Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Tea cakes
The other day to Dorking to check that the White Hart is still doing toasted tea cakes, a tea time confection of which I am fond and which seems to be something that can be knocked out commercially without destroying the intentions. Arrive there to find that the place had been taken over by Mercure, with the result that the old style lounge area, decorated with plenty of timber, some clearly recycled from other deployments, was still as pleasant as ever, but with the bonus that the sanitary facilities had been worked over, something that chains tend to be better at than independents. Teacakes good, coming with one small pot of jam with each half, an innovation which I thought unnecessary but BH was happy enough. Served on interesting oblong platters made out of some kind of off-white plastic.
No warm beer in sight but that was not a problem on this occasion and anyway plenty of places nearby which do do it.
The following day to London Town to check out the flats at Caro Point (http://www.caro-point.com/), part of a handsome development sandwiched between a small dock, a Peabody estate and London Transport Police. Just the ticket if we were ever to contemplate moving back to the big town. Right by Victoria Station but a residential rather than commercial area. Plenty of diversity to stop the place becoming a richies enclave and a small Youngs pub on the doorstep. Plus parking spaces for boats should one feel the need. Only snag was that a one bedroom flat was swinging in at more than £500,000 with top price near £4m.
One supposes that the heritage people were very fierce with the developers about keeping the dock in place, a dock which presumably used to connect with the nearby railway. There are vestiges of what might have been a goods yard. On the other hand, google also finds talk about coal deliveries to the next door pumping station. Chimney turns out to be nothing to do with shot while I had been saying it was everything to do with shot for years. Maybe some ancient confusion with a real shot tower which used to be on the other side of the river.
Along the way took in the 'Latchmere', a theatrical boozer, where we had a rather expensive and prettily served concoction described as a salt beef sandwich. No relation at all to those which used to be sold in Great Windmill Street. The meat might just as well have been spam, not that one really noticed through all the salad stuff. Where were these people brought up? BH almost put off her lunch by loud music and loud posters, these last featuring two large pigs' heads - clearly detached from the rest of the pig that is and advertising a play about the nature of justice in a world where the rule of the law can appear a distant truth. Cor, as they say. Proper barmaid, with proper accents and proper kit. But no DT although the regular facilities were adequate.
While Clapham Junction has a shiny new DT, sadly in rather careless use by able bodied staff. Not in the same league as Epsom - although I suppose one should allow for the better class of clientèle at this last. Victoria station not much better despite having to pay. No hot air and an attendant who could barely speak English and who did not appear to give a toss.
Followed up the Latchmere with a swing around Battersea Park where we were able to admire the large numbers of fine London planes. Roses pretty good considering the recent weather. Some nice bits of fifties garden design; for my money a good period, a period before the rot set in for the sixties and seventies. We thought it a pity that the fine steps down to the beach by Chelsea Bridge had been railed off. No-one thought to give them a refurb. while installing the expensive new walk way under Chelsea Bridge. No-one thought that it might be good to return access to the beach to families visiting or families living nearby. They do things rather better down by the South Bank but that, I think, is Lambeth rather than Wandsworth.
We learned that flying herons can make a loud noise, somewhere between that of a duck and a crow.
Then just a quick hop across the bridge to Caro Point.
No warm beer in sight but that was not a problem on this occasion and anyway plenty of places nearby which do do it.
The following day to London Town to check out the flats at Caro Point (http://www.caro-point.com/), part of a handsome development sandwiched between a small dock, a Peabody estate and London Transport Police. Just the ticket if we were ever to contemplate moving back to the big town. Right by Victoria Station but a residential rather than commercial area. Plenty of diversity to stop the place becoming a richies enclave and a small Youngs pub on the doorstep. Plus parking spaces for boats should one feel the need. Only snag was that a one bedroom flat was swinging in at more than £500,000 with top price near £4m.
One supposes that the heritage people were very fierce with the developers about keeping the dock in place, a dock which presumably used to connect with the nearby railway. There are vestiges of what might have been a goods yard. On the other hand, google also finds talk about coal deliveries to the next door pumping station. Chimney turns out to be nothing to do with shot while I had been saying it was everything to do with shot for years. Maybe some ancient confusion with a real shot tower which used to be on the other side of the river.
Along the way took in the 'Latchmere', a theatrical boozer, where we had a rather expensive and prettily served concoction described as a salt beef sandwich. No relation at all to those which used to be sold in Great Windmill Street. The meat might just as well have been spam, not that one really noticed through all the salad stuff. Where were these people brought up? BH almost put off her lunch by loud music and loud posters, these last featuring two large pigs' heads - clearly detached from the rest of the pig that is and advertising a play about the nature of justice in a world where the rule of the law can appear a distant truth. Cor, as they say. Proper barmaid, with proper accents and proper kit. But no DT although the regular facilities were adequate.
While Clapham Junction has a shiny new DT, sadly in rather careless use by able bodied staff. Not in the same league as Epsom - although I suppose one should allow for the better class of clientèle at this last. Victoria station not much better despite having to pay. No hot air and an attendant who could barely speak English and who did not appear to give a toss.
Followed up the Latchmere with a swing around Battersea Park where we were able to admire the large numbers of fine London planes. Roses pretty good considering the recent weather. Some nice bits of fifties garden design; for my money a good period, a period before the rot set in for the sixties and seventies. We thought it a pity that the fine steps down to the beach by Chelsea Bridge had been railed off. No-one thought to give them a refurb. while installing the expensive new walk way under Chelsea Bridge. No-one thought that it might be good to return access to the beach to families visiting or families living nearby. They do things rather better down by the South Bank but that, I think, is Lambeth rather than Wandsworth.
We learned that flying herons can make a loud noise, somewhere between that of a duck and a crow.
Then just a quick hop across the bridge to Caro Point.
# posted by Jim @ 6:08 AM 
