A little bit of heaven

Mum and Dad were off to Lord's Cricket Ground for the first day of the International with Sri Lanka. We'd bought Dad the tickets for his birthday. 

While working, I had Test Match Special on the radio at any point when I was not on a conference call. I enjoyed it. I waited until the afternoon for the first references to cake. My brother was also doing the same in Scotland. I usually suggest that I can't work with 'speech' radio, but TMS is good company.

I don't follow cricket, but after listening to the commentary, I gather England had quite a good day. Joe Root was the standout, scoring 143 runs—apparently a big achievement. The commentators thought England were struggling early on, with the first wickets falling quickly, but Root's steady performance turned things around. Gus Atkinson also surprised everyone with 75 runs, remaining not out. Sri Lanka initially had the upper hand but couldn't maintain the pressure. Even from the radio, you could sense the shift in momentum as England took control—358 for 7 by the end of the day.

As play ended, I decided to go out for a walk to get my day's steps to the required number. I walked up to Holland Gardens, which was very peaceful and pleasant in the evening sunshine. Quite a few people were sitting listening to music or reading. It is a lovely, tranquil place for people to spend an afternoon. I tried to listen to the end of TMS, but my mobile connection was poor. Later in the evening, I researched, and O2 appears to have had 'mast problems' around here for some time. I am getting frustrated with the lack of a decent signal whenever I step outside the house (and, also, whenever we are in Ryde). Both areas report issues on the O2 status page. I should complain.

Mum & Dad returned with some of the hamper food left. I wasn't sure if they'd be hungry, but I cooked Moroccan chickpeas for dinner. I followed a recipe for four portions, but they seemed very small. Luckily, I had pitta bread to pad out as everybody was quite hungry.