Barrtalk: Why do we accept horrible attitudes from some airport staff?

Is there anything more annoying than the fact that you have to travel through an airport to start your holiday?

Yes, you can stay in Ireland, but if you've opted for somewhere out of the country, chances are, you'll have to fly there.

So began the Barrtalk family holiday to London a couple of weeks ago.

Still a world-class city in every sense of the word and now with a continental climate to rival Barcelona or Rome, London’s a phenomenal destination practically on our doorstep.

Unfortunately, it isn't literally on our doorstep, hence the necessary evil of the airport.

Our experience at Belfast International on the way out was anything but enjoyable.

Having gotten up at the ungodly hour of 2am for a 6am flight, we, with a surprising amount of semi-conscious passengers, bundled our way through Departures with kids who were just about awake.

Our very first encounter was with a staff member who seemed as if he was on secondment from Guantanamo Bay. Not for him was the pointlessness of smiling or asking people gently.

We were an easy crowd, either young families, business people, or some elderly people. But this Sergeant Major wannabe, herded us all through like cattle.

In fact, having watched Clarkson's Farm, I'd say the cattle were probably treated better than the early morning travellers in this scenario. It was like an endurance test we had to pass before being allowed to go on holidays.

In any other customer service environment this wouldn't be stood for. But why do we all become so submissive in airports?

Her Indoors reckoned GI Joe at the Departures desk would've wrestled us to the ground had we dared complain. She could have been right.

Once we'd passed our first test, it was straight through to the twilight zone of airport food shopping where anything edible almost doubles in price.

One packet of crisps £3. Sterling too.

A *large* bag of Haribos was £8 (according to Barrtalk Junior contents amounted to 2.5 times the amount of a normal bag, usually £1.25). Soft drinks that cost the same amount as an average pint.

Gone are the days when flying was a luxurious, relaxing experience. These days it's a dog-eat-dog fight through security and an exercise in trying not to blow the entire holiday budget on a breakfast for four before you get on board the flight.

The flying itself is the easiest part, and that unbeatable feeling of touching the ground for a week in a new destination.

London was basking in 28-degree temperatures all week and was buzzing with visitors from across the world. That made the outward journey worth it.

Thankfully, the Departures at Stansted en route back home had nothing but happy faces from helpful staff, who made the whole process as easy as possible.

Until next year, when we do it all over again.

Howzat for a day out! Lord’s visit proves a real cricket classic

I finally visited the home of cricket during a family holiday to London last week.

And I have to say Lord’s certainly did not disappoint; neither for me nor the cricket-loving youngest Barrtalk Junior who sat to my left throughout.

Not only was it amazing to see the iconic venue in-person for the first time, but we also hit the jackpot with a great game, which went down to the last few balls between the Manchester Super Giants and the hometeam London Spirit.

Cricket is viewed as a game for the more well-off, but I have to emphasise how the staff and fans at Lord’s could not have been any nicer. In fact, I’d say it was comfortably the most relaxed and good-natured major sporting event I’ve ever attended.

What’s more, it cost us only £31 [£26 for me and just £5 for my son aged 11] to watch two games in ‘The Hundred’, spanning a very enjoyable six hours in the Compton stand at the Nursery End of the famous ground.

I also witnessed a ‘first’ for me anywhere in the world, with a self-service pub. I watched [partly in horror and partly in awe] as fans queued up to pour their own pints of Guinness after first tapping their proverbial debit cards at the machine.

Me, I stuck with a few lagers from pubs that did have barstaff, while the youngster was happy on the water in the London heat, which hovered around thirty degrees almost all week we were there.

Incidentally, a pint at Lord’s will set you back a cool £8.60, plus a £1 deposit for your cup on your first drink. Though they do offer free water at loads of stations across the stadium, which was nice.

What made the whole experience even more special was knowing that we were sitting in a place which has been at the very heart of English and world cricket for more than 200 years.

Quick history lesson: Lord’s was founded by Thomas Lord in 1814, with the present ground in St John’s Wood opening in 1814 after the club had moved from its earlier homes. It quickly became synonymous with the sport and is now owned by Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), whose famous pavilion and distinctive red-brick buildings have become instantly recognisable around the world.

So, after years of watching the game on television and hearing commentators talk reverentially about the ‘Home of Cricket’, finally getting to sit in the stands with my son and watch the action unfold in front of us was a pretty special moment.

And yes, despite the £8.60 pint of Fuller’s, I’d happily go back again. Though next time I might bring a flask instead! [The people behind me had a full-on cheese board, including red wine, serrano ham and brie for sharing – you wouldn’t get that at the Bayfield in Moville!]

The one downside to the whole thing was the absence of Granda Barrtalk due to illness. But we'll be back another day as a trio!