Thursday, November 25, 2010
Bankside
Bit of an argument with the BH about the location of a smaller Youngs pub, somewhere between Bankside power station and Waterloo station. I thought it was near Bankside, BH thought it was near Coin Street. Off to Bankside to find it and failed, so resorted to the Founder's Arms instead for a gastro version of shepherds' pie. Served on a thick round shiny white plate which must have weighed more than a pound. Would not like to have to carry them around in dozens. Pie served in a small cylindrical white tub, clearly made by putting a dollop of brown gear in the bottom of the tub, putting a dollop of the white gear on top of that, making a tasteful ventilation hole in the white gear and placing the whole in the microwave to warm it up but not to brown it. Full of flavourings and fat but tasted OK. Served with just cooked carrots and broccoli. A touch dear at nearly £11 a go but it came with good beer, cheerful staff and a river view table.
Followed up with a visit to the Gauguin exhibition. Fairly crowded, with a lot of people appearing to pay more attention to their audio-visual aids than to the artefacts, but an excellent show just the same. Rather more to the chap than I had realised; rather more than just a painter of not very beautiful Tahitian damsels. I was quite taken with his still lives and landscapes. Nor had I realised that he was of the post-impressionist era; into symbolism, surrealism and the death of realism. Not to mention the death of perspective. Good fit with the Florensky chap I have just been reading about. Amused, given Gauguin's valiant attempts to shock the bourgeois at the same time as taking their money big time, by the very grand and golden frames that some of his pictures were encased in. Other memories include the large number of French visitors, Gauguin's fondness for a rather shocking pink, the strong smell of machine oil from the various escalators and the splendid (if rather disconcerting. An oddly detached expression about her) nude borrowed from our very own Courtauld. We must make it back for another go before it closes. Make the most of the significant concessionary saving. Far too much to take in at once and I did not suppose I shall have the opportunity to see too much again.
Took refreshment at the new cake shop in one of the corners of the former County Hall, where the cakes are in much better nick than their web site at http://www.bakerycountyhall.com/. Cleverly furnished with what look like furnishings from a better class of hotel. I hope they do well. They might also turn their heating down a bit.
Back home resumed the hunt for the missing Young's pub. Their web site failed to help me although I did learn that Young's was still an independant company, even though they have sold their brewery in Wandsworth. What has happened is that their brewing is now a separate joint venture with Charles Wells in Bedford. Not quite as bad as having been gobbled up by Wells altogether. Next stop Google Earth, which suggests that the sort of small street I am looking for is not to be found near Bankside. Pan west a bit to find a small pink champagne glass displayed next to Coin Street Gardens. Lo and behold, it is the 'Mulberry Bush', the very place I am looking for. No idea why the Young's web site denied knowledge but I do have to concede the BH's memory in this matter was better than mine. Odd considering that the place is a pub. Maybe because I do not go past it very often any more now that one cannot use the Thames path in the vicinity of the southern end of Blackfriars Bridge.
# posted by Jim @ 4:22 AM 
