It's Sunday afternoon and I'm on the Northern Line from Kings Cross, that's shortly about to pull into Stockwell station. On 22nd July, 2005, there was a nervousness in the City of London, still lingering from bombings two weeks previously, which claimed fifty two lives. Only twenty four hours earlier there had been four failed bomb attempts by Islamic terrorists on the London underground system and a number 26 bus.
A flat in Tulse Hill, in south London, had been under police surveillance. A Brazilian electrician called Jean Charles de Menezes emerged from the block of flats. He was on his way to a job in Kilburn. Officers said he matched the description of one of the bombers from the botched attempt the previous day. Menezes was followed by police on a bus that he'd caught. 'Gold Command' headed up by Cressida Dick instructed officers that 'the suspect' was not to be allowed into Stockwell station nor to board a train.
He was followed onto a train by specialist firearms officers. Eleven bullets were fired by two officers. Menezes was shot seven times in the head and died at the scene. No officers were prosecuted. After a long legal battle the family of Menezes were awarded £100,000. It was said to be a case of mistaken identity.
I stretch my legs as I stroll up Dalyell Road towards the Marquis of Lorne pub. Built in 1880 this wonderful street corner pub has heritage status. There's no real ale on, so I have to settle for a Guinness. The James Bond theme, by The Skalites, is booming out of the bar sound system, as a group of Jamaicans play dominoes. They laugh and tease one another when someone can't go. They knock so loudly on the table that the pub floor starts to shake.
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My new favourite area of London is Brixton. It's re-invented itself since troubled times in the 1980s. It has a mural of silent movie film star Charlie Chaplin, who grew up in the area. His childhood was fraught with poverty and hardship.
I visit a total of six CAMRA heritage pubs. It's a long eight mile slog that takes me through Camberwell, Walworth, up Old Kent Road and onto Bermondsey. I'm fagged out and wet through when I finally pitch up at my hotel in Canning Town, which is one stop up the line from West Ham. I book a two night meal deal, which should save me a few bob in the long run. It's lights out by 10.30. I've got a long two days ahead of me.
I eat like a king at breakfast. Fully loaded, I jump onto a train on the Jubilee Line, alighting at London Bridge, where I rejoin the Northern Line. The final destination is The Oval, home to Surrey County Cricket Club.
It's a massive week in the Rothesay County Championship. Notts are on Surrey's tail. A win for either side would see the victors edging towards clinching the title. There are plenty of familiar faces from Trent Bridge in the crowd. I bask in the sunshine in a stand opposite to the pavilion.
I'm joined by my brother and his father in-law, Tony, a Yorkshire CCC member. Notts are asked to bat on a green top wicket. You can't take your eye off the game. Notts are all out for 231. Surrey lose a wicket before the close of play. I tick a few pubs off with my brother. Mayflower, at Rotherhithe, is a beauty. Despite it being a Monday, the pub is bustling with cheery drinkers and hungry diners.
I'm back at The Oval for Day Two. I arrive an hour before the start of play as I want a shufti around the three-floors of the Mickey Stewart Pavilion. I have a coffee in the long room, engaging with a few friendly Surrey members. The pavilion is like an Aladdin's cave, with a nod to its past and present. There's a touching tribute to their legendary batsman Graham Thorpe.
The second day's play is as good as it gets. I sit on the top deck with Rich Drury and an old British Coal colleague called Steve Tagg, as events unfold. Close on 350 runs are scored for the loss of 17 wickets. England and Wales Cricket Board are looking to reduce this format. They are added to the buffoon list that includes: East Midlands Railway, X-Country Trains, Carlton Tesco, Tommy Robinson and caged 3G football 'stadia.
'I arrive home late on Tuesday night. The next few evenings are spent in the kitchen rustling up supper, as brownie points are required after the London passout was rubber-stamped and approved. I did manage to watch the nailbiting finale of the Surrey v Notts game on TV. The visitors held their nerve to win by twenty runs. Josh Tongue bowled the spell of his life.
I'm back on a train again on Friday - and it's an early one too. Tony Mac has planned a day out of walking, culture and pubs, in the city of Oxford. After changing in Birmingham we roll into town at just after 11 a.m. The sun is shining brightly over the city centre. We have a list of 14x pubs to tick off (half pints in most). There are a couple of heritage ones, the first is called Rose and Crown, which is located on a narrow street to the north of the city.
Oxford has welcomed students old and new to the city for the start of term at the university. The boffins and great young brains in the universe are gathered alongside Tony Mac and Sticky Palms. We clock up over eight miles and complete our task of visiting every Good Beer Guide entry in the 2025 publication.
Regular readers of these diary entries will have become familiar with how difficult it has become for me to find a train driver late on a Friday evening or at least one that can be arsed to clock on for work. Let's not forget the strikes and work-to-rule these train company employees chose to go on over the last few years. Add Cross Country Trains to the joker list folks. Announced as the worst train operator in the United Kingdom only five days ago. I roll in at 1 a.m. thanks to another no show from a train crew on the 10.03 p.m. train from Birmingham to Nottingham.
A return journey full refund is confirmed via email by Trainline on Saturday morning. I expect to be invited to the Trainline Customer Service Christmas lunch, such is my familiarity. I laze around as the skies darken and Ms Moon goes food shopping. I jump on a bus after lunch, alighting at the bottom of Sneinton.
Notts County have made a slow start to the season. There was an upsurge in form due to the goalscoring feats of Matthew Dennis. Tony Mac was in attendance at Priestfield Stadium last week where they narrowly lost to Gareth Ainsworth's unbeaten Gills. Dennis is an absentee today.
I engage in conversation with a lovely, elderly gentleman who's adjacent to me in the Derek Pavis Stand. He suggests that high agent fees have led to the departure of their Director of Football - who knows?
Crawley have returned to some good form of late after a shaky start. They play a high tempo passing game in the first quarter of the half without harming Notts too much. Scottish midfielder Scott Robertson has returned to the Pies team after a long term injury. He's already had a sighter when he picks the ball up unchallenged, strides forward and hits a clean left-footed shot into the corner of the net.
The visitors fall like a deck of cards in the second half. Substitutes Luker and Hall combine to put the game beyond reach. Jatta looks hungry again and has improved his all round game. He blasts home from an acute angle before Hall, with his second, completes the rout.
Attendance: 8,974
Player of the Match: Matty Palmer - covered every blade of grass. A class act
Best Record Heard on the Radio This Week: Mount Palomar - 'Pass the Parcel
Favourite Ale of the Week - Animal Brewing, Hop Kitty, in St Aldate's Tavern, Oxford
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