St Paul’s
MONDAY, MAY 15
‘The Doghouse’ was my base for part of the day. It’s been a while since I’ve been there. Never actually. Never at this Doghouse, anyway. It is a bar run by Londoner, ‘Ash’; it is air-conditioned, shows a wide range of sport and boasts friendly staff. (Rugby league was on the screen when my wife, Marie and I walked in with our daughter, Melanie Mariotto and her husband, Greg). Ash, who narrowly survived death by electrocution several years back, is an affable, hard-working chap, who deserves success. He has a good relationship with the the nearby, ‘Boardroom Bar’, and flits between the two establishments.
Marie and I are into the fourth and final full day of our stay on Koh Samui with Melanie and her husband, Greg, staying at Hansar Resort. After breakfast, Marie, Melanie and I submit to a relaxing foot massage, overlooking the sea. The bloke who ‘looks after’ me, fancies himself as a chiropractor. From the chiropractic chair to the dentist chair! I had chipped a tooth eating chicken in the Singapore Airlines Lounge in Brisbane, and there was no leaving things until I returned to Australia, so Melanie arranged a visit to a dentist on Koh Samui, and he did an excellent job. A crown will be required when I return to Australia. Tonight, Marie, Melanie, Greg and I watch a fire show on the beach in front of Fisherman’s Village, followed by a wander through the bustling night market.
TUESDAY, MAY 16
Our early afternoon flight from Koh Samui leaves on time, but, instead of breezing through Singapore Customs, as we did last time, we have to be helped filling in the visitors’ cards, which we forgot to do in advance. At the Crown Plaza we take a call from ‘Court House’ Hotel at Painswick, in England’s Cotswolds – our intended base for two nights – to say the whole place is shutting down for renovations. They had already taken our money, but left it until now to tell us we couldn’t stay, and didn’t offer alternative digs. We spend two hours finding somewhere else to stay. ‘Court House’ lass says we have to understand the premises is 900-years old. I’m sure they knew about the impending work well before now. She says they will refund us the money. The drama delays our walk to ‘The Jewel’ shopping complex, where we arrive just in time for the end of a spectacular light and sound show. Dine at highly rated ‘Jumbo Seafood’, which is quite good value, but the dishes are surprisingly bland.
Queenslander, Anthony Griffin is sacked as coach of St George Illawarra. He is down to be a guest speaker at a Family of League lunch at Redcliffe Leagues Club on Friday, along with Dolphins’ assistant coach, Kristian Woolf. The lunch was scheduled for the day after the St George v Dolphins match.
France has abandoned plans to host the 2025 rugby league World Cup. So sad. Evidently the French Government announced it would cut funding, and that was that. Conspiracy theorists would suggest rugby union authorities played a role, and that might not be altogether fanciful.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 17
There is a soccer show on the television screen in the Singapore Airlines Lounge, with a red card incident highlighted. It was a shocker. The offender had no intention other than to maim the guy with the ball.
Movies Marie and I watch on our flight include Weird Al Yankovic, Charles III, Women Talking, Call Jane and Triangle of Sadness. We enjoy Maine lobster for dinner in business class.
London Heathrow at 4 p.m. My 19th visit to the British capital, and we breeze through customs. Tube to St Paul’s, from where we walk to excellent King’s Wardrobe Apartments, near St Paul’s cathedral. Explore the nearby streets, and enjoy drinks (Timothy Taylor and Whitstable Pale) at ‘The Cockpit’, which, as the name implies, features lots of chooks. Our Keogh Crisps from Ireland were produced from potatoes grown in a field in Balgriffin. No, seriously. All the pubs in this area are busy, with drinkers overflowing onto the footpath.
THURSDAY, MAY 18
Bells of St Paul’s provide a lovely backdrop as I rise. Marie and I walk over Southwark Bridge to the Globe Theatre, where we were part of a guided tour in 2015. So many cyclists on London Bridge.
Tube to Bond Street, Marie buys chocolates from Charbonnel and Walker in The Royal Arcade, and then we catch up with Andrew and Sandy Varley and David and Linda Howes, for drinks at famous Claridge’s Hotel in Mayfair, where the Varleys are staying, on their way to Cornwall from Yorkshire. Linda was keen for a glass of sauvignon blanc, but when told it was 90 pounds – a glass – switched her attention to something a little cheaper. Lunch at Gordon Ramsay’s latest restaurant, ‘Lucky Cat‘, with all six of us electing to choose from the set menu – 35 pounds. The man himself, Gordon Ramsay – calls-in, while we are dining. Not to see us, mind you. Adjourn afterwards to the nearby craft brewery pub, Barley Mow for a few cleansing ales. David tells funny yarns about his days working as the Rugby Football League’s Media and Promotional Chief.
FRIDAY, MAY 18
Both a little worse for wear. To start with, I can’t get the shower going, and then I can’t turn it off. Bloody British plumbing. Or maybe it’s just me. Comedian, Eddie Izzard features on TV1. Up until now the only Izzard I knew was Penrith star, Brad Izzard (and his brother, Craig). First stop, Battersea Power Station, which has been redeveloped by a Malaysian Consortium. When I think of the power station, my 1977 Pink Floyd LP, which features the monolith on the cover, springs to mind. Today we are treated to a piano recital, by a random chap, who jumps on a piano in the power station shopping precinct.
Next stop – ‘Lords’ – for a session of play in the Middlesex v Somerset game. A steward allows us to sit in the Member’s Area. Veteran Australian pace bowler, Peter Siddle is bowling for Somerset, who have set the home side a formidable first innings run chase of 404. We stay long enough to see a couple of wickets fall, and a 50 by John Simpson, a grandson of former Great Britain Rugby League fullback, Ken Gowers, who I saw play on the Lions’ 1966 tour of Australia. From Lords, Marie and I walk along the Regent’s Canal to Camden Lock Market, where we dine at the Farriers Pub. I enioy a local, Camden ale.
Ahead of the NRL’s Indigenous round, the Sydney Roosters have a feature on one of their favourite Indigenous players, the late Ron Saddler, who was signed by the club – in 1973 – from Murwillumbah Brothers, the club I played for, while my father, Jon, was treasurer, in 1961.
SATURDAY, MAY 19
Wake to the end of a 40th birthday special about Rob Burrow, the former Great Britain rugby league halfback, who is battling motor neuron disease. London Rugby Sevens revellers crowd our train from Waterloo Station, with some alighting at Richmond, while most get off at Twickenham, of course. I covered a World Cup rugby league match at ‘Twickers’ in 2000, with Australia, coached by Chris Anderson, defeating England, who were coached by John Kear. England’s team manager was David Howes, who recalls both sides being introduced to Prince Andrew, in the days before the game. “One of the Australian players aimed a kick at the Prince, and the ball narrowly missed his head,” David says. I was there for that meet-and-greet, and I do recall the Prince laughing at an incident involving the Australians, and mixing with them, seemingly more easily than with the English side. David Howes is at Windsor/Eton Station to greet Marie and I, taking us to the apartment where he and Linda live, on the outskirts of Windsor. The apartment is on the second floor of a former Edwardian Manor House. David has an area devoted to the British sides he managed. In idyllic weather we enjoy a river walk at Taplow, including ice cream near Boulters Lock, where we see rowers come through. They give hearty cheers as the lock gates open. Afterwards we adjourn to the Gogo’s Bar at a Marina beside Windsor Race Course. Linda serves up a magnificent three course meal – prawn cocktail; creamy chicken/asparagus and cheese cake.
Back in Queensland, our eldest lad, Damien and his wife, Emma attend the annual Growers’ Cup Race Day at Home Hill, while our youngest lad, Lliam takes his two boys, Ethan and Connor to the annual Greek Festival (Paniyiri) at South Brisbane, in Musgrave Park, opposite the Greek Club and Greek Orthodox Church.
SUNDAY, MAY 21
Wow. What a day. First the Long Walk to Windsor town and castle, followed by a tour of the castle’s state rooms, which Marie and I did way back in February, 1978. What we hadn’t seen previously was Queen Mary’s Dolls House, which was the headline attraction today. An Indian lady tries to jump the queue, and is rebuffed by security. Then she and her kid push against our backs the whole way to the doll’s house. Marie wanted us to let them past, but I felt they needed to be taught manners and patience. A castle assistant asks an American lady if she is looking for the State Apartments. “I have no idea what I’m looking for,” replies the American. There is a Christening in St Georges Chapel. Lunch at French restaurant, ‘Cote’ (part of a chain) at Eton, is OK, not great. David drives us through Windsor Great Park to see Ascot Race Track.
Back at the Howes’ residence, we watch Hull Kingston Rovers convincing win over Castleford. David and Linda come from Hull, but have lived at Windsor for 11 years, after previously residing in Leeds. They moved south largely because other family members were down here. David, like me, gets the newspaper every day, two on Sunday – ‘The Sun’ and ‘Mail on Sunday’. Ross Heptonstall and Barry Carter write rugby league in ‘The Sun’. There are very few rugby league journalists writing for the nationals, which almost ignore league, now that they don’t have special northern editions.
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Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant is Smart Cat, not Lucky Cat.
And Ron Saddler was signed by the Sydney Roosters from Murwillumbah Brothers in 1963.