pumpkinstrokemarrow

This kept me going until I reached the Vauxhall Griffin where I had a pint of something from Woodforde, the pull for which features a black sailed Norfolk wherry. Very nice it was too but I thought better of explaining to the pretty young barmaid that I had sailed, as a child, on the last wherry to ply the Broads, and which did, indeed, look much like the picture on the beer pull. Black sail and all. Too much information, despite the pub being more or less empty. Odd, as the last time I had visited at about the same time of day it had been full. Older readers might remember the establishment as the Builders Arms. It has been through various vicissitudes since I have known it.

We then pondered the strange news that the government of Northern Ireland has kindly loaned the Northumberland Police 20 armoured cars to help track down to lone nut case, believed to be armed with a shotgun or two. Why is it that the police always have to go to town when they start on guns? If they are that keen on playing army why on earth don't they join the army in the first place? Why are herds of them cruising around in rather motley uniforms brandishing what appear to be some kind of machine gun? Assault rifles? As a non-combatant, I would have thought the thing to deal with a lone nut case was an ordinary rifle. Something that you might actually hit something at a hundred yards with. The lone nut case is presumably feeling, assuming that he feels much at all, terribly important.

This while we observed a number of bird songs, three to be precise, in what was otherwise a surprisingly quiet and still metropolitan evening. Unfortunately, while each song was quite distinct and in principle memorable, we were unable to see the birds concerned, so were unable to label the songs. Most frustrating.

Then back to the station where I picked up a regular train to Guildford, change at Wimbledon, rather than the commuter thing I usually get. Much grander altogether and we were helpfully advised that the first class section had been declassified and that we were welcome to avail ourselves of its first class facilities at no extra charge. Perhaps the conductor was a retired civil servant used to declassifying very important government documents. Not heard the word used in any other sense before.

Changed at Wimbledon to learn that the crowd control railings are cunningly arranged so that those getting off at Platform 8 - that is to say where you might find virtually anyone much trying to head down the Southwest Trains network - cannot get at the train timetables. You have to get around the railings first. On the plus side, Southwest Trains do have a very nifty map of their network on their site, looking very like a map from Google. Maybe it is powered by the same bit of code. See http://www.southwesttrains.co.uk/networkmap.aspx. Rather than wait, I thought it proper to sample a pint of Broadside at the Prince of Wales, which I was interested to learn had fairly old floors, with floorboards of various widths up to maybe 10 inches - not your modern tongue and groove at all. Perhaps more important the place is open until midnight every night with an extension until 0200 on Fridays and Saturdays. Not that many hardened topers on this night. Still, as the man at qype says, a good solid boozer with no flaws and no specialities.

Pushed onto Raynes Park to inspect the whizzy new split screen which has been installed in the middle of platform 4. See the rather tricky illustration at http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations/sjp/RAY/plan.html. But before I got there, at the apex of the island between platforms 3 and 4, came across a semi circular carpet, maybe fifteen feet in diameter, of small yellowy green balls, each about 2.5mm in diameter. The freshly fallen seeds of the tree above. When I got past this phenomenon and reached the screen found it to be rather impressive. About four feet by two feet erected in a special housing up a lamp post. We thought the idea was that the guard by staring straight out of his guard door could see in one half of the split screen what was happening on the platform to the left, on the other half what was happening on the right. No need for him to climb out of the train at all. At least we presumed that was what the idea was. The only catch was that the train stopped with the guard about six feet short of the split screen, which was in consequence no use at all. I had better not repeat the comment of the guard when challenged in case his employers have a problem.

A few stars visible at Raynes Park, notable half of the Big Dipper. One of the few constellations I am reasonably sure about.

Finally make it onto the train to Epsom and entertained myself with discussing the various pronunciations of Ewell - eewell, eewellee, youell and so on - with two larger ladies who were getting off there. I also thought fit to tell them about the cheap library books to be had from Bourne Hall. Discretion and reticence of earlier in the evening having worn somewhat thin by this time.

A lot more stars visible by the time we arrived at Epsom. Not a truly clear night, something I only notice at Epsom a couple or so times a year, but clear enough to pick out a few constellations. Including the entire Big Dipper. Almost moved to fetch the bins on arrival but settled for gazing at our splendid Kashgai rug instead (ex Liberty's). A wonderful work, a thing entire in itself. A wonderfully non-referential thing. Complex, structured and beautiful without involving anything much one could name. Absolutely no need to look for meanings and interpretations. Clever chaps these Muslims when it comes to rugs and carpets.