Double Wembley, not Double Denim
Some people reminisce about the old days of the original Wembley Stadium, and I was no exception until my first visit years ago. The new Wembley is truly amazing. Period.
My latest visits were for the England vs Belgium Men's game, followed by the England vs Sweden Women's game. To be fair, the football in both matches wasn't great, but the experiences were.
First up, the Men's game. It was an in-and-out evening. We had a steady roll down the M1 from Nottingham and found a parking space on someone's drive courtesy of JustPark, which was only a 10-minute stroll from the stadium. Great price too. Wembley Way is awesome on a match night, with 88,000 people making their way into the stadium. A true sight to behold.
We sat in Row 5 near a corner flag, which set us up for a great watch, even with the rain pouring down. Not a great match, but my daughter was happy enough to see Jude Bellingham up close.
Points on the board. With the match done, we headed back to the car. Wembley was pretty busy post-match, and we were held in sections to alleviate the crowd at Wembley Park Tube. Diverting halfway down to our car, I had visions of being held up in the ensuing traffic chaos. No problem though, as Google Maps took us away from the jams and back onto the M1 in no time at all. Night match completed.
Next up was the Women's game against Sweden. We decided on a Travelodge and an overnighter at Harrow on the Hill, which is a couple of stops on the Metropolitan Line from Wembley. We had an early morning start for this one to maximize our 36 hours down in London Town. We used JustPark once again (it just works for me).
After dumping our bags, we headed off to Boxpark for beers and atmosphere. I absolutely love it in there. With food and beer on tap, it can be pretty lethal, but I kept myself half-okay for the game.
We then made our way up to the stadium to join the 60,000-plus fans for the game. And you have to love a photobomb :)
The game itself was nothing great, but I loved the pre-match show with the DJ, Fire, and all that goes with it to build the atmosphere.
Post-match, we made our way back up Wembley Way with the crowd to the Tube. After a 40-minute queue, we were back on our way to Harrow on the Hill.
After a 10-minute walk from the Tube to the hotel, the bar was open to rehydrate us. P.S. - The Travelodge Bar is open till 5 am. We didn't abuse it as it was a day in London Town the following day.
A morning and afternoon strolling in sunny London wrapped it all up. Do I have a preference for whipping up and down the M1 for a match or a stayover? Well, I do love having time in London, so I would always opt for a stayover. Harrow on the Hill was an ideal location for this.
Yes, I love Wembley and London Town.
P.S - Don't speed on the M1. The cameras work :)