My first stop point in London was Lord’s. In Shaan, I had found the perfect partner who would take me around the town and help me film my vision for the UK Nostalgia tour. We headed for Lord’s Cricket Ground using the London Underground which still had a bit of its old look intact but now, there was lots of steel and glass in its new avatar that I was seeing 23 years later. We took a train from Bexleyheath to London Bridge and then the underground to Lord’s. Shaan was filming all the way using the Mark 5 and I was on the GoPro doing a running commentary. I even managed to shake hands with the Sri Lankan Captain Kumar Sangakkara. Then I interviewed a diehard cricket fan. The funniest moment of the day arrived when the button of jeans snapped and my jeans almost fell off. It was so funny I wish Shaan got it on camera. It was the funniest moment of the day. I walked through the nearby parks full of the most beautiful and colourful array of flowers. People strolled the sidewalks of this garden. Some walked with their exotic and funny looking dogs.
I walked the streets of London like a Lord. It was a hard day’s work. We filmed for almost 5 hours. The edits were done by Shaan and the video was uploaded on Facebook.
On the day of India vs England game, I arrived in a taxi that cost me 55 pounds. I was fortunate to meet my old friends from IMT, Ritul and Richa Sarin. Lord’s was kidney pies and champagne for me as I took my position right at the top of the grandstand. My zoom lens snapped away but the distance was still too much to get very clear pictures. I did make an effort to move on to the front rows to take some shots. The game was won by England but it was Kuldeep’s spin bowling that I enjoyed the most. The atmosphere was carnival-like as I mingled and chatted with a group of fine English gentlemen and explained to them what a travel blogger actually does. I also gave them my autographed book and they shared their bottle of champagne with me. It has been hot in London this summer and this heat is enough to make you sweat but still, anything beats India at this time of the year. Lord’s was an experience and I got a real flavour of what the classic Londoner is all about.
Then it was Wimbledon. I couldn’t but admire the courage of the handicapped people who were also playing tennis and participated in the event. I tried strawberries and cream for the first time full Wimbledon style. Tennis and Cricket have kept me busy so far in the city that has taken away all my heart.