The wrong table

 Around Jubilee Way again one morning last week, not least to work up an appetite for the substantial Blenheim Burger. For once, more people milling around Epsom than traffic on the roads. Most of the ladies were masked up. A trip involving long waits at the various traffic lights controlling movement through the town, waits which seem to have got longer since the market square refurbishment. But I suppose something has to pay for our now being able to turn right, to the south that is, at the Marquis, a convenience for those of us who drive from Stamford Green to the hospital, to Ashtead, to Leatherhead or to Dorking. Something we used to do earlier in the year. Will we be back with the Dorking Concertgoers Society, which has given us much service over the years - and which has a full programme planned for next year, including a famous brass band. See references 1, 2 and 3.

Similar uncertainty hangs over the Wigmore Hall, to which we have decided not to return this year, despite ballots for socially distanced concerts this Autumn having started. Getting there involves using a busy part of the tube network in the rush hour, which we are not yet ready for. Nor are we convinced about socially distanced audiences; the atmosphere would not be there. And what about visits to the Cock & Lion in the interval, an integral part of the activity? They are doing the best they can, but I am not sure that it is enough for the older punter from the outer reaches of London.

A little later, we got to the Blenheim, to find that another party had taken our properly sheltered table, and we had to take a table barely sheltered by an umbrella. But if one took one's seat carefully, all was well. Same order as always. Very satisfactory, as nearly always. Managed one of their chocolate brownies on this occasion; the casual diner's Mars Bar. Although they had run out of Jameson's and had no Teachers. I had to settle for Bells for a digestif. To think that Teachers was a leading brand when I was young, not that I drank much of the stuff in those days. Fairly strictly a warm bitter man, although I did sink to Party Eights on private premises. More or less OK if you let it stand long enough to go reasonably warm and flat.

A visit which I make to be our eighth since our return after lock down in mid July, noticed at reference 5. Two or three of which were subsidised by HMG, that is to say by you and me.

Interested by the succession of unmarked lorries which seem to visit Costcutter. On this occasion, a near empty soft-sided lorry from John Atwell, revealed as such by the trusty Microsoft zoom feature. Presumably the people responsible for reference 4, although there seems to be some confusion about the address, the one given being a modest looking housing estate in Harlow. Not a shed in sight. And according to Companies House they are not big enough to file proper accounts and only admit to assets of £500,000 or so - this despite the impressive line up of lorries offered at reference 4. Notwithstanding, the impression given is that the Costcutter wholesale operation shops around a bit for their haulage.

Marrow supplies topped up.

One washer found on the way home, aluminium on this occasion.

Sorry at the end of our road to see a large, mature hedge coming down in favour of a low brick wall. Not obvious that the intention is to pave the front garden, the fate of so many on our estate, but no doubt all will become clear in the weeks to come. Perhaps the lady of the house wanted a bit more light from the north to light her craft activities. Northern light being all the thing for activities of that sort.

Then in our own road we had an ice cream van and a coffee van competing for our custom. In vain in our case as first we were full of lunch and second we are not big into either ice cream or artisan coffee. The latter appeared to be a start-up venture from a well spoken young lady, full of bounce and enthusiasm. Perhaps she is hoping to draw in some waiting parent trade from the primary school at the other end.

Reference 1: http://dorkingconcertgoers.org.uk/.

Reference 2: https://psmv4.blogspot.com/2020/02/dorking-two.html.

Reference 3: http://www.grimethorpeband.co.uk/. See video of 'Wild Winds Coldly Blow'.

Reference 4: http://jatransport.co/.

Reference 5: https://psmv4.blogspot.com/2020/07/a-meal-out.html.