pumpkinstrokemarrow

Two snippets to share. First, Savills will be running an auction of redundant prayer booths this autumn. The one illustrated here is relatively new, includes a bungalow in addition to the booth itself and occupies a site of more than an acre, formerly occupied by world leaders in toxic waste. I was a bit puzzled by the guide price of less than £1m, slightly less puzzled when I found that the booth is located between Sutton proper and St. Helier and not puzzled at all when I flipped through the helpful letter from the planning people. Ten pages of it, listing all the relevant rules, regulations and forms involved in making productive use of the site. Various previous attempts have failed. I wonder what they would think if I applied to turn it into a luxury town house in a high walled compound, after the style of dodgy dictators or terrorists on the run? Just the thing for a footballer wanting to slum it a bit. No trouble on a site like this about building the latest thing in underground gyms; there might even be some underground bunkers left behind by the toxic waste people.

Second, one of the larger public schools in the area is hiring this week. They want a part time rugby coach for irregular term time hours, self employed, wages on application. To be considered you need to share their passion for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and to pass muster with the criminal records people. They forget to mention the need to share their passion about sport. To my mind, a bit poor that such a place should be staffing itself up on such a basis. And a bit poor that we find it necessary to give safeguarding such prominence. What is the world coming to?

Back at home the harvest continues with just over 4lbs of sloes, Horton Lane naturally. Very early this year; already starting to burst with all the rain, so no question of waiting of first frost. But now we have a bigger question: whether 'tis nobler in the mind to make sloe gin, in the same sort of way as last year, or whether 'tis nobler to do what we have just done with the blackberries and do it with sugar and whisky. A question which will keep us occupied over the Sunday cow chop, upcoming.