Gary Wong Gary Wong

London, June 28-July 7, 2024

At some point in late 2023 or early 2024, I saw that Pearl Jam announced a stop at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday, June 29. As it so happened, The National had also announced a date in London for around the same time, on Friday, July 5 at Crystal Palace Park. Also, in between would be the first few days of the 2024 Wimbledon Championships. So, I figured, why not go to London for a fourth time in less than four months time!?

#ID4intheUK

At some point in late 2023 or early 2024, I saw that Pearl Jam announced a stop at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday, June 29. As it so happened, The National had also announced a date in London for around the same time, on Friday, July 5 at Crystal Palace Park. Also, in between would be the first few days of the 2024 Wimbledon Championships. So, I figured, why not go to London for a fourth time in less than four months time!?

For this one, I decided to go low cost here, cashing in 51K SkyMiles (that’s after the 15% discount for Delta Amex cardholders 😬) for a one-way from JFK to LHR on Delta metal in Main Cabin and then figure out another award flight home, maybe using a stash of Lifemiles or even my one remaining Aeroplan 50K certificate. Luckily, the load factor on Virgin Atlantic metal must not have been great because I was able to rebook that one-way into a round trip on Virgin Economy for 70K total (no discount but VS > DL). Score.

Even though I was flying out in Economy, I still had access to either a Delta SkyClub (thx to holding a qualifying Amex) or the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse (thx to holding SkyTeam Elite Plus status). Go figure - with Delta status, I had access to a club but not their club. Joke’s on them anyway as the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse at JFK during peak VS flight banks is light years better than a Delta SkyClub. At the Clubhouse, there’s a la carte dining and fancy cocktails with no upcharge while the SkyClub has (nice) buffets and upcharges for any cocktails or beers other than the basics. It was really a no-brainer to head to the A concourse and up a flight of stairs and have a nicely pan-fried sea bass and skip the dinner service on the flight.

Bonus - SkyTeam Elite Plus status also meant being able to stop in at the Revivals Lounge at LHR for a much-needed shower and quick bite, which meant I could also skip the breakfast service on the flight, truly maximizing my sleep (nap, really).

Pearl Jam Whitstable

After a stop at the Revivals Lounge, I made my way to my hotel in Whitechapel and was able to get a room at 11 am. So far, so good. As I got myself ready to take a quick nap ahead of being online for work at 3 pm, I saw a bit of news that pretty much ruined my morning.

The below statement that has been issued by Pearl Jam ahead of tomorrow night’s (29 June) planned show at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Pearl Jam London Show Cancellation

The Pearl Jam concert scheduled for Saturday, June 29th at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London has regrettably been cancelled due to illness in the band.

This decision was the last thing we wanted to have to make, especially as we know so many of you made travel plans based on the tour schedule. There was simply no other option based on our current health and also having to avoid further damage.

We couldn’t be more disappointed to not play one of our favorite cities this tour. Despite best efforts, rescheduling was not possible at this time due to existing schedule commitments. We are deeply grateful for your support and sincerely apologize to the incredible Pearl Jam community for the inconvenience and disappointment.

Tickets will be refunded at point of purchase.

Ugh. There went my plans for the next day. Undeterred, I napped, resolving to come up with an alternate plan for what was looking to be a very lovely Saturday, weather-wise.

Whilst enjoying some sake post-dinner, I landed on a plan for the next day to make my way out east to some coastal town on the island. I wanted to get all the way to the eastern edge and see the English Channel but settled for Whitstable as there were plenty of options for stuffing my gullet and there would be a beach I could walk on or along.

Sure enough, I had plenty to eat and drink and made a truly solid (unplanned) day trip out of it. The wonderful thing about a coastal town is that there’s usually some decent seafood to be found and, in that respect, Whitstable did not disappoint. Crushing a half dozen oysters paired with a local beer will never not be awesome; to follow that up at dinner with lobster is just a solid daily double.

The Wimbledon Championships

As someone who is a huge tennis fan and has been to the US Open in multiple years (as far back as being to watch matches simultaneously in Armstrong and Grandstand by standing at the connected stadiums’ highest point), it would be an understatement to say that going to Wimbledon was a bucket list item. I’d entered the ballot many times without ever winning a chance to purchase a ticket. But there was one other way to attend Wimbledon and in the most British way possible - a fucking queue. Basically, you can queue for same-day tickets, ranging from guaranteed seats in one of the show courts to grounds admission passes. Either way, do it successfully and you’re in.

So that’s how I found myself on a Wednesday morning, waking up at 4 am so I could catch the first of three buses that would take me from Clapton to Angel to Clapham Junction to, finally, Wimbledon Park at around 6:15 am. That first bus was around 4:45 am so we’re talking about 90 minutes of bussing around - thankfully, these buses weren’t exactly busy and it was easy enough to find a seat on each one to get some light napping in. Once that bus let us out, it was a sprint to a gigantic lawn where thousands were already queueing, some having done so since early in the evening prior.

The thing about The Queue (seriously, it’s quite proper) is that, yes, it’s a queue and one in which you’ll be on for hours as tickets don’t go on sale until 10 am. But it’s almost like a party or picnic where folks have blankets and camping chairs set up and you can while away the time as you see fit. Some will nap (I did for part of it) but many will make a proper event of it with drinks and food whilst soaking in the convivial atmosphere. And that’s how it went for the first few hours there until they started moving us along into the ticket purchasing queue a little before 10 am.

All in, I spent about five-six hours each in the two days I did The Queue. Why two days? Well, the first day was a rainy affair and play pretty much stopped in the late afternoon so I decided to come back the next day, this time with a friend (thx for keeping me company, Tovy). While the second day queueing was more enjoyable in the sun, I would not recommend doing this on consecutive days as you’ll be quite sleep-deprived that second day.

But once you make your way through The Queue and you’re in? YOU’RE IN. I had just the most incredible time basking in The Wimbledon-ness of it all. Yes, I had the strawberries and cream because can you say you’ve been to Wimbledon if you didn’t? And, yes, I had a Pimm’s Cup because to not do so would be just wrong. In between all the must-have staples of the experience that is The Wimbledon Championships, there was some tennis to be played and, boy, did I see some matches.

Day 3, Wednesday, 3 July

Frances Tiafoe Borna Coric
Otto Virtanen Tommy Paul

Day 4, Thursday, 4 July

Xinyu Wang Jessica Pegula
Taylor Fritz Arthur Rinderknech
Caroline Wozniacki Leylah Fernandez

Among those five matches, I’d say that seeing Frances Tiafoe up close on Court 18 (The John Isner Memorial Court) beat Borna Coric in straight sets was the (grand) slam dunk highlight of my two days there. A close second was seeing Xinyu Wang and Jessica Pegula split a tight first two sets before Wang ran away with the third as Pegula just fell apart. Between seeing the matches, it was just an immense pleasure to walk around the grounds, stopping at all the different gathering places, including spending some quality time sitting on Henman Hill (or is it Murray Mountain now?) watching matches taking place on the show courts on the large screens on the Centre Court exterior.

If you’re a fan of tennis? Or even if you’re not? I can’t recommend highly enough to come out to SW19 and spend a day at Wimbledon, starting with a lawn party as the sun rises and watching high-quality tennis as the sun sets. You won’t be disappointed. It’s the quintessential summer London experience, really.

The Food! The Drinks!

Over the course of ten days in London, I ate… a lot. Even still, I only managed to have two meals at a place where I’d eaten before which goes to show just how much there is I hadn’t had until this trip. Let’s start with the Michelin two-starred La Dame de Pic London, offering a four-course lunch menu for £100 which was just an absolute bang for the buck quid. The pollock cooked over embers was incredible with an unmistakable truth in advertising because the flavor was unapologetically smoked. Alas, the restaurant is no longer, having closed in February 2025.

Of the dozen other meals I had at new-to-me places, two for me stood out. First, an early supper my first night in London at Poulet where I just went to town on a very delicious half rotisserie chicken that was doused in jus that might as well have been crack. I’m certain the meat by itself was moist but having it swim in chicken jus was next level. Paired with a gin and tonic (when in England, amirite!?), this was a great meal to end my first full day in town.

Second up was a quick bite for lunch at Bánh Mì Hội-An where I had… bánh mì. This was easily the best one I’d had in London and I clearly wasn’t the only fan as there was a line out the door of this small shop. Oh, and it was lightly raining too so they must really have wanted it.

As for the two places I’d been to before, I’ve never written about them in a trip report so I figure it’s worth giving them their props in this one. Roti King is an absolutely phenomenal Malysian underground, hole-in-the-wall spot. The first time I went back in 2021, I waited in line for some time to enter but that may have been because I got there after they’d already opened and missed the first seating. This time, I got there shortly before they opened at noon and was among the first to be seated. I’d already done the roti canai last time so I went with the char keuy teow and the ayem goreng berempah (fried chicken) on this visit. I loved the wok hei flavor on the noodles in the char kuey teow and the fried chicken was solid though the meat was just on the right side of not being dry.

My brother and his family was actually in town during part of my time there so we met up on his first night there at one my favorite places - Blacklock, at their City location. There’s nothing fancy about them (except for maybe their big chops, especially on Monday nights) - they just do solid work with meats and you’re always gonna have a good time there. With four of us, we went with a big ol’ plate of chops and were handsomely rewarded with all of the meats. As usual, a pleasure.

Oh, that Sunday Roast at Hackney Church Brew Co. I mentioned in my London trip report for earlier in the month? Yeah, I did it. Lagom does a wonderful one. Go get it, especially if you’re looking for a brewery + roast combo.

After I finished my chicken at Poulet and in search of a nightcap, I stumbled upon the nearby Kanpai London Sake Brewery & Taproom. This was quite the find and their sakes were the perfect post-meating drink - I’d already had a beer nearby and that was not the way to go after demolishing that plate of chicken, potatoes, and salad. Sake, however, hit the spot and Kanpai’s variety on tap as well as their bottle pours meant lots to choose from. Which I did. And had. Nightcap accomplished.

I was in London during Euro 2024 and, with England in the knockout rounds, it meant the place was lit. As luck would have it, I would watch the Three Lions play their Round of 16 and quarterfinal matches in breweries. At Howling Hops, I watched the first half of their match against Slovakia before moving onto less crowded pastures but not before I had a few of their hoppy beers, none of which were hazy 🙏🏻. At The Pembury Tavern, run by Five Points Brewing Company, I watched the second half of their quarterfinal against Switzerland. Well, the second half, extra time, and penalties, to be exact. It was a joyous time seeing the patrons celebrate after England came out on top, made all the better with drinking hoppy beers minus the haze 🙏🏻.

Final note on food and drinks: somehow, I managed to not have a single bowl of ramen on this trip. Again, I was here for 10 days!!! I was in London for only four days earlier in June and still managed to have two! I’ll make up for it the next time I’m in London for a week or longer - count on it.

The (Inter)National

I actually posted a photo over three posts on social media for each song in their setlist - well, 26 songs but 25 photos since Humiliation bled into Murder Me Rachael but there actually is a 26th photo that covered them walking off after Fake Empire. I think the captions from those posts best sum up this experience.

I’ve seen The National | @thenational quite a few times but it was an absolute treat to see them in a large outdoor venue and, for the first time, outside of the States.

It’s a little crazy when I think about it - seeing The National | @thenational, a band that paid their dues playing tiny venues in NYC in the early-mid aughts, on another continent entirely. They, unlike any other band I’ve seen, is one that I’ve grown old with.

It was a pretty wet day but thankfully, the rain mostly held off during the show. After the show, however? Wet. Very very wet. I was absolutely soaked by the time I walked through the door of my lodging in Hackney.

Also? Hearing England in England? 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 🤌🏻

Oh, A Race!

One of my favourite things about visiting London is that it’s pretty much a given that I will a) find at least one race in or around town to run and b) likely run one of them. There’s a decent number of race organisers in the UK so there really is no shortage of races to choose from. London, with its many parks is conducive to holding races on a frequent basis, not having to close roads to traffic to pull it off.

That’s how I found myself in Regent’s Park on the last day of this trip, to run a 10K put together by OneRace - they have a number of races throughout London’s parks. I was fortunate this one was the perfect distance away to get in part of a long run as a warm-up ahead of racing the remaining distance. I even ran into a fellow New Yorker on holiday and, as it turns out, was also flying home that evening. He even had the same Virgin Atlantic flight I originally had to JFK that got cancelled. Whereas I was fortunate to be able to rebook onto a direct flight home on Delta metal for slightly later in the afternoon, his rebooked itinerary had an early afternoon flight to CDG before his final destination of JFK. Oof. The race was at 10 am so I hope he made it!

This race was… not my best showing. I’m not even talking about the time I finished in. No, I’m talking about making a literal mess of myself where I thought I was squeezing Honey Stinger gel into my mouth but instead it went all over my hand and water bottle and arm. It was a disgusting, sticky last few miles and I didn’t get the full nutrition I needed. Ugh.

➾ Related Foto Feed Posts

The List - London

Restaurants

Breweries

Bars

Coffee

Bakeries

Dessert

Places

The List - Whistable

Restaurants

Bars

Coffee

Read More
Gary Wong Gary Wong

London, June 7-10, 2024

We’d known for some time that the New York Mets would face the Philadelphia Phillies in the London Series. We just didn’t know when (for sure). When the 2024 MLB schedule dropped and we saw where on the calendar when it would fall, plans were set in motion to make sure we got there.

#LondonMets

We’d known for some time that the New York Mets would face the Philadelphia Phillies in the London Series. We just didn’t know when (for sure). When the 2024 MLB schedule dropped and we saw where on the calendar when it would fall, plans were set in motion to make sure we got there.

Around Thanksgiving 2023, Virgin Atlantic had a sale on award flights so for the measly sum of 43,500 Virgin Points (transferred from a few credit card points stashes), $976.60, and £393.79 (basically $1500 total in cash) , I booked a round trip with the outbound red-eye flight in Upper Class and the return daytime flight in Premium. That’s not a bad deal, especially in light of how they’d eventually move from a fixed award chart to a dynamic one where these kinds redemption amounts are less likely for a June flight.

I realize I haven’t actually discussed a Virgin Atlantic flight in a trip report and I won’t do it here as this was my second time ever flying in Upper Class with the first time a few months before this trip in April when I ran the London Marathon. I’ll save my thoughts on Upper Class for that trip report - that’s gonna be a… fun one.

My return flight in Premium was the first time I flew in that class but, more importantly, the first time I flew westbound from LHR in a class that qualified for entry in the Virgin Clubhouse there and it is everything people hype it up to be. This is is despite the fact that the post-COVID experience is devoid of some of the amenities that really made it stand out (RIP haircuts and Pelotons). The space is incredible (apologies for lack of photos of said space) and the food options on offer were quality with plenty of variety (shout out to the cold station with made to order charcuterie plates and salads). If you go up the stairs to the second deck and then another set of stairs tucked away in a corner, there’s even an outdoor deck where you can do some solid plane-spotting. It was a really nice way to cap off a wonderful long weekend in London.

The Food and Drinks

No Michelin stars on this trip as I was actually working remotely one of the days and the other was built around the Mets game and I didn’t want to be locked into anything meal-wise. That said, a group of us Mets fans had a solid large-format Indian meal at Gunpowder in Shoreditch where we just absolutely feasted. Other food highlights included my old standbys in Kanada-Ya for ramen and Koya for breakfast udon, as well as new-for-me Taco Padre in Borough Market for, well, tacos.

One of my favorite places to hit up in London was P. Franco in Hackney and it devastated me when it closed in early 2023 before I had a chance to revisit post-COVID. Thankfully, the former manager was able to raise the funding necessary to reopen months later as 107 Wine Shop & Bar and, on this trip, I was finally able to revisit and old-new favorite. Some great wines from Vino Di Anna and solid bites by Ed Wilson later, I walked out tipsy, full, and happy.

I made it out to five breweries over three days, four of which I hadn’t been to until this trip. Of those new ones, I’d gladly revisit all of them but I definitely dug one more than the rest - that would be Hackney Church Brew Co. I really liked all of their beers I had on that visit and, spoiler alert, all of their beers I would have in future visits. As I visited on a Sunday, they were doing a Sunday roast which, if I hadn’t already had lunch at 107, I would’ve gone for. Something I’d file away for a future trip to London, one which was not all too far off.

I’d had Fortitude Bakehouse on my list of bakeries in London to hit for some time. I figured I’d stop in on late Monday morning, thinking maybe the queue wouldn’t be so bad on a weekday morning. LOL, was I wrong. Some 15-20 minutes of queuing later, I was in possession of some precious pastries for the flight home later that evening. Both pastries, however, had dairy which meant I had to finish them before I landed in the US as I couldn’t bring them off the plane. That’s rough, having to house two pastries in a seven-hour span but I was willing to do so… for research, of course.

Let’s Go Mets

As someone who comes to London often to watch Tottenham Hotspur football matches, it was wild to come out here to see baseball in stadium not purpose-built for the sport. Thankfully, even though it’s now the home for West Ham United, London Stadium started as an Olympic Stadium so its pitch had more surface area than one purpose-built for football. Seeing it configured for baseball was interesting - the depth felt off counter-clockwise from third to first with it feeling really weird closer to and behind home plate. All told, though, it was a solid construction even if our seats were facing outwards towards the outfield rather than inwards toward home plate like you would normally encounter.

As for the game itself, it was a thrill to see the Mets’ hype video ahead of the teams taking the field, befitting their status as the home team for this game. Also a thrill was seeing the Mets score the first run of the game. The rest of the game? Eh, the less said the better as it quickly got away from them, ending with the Phillies winning 7-2. Still, this was a new, different, and ultimately fun experience - seeing the Mets abroad is one that I can check off on my list. This loss would end their modest three-game winning streak after they hit rock bottom (24-35) up to that point in the 2024 season, leaving them with a 27-36 record. Another experience I’d like to experience some day is seeing the Mets in enemy territory during a Postseason series but it was seeming like 2024 would not be the year where it happened. At least, not on June 8…

➾ Related Foto Feed Posts

The List

Restaurants

Breweries

Bars

Coffee

Bakeries

Places

Read More
Gary Wong Gary Wong

London, February 14-18, 2025

What’s this? Another trip report so soon!?

What can I say - I’m on a roll!

This is yet another trip that came about for an absolutely absurd reason - I had originally booked a round trip on JetBlue (B6) Mint to Seattle (outbound in cash, return on points) in August 2024 to see the Mets when they were in town. Except! I booked it for the wrong fucking weekend. By the time I realized my mistake, the fares went up by a ridiculous amount so I cancelled the trip knowing I had until mid-October to use the cash credit. In a fortuitous coincidence, I would end up needing that weekend freed up so I could run some race in Paris (that trip report is coming - it’s in my backlog, I swear).

#COYSTrip25

What’s this? Another trip report so soon!?

What can I say - I’m on a roll!

This is yet another trip that came about for an absolutely absurd reason - I had originally booked a round trip on JetBlue (B6) Mint to Seattle (outbound in cash, return on points) in August 2024 to see the Mets when they were in town. Except! I booked it for the wrong fucking weekend. By the time I realized my mistake, the fares went up by a ridiculous amount so I cancelled the trip knowing I had until mid-October to use the cash credit. In a fortuitous coincidence, I would end up needing that weekend freed up so I could run some race in Paris (that trip report is coming - it’s in my backlog, I swear).

Anyway, let’s move forward to early October and I’ve still got that travel credit in the bank and the clock is ticking to use it or lose it. As it so happens, Tottenham Hotspur would be hosting Manchester United during Presidents Day weekend and JetBlue flies to London. Not only that, I could book Mint going out and Core coming back and the amount not covered by the credit wouldn’t break the bank too much. And, really, if you’re gonna book a lie-flat seat, might as well do so for a transatlantic red-eye and take full advantage of being able to get a more decent sleep. It’s the best way to make it worth the cost.

Friends, it was totally worth the cost. Keeping in mind, the only other domestic business class experience I’ve had is with Delta (DL) and the only other transatlantic to London was on Virgin Atlantic, this may top both of those, at least when it comes to the onboard experience.

Let’s talk hard product first - for a seat/suite comparison, putting it up against the ones in Delta One on their 767-300 (763) or 767-400 (764), this wins hands-down. The JetBlue Mint suite seat is more intact than the Delta 763 and way more plush than on the 764. Having a door isn’t a big deal to me but, as a point of comparison, there is one in this JetBlue product and none of Delta’s 767s do. The IFE screen in Mint is much better than the one in Delta One on the 764 and is comically, astronomically better than the one on Delta One on the 763. The only point in Delta’s favor is the IFE selection as they have a lot more movies and television shows to select from. With respect to the only other transatlantic to London business class product I’ve flown, the JetBlue Mint suite compares favorably to Virgin Atlantic (VS) Upper Class on their A350-1000 and A330-900neo.

When it comes to the soft product, both DL and B6 give out slippers but VS doesn’t though they do give out pajamas so I kinda wanna give the edge to VS here. The content of the amenity kits are equal amongst all three but the bag that they come in on VS comes in last. As for food, DL is in third while B6 comes out on top for quality though VS shines when it comes to the variety of options.

Where JetBlue disappoints is in the on-the-ground experience with very little in the way of a business class check-in and no lounge whatsoever. Whereas Virgin Atlantic has their Clubhouse at JFK and Delta has not just two Sky Clubs but a Delta One Lounge just for D1 passengers. If the flight is departing on time, getting to the airport and clearing security with minutes to spare before boarding is all you need for flying B6 but, man, if you get there early or if your flight is delayed, that lack of a lounge to escape to while you wait for your flight to board becomes a very acute problem though I’ll note it’s a very first world problem.

As for the flight itself? Wonderful. Service was spectacular and super-attentive. As already mentioned, the food was incredible for a US carrier and having cocktails (mocktails too) made-to-order is always a nice touch. Most importantly, I got over four hours of sleep on a seven-hour flight which I think is the best I’ve done flying to London, and that’s without skipping either meal.

One last grumble on the on-the-ground experience… there was also obviously no arrivals lounge at Heathrow so I wasn’t able to shower until I checked into my room in the afternoon. Again, totally a first world problem (apologies to anyone downwind of me if I was smelly).

The Food and Drinks

I’ve been to London a number of times in my life (four times alone in 2024) so it’s nice to not have to chase after anything in particular. But it’s also London, so there’s always some place I want to try on my list that I’ve yet to hit up and this trip was no exception. I dined at two Michelin ⭐️ restaurants and when picking which of the two I preferred, I’m gonna split the baby and say both, each for different reasons.

Lunch at Chishuru was an absolute bargain for the quality on offer in their Modern West African fare. Every dish on the three-course menu was stellar but the Akara, a bean fritter with chicken & duck liver parfait, was my first bite on the ground in town and it really hit the spot -perfectly fried, light and airy balanced with the richness of the liver parfait, yet not overwhelmingly so.

Dinner at BRAT Restaurant is meant to be a shared experience and, dining solo, was not an inexpensive affair, clocking in at £150 for two starters, two mains, bread, a cocktail, and a glass of wine. To be fair, you’re paying for quality food product, prepared well and cooked over open fire. The portions were decent and could easily have fed two (maybe with another starter or two thrown in). Every dish was. a. banger. I could drink up all the juices left from the scallop and the langoustines - fear not, I let the bread do the work of sopping that up. I’d definitely go back but preferably not alone unless sitting at the bar - the tables are really close together (something they are very upfront about on their website which was very much appreciated) so it’s not ideal if you’re self-conscious about solo dining.

I spent nearly the entirety of my Saturday afternoon at The Kernel Spa Road, the new location in Bermondsey for… well, The Kernel Brewery. I’ll miss the charm of the old location in the railway arch but there’s no denying this new spot is better positioned and better laid out for more folks to gather and drink copious amounts of beers. The long bar alone allows for more bartenders behind the bar to serve several customers at a time.

As is tradition now (two years in a row is tradition!), I met up with a friend from NYC (hi Blankman!) because we now only hang out when we’re both on holiday in London. I don’t make the rules - it’s tradition, after all. All kidding aside, great to catch up and chat baseball for a few hours, accompanied by friendly service from our buddy Mauritz. Also? Have some of the excellent Japanese Izakaya-style food from the Yagi Izakaya residency before it’s gone!

Over the many trips I’ve made to London, I’ve found quite a few cocktail bars worth visiting and I’m pleased to say that all three I got to over this long weekend were worth the visit and worthy of a revisit on a future trip. Side Hustle was the fanciest with prices to match but also the quality to justify - it was also the most poppin’ of the three (also, it was a Friday night). Happiness Forgets was fancy - they had big cubes of ice - but not overly so and the prices were commensurate. It wasn’t too busy but I also got there close to when it opened at 5 pm on a Monday night and was gone a little after 6 pm. Home Bar was just that… a place that felt like home - a cozy place to chat with the bartenders and other patrons. Again, all three bars I’d recommend without hesitation - it just depends on the vibe you’re looking for.

Hey, A Race!

Since I was already gonna be doing a long run on Sunday, I figured I might as well run a race. Classic runner brain there, I know. I signed up for a 10-mile race in Victoria Park which was perfect since it was a mile or so from my hotel so I could run out there to warm up and get maybe 11-12 miles in for the day.

Too bad it got cancelled the week of the race.

Needing to find another race to run (again, classic runner brain behaviour here, searching for another race when I could just take the L and sleep in), I had several options - a 5K here, a 10K there, but all were about an hour or so by public transport.

So, of course, I chose a half marathon that required traveling over 90 minutes by bus and train.

I ended up running the Hampton Court Half Marathon, a race I actually signed up for last year but ended up bailing on because the rail service had bustitution along the route and I couldn’t be bothered to do bus to train to bus. No such problem this time so, after the long commute by public transport, followed by a frigid walk to the start area and then some waiting, I was off and running through Thames Ditton and surrounding villages.

Well, running, sure, but hardly running hard as the goal was to stay in HR Zone 3 for the first 10 miles and see how I felt, ideally at an 8:45 pace or better which I barely managed, going 8:44/mile. I felt good though so I decided to just send it at that point for the final 5K and ran each mile progressively faster. Still only got it down to a 7:36 pace those last 3.1 miles but I didn’t feel awful afterwards so that’s a win, I guess.

Glory, Glory, Tottenham Hotspur 🎶

Finally, the reason for this trip which, duh, the #COYSTrip25 hashtag. For the second consecutive year, I caught a Spurs match at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, a stadium I just absolutely love going to. It’s a large multi-purpose stadium but still really feels like a football stadium first. The food options (at least on the 100 level) are great and the beer selection is solid - It’s even got a Beavertown Brewery taproom in the concourse!

I eschewed food and drinks whilst at this match, still full from the Sunday Roast at lunch and wanting to keep the stomach primed for BRAT, leaving me all the time in the world to really soak it all in. My seat was in the 400 level in the North Stand, easily the best I’ve sat in of the four times I’ve been to the stadium. I had a great view of James Maddison scoring in the 13th minute and then a wonderful view of Guglielmo Vicario holding onto dear life, maintaining that one-goal advantage for 49 minutes in the second half, for the clean sheet and a 1-0 Spurs victory. An absolute white-knuckle affair for club and supporters both.

➾ Related Foto Feed Posts

The List

Restaurants

Breweries

Bars

Coffee

Places

Read More