London

Spent the weekend in London. Calling it cosmopolitan doesn’t start to do justice to the thronging mass of humanity that makes up the streets of London nowadays. Every colour and creed is represented. It was always a magnet for tourists, but another wave of tourist armies has arrived, coming from the sub Continent, SE Asia and the former communist block countries.

Stayed at the Sherlock Holmes Hotel which is of course on Baker Street. Good location, quiet rooms with air con – a tranquil retreat from the chaos outside.

The only British voices I heard all weekend were the two cockney guys running the ferry from Westminster to Greenwich on which we whiled away Saturday afternoon.

Sunday was the Dali exhibition in the old County Hall next to the London Eye. Retreated from the crowds with a picnic and a paper for a relaxing afternoon in Regents Park.

Cool music?

August is always a slow news time, and the papers resort to lots of “fillers” to pad their pages (likewise here of course). This time is a list of “guilty pleasure” songs compiled by Q Magazine – ones that are uncool but people like. The top tem is:

1. ELO - Livin' Thing
2. Boston - More Than A Feeling
3. S Club 7 - Don't Stop Movin'
4. 10cc - I'm Not In Love
5. Gary Glitter - Rock'n'Roll Part 2
6. Foreigner - Cold As Ice
7. Billy Idol - Rebel Yell
8. Status Quo - Whatever You Want
9. Gerry Rafferty - Baker Street
10. Gloria Gaynor - I Will Survive

I have to admit that three of these currently reside in my record collection, and as a kid I used to own another as a 45 (back when such a thing existed).

Travel Notes

The £1 litre is almost upon us. Petrol (and diesel) has stuck at the magical 99.9p per litre mark for the last week or so. Apparently the delay is until the filling stations and supermarkets get new signs that can show ££s!

We shouldn’t forget that 99.9p a litre is £4.50 a gallon. At 30 miles a gallon that’s 15p a mile. Yikes. (Why is it that we have litres at filling stations, yet road signs are in MPH and speedometers show MPH & the economy of cars is advertised as MPG?)

A great perk of weekend train travel is the chance to upgrade to first class. £10 buys you an upgrade to the first class carriages. A bargain.

£4.90 is good value for a one-day travel card in London; it lets you use all the buses, tube and Docklands Light Railway. £3 for a single underground journey is a complete rip-off though. I know the plan is to encourage people to have passes and the new “oyster” cards, but the occasional user (read: tourist) gets it in the neck.

Oh, on the subject of the tube – the London underground dates back to 1865, but that’s no excuse for not having any air conditioning. The temperatures are ridiculous. Sort it out, Ken Livingstone.

Cricket Notes

The Haddocks are flying high in Division 3 of the Cardiff Midweek league. Last week saw two wins (20 runs and a walkover). All of today’s games have been rained off, so that leaves just 3 games until the end of the season. The promotion run will be close, with five teams vying for the two promotion spots.

Wednesday sees the return of Glamorgan cricket to Ebbw Vale when they host West Indies “A”. I’ll be there. Glamorgan’s website has a nice piece.

There’s been some great batting in the Test this week, and some pretty average bowling. Kevin Pietersen (135) was flashy and Ian Bell (116) dogged, but the Pakistan reply from Younis Khan (173) and Mohammad Yousaf (192) was simply awesome. It looked an impossible job to try to get them out. Should be a good last day.

Rugby Notes

Held over until I catch up with the Tri Nations from last weekend.

Ice Hockey Notes

Cardiff Devils' plans for the coming season are on hold as they wait for their new home to be completed. Their old Wales National Ice Rink in the middle of Cardiff is in the process of being demolished to make way for another shopping complex, St David’s 2.

After Glamorgan cricket failed to get planning permission to erect a temporary rink at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff Council are to put up a temporary rink in Cardiff Bay. The rink is currently in transit from Finland, and delays may mean that the first few weeks’ fixtures are played on the road.

It will serve as home for the Echo Cardiff Devils until a permanent home is constructed in the almost mythical Sports Village in Cardiff Bay.

Obituary Note

Richard Avent, Cadw’s Chief Inspector of Ancient Monuments and Historic Buildings died last Wednesday in a scuba diving accident in Malta, along with his teenage son.

I occasionally worked with Richard when assessing applications to Cadw for grant aid, and he was always very friendly and hugely knowledgeable and passionate about his subject. He will be missed.