London calling

May I Be Excused

Elliott’s Christmas gift was a long weekend trip to London. I know, it’s extravagant, but as our kids mature into wanting “experiences” instead of “stuff” it seems we should reward that when and where we can, right? At least that is what Kristen and I convinced ourselves, his fellow travelers, was the right thing to do. The main event was the North London Derby, the Tottenham Hotspurs versus the Arsenal F.C. That’s a soccer game people.

Friday, April 28th - Sunday, April 30th

Friday, 1-5 pm • Saturday & Sunday, 10 am - 5 pm

As the longest-running home tour in Atlanta, the Historic Druid Hills Home & Garden Tour opens the doors to many stunning houses and gates to some spectacular gardens. This year’s tickets include free access to Fernbank Forest, one of the nation’s largest urban old growth forests, and several special events planned in our Druid Hills parks and greenspaces!

Visit DruidHillsTour.org to learn more about all our events

Tim Sullivan

Elliott played a good bit of Youth Soccer himself and rooting for Atlanta United was like a gateway to the pinnacle of soccer fandom, The English Premiere League. The unwritten rule is you select a team to pull for, stay faithful with every fiber of your being and denounce all others as rubbish. On this, there is no wavering. He chose Tottenham, largely because none of his friends had selected them as their own. From this powerful origin story, the Sullivan family has forged an unbreakable bond with the club for life. As proof, I own both a team hat and scarf.

We bounced around London for a couple days – visited the Tate Modern Museum, the Top of the Shard, Borough Market, The Churchill War Rooms, Harrod’s. We navigated the subway system and walked over twenty miles. For my Christmas gift, Kristen signed me up for a live Peloton ride in the London Studio. It was a blast but if you ever want to be truly humbled, work up an embarrassing sweat and then have your photo taken with a celebrity fitness trainer who is half your age.

But the focus of this trip was the beautiful game. We toured Stamford Bridge, the stadium for Chelsea F.C. We watched the Manchester United vs. Manchester City match in a pub to soak up the scene. We told anyone who would listen that on Sunday we were headed to the North London Derby and we were pulling for the ‘Spurs. And they told us what they thought of Tottenham in colorful language.

Once in the Stadium, a live band played in the concourse. The catchy Tottenham fight song is set to Glory, Glory Hallelujah and has lyrics that sound like they were penned by three drunk mates who skipped church one day. We ordered fish and chips and made do with the popsicle-stick sporks. I was told a beer called “Neck Oil” was like an American pale ale so despite the abject failure of the marketing department, I ordered one. In a fascinating turn, they filled the beer from the bottom! It was like sorcery. How did it seal itself? Wouldn’t it leak? The answer is yes, yes it would.

A young Tottenham fan of maybe 10 years old was seated next to me. Since every Brit we encountered was an unquestioned expert on the sport, and this kid didn’t look like he came along just for the fish and chips, I asked him for his game prediction. He replied flatly that Arsenal would win 2-1. He was emphatic, “They’re top of the league—they’re class!” I thought, how sad, a kid so cynical about his own team’s chances. I countered that Tottenham would win 2-1, we just needed a bit of magic on our side. He shot me a look as if to say, ‘Shut up, Ted Lasso.’

Indeed, it is the hope that kills you. Arsenal won 2-0 (nil) and the kid was much closer to correct than I was. But other than the result, we couldn’t have enjoyed it more. The level of skill on the field was a marvel and the atmosphere was unparalleled. On the tube ride back to the hotel, Arsenal fans zeroed in on Elliott’s attire to trash-talk Tottenham but he didn’t take the bait. He deftly handled it, like someone who can appreciate the beauty and nuance of a game that sometimes ends in a 0-0 tie.