There are baseball games and then there are major events.

When the Phillies traveled “across the pond” to play the Mets on June 8 and 9 at London Stadium, Vince Hunsicker knew it was a lifetime event that he wasn’t going to miss.

He has been following the Phillies as long as he can remember. He’s been trying to buy season tickets, but so far has come up empty because of the team’s popularity in recent years.

The 61-year-old Lehighton man and his son Luke of Nesquehoning started planning the trip across the pond as soon as they heard about the game.

They bought the VIP package. “I wasn’t going to pay to fly to London and sit in the nosebleed section,” he said.

They bought the tickets as soon as they were available, just in time for a Christmas present to himself.

He watched games with his uncle as a child, but became serious about the game when his sons played T-ball and Little League. “I learned more about the game, and it became more fun to watch.”

Luke, he said, knows a lot about the game and knows stats.”

Hunsicker has traveled to games across the Eastern Seaboard: Baltimore’s Camden Yards, New York’s Yankee stadium, Washington’s Nationals Park stadium and more.

He’s traveled to New Orleans, Atlanta and other football stadiums for the Philadelphia Eagles. Lambeau Field in Wisconsin is on his bucket list.

He’s never been to a World Series game. “It’s purely monetary,” he said.

He took a vacation from his job in maintenance at St. Luke’s, and they set out a week before the game to make time for the whole London experience.

“My son and I did a walking tour of London. It was incredible.”

He met up with a friend who grew up in Nesquehoning, who showed them the sights and ones that people don’t always see.

They walked across Abbey Road, just like the Beatles did, and wrote a message on the famous wall. This week though, one of the messages was “Go Phillies.”

They also made a trip to Lock & Co. Hatters.

Hunsicker said when he was researching London sites, this jumped to the top of his list.

“My buddy and I wear a lot of hats,” he said.

The famous hatter has made hats for royalty, Winston Churchill and stars Eric Clapton, and now Vince Hunsicker. They measured his head, just like the celebrities.

“They said they don’t normally do it for the public, but because I did all the research they said ‘come back and we’ll do it.’ ”

The company made hats for the James Bond 007 “Goldfinger” movie.The collection was on sale, for the movie’s 60th anniversary.

He bought a flat cap from the collection for about $300. The one Sean Connery wore was $5,000.

They went shopping at the market in Piccadilly Circus and what was once a men’s district, with cigar shoppes and more.

Good thing they took an extra bag. “My son traveled light,” Hunsicker said.

The main event

Then came the game.

They went to the Saturday game, joining 55,000 other fans to watch the Phillies’ historic win.

Their seats were six rows behind the Phillies dugout in the former Olympic stadium in Trafalgar Square.

It was a Who’s Who of baseball. Legends included Chase Utley and many of the members of the World Series team in 2008. Ryan Howard, Shane Victorino, Jimmy Rollins and Cole Hamels were there.

A souvenir hat was part of the package, and he bought another one. When Larry Bowa came into the room, Hunsicker left his son alone at the table to rush to get his autograph on the hat.

“I will never wear that hat,” he said.

They saw many players and celebrities but didn’t get to interact with them. In the distance, he saw Bryce Harper and Alec Bohm.

“I was hoping to see Steve Carlton,” Hunsicker said.

The stadium

“When we were going into the stadium, it was congested but once inside, Hunsicker was overwhelmed with the size and magnitude. “You could get lost in there,” he said. “Areas were cordoned off and the stadium was located in the arena area.”

The famous Trafalgar Square was “electric,” Hunsicker said.

“There were so many fans,” he said. “It was like being at home.”

In a pub Friday night, British fans asked questions as they tried to understand the American sport.

“Fanwise and atmosphere wise, we couldn’t ask for a better area.”

The VIP package included a buffet. There were two lines, one for the Mets fans with Coney Island dogs and one for the Phillies, of course with Philly cheesesteaks. “They needed a little practice” on the cheesesteaks, Hunsicker said.

The rest was British favorites, such as steak and ale pie, chicken in pastry, and several kinds of ale.

They switched gears to afternoon tea at 4:30, with curd cream, tea and biscuits. He messaged his friend to ask her just what curd cream was and how to eat it. “She said you slather it like butter, put jelly on it and shove it in your mouth.”

He was won over.

He’s excited about the Phillies status this year. This team reminds him of the 2008 team that won the World Series.

“I’ve been a fan my whole life,” Hunsicker said.

Would he do it again? “Yes,” he said because he enjoys traveling.

His favorite part of the trip?

“Experiencing it with my son,” he said.