Back to St. Luke's

New season under way at St. Luke's, so I was there a week or so ago. Carducci Quartet with Bartók (Romanian Folk Dances and String Quartet No.3) and Haydn (Op.20 No.4).

The record

Not many Bullingdons on the ramp at Waterloo, but there was what turned out to be a slightly creaky one for me. Spotted plenty of cycle traffic violations on the way, mainly ignoring red lights, mainly people on rival hire operators, particularly the bright red ones. It continues to irritate me that we operate what must be a heavily subsidised but good quality cycle hire system in central London, but allow these interlopers to litter the pavements and roads with their cycles - orange, green and red - all removing revenue from the subsidised system. Very wasteful and someone should do something about it.

Whitecross Street was very busy with street food, including the twin of the van noticed at reference 1, although the Market Restaurant was quiet enough. But they gave me a bacon sandwich which was even better than that at Los Amigos in Epsom the day before. See reference 2.

The programme

St. Luke's reasonably busy. Eight microphones, four short and four tall. As it turned out, the four short ones rocked in time to the music which was slightly distracting at first. The usual talk from the irrepressible Ms. Talkington, plus short but cheesy conversation with one luckless member of the quartet. The music, however, was excellent. The dances were new, but good. Haydn quite possibly new, but as reliably good as ever. Bartók quartet good.

On this occasion, more or less straight back to Epsom, on a second slightly creaky Bullingdon. Making me wonder, not for the first time, whether they are having to squeeze their maintenance budget. Pipped for position three at the top of the ramp at Waterloo and had to take position four.

A total of two violations on my part. A light jumping going up Farringdon Road on the outward leg, a light for the cycle track which seemed to be serving no purpose. A left turn into Farringdon Road from Clerkenwell Road. But hard to see how anyone was or could be inconvenienced thereby. Perhaps while going on about violations, I should say that I remember that when I used to commute into London by cycle, getting on for forty years ago now, I too was a little cavalier about lights. But in those days there were far fewer cycles about and my violations were small beer compared to those perpetrated by people today, with the perpetrators being mainly, but not exclusively, young men - and some of them dressed for the office. Not just dispatch and delivery riders. People who should know better.

The wine

Into the M&S at Waterloo to find that they had a better selection of white wine than either Waitrose or M&S at home in Epsom, and I fell for a bottle of 2015 Pouilly-Fuissé called 'La Fleur Jaune'. Taken later in the day and very good it was too - although as far as I can make out 'La Fleur Jaune' is a brand name owned by M&S and they just pay some anonymous vigneron to fill their bottles up for them. Exclusive to M&S.

I noticed that the building in and around what was Battersea Power Station is indeed slowly rising, amid the large cluster of stationary cranes. Why are they on a go-slow? What quirk of the international tax regime is slowing things down? Or is it something to do with market conditions here in London? The far eastern owners think they will do better to wait a little before putting the flats (or whatever it is) on the market, but need to keep the building going up to keep the council quiet?

Zero aeroplanes in three minutes at Earlsfield.

Reference 1: https://psmv4.blogspot.com/2019/09/trolley-297.html.

Reference 2: https://psmv4.blogspot.com/2019/09/mrs-lowry.html.