Sunday, September 30, 2007
Demise of top rib
Sadly, have to report that the butcher in Cheam appears to be unable to take further orders for top-rib (of beef) - and, one suspects, orders for anything at all unless you are a restaurant or a pub and are able to make it worth his while. So we will have to settle for the odd bit of fore rib when my wanting it and his having it happen to coincide. Fortunately, he usually carries quite a good stock so this will not be quite as bad as it sounds. Maybe it is not down to him at all: it is more a question of the wholesalers he deals with only producing what are now the standard cuts - and it is getting them to do anything else which is the problem, again unless one wants dozens of the things. In this case that might be a bit tricky as I think you only get two top rib joints to the cow, one from each side. But then, that is 200% better than aitchbone where you only get one. Presumably getting one of those has become even more challenging.
Remains curious that in this foodie age where, I believe, billions of cook books are sold each year, that the English anyway are so unfussy about their meat and bread. OK, so the are commercial pressures on the supply side but if there was some serious demand side demand those pressures would soon sort themselves out.
But there is some good news. The office of the pope has arranged for the supply of fibres from a robe once worn (or possibly just tried on or put in his cupboard) by the late Pope John. So I can now send a cheque off and get some certificated fibres back - these can then be framed and put on my wall or otherwise included in my private shrine for venerative purposes. It may well be that one can do the whole transaction over the internet - with a discount if you settle for certificated virtual fibre (rather than real fibre) for inclusion in your virtual shrine (possibly Facebook). This would be a more eco-friendly option than promoting trade in real fibre and ought to earn some much needed points from the eco-crew.
The second bit of good news is the finding of a huge tip (aka waste transfer facility) behind the brewery at Wandsworth. At least what used to be a brewery. Now that Youngs have sold out to (aka merged with) Wells, the brewery has probably been converted into a conference centre to where those in the world of work can be taken for hug-ins and other forms of corporate shenanigan. But the tip was most impressive. Huge yard, sparsely but very tidily occupied by the sort of large yellow boxes which sit on the back of flat bed lorries. You get assigned one, you drive up to it, walk into it and dump one's bags. No great bossiness about which sort of rubbish goes into which bin - although there is a garden waste option for the ecos. And then, to the side of the tip some very large shed - tricked out in red and brown, with ramps, gantry cranes and all sorts - which is presumably the preserve of the commerical wasters. Not clear what does on inside but no doubt all very efficient. No chimney so presumably not incineration. But visitors beware: the place shuts at 1600 on weekdays. Rather later at weekends.
I also notice that a disturbed young lady managed to evade her guard and commit suicide while being taken for her cigarette break. Which prompts the obvious observations, that if we had not made it so difficult for people to have their cigarette break while in a public place (or maybe the hospital counted as a work place), this would never have happened. Was the state of her lungs really the right problem for the assembled medical folk to be focussed on?
Remains curious that in this foodie age where, I believe, billions of cook books are sold each year, that the English anyway are so unfussy about their meat and bread. OK, so the are commercial pressures on the supply side but if there was some serious demand side demand those pressures would soon sort themselves out.
But there is some good news. The office of the pope has arranged for the supply of fibres from a robe once worn (or possibly just tried on or put in his cupboard) by the late Pope John. So I can now send a cheque off and get some certificated fibres back - these can then be framed and put on my wall or otherwise included in my private shrine for venerative purposes. It may well be that one can do the whole transaction over the internet - with a discount if you settle for certificated virtual fibre (rather than real fibre) for inclusion in your virtual shrine (possibly Facebook). This would be a more eco-friendly option than promoting trade in real fibre and ought to earn some much needed points from the eco-crew.
The second bit of good news is the finding of a huge tip (aka waste transfer facility) behind the brewery at Wandsworth. At least what used to be a brewery. Now that Youngs have sold out to (aka merged with) Wells, the brewery has probably been converted into a conference centre to where those in the world of work can be taken for hug-ins and other forms of corporate shenanigan. But the tip was most impressive. Huge yard, sparsely but very tidily occupied by the sort of large yellow boxes which sit on the back of flat bed lorries. You get assigned one, you drive up to it, walk into it and dump one's bags. No great bossiness about which sort of rubbish goes into which bin - although there is a garden waste option for the ecos. And then, to the side of the tip some very large shed - tricked out in red and brown, with ramps, gantry cranes and all sorts - which is presumably the preserve of the commerical wasters. Not clear what does on inside but no doubt all very efficient. No chimney so presumably not incineration. But visitors beware: the place shuts at 1600 on weekdays. Rather later at weekends.
I also notice that a disturbed young lady managed to evade her guard and commit suicide while being taken for her cigarette break. Which prompts the obvious observations, that if we had not made it so difficult for people to have their cigarette break while in a public place (or maybe the hospital counted as a work place), this would never have happened. Was the state of her lungs really the right problem for the assembled medical folk to be focussed on?
# posted by Jim @ 1:17 AM 
