A stroll through Southfield Park

Or whatever it is called. Gmaps says Long Grove Park but I am sure that has been done away with on the dubious grounds of unfortunate associations with a mental hospital. The school at its north pole is called Southfield School. So who knows.

A stroll already noticed in part at references 1 and 2.

A curious structure behind the Old Moat Garden Centre, next to what was possibly once the main entrance to Manor Hospital, now mainly the entrance to Horton Heights, a clump of superior gated residences. Just four left after just a year or so on the market, so hurry while stocks last. See also reference 3. Any offers on what the structure might be? A clocking in point for all the hospital menials?

On towards Southfield Park, on a path the margin of which was showing signs of water stress, or to be more precise lack of water stress.

From the top of the park, what with the mist and the trees in the distance, one might just have well been looking over a forest as over the outer suburbs of London.

Home in time for our weekly lunchtime fixture at the Blenheim, where they had been having trouble with their gazebos. These back garden grade gazebos clearly couldn't cope with the recent wind - but then they must have been hugely cheaper than the hard core umbrellas which appeared outside pubs when the smoking ban came in a few years back. Our usual gazebo at the front was missing and the next one back, which we did sit under, twice needed the attention of the barman with duct tape. Just as well that I didn't try to fix it myself as I might have come to grief. There was also a sharp shower at one point, so we were glad of the shelter.

I thought that if I was running a pub with outdoor umbrellas and such like, I would fret about insurance and suing. What happens if a customer is speared by a loose gazebo pole? Will my general purpose insurance policy cover such things?

They were also having trouble indoors, with a bevy of builders' vans parked outside and a fair amount of coming and going. Part of the story was a leak of something upstairs, but another part looked to be moving partition walls about. The same white vans as did the recent make-over, although I cannot now remember what they were called, despite having looked up their web site. But I do remember that they specialised in pub make-overs - to the extent of putting prices to pictures of made-over pubs. All those hundreds of thousands of pounds to be recovered from the price of a pint.

Usual order. Burger good. Fish good. Mayo up in the coleslaw. Red goo down in the relish. Fruit & vegetables well down in the Pimm's - with the balance probably made up with lemonade rather than alcohol. I was on the wine, so I was not affected.

Swapped a jar of bramble jelly for two large courgettes - one green (which might have been mistaken for a marrow) and one yellow.

We thought that the place was busier than it had been the week before. Maybe the Chancellor's tenner fest was kicking in or maybe word about the Blenheim burgers was spreading. At least one other party was taking them.

Noticed that the tractor unit for the very anonymous white trailer supplying Costcutter was wearing DHL livery. Something else to be looked into.

Found a washer on the way home to add to the collection. The first brown one - possibly steel rather than the usual aluminium.

PS: waking up this morning, Tuesday, it came to me that the builder was Villette (not the slaughterhouse in Paris, which I first came across in Maigret. See snap above and reference 8), Vignette or something like that. Eventually Google (rather than Bing) turns up what is probably the right answer at reference 6. While reference 7 almost certainly the wrong answer.

Reference 1: http://psmv4.blogspot.com/2020/08/wellingtonia-15.html.

Reference 2: http://psmv4.blogspot.com/2020/08/a-theory.html.

Reference 3: https://psmv4.blogspot.com/2019/08/common-and-beyond.html.

Reference 4: https://psmv4.blogspot.com/2020/07/tb.html. Our now missing gazebo.

Reference 5: https://www.greenekingpubs.co.uk/running-a-pub/blog/if-i-want-refurbish-pub-who-pays. Thoughts from Greene King (to which this pub is affiliated) about refurbishments.

Reference 6: https://vidette.co.uk/pubs-hotels/.

Reference 7: https://villetteandco.com/.

Reference 8: https://uk.tourisme93.com/slaughterhouse-la-villette.html.