#2017NovTennisFinals

[billinghamn]

2017-Nov - Tennis ATP Finals: Day 3 - Sun 19 Nov 2017 - The Thames Clipper

A short video of our trip down the Thames on the Thames Clipper.

[billinghamn]

2017 Nov – Tennis ATP Finals: Day 3 - Sun 19 Nov 2017

Slept really well last night, and didn't wake until well after 6am. The old girl managed another hour on top of that, and we had a very leasant start to the day.

Breakfast was another good quality meal, and I'm getting used to the buck's fizz served with early breakfast. Managed to get a table in the window again, which is always a nice place to sit in this restaurant.

We checked out at about 8:45am - we decided to get the tube up to London Bridge; walk along the South Bank and then catch the clipper back to Canary Wharf to meet up with Sharon and Simon at Starbucks in Jubilee Place.

It was pretty cold out this morning, and by the time we started walking along the South Bank my hands were pretty chilled. From time to time we saw the sun, which warmed us up a little, but we had to increases our pace in order to keep the blood warming our extremeties!

We reached the London Eye, crossed over Westminster Bridge and wandered down to Embankment where we boarded the Thames Clipper. We had to change at Westminster since we were told to get on the wrong Clipper at Embankment, but we were finally on the way back down the Thames.

There are some great sights available from the Thames. I've picked out some of the best bits in a little video that will be posted separately. The Clipper soon picks up speed once it is away from the city, and away from the city speed limits.

We walked back to the hotel to pick up our cases and then met up with Sharon and Simon in Starbucks about midday. They told us about seeing Greg Rusedski, his wife, Anabel Croft and her husband in breakfast. Lo and behold Barry Cowan and Marcus Bucknall walked in to Starbucks, followed soon after by Anabel. None of us could be bothered to hassle them for a photo, but its always nice to see some celebs.

We booked the hotel for the same weekend next year, and then went our separate ways. Sharon and Simon were doing some shopping for the rest of the day. We headed back to Euston to catch our train back home.

The train was packed. It was also a relatively slow train which plodded through Coventry and Birmingham. Bobby was waiting for us in the car park and we headed back home.

Here ends another enjoyable weekend in London.

[billinghamn]

2017-Nov - Tennis ATP Finals: Day 2 - Sat 18 Nov 2017 - Federer vrs Goffin at the O2

A short video of the match point played at the O2 in the ATP semi-final between Federer and Goffin.

[billinghamn]

2017 Nov – Tennis ATP Finals: Day 2 - Sat 18 Nov 2017

I woke at 4:30am and that was way too early - it would be a long day today. Vick woke a few hours later, and I had to go find some fresh milk for our in-room Nespresso coffees.

Breakfast was excellent, as it always is here. We arranged to meet up with Sharon and Simon in Starbucks just after 11am. I was in the process of booking our Avios flights in first class to Canada in 2018, and was frustrated by the process and availability of A class tickets. Got it sorted in the end, and already looking forward to anoter fab trip.

The girls headed off to see the doubles at the O2. Simon and I headed over in time for the singles. Simon had decided that the doubles wasn't really tennis - it was more of a knock up before the main attraction.

We all saw Federer against Goffin. We all expected Federer to whitewash him, and it did look like that was going to happen in the first set. However, Goffin turned it around in the second set, and we were amazed when he finished Federer off in the third set.

Due to our interest in the doubles in the evening, we decided not to head back to the hotel, but to get a meal at Wagamama's at the O2. There was a bit of a queue, but we had secured a table upstairs within 10 mins.

The food was great, including my first experience of banana katsu as a sweet which was amazing. I might be having that agains at some stage in the future.

Back in to the tennis, and we were in the arena just in time for the start of Jamie Murray's mdoubles match. Unfortunately it didn't go his way, and he lost in straight sets. At that point I threw in the towel and headed back to the hotel, where I found balloons, cake and champagne waiting for me. The hotel always does something nice for me when I come here!

Vick stayed on for the first set of Sock vrs Dimitrov. I met her at Canary Wharf tube station on her way back so she didn't have to walk very far on her own. What a gent!

After watching the rest of the match via Sky Go, we hit the sack after a long day.

[billinghamn]

2017 Nov – Tennis ATP Finals: Day 1 - Fri 17 Nov 2017 – Emirates Airline

A small moving image of the Emirates Airline

[billinghamn]

2017 Nov – Tennis ATP Finals: Day 1 - Fri 17 Nov 2017

It's always nice to head down to the Smoke for the weekend. This was our annual trip down for the tennis, meeting up with Sharon and Simon. We travelled separately this time. We decided to head down in the morning so that we could do some sight seeing in the afternoon.

The trip down was fairly uneventful. The Virgin breakfast was tasty, even after 2 pain aux raisins from our local Starbucks. We were lucky with the timing on tube trains both on boarding at Euston, and changing at London Bridge for the Jubilee Line train to Canary Wharf.

By midday, we were checking in to the Canary Wharf Hilton hotel. We bagged an upgrade to a junior suite on the 11th floor, and Sharon & Simon managed to get a room on the Exec Floor.

We had agreed to meet Andrew at around 1pm at the Cutty Sark which was our sight seeing attraction for the afternoon. For just over £10 we had a couple of hours having lunch in the cafe and then fighting with the kids who were also trying to check out the old ship.

It's got an amazing history, carrying £18.5m worth (in today's money) of tea from China to the UK on each trip - that's staggering.

At the bow, there was an impressive display of figureheads.

The tourists were in good form aboard the Cutty Sark!

From the Cutty Sark we ordered an Uber to take us to the O2, where we picked up the Emirates Airline, crossing over the Thames to the north shore.

We had a tea and a bun stop at the Crystal, after which we headed back to the hotel to get ready for our evening bash. Andrew had a look around the exhibition on show there.

It naturally takes Vick ages to get ready for going out. I managed to force her out of the room at about 5pm and we met up with Sharon and Simon in the Exec Lounge. Unfortunately it was a tad early for the free alcohol they serve in the evening, but from there we headed on the Jubilee line to Westminster. The queues to get on the tube were long, but in good old British spirit, very organised and respectful.

From Westminster tube, it's about a 20 min walk to Bank, one of the restaurants in the Club Individual chain. I've eaten there before and it serves up great steaks. We started off with drinks in the bar, and once Andrew and Sam arrived, together with Jane, we headed through to our table.

Sad to say that George wasn't able to make it this time. Glad that he wasn't there to experience the initial problems we had with the menu and the waiter. The restaurant had just updated the menu, to remove the free chips and sauce from steaks listed on the menu. Unfortunately, some of us had the old menu, and some the new menu. The waiter didn't handle the issue by claiming that the restaurant had to make more money!

The manager sorted out the initial problem by offering free chips for the table, which placated the group. The food on the whole was excellent, and the steaks specifically were excellent.

We headed off at the end of the evening, having enjoyed some good food and drink, and more importantly good company.

[billinghamn]

2017 Nov – Tennis ATP Finals: Intro

Looking forward to another great weekend away with friends in London. It always seems to tie in with my birthday, so coincides with my 51st birthday bash. So should be a great weekend!