Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Dancing tea
Yesterday we decided to take ourselves off to the tea dance in the Grand Hall of the Battersea Arts Centre, the place I visited recently for a beer festival. Arrived to find quite a queue of mixed seniors waiting for the action. Had a bit of a poke around while we waited and amused to come across a very serious (interior) wrought iron gate presumably intended during the glory days of the Grand Hall to keep the possibly inebriated punters out of the official part of what was the Town Hall. Had a peek inside the Grand Hall which looked much more grand when dressed for a tea dance than when it was dressed for a beer festival, despite the seniority of the attendance. In the end decided that this was not quite the thing for us and proceeded to seek lunch in the rain on Lavender Hill - which turned out to be harder than I had expected with a lot of places not being open weekdays during the say. But our luck was in and we found one of those Portuguese cafe/bar/restaurants - this one called 'Costa do Estoril' where we had a very decent lunch for about £20 for 2. Including, in my case, a plate of sea food rice and a pint of Sagres. Another of those websites where you have to affirm that you are of age: http://www.sagresbeer.com/.
Next stop the Salvation Army charity shop between Clapham South and Balham, so pushed up the splendidly names Wix's Lane onto the common and headed across to Clapham South tube station. Still raining reasonably seriously and happy to shelter for a while in the charity shop. Where, as well as a jigsaw for FIL, we came across an interesting pile of records - presumably the result of on-decease clearings out of some of the once posh mansion flats in the area. So I am now the proud owner of Missa Luba sung by the troubadours du Roi Baudouin, somewhere back in the late fifties of the last century. Claimed to be authentic Congolese music. Rather impressive it was too. Plus some more Schubert by Clifford Curzon.
Rain easing off, push onto the second hand bookshop at Balham Station where I acquire a decent two volume, Dover edition of Burton going on pilgrimage to Mecca for £20. Neat fit with the current bout of Arab and Islamic readings. Plus, next door there was one of those dinky groceries used by the up market flat dwellers in the posher parts of Balham where I got a very decent white bloomer (sourced from a French baker) and some very decent, but very expensive Montgomery cheddar. All of which made up for the cheapness of our lunch.
Back home, Franklin has learned a new trick. I return from a modest spin to find him waiting in the drive. He hopped up onto the pannier rack from where he allowed himself to be wheeled up the drive into the garage.
And I have a new butcher to play with, to wit the one at the top end of Ewell village. I had been prompted to go there by stories about his excellent meat pies, but actually bought a neck of lamb - something that the butcher in Manor Green Road does not carry on account of its being too expensive - and it certainly is rather dear considering the amount of bone it comes with - which did for today's lunch as a Lancashire Hot Pot. The first time we have had such a thing since last year, not having had access to Cheam for most of that time. Very nice it was too, despite the potato element being somewhat overcooked, having been put in about 45 minutes before the off. Have also bought a brick of stewing steak for slow cooking purposes. We shall see how that does. There is also yet another dinky grocery next door. I shall have to investigate whether it sells bread.
Current betting is that I shall be back in Cheam during the first week or so of March. Maybe 10 weeks after the iced incident.
# posted by Jim @ 9:15 AM 
