Bacon rashers, hi-vis jackets and a dog collar: all life is found among Oval early birds

Final day of Test summer will burn in the memory of some but what about those around the Oval who simply viewed it as any other August morning?Six o’clock. I think this is a good idea. It didn’t feel like it when the alarm went off 20 minutes ago as watery light crept under the curtains. But now, cycling through the deserted dawn streets of south London to the Oval, my faith is restored.They still teach the “Gravedigger” theory of news coverage in journalism schools around the world. Ostensibly, it describes the act of reporting on a headline-grabbing news story from the point of view of a peripheral figure or unexpected participant. Days like this do not come around that often. I dismount and stroll into Oval Cafe as the first rashers of bacon are sizzling on the grill. Continue reading...

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