1546. Sat 29/3/23: The New Members Bar, Lord’s Cricket Ground, London

Beer: Marston’s Pedigree 4.5%

Lovely day at Lord’s. Middlesex v Kent. The morning has been reasonably dull, but Kent wickets tumble leading up to Lunch.

Queueing at the bar when the ninth wicket falls: Tim Murtagh’s 1000^th wicket (in all forms). Well done to him.

It’s £5.60 a pint here now. I’ll only buy a first pint in future here, and recharge my plastic Lord’s beaker (deposit an extra, refundable, £1) with bottled beer from Asda.

We’re sat atop the South tower in the Pavilion. There we’ve been befriended by an affable and (over) chatty MCC bod. He’s alright. Nice fella… bloody loves his cricket. Seems a little odd/winningly eccentric; again, he’s alright.

Middlesex skittle Kent out for 128, leaving them to score a (surely very gettable) 86 to win.

1116. Wed 1/9/21: Pavilion North Tower Bar, Lord’s Cricket Ground, London

Beer: Marston’s Pedigree 4.5%

Sat one row back, and less than a metre, from where Steph and I sat yesterday. The match, Middlesex v Derbyshire, has moved on somewhat. It’s still in the balance. It’s different here on me tod. One can come and go – wander, or not wander… eat lunch before Lunch… but I still miss the company. My notes wax lyrically on that point. I must’ve felt lonely writing them. Being alone is alright, they suggest, but I wouldn’t want to make a weekend of it.

It’s considerably colder today – but I’ve come without the tank top and overcoat which seemed a little over the top on Monday. Nobody wears overcoats anymore. I fancifully reckon my doing so represents a personal sartorial affectation, which I’m reasonably pleased with.

It’s too cold to be outside drinking Pedigree, much though I’m enjoying it.

I spend lunch time, having finished my lunch, supping at my beer and reading One, Two, Three, Four, a Beatles book by Craig Brown. Very enjoyable.

Still, though, there’s that faint feeling of ennui. We’ve only just returned to the cricket and Autumn is coming on. Being frozen on one’s return to Lord’s is nothing new – but that’s usually in the Spring, when evenings are drawing out and things seem on the up. The last autumnal trips to Lord’s is always something of a bitter sweet experience… and, as previously moaned, being on one’s own isn’t helping too much today.

1262. Sat 30/4/22: New Members Bar, Lord’s Pavilion, St John’s Wood, London

Beer: Marston’s Pedigree 4.5%

Bar at a cricket ground – ain’t really a pub though is it? Eh? Well, no, but the precedent was set sometime ago so… sorry.

It’s a BEAUTIFUL Spring day here in North London. We’re sat in the shade, so we’re a bit chilly, but it’s lovely.

Half past noon is my first pint time. The Pedigree is fine… did it used to be better than this? Seems a little unexceptional. I’m not complaining much, it ain’t Doom Bar but, y’know… again, I’ve vague recollections that it used to be a very good pint.

Meanwhile Hobgoblin is advertised heavily, somewhat incongruously, around Lord’s. It’s apparently the official beer of Lord’s, (as well as Middle Earth). The mind might boggle, if one cared a smidgeon more.

Middx v Leics, day three, is interesting in parts – soporific in others.

Lord’s, I contemplate, is people watching paradise for the mid-20^th century Sociology (CSE) student. There are allsorts in here today. I suggest to Stephanie that I may be the only one here who was yesterday employed strimming grass in Luton parks.

Should I pay £80 for a Panama hat, made at Luton’s (now defunct) Olney hat factory, at the Middx club shop? They’re running low of Olney stock. They’re being replaced with hats from the Panama Hat Co – which opened up in Luton’s Guildford Street in the last few years. Anyway, I reckon the hats are about £30 too expensive. I don’t get one.

The cricket gets more engrossing – and we end up staying until the end. Middlesex win. Hoorah.

1116. Wed 1/9/21: Pavilion North Tower Bar, Lord’s Cricket Ground, London

Beer: Marston’s Pedigree 4.5%

Sat one row back, and less than a metre, from where Steph and I sat yesterday. The match, Middlesex v Derbyshire, has moved on somewhat. It’s still in the balance. It’s different here on me tod. One can come and go – wander, or not wander… eat my lunch before lunch… but I still miss the company. My notes wax lyrically on that point. I must’ve felt lonely writing them. Being alone is alright, they suggest, but I wouldn’t make a weekend of it.

It’s considerably colder today – but I’ve come without the tank top and overcoat which seemed a little over the top on Monday. Nobody wears overcoats anymore. I fancifully reckon my doing so is a sartorial faux pas, which I’m reasonably pleased with.

It’s too cold to be outside drinking Pedigree, much though I’m enjoying it.

I spend lunch time, having finished my lunch, supping at my beer and reading “One, Two, Three, Four”, a Beatles book by Craig Brown. Very enjoyable.

Still, though, there’s a faint feeling of ennui. We’ve only just returned to the cricket and Autumn is coming on. Being frozen on one’s return to Lord’s is nothing new – but it’s usually in the Spring, when evenings are drawing out and things seem on the up. The last autumnal trips to Lord’s are always something of a bitter sweet experience… and, as previously moaned, being on one’s own isn’t helping too much today.

691. Sun 21/4/19: The New Members’ Bar, The Lord’s Pavilion, London

Beer: Marstons Pedigree 4.5%

Soporific early afternoon at Lord’s. Middlesex v Gloucestershire one-dayer. Middlesex in field have done well to rein in the Glocs innings. In the reasonably busy NMB they’re pulling through the Jennings Cumberland – but the Pedigree is ready. I’m called toward to the far end of the bar by a barmaid. I quite happy about that ‘cause, at my end of the bar, the young lad serving the fellow before me is struggling with his pint pouring technique. Heads too big.

Lady who serves me says “have a good day.”

“And you” say I.

1120. Mon 13/9/21: The Bowlers Bar, The Pavilion, Lord’s Cricket Ground, London

Beer: Marston’s Pedigree 4.5%

Middx v Worcs, day two. Cricket, Middlesex batting in particular, pretty risible. It’s a nice day though, for September, so we’re not complaining too much, Stephanie and I. First beer of the day is post-lunch in the Bowlers Bar. They serve with glass glasses here, though, so there’s no scope to take glasses up to our lofty position on the upper tier of the Pavilion (where we’ve left our bags, on one of those sought after benches for two). The glassware is pretty boring too so, if we were in mind to do so, which we’re obviously not, they’re not worth nicking.

Never mind, we can stay down here for a while. It’s pleasant enough. It’s quite quiet. There’s a small gaggle of blokes out on the bell balcony who seem to conform to my negative windbag Tory tosspot stereotype… middle-aged middle-class loudmouths… but they’re alright really. There’s only a few of ‘em, and I appreciate the wordplay.

Two are bedecked in ridiculous MCC (ie Watford colours) blazers. They look like deckchairs. Idiots… but, again, let ‘em get on with it.

They’re really not coming close to a thoroughly pleasant early autumnal afternoon. The cricket is eventful (and entertainingly inept), we’re basking in the watery sunlight, the beer is going down quite nicely and there’s wagtails on the outfield.

454. Sun 22/7/18: The Terrace Bar, Lord’s Cricket Ground, London

Beer: Marston’s Pedigree 4.5%

Middlesex v Warkwickshire day one. Ladies Day. Middx won the toss, chose to bat, and are seven down for not many at lunch. We (Steph, her folks, and I) leave the Pavilion from the front gate, granted a rare perambulation opportunity on the field, then head off to the Harris Gardens for lunch – afterwhich on to the Warner Stand.

It’s another very muggy, but not sunny, day in a summer they’re comparing to ’76. It’s silly hot.

Good weather for watching cricket – although having to wear suit and tie to get into the Pavilion is a bit much.

It’s a little more comfortable in the Warner, particularly sat on the nice cushioned seats therein.

The general sense of bon homie in the Pavilion isn’t as prevalent in the bowels of this new stand. The Terrace Bar is as charmless as ever. They’re hardly rushed off their feet – which allows scope for the supervisor to hector the young lass serving that, although she did the right thing on the till, she pressed the buttons in the wrong order. She looks tired and hassled, but is extremely polite to the customers (and her knob of a boss). He chunters away in the background, pouring pints, with too big a head.

A queue starts to form as service slows – everyone seems in good humour and far more enthusiastic about being at Lord’s than these poor sods seem to be working here. It’s a shame, and is a marked contrast to the infectious (occasionally camp officious) enthusiasm of the stewards in the Pavilion; all of whom seem delighted to have landed their very seasonal vocation… but then they have nice white blazers and get to see daylight, and cricket.

The beer, in all this heat, goes down a treat. Middlesex rally after lunch.

102. Sat 20/5/17: Bowlers Bar, Lord’s Cricket Ground, London

Beer: Pedigree 4.5%

Middlesex v Surrey

Another place to enjoy a pint in the Lord’s Pavilion is the Bowlers Bar – at the bottom and left of the North Tower; it’s the place with the balcony where the five minute bell is.

On occasion I’ve found also plays host to the noisiest, boorish, posh Tory boys to be found at Lord’s… but that was only really one time. Inside the bar, if one can find a free table, it’s very tranquil. Naturally we like to watch the cricket, stand outside on the balcony; placing one’s drink, rather precariously, on a window sill.

It’s close to the election, but the place seems devoid of Corbyn haters. What we do have (to listen to) is an increasingly bitter divorcee; he and Carol… they still have issues.

143. Sun 6/8/17: Harris Garden, Lord’s Cricket Ground, London

Beer: Ringwood Forty Niner 4.9%

The deal with the Lord’s Beer Fest’ is that it’s a non-cash affair, and one buys vouchers beforehand. In today’s case that necessitates return visits to get rid of our remaining half pint vouchers. It’s getting too hot – and Middlesex are crashing (there’s twenty wickets in the day – possibly more, I wasn’t paying too much attention to the farce out in the middle).

The Beer Festival is very popular though. I’ve worked out why. While, as members, our booze alternative is pots of Pedigree at a price comparable to drinks here – the rest of the crowd are served up whatever Marston’s weakest bitter is, and at a scandalous £5.20 a pint. A half of considerably better beer at the Harris Garden Beer Fest’ is a mere £1.90.

709. Thu 16/5/19: The New Members’ Bar, The Lord’s Pavilion, St Johns Wood, London

Beer: Marstons Pedigree 4.5%

Stephanie decided quite some time ago that there were far too many w*nkers among the members (particularly MCC) at Lord’s. I don’t tend to mind them, most of the time, even the toffs. Especially the old boys. Most are affable enough and almost everyone is extremely polite… save for the young Tory boys who frequent the Bowlers Bar and can’t handle their beer.

The NMB is nicely sparsely populated after lunch, and there’s room on the little balcony directly above the home dressing room. Lovely view from there. Only trouble, on this visit, was the chaps standing to my left who were having a really loud conversation about work (can’t remember specifics, one can only imagine they were talking up fantastic glamourous vocations). Anyway, my notes suggest they got on my nerves… exposing the vocational chip on my shoulder.

They left, thankfully, so we had quite a nice time watching the cricket from a fantastic vantage point, for a while. Weather sunny, but cold, especially in the shade, so we didn’t hang around too long.