cakes, Carbonated drinks, Carry Out (aka Takeaways), Chips, Cheese, Chocolate, Cookies (aka Biscuits), Commercial Wine, Commercial Beer, Crisps, Confectionery (including Puddings and Desserts), Cream and Custard.

See what he did there? Commercial Wine and Commercial Beer e.g. licence to roam.

Taking on board his carefully worded exemption, as I don’t have a sweet tooth, the list isn’t too challenging. Apart from cheese that is, which I have bucket loads of.

(Friday 23^rd February)

Softening The Blow

I have an early start as I’m down in London for the day for work. This means L has an early start too because once I’m up and gone, MD won’t let her dally in bed. So I soften the blow by taking her up a cup of tea, which just winds him up even more.

My trip goes well, so well in fact that at first I think I’ll be done by 10.30 but they manage to find a few issues to detain me but nothing major. They were also surprisingly nice to me considering the problems they've had but I’m still forced to dine out at Tesco Express for lunch.

I do finish in time to grab a pint in the Parcel Yard before I pop into the First Class lounge at St Pancras. Sadly there is no champagne on offer in there, only the same biscuits and coffee you get on the train.

(Friday 27^th October)

Dirty Weekend In Whitechapel

I’m in London, again, by train, again, in First Class, again, only this time it’s not business but pleasure and a dirty weekend in Whitechapel with L and Mo Farah.

It has to be said that First Class just isn’t the same when you’re too late for breakfast and as we find out on the way home the perks are practically non existent on Sundays. If you want a drink, fetch it yourself from the buffet card, four coaches away. Thanks for that.

We do live it up a little on the way there, before we even get on the train, with wine and Prosecco at Nottingham Station which costs almost as such as the train tickets.

The Holiday Inn at Whitechapel turns out to be very swish and not at all seedy, shame. Then we head to the Olympic Stadium on the DLR where we join the huge security queues to get in. While we queue it gets me thinking that if someone wanted to detonate something for maximum effect then in the queue would be quite an effective option. Scary!

Of course these checks would be a hell of a lot quicker if practically everyone didn’t need to bring a huge rucksack with them. It’s a three hour athletics session folks, what can you possibly need to get through that?

I suppose the food options aren’t great and nor are the beer choices. The velodrome, just across the way, is much better so there’s no excuse really. We have a massive pasty thing and then pork roll afterwards. 

We arrive in time for the Opening Ceremony, which doesn’t really exist, then we see Mo win the 10k and everyone go ape for Bolt in the 100m heats. I’ve never quite understood this Bolt thing myself but then I’ve never really understood the attraction of the 100m either. 

We also see Laura Muir looking impressive in 1500m heats and get totally confused by the Pole Vault qualifying. It is one of my favourite events but they don’t make it easy to follow and, just to add to the confusion, there are three field events going on at once.

However it’s an excellent evening and it’s good to finally get inside the stadium. It's only took me five years. Then afterwards we are herded back towards the station down closed off streets whether we wanted to go there or not. We couldn’t get to a bar, which was all we wanted to do, and eventually ended up back in the hotel bar instead.

(Friday 4th August)

Everyone Blaming Everyone Else

I take the car to Nottingham station and get the train down to London. Today I have to slum it and travel Second Class as an open return costs a mere £170 but First Class is another £70.

It’s a long day with slow progress, after which the system is still not working. Everyone is blaming everyone else.

I eventually escape and rush back to get the 5.15 train home, so don’t get much needed pint in Parcel Shelf.

I get home before L, who is out power-walking. Dog free as well, not that we have a dog capable of power-walking these days. Our intrepid explorer ends up in Beeston but she neglects to power-walk back and gets the tram.

(Tuesday 13^th June)