onionbagblog

Surrey 342 for 8 (96.0 overs) Vs Kent, Day 1 of 4.

Close of play, day two: Surrey 186-2, Middlesex 385 (Middlesex 4pts, Surrey 3pts)

Finally made it to St John’s Wood and Lord’s for the afternoon session. No small thanks to the Genius Bar and the Apple go slow time #

Middle Sex Sex Sex all out for 385. Surrey innings underway. Blimey – Jonathan Batty is opening. Surrounded by naked flesh. All old men #

6-0 Surrey in the 5th over. My booze rate is far more healthier. Play, play, play the game #

On reflection, I think I’m in love with the girl geek in the Genius Bar. Oh yeah, 21-0 Surrey #

Old boy in front of me has just necked either a blue smartie or a Viagra tab. At the cricket, honestly #

In the Land of Blind, one eyed man is King. Which at Lord’s, means he who drinks the most and displays flesh, gets to wear crown. I am King #

After twenty summers, I’ve finally realised that cricket is a game of suntans first, sporting endeavour second. 62-0 Surrey #

Ah, here comes Mr Ramps. 62-1 the ‘rrey #

For Butcher and Ramprakash, read Pearce and Clough. I’m a happy man right now. 92-2 Surrey #

Trip to toilet and I’m reminded of my fave Lord’s moment: once saw a bloke syphon his python without removing shorts. Old Man poked through #

Booze, cricket and the sun. Hitting yourself over the head with a large hammer has to be healthier #

Full flickr set over here.

Middlesex 162-3 beat Surrey 160-5 by seven wickets.

In the ground at The Oval. Glorious, glorious cricket weather. With water, not booze. Don’t trust myself in the sun #

Middle sex sex sex Panthers (yuk) strolling out looking pretty in pink. Surrey won the toss and are rightfully batting #

Cracking start from the ‘rrey, 44 without loss. TV match, so T20 trophy is at The Oval. Why? #

Sitting top tier at The Oval, looks like huge fire around Battersea. Any info? #

Lady in front of me at The Oval has brought her knitting along. It’s not exactly T20, but it is rather quaint #

Words cannot describe how annoying the Mexican wave is at the cricket. Certainly not in 140 characters #

Big screen posing Q: which girl band performed at 1st T20 final? Girls Aloud or Atomic Kitten? Confusing me with someone who gives a **** #

Gypo sitting in front of me just ruffled his hair. This resulted in a shower of dandruff landing on the bare flesh of my shins #

This short piece was first published in @TimeOutLondon, as part of the I Love My Lido feature.

I have been swimming at Brockwell for fourteen summers. When I first moved to Brixton, I became aware of locals speaking of this magical outdoor pool. On my first visit I encountered 2,000 semi-naked bodies, all procrastinating and making the most of the South London sunshine. I have returned every summer since.

I swim each morning, the earlier the better. Before 8am is the best time to appreciate the true beauty of Brockwell. I often return for a second session late afternoon during the height of the season.

The real joy of swimming at Brockwell is the lido community. Morning swimmers have a shared purpose in seeking out a calmer start to their day. Friendships have been forged over tea and toast in the lido cafe.

Many locals have grown up at the lido, and likewise, the lido has grown up with them. The party feel from the early days has been replaced with a family friendly environment.

If I miss a swim then my day falls apart – I am reduced to yet another angry Londoner. Sharing early morning swim with geese leaves you with a huge grin to carry you through the rest of the day.

It’s strange when your different worlds collide. And so there I was on Sunday afternoon, chatting away with the lovely man from the Friends of Vauxhall Park at the annual SE11 Summer Fair, and it dawned on me that I was speaking with a lido early morning acquaintance. I didn’t recognise him with his clothes on.

This was the seventh Summer Fair to be staged at the delightful Vauxhall Park. It’s a small piece of land that is rightfully valued by the local community. The Friends group campaigns and celebrates the beauty of the park, raising both awareness and money on the summer solstice each year.

Elsewhere around Vauxhall Park and the bonkers brass band stole the show. A lustful rendition of Tainted Loved was given added value by the comedic dances of a well-known local character. Tired and emotional I think is the phrase I’m supposed to use.

The moving wheelie bin raised a smile, but then I’m used to wheelie bins on the move around these parts.

The Fair had political representation from my three local Councillors. The Oval ward is quite a rarity in Lambeth, returning three LibDems against the backdrop of a Labour run administration. I tried to keep my apolitical hat on, and the lovely LibDems very kindly agreed to a brief video catch up.

Off the record and they were just as engaging. We spoke all about… well, it was an off the record moment, and so I couldn’t possibly divulge. Winning Around Here, and out and about around here as well. Any politician who walks it like they talk it deserves some credit.

The park itself was blooming for the summer solstice. It really is quite a charming part of my little patch in South London. It can’t boast the natural beauty of Brockwell Park, but the upkeep of and dedication of the Friends’ group certainly makes up for this.

The Lavender Garden is the (part) inspiration behind my own contemporary urban courtyard, and the recent conversion of the junkie toilets to a quite thriving local cafe shows you just how far a lot of local love can go.

Many thanks to Ivan from the Friends’ of Vauxhall Park, and Councillor Andrew Sawden for agreeing to be filmed. I didn’t seek consent from the bonkers bloke dancing to the brass band version of Tainted Love, but he seemed happy enough anyway with my flip in his face.

Full flick set over here.

A chance encounter with a fellow rider at le velo this morning and I realised that I was rolling out in the company of cycling greatness. It doesn’t take world-record feats to accomplish such a description. Cycling is judged in relative terms, not absolute. Meeting personal goals makes for cycling greatness.

And so I was thrilled when my track companion, Paul, agreed to record a brief podcast detailing his own rise to cycling greatness over the past few weeks. Cycling from Land’s End to John O’Groats makes Paul something of a cycling God.

His achievement is all the more impressive when you learn that Paul’s le jog was undertaken on an unsupported ride. Planning was all carried out online, and the trip itself was simply a case of cycling, youth hostels and friendship – a very British sense of organisation for a very British ride.

The preparation seemed simpler than the actual ride. I’ve been wanting to undertake my own epic trip for sometime now, but the planning has always put me off. Maybe I have got my priorities the wrong way round?

Cycling greatness can be achieved. There’s a God within us all, waiting to be unleashed whilst sitting on a cycling seat. Sadly I didn’t find my personal act of greatness at le velo on Saturday, but I did find Paul.

Chapeau!

And so to launch the new onionbagblog, what finer way than for the first post to offer an exclusive interview with the first citizen of the Borough of Lambeth? Not the first in an Adam & Eve sense, but the first as in Lambeth’s meet ‘n greet (and ever smiling) Mr Mayor.

Councillor Wellbelove Mr Mayor is leading the way in online engagement with the electorate. He blogs, tweets, and after our five-minute session spent in Mr Mayor’s parlour, I doubt it will be too long before he starts podcasting as well.

Why does any of this matter? Communication is a two way process. It takes two to tango, something that Mr Mayor is all too aware of. He answers all tweets, and takes great pride in explaining his civic responsibilities through his blog.

My audioboo catch up with Mr Mayor was no great coup; I simply set him a tweet pitching for the podcast, and then within the hour, the meeting was confirmed. This is open, online democracy in action, right here in Lambeth.

The podcast itself is no audio masterpiece of BBC production values. It’s a snapshot for the moment, hopefully explaining to a wider online audience about the role of the Mayor within the Borough.

We overran slightly towards the end; having briefed Mr Mayor about the need for punchy, concise answers when recording with audioboo, I of course rambled on and on and on with my Q’s. That’s what an audioboo five minutes of fame sitting in the Mayor’s Parlour (ooh!) does to a man.

Civic responsibilities, electoral procedure, social media, lovely Lambeth and meeting the Queen – it’s a lot to cram into a five minute audioboo piece.

It was pleasing then to find Mr Mayor equally charming off the record, where we exchanged ideas about reporting the news agenda within the Borough and how BIG (or even small-ish) media just don’t get social media. Plus don’t forget that @mayoroflambeth is also being followed on Twitter by another elected local politician over in California.

I wish Mr Mayor the best of luck over the remainder of his year in office. I was unaware of the civic duty of a Mayor before our meeting. I was equally oblivious to the fact that Mr Mayor also holds down a day job and balances his endless meet ‘n greet work with his 9-5-holiday time.

It’s easy to kick politicians, and when they deserve it, I’m first in line. How refreshing then to meet an everyday guy who is passionate about Lambeth and not afraid to do the whole modern interweb thing to put his message across.

We’ve come a long way since the days of dear old Alf Roberts.

Here, here.

Plus: Mr Mayor’s blog, and loveclapham. Cheesy grins ahoy. Apparently jeans are just about acceptable in the Mayor’s parlour.