Sitting on a Bennet
The last time I sat on a wooden seat in a football ground was at Crystal Palace. That was the day I got a splinter in the palm of my hand.
No such incident happened at Fulham, as the original 1905 Bennet seats are still in good condition. And they are comfortable too.
Can there be many places, where you sit on a wooden seat over a hundred years old? Perhaps a few churches maybe! There is more on the stand here in Wikipedia.
I shall return to the Cottage and hopefully the result will be better.
It was also good to hear the rumble of rythmic foot stamping in a wooden stand. The old stand at White Hart Lane could be made to make a fearsome noise.
A Memorial to those who Fought and Died in the International Brigade
The International Brigade who fought against the fascists in the Spanish Civil War contained about 32,000 from 53 nations.
As I walked along the river to Craven Cottage, I came across this memorial to those from Hammersmith and Fulham who died in the brigade.
International Brigade Memorial in Bishop's Park
Considering that a few thousand people from the United Kingdom were in the brigade, it is surprising I’d not seen a memorial before.
A Trip To Leitch’s Gem By the Thames
Archibald Leitch has appeared in this blog before, with respect to his first building, the Sentinel Works in Glasgow, and two football stadia; White Hart Lane and Fratton Park.
Today though I went to see Fulham host Bolton in Leitch’s gem-by-the-Thames, Craven Cottage.
I had started my journey from Oxford Street, so I took the Central line to Notting Hill Gate station, where I changed to the District line for Putney Bridge, which is the most convenient station for the Cottage.
Notting Hill Gate Station
As you can see from the picture, it is another example of Victorian architecture worth visiting.
Putney Bridge station is an impressive one about ten minutes walk away from Craven Cottage.
Putney Bridge Station
But whereas many walks from stations to football grounds are boring, this one is through the Bishop’s Park by Fulham Palace alongside the River Thames.
Walking to Craven Cottage
So very different to the approach to say Middlesbrough or Scunthorpe.
Johnny Haynes Stand at Craven Cottage
This picture shows the restored Stevenage Road Stand at Craven Cottage. It was built in the first few years of the 20th Century and has now been renamed after one of Fulham’s most famous players; Johnny Haynes.
A Plug For BBC Radio Five Live
I may not have had my e-mail about Belarus read out, but this one was used to finish the Silverton programme on the channel this morning.
In hospital in Hong Kong after a stroke, the only news on the TV was CNN. But I was allowed my laptop and Five Live coming through the Internet kept me sane.
As the late great Brian Redhead once said, “If television had been invented first, then radio would be the dominant media, as the pictures are better!” They certainly were when he painted them with his words.
Thinking about Brian and others like him, where are the great female radio broadcasters to rival Ed Morrow, John Snagg, Bryan Johnstone, Peter Jones, Peter Allen and John Arlott?
The Tragedy of Belarus
They were talking on the BBC about the state of Belarus. I don’t know whether they read it out, but I sent in this e-mail.
I went to Belarus to see England play two years ago. Minsk was a friendly city, with lots of things to see. After experiences of Moscow, supporting Ipswich, Minsk was totally different. Even the police were complicit in exchange of banners, tokens and signatures between fans.
The visit left me with the optimistic impression, that Belarus would eventually be part of mainstream Europe, but time has shown me wrong. On the other hand, the history of the country has shown, that they are resilient and sort themselves out in the end, usually without great violence.
I do hope my optimism was not misplaced and one day I’ll return to the country. By train of course!
Who’s Going to be the Next Chelski Manager?
Chelski seem to be trying hard to prove the old adage that money can’t buy success, especially after their defeat by Everton in the cup yesterday.
I can’t see Carlo Ancelotti surviving very long, unless Chelski win the Champions League. But remember the year ends in one!
Who’d Go on Holiday to Libya?
Out of curiosity I typed Lybia holidays into Google and found that I could book one with several reputable countries.
Even without the current troubles, you wouldn’t find me going to Libya, as I don’t give dictators any money and wish them the bad luck they deserve. Also included on my list are any countries without proper democracy, those that have cruel dictators and those that still use the death penalty.
On the other hand if say the United States wanted to give me a large sum of money for something I’d created, I would go to collect it. I’m not that stupid, but they’d hear my views on the death penalty in no uncertain terms.
The Anonymous Widower 