Column 3 Ron Jans: 17-02-2010 - A London story
Ramada Jarvis Hyde Park London
As a football coach you always have your holiday in June. This is quite unpleasant if you want to go on a family holiday. We have three sons that are all studying and in June there are always exams and other obligations. This results in family holidays that never last longer than 1 week. For the last 4 years we did not go on a holiday all together. A good alternative is the Christmas holiday but the last years we had to play football matches with FC Groningen during this period.
This was different this year because we were all free for 2 weeks during Christmas time. So we planned a holiday. But where to go? It had to be something special. Lapland and Lebanon came across, but finally we chose……London. With exception from my son Koen we have never visited this city, and there they always play football matches during the Christmas period.
For nine days we stayed in the Ramada Jarvis Hyde Park Hotel. With the six of us we arrived at airport Gatwick, because Stephanie, the girlfriend of Koen (finally a daughter), joined us too. We took a large cab (150 pounds, the way back to Heathrow 100 pounds) that brought us to the hotel. Maybe it is a bit more expensive than the train, but more comfort. When we arrived at the hotel they could not find our reservation, but the manager helped and organized it. England and hierarchy.
The hotel room was quite small but it did meet the primary hotel needs: bed, bathroom and TV. Not much closet space however, but you are not going to London to stay in your hotel room for nine days.
What you do instead? Fulham – Tottenham Hotspur 0-0. Erik Nevland, former striker of FC Groningen, arranged tickets and we took place on the wooden benches of Craven Cottage, the stadium of Fulham. We joined the crowd from the metro station East Putney to the stadium. The match was not great, but a real experience.
Chelsea – Fulham 2-1. Frank Arnesen, Sporting director at Chelsea and my roommate during our coaching course, arranged the tickets this time (what a luck we have with my network). But we only found four tickets instead of six. I called Frank and he arranged that two of us could join him in his box. Marjo, my wife, and I had the honour. Champagne, sushi, other delicacy, a hostess, beautiful seats and a great match, in which Chelsea put it together in the second half. Our sons took place just behind the subs and they enjoyed it as well. They were seated just next to Toon Gerbrands, general manager of Eredivisie club AZ Alkmaar, who is looking for a new coach. Or will Dick Advocaat stay? The game was one of the highlights of our holiday.
My personal highlight was Christmas day. No buses, metro and cabs. All the shops were closed and it was a cold, sunny, dry winter day. From the hotel we walked directly into Hyde Park. Cheeky squirrels, nice ponds, monuments and a international procession of people. We went to see the Royal Albert Hall and after a long hour walk from Hyde Park we went on to Buckingham Palace, The Houses of Parliament, The Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, crossed the Thames, the London Eye, back again by crossing the Thames and on to Trafalgar Square and Piccadilly Circus. Through Oxford Street we walked back to the hotel. Walked for almost 5 hours. We saw a lot and really enjoyed it.
Boxing day was a shopping day, like herrings in a barrel. Discounts and everybody chasing for sales. Not something for me. I withdrew myself in a large music store where I always enjoy my time. Good purchases: Rare Bird and Jackson C. Frank.
For shopping I advise Covent Garden and especially Portobello Road. Harrods is a nice building, but expensive and too crowded. We also visited the National Gallery and the British Museum. Definitely worth it and what the English do well: free entrance.
Every day a good breakfast in the hotel. Very English, but fresh and a lot of choice. The staff was a little stiff in the beginning, but became more friendly during our stay. Every evening we played 'Klaverjassen' (the Dutch name for a four player trick-taking card game) in the hotel bar. The waiter liked the game but he still can’t play it. I wish there was a live band playing in the hotel bar, it seemed that we heard the same music every hour.
We had a really great holiday and we would like to go back to London once. Enough interesting football clubs but do they know Ron Jans? I’m afraid not. Who cares!
This time a more atmosphere story instead of a hotel summary, therefore no grade list for the Ramada Jarvis Hotel. A solid hotel, in between Notting Hill Gate and Queensway. Stations of the great underground system.
Best regards,
Ron Jans
For comments, suggestions or questions mail Ron Jans at Ron@lookingforbooking.nl