pumpkinstrokemarrow

Just getting off the train at Waterloo when I fell into conversation with a chap from Littlehampton. It turned out that he was going for a job in the London Television Centre hard by the National Theatre. It further turned out that the chap, of middle years, had never been to London before and had no idea how to get to the Centre although he did know what it looked like from his own telly, back at Littlehampton. He was also most impressed by the size of and bustle at Waterloo Station. As it happened I was headed more or less that way myself, so was able to put him on the right road. I explained to him on the way that there were plenty of other people about who did not travel much, citing the folk from darkest Norfolk who used to descend from their coaches onto Norwich for their annual Christmas shopping trip, never mind London. But I did not say that that was thirty years ago.

From there a brisk walk north east to the Market Café at Whitecross Street, ignoring the various stalls selling luncheon snacks from around the world, in favour of tea and a bacon sandwich from the caff. Good value it was too at just over £3.

From there a short hop into St. Luke's to hear Nicola Benedetti and her friends. Five pieces from Shostakovich for violins and piano taken from his music from films. Very light and graceful, not the sort of thing I associated with him at all. Followed by the only bit of chamber music known to have come from the pen of Mahler, a movement for a piano quartet. Interesting stuff, rather orchestral in flavour despite the modest number of instruments. Then for the main course we had Shostakovich's Piano Quintet, which has worn better for me than that from Dvořák. This last being something that made a huge impression on me when I first heard it, by accident, but which was a bit disappointing when I heard it last year (December 27th). But today's Quintet was nearly spot on, ably helped along by St. Luke's' excellent acoustics. Only nearly spot on because I thought there were some passages when the piano overdid it a bit, did not give enough space for the strings. Pleased to note in passing that the gushing from the Radio 3 people has been toned right down, at least as far as the live audience was concerned.

Wandered back through Holborn and Covent Garden and over Hungerford Bridge to Waterloo and along the way somewhere under or near Centrepoint I came across the latest incarnation of the 'Intrepid Fox', an establishment I last patronised when it was gothic in Wardour Street, an establishment which once refused to serve me because I was wearing a tie, despite the fact that the place was empty - apart from the barman and I - at the time. The difficulty was overcome by my removing the offending tie. On another occasion, an early evening near Christmans, the place was crowded and the doorman tried to stop us getting in firstly on grounds of our advanced ages and secondly on grounds of my wearing a duffel coat. He let us pass when I explained that we always had a drink for Christmas in the establishment.

Then, prompted by an article in the LRB, into Foyles to see if they had a book about the writings of Homer, which according the the article started life as dramatic entertainments at feasts and were roughly contemporary with parts of our own Bible. But for once in a while the usually excellent Foyles let me down. They did carry what looked like a full set of Loeb Classics, but had very little on classics or classical history more generally. So for once in a while, over the road into Blackwells (who have become quite far flung from their native Morseland. I learn from their web site that they have gobbled up the Heffers of my youth amongst other places). They did much better, and managed two of the right sort of books about Homer. One was pitched at the right level but was as much about Homer & Us as anything else while the other covered the right sort of ground but was far too strong for me. Not least because it was assumed one had quite a decent grasp of the sort of ancient Greek in which Homer was written down. So I passed. Maybe I will take a peek at Amazon.

Finally over Hungerford Bridge to be reminded that despite the huge outlay on Bullingdon's, the mayor has not seen fit to do anything about another bridge, illustrated, which I used to be rather fond of, walking it most mornings. For some reason it was truncated, closed and has remained closed, for what must be fifteen years or more now. It would have been nice if it could have been put back together as part of whatever it is they are doing in that part of Jubilee Gardens.

PS: does anyone know a rule for the use of apostrophe's in a word which already has one? Does either one negate the other? Do both score?

PPS: I think there must be some collusion in the publishing world. The LRB, having roused by interest in matters Homeric, passes the baton to the TLS, which reviews this week a small clutch of books on the very subject. But I pass again: either too pricey or too deep for me.