This morning we were out early to tick the Abbey Rd crossing off our bucket lists. ✔ Done.
In many ways this was an amusing start to the day. The crossing is on a regular street (ummm Abbey Rd, go figure, huh!) with regular traffic. The crossing is just after a round-a-bout, and the road, even at 8am was fairly busy. When we got there, there was already a group of about 7 or 8 mainly girls trying to figure out how the photo should be taken. The old guy helped them out with the help of Mr Google. Lol ?
The next step in the process is to walk the crossing without cars (or too many of them) in your shot. But hey, cars stop for pedestrians at crossings over here! Not helpful. lol So with a bit of patience and a lot of waving cars through we got our pics. When we left, the youngsters were still having issues with camera placement, traffic and themselves, lol. And about 20 more people turned up, all were 30-40 years younger than us. The beatles live on ?
Next was a short walk, maybe 10 minutes down to Lords Cricket Ground.
We arrived at 8:30, but the ground wasn’t open until am. A lovely lady security guard directed us to a nearby church park to wait. It had a very interesting cemetery from early to mid 1800’s. I love the stories you find in old cemeteries.
We walked back and waited across the road from a Blue post box outside the Grace Gates at Lords, it was a traditional Red post-box two weeks ago, but was repainted blue for the world cup.
At 9:30am we were let in and after going through security (security searches are done everywhere) and onto the Lord’s Museum. The first display cabinet you see when you walk in is the Ashes Urn and the real story behind it.
I will put my version of the Ashes story at the end of this blog for those interested.
The MCC (Marylebone Cricket Club) was established in 1814 and its museum has lots of history from early rule books, how scoring methods changed, stars, teams, games, equipment, tour memorabilia, … Well worth a visit if you’re interested in cricket.
The tour of Lords started at the Media Centre, there are 82 stairs up to it. It has an amazing view of the ground, maybe/probably best view of ground. We were told stories of the design of the building and insights into the quirks of fabled cricket journalists and commentators that had used it. They expect it to get heritage listing in 2030, when it’s 30 yrs old.
The Lords ground slopes from north to south , it has a height difference of about 2.5m. The biggest of most grounds in England and it has never been adjusted. The ground holds 29,500 people and is the largest capacity ground in England. They have plans to renew the stands either side of the media centre, increasing capacity by 2500.
The height of all buildings (grandstands included) is restricted due to the grounds location in a residential area. Even the lights are on telescopic columns. The members Pavilion was built in 1890. But the oldest building at the ground is the small stand to left (south) of pavilion built in1830.
The biggest hit ever at Lords was over the pavilion in 1899. Albert Trough (Australian) got 4 runs it didn’t land outside ground. A Rule of the day.
The Long Room in the pavilion is impressive. It overlooks the oval and is the favoured MCC members area. All batsmen have to walk through the long room to get to the ground. Home team from the south side, Visitors from the north. The room has great windows for viewing the match. Players return the same way, through the long room. Not a good room to walk through if you have not played well, as Botham found out, when the room was quiet after his return from the wicket, and all the members turned their backs on him. He resigned after that.
This is the 3rd Lords ground, in 1787 the 1st lords ground was in Dorset Square in Marylebone district, hence MCC.
There is a 29 year wait list for MCC membership. You cannot apply until your are 16, 2 existing members must sponsor your application, and you have to go through an interview. Current fees are around 500 pound a season.
After the tour we took a bus up the road to Camden market for a look and lunch. Camden markets is the place to go to reinvigorate your inner punk. Leather and studs are a common theme in clothes shops. I loved the canal and canal boats in the heart of the markets, they brought back many great memories. Camden markets consists of crowds, punk shops, crowds, trinket shops, crowds, food stalls, and did I mention crowds? We can now tick Camden Market off our list. ? (We really aren’t shopping people, and add hoards to it and you lose us quickly).
Another varied interesting day.
As promised here it is, The Ashes and the Urn, according to me and others.
In 1882 England lost a seemingly unlosable test match. Requiring only 84 runs in the last and deciding test match of the series, England had a top order collapse and a tail that didn’t wag, and were all out for 77. The first test series loss on home soil. There was much said about the loss. A political activist of the time put a notice in The Sporting Times newspaper announcing the death of English Cricket and it’s cremation. The notice read,
In Affectionate Remembrance of ENGLISH CRICKET,
which died at the Oval on 29 August 1882,
Deeply lamented by a large circle of sorrowing friends and acquaintances
R.I.P.
N.B.—The body will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia.
It was a way he could promote the cause of legalizing cremation, a hot topic of the time.
It was at the end of the 1882-1883 test series in Melbourne Australia that Lady Clarke came up with the idea of presenting the victorious British Captain, Ivo Bligh, an old perfume bottle decorated to look like a cremation urn that was filled with the ashes of some old bails she had burnt. Bligh had left England declaring he would return the ashes of English cricket and restore the dignity of English Cricket. It was this bravado that inspired Lady Clarke, The Ashes Urn was born.
The Ashes Urn went missing for many years until it was bequeathed to MCC, and it now sits permanently in the Lords Cricket Museum
