A Sad and Beautiful Day

From the Cafe OTO to Stamford Bridge...

In the 71st minute, Marc Cucurella scored the winning goal against Manchester United in Chelsea’s final home match at Stamford Bridge, and I was there.

No, it’s more fitting to say that we were there.

Chelsea was my son Maclane’s favorite team. He was a huge fan. Unfortunately, Maclane passed away suddenly last August, less than nine months ago. Unbeknownst to us, my English cousin’s daughter sent Maclane’s obituary to the Chelsea Football Club, and we surprisingly received this wonderfully thoughtful letter from the team’s captain Reece James:

They also mentioned the opportunity to have a plaque in Maclane’s honor placed on the Memorial Wall at Stamford Bridge. So, I was desperate to find a ticket to see the game and Maclane’s plaque. However, my three-day search for a ticket was unsuccessful. So I gave up hope. I would watch the match later that night on TV at Ye Olde White Hart in Frimley, near Farnborough, where my cousins live.

The night before the game, my sister asked me if I was going to London tomorrow. I told her, “Only if the weather was good.” So it was a coin flip whether I’d go down at all…

When I woke up the next morning, the day of the Chelsea match, I could see sunny, blue skies through the skylight. It was a beautiful day.

So roughly 12 hours before Cucurella would score the winning goal, I stepped on a train at Farnborough Main Station heading to Waterloo Station to spend the day slumming around London’s record shops. I planned to return by around 6:00 pm, in time for dinner.

My first stop was for some coffee beans at East London’s Café OTO, a go-to spot for experimental music and avant-garde jazz:

Since its beginning in 2008, Café OTO has been a DIY operation, taking its name from OTO, a somewhat obscure Brazilian art movement from the 1920s and 30s that emphasized experimentation and collaboration across art forms. The venue was founded by Hamish Dunbar and Mark Harwood, who were inspired by the ethos of OTO to create a space where musicians and artists could come together to create and perform. What I didn’t know when I entered Café OTO was they also sold new and used books and records.

I asked the barista, “Where else might I find more records of this sort?”

He wrote down three places on this piece of paper:

He told me, “Be sure to go to Atlantis. It’s one of the best record shops in London."

On this trip, I kept my phone on airplane mode and could not use Google Maps, so I had to go old-school and write directions on paper. I left the Café OTO and cruised down Graham Road to Tome, looked around a bit, and then asked the guy behind the counter if he could tell me how to get to Atlantis. He told me it was about 15 minutes away on Mare Street and gave me directions.

I did find Mare Street but could not find Atlantis, so I went into 13 Moons, a Wiccan and crystal shop at the end of Mare Street. I asked one of the ladies (or witches perhaps) if a record shop was nearby. She said there was one around the corner and pointed it out to me - it was not on Mare Street but on Clarence Road.

There was no sign outside the store, it just said “We Buy Records”:

As soon as I walked in, the owner John asked if I’d like a cup of coffee. I said yes. He disappeared into a room at the back of the shop only to return to say, “We’re out of milk.” He turned to another man in the shop and said, “Levi. Can you look after the till while I go out and fetch some milk?” The man agreed, and we were left alone.

Levi and I talked about music and come to find out he is from Liverpool and grew up with the Beatles. He is a custom vintage amp builder, who has made amps for all the big names in England, including the owner John Coxon, who along with J Spaceman recently recorded the excellent album Music for William Eggleston’s Stranded in Canton.

When John returned with the milk, he made some coffee for us and we talked about music. He told me about his record label Treader and pulled out a record, Ute Wassermann’s 2022 Strange Songs (For Voice And Bird Calls):

He said, “This is a good one.” I was stunned. Of all the records he could have shown me, he picked out one with a golden songbird on the cover. Those who have been on this journey with me for some time know my spirit animal is a songbird, which I wrote about here:

Bird Notes

As I would find out, John is also very influenced by birdsong. Many of his early albums feature songbirds on the cover. In fact, his first release on Treader is the 2018 album Evan Parker With Birds - for Steve Lacy, with field recordings by Ashley Wales, made in Liskeard, Cornwall, and St. Marys on the Isle of Scilly:

I had a grand time at Atlantis. Our connection with birdsong was uncanny, but I had not yet detected the hand of an Angel on my shoulder.

When I was finishing up, John handed me this piece of paper:

He told me to go down to Perfect Lives, another used record store in South London near the New Cross station, and added, “It’s easy to find. Just walk out of the New Cross station and turn left. Then walk down a couple of blocks and turn right at the Royal Albert pub. It’ll be on the right.” Finally, he told me to give his regards to the owners Daniel and Bruno. So, off I went, back to the Dalston Junction station by Café OTO to catch the train down to New Cross.

John’s directions were seamless, and I soon found Perfect Lives. Here’s the picture I took as I came upon it:

Once again, I was greeted at the door with an offer of coffee. This time by a fine, young gentleman named Daniel. As we talked about records, he noticed the Chelsea FC pin on my shirt pocket. He is also a big Chelsea fan and asked me if I was going to the match tonight. I told him about my son and my unsuccessful quest for a ticket. I became emotional and could not hold back my tears. He gave me a long hug, and I stood there in the middle of his shop and cried on his shoulder. Then he stepped back and said, “Just a minute, let me see if I can find you a ticket.” Of course, I thought he was only being kind. He soon returned and told me he put out the word.

We sat outside of his store at the small table you can see in the picture above and drank our coffee as I regained my composure. Then, we went inside and I continued digging through his records and books.

A few minutes later, Daniel appeared and said, “I got you a ticket!”

I was quite stunned. He told me I would need to meet a gentleman named Mike at The Sporting Page pub in Chelsea between 6:30 and 7:00 pm, and I’d better get going soon.

At that moment, I felt the hand of an Angel on my shoulder, who had been guiding me and making these improbable connections.

I settled up with Daniel and set off for the friendly link-up: I needed to get from New Cross to The Sporting Page in Chelsea. I walked back to the New Cross station, took the overground to Cannon Street, and caught the Tube’s District Line to Gloucester Road. From there, to find the pub it was old-school directions on this piece of paper again:

I reached the pub just after 6:30 and Mike soon arrived. Daniel had sent him my picture, so Mike knew who I was. Shortly before 7:00, Mike arrived and we introduced ourselves. We had a beer together, and I bought his son’s ticket. Mike is a fine gentleman, and I could not have asked for a nicer host for such an important occasion. We soon left The Sporting Page for Stamford Bridge.

The walk to the stadium was packed and filled with excitement. Once inside our seats were nearly right down on the field. Incredible. Here’s a view from our seats - and just look at those blue skies:

I told Mike, “Chelsea is going to win this game. It’s in the cards.”

Sure enough, in the 71st minute, Cucurella scored the winning goal right in front of us. Of course, Reece James made the amazing cross to set it up.

After the match, Mike and I walked back to The Sporting Page, and he kindly offered to drive me to Waterloo Station, where I caught a late train to Farnborough Main. My sister and I left Heathrow Airport the following morning and flew back to Minnesota.

When I returned home and told my wife about this magical day, she started to cry and shared with me that when she woke up that morning the door to Maclane’s room was open. We always keep his door closed, but that morning the door was open. I thought, “As it should be.”

I am reminded of a morning walk less than two days before Maclane passed. Our dog Bear led me on a path I had not walked before, through the neighbor’s trees to the garage and around to the front of their house, where I found a small sparrow stuck in a glue trap. It was alive and looking steadily up at me. I reached down and grabbed it, thinking I might be able to release it. I gently pulled it free with little damage to its wings. I held it perhaps too long. As I let it go, it chirped and flew up to a nearby tree. It was free. I did not fail to feel the significance of that moment, as if my son’s soul said, “It’s ok, Papa. I am free.” It took my breath away.

As I look back now on this magical day, that Angel’s hand on my shoulder was Maclane’s.

On the plaque inside Stamford Bridge, above the picture of Maclane pointing to the sky after scoring a goal, is written:

One of Chelsea Football Club’s biggest fans from across the pond is now watching the Blues over Stamford Bridge with the Angels.

On that day, the wind in the stadium sang a sad and beautiful song just for me, and for those glorious 90 minutes, the Angels brought Maclane back to me. His spirit was with me. Together, we watched Chelsea win that game. I felt once again as if he said to me, “It’s ok, Papa. I am free.”

As we all know now, Chelsea beat Nottingham Forest securing qualification to the UEFA Champions League for next season. The Angels are smiling.

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Feel free to contact me at any time to talk shop. I welcome and encourage that.

Until then, keep on walking….