BRAND

Published on February 6th, 2010 | by drkkr

24

Memorabilia

If you could visualize how kids react when they come across candy, the same way I reacted when I visited this place in London.  If you have got it right, yes, I was excited, I Jumped in Joy, I wasn’t sure what to do and what not to do, I wanted to do everything.  (for those who were not able to visualize the kids reaction to candies – they will be excited, jubilant, and they want everything).

Recently I had to go to London.  Guess, apart from my work…, travel is what should have excited me!!  (you  have guessed it wrong, it was not Madam Tussuad, Buckingham Palace nor the London Eye).
What am I blogging, ” It is a dream come True”.  This blog is about my dream, yes this time when I visited London I had been to the place where Vengsarkar scored three  consecutive  centuries and India under Kapil Dev’s captaincy won the World Cup. Yes, I toured the HOME of cricket , I was at Lords, after spending a sleepless night at the hotel, I was all pumped up to be at  Lords the next day, got out of my bed, and got ready to visit the  Lords.  I ensured I had the camera (after double checking it was charged) and my map.  I walked through the roads of London at an unbelievable speed to get on to a monorail.  Here I go, man it is cold !! I had to switch three trains to reach the Lords.

Once I got off  the train, I literally raced through a 100 meter dash but for 400 meters. It was the Lords cricked ground.  Every , second Indian is passionate about cricket and in my  country cricket is a Religion and Tendulkar is the God.  I am passionate about cricket.  My greatest hobby is to watch matches and of course learn Leadership, Success, Failure, Competition, Strategy, Communication, Body language, Confidence, Positive Frame of mind, Creativity, Decision Making, Bonding, Commitment and the Attitude !

Here I go, I reach the first gate of Lords the birth place of cricket (only to be chased away by the security guards, by claiming it is closed).  I have read about the treatment met out by great cricketers like Gavaskar at Lords!!  To me it wasn’t a surprise, it only made my excitement grow.  I took pictures and as per my plans, i went around the Lords first and I went through the length and breadth  of  the Lords.  I went to the souvenir shop, the Museum, the Lounge, the Gallery, the ground, the cafeteria, and to my complete shock, my friend made me to play at Lords.  Yes, not just a ball, for half an hour.  There wasn’t a bowler, it was a bowling machine and at least six balls passed through both the sides of the stumps (I had played good cricket and still play once in a blue moon).  The first time when my bat contacted the ball, that was THE  moment I will cherish all through my life.   Then I played my favorite flick shots and cover drives.

I then was in search of the founder of cricket, which I happened to learn in my English classes when I was in school.  All of us know W.C. GRACE (Dr William Gilbert Grace -1848-1915).  I spotted him on the park surrounded by trees and yellow flowers.  He is a towering personality who was padded up and was up playing his favorite  shot.  I went near him, yes it  was the statue of W.C. GRACE.  I stood there and admired him, wanted to take a picture but decided not to take a conventional picture, rather I posed as if I am the fielder waiting to take a catch.  I went through the Lords tour, bought souvenirs, I drove the drinks trolley.  A day to cherish, a day I will remember all through my life.  I had been to Chepauk 100 times, then to Mumbai, Kolkata and Delhi, had been to Sydney cricket ground, but I should confess I was never as excited as I was in Lords.  I guess the  Lords Brand is built that way. Lords should live up to its fame as the home of cricket – the place where every test cricketer who has ever breathed longs to represent his country and play his best.

I walked out of Lords, (like the batsman who walks back to the pavilion after playing well but wished he played more) I vouched, now on every trip to UK will have Lords in  my agenda.  The next time I should carry an Indian Jersey and an Indian Flag. Lords was a  fascinating experience.

I limped through my journey back to my hotel just looking through those pictures I have taken.  In the evening I hired a cab from the hotel after checking out of the hotel to move into my friends place, since I had to leave early morning to the airport, I thought I will spend that night in his house.  I traveled for an hour to reach his place and the one hour journey was purely gazing the roads, people, shop, flowers, dress of London intercepted by my camera and those pictures of Lords.  I left the car and after a couple of hours I realize I had left the camera in the cab. It was 12 in the night and informed about the incident to the receptionist of the hotel i stayed in, in ten minutes he called me back and give me the number of the cab owner and around 12.30 night, I called him and woke him up from his bed only to get a reply that he will let me know in the morning after speaking to the Driver.

My flight was at 7 am and I promptly reached him at 6 am in the morning only  to get a reply that he couldn’t contact the driver and i called again the hotel, and the reception told me they are also tracking, we haven’t got anything so far positive. I boarded the emirates flight  and as soon as I landed  in Dubai, I just rushed to the phone booth only to call the hotel in London, they wanted me to identify my camera and promptly I told that I was in lords with W C Grace to the cricket field to all those pictures I clicked. They promptly asked me to collect it and I made my friend to do the honors for me. I thank that cab driver who was so very honest, my gratitude to the cab owner who showed compassion and of course the hotel for providing a world class service. The Lords memory coupled with this experience of world class service is sure to stay in me all through my life.

Tags: BRAND, BRANDING, brandthink, cricket, customer service, drkkr, drkkramachandran, grd, lords, MARKETING, think

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