Beef one

Last Friday saw the start of the next round of beef, a couple of fore ribs, which weighed in at 6lbs 13.5oz. Much the same as last time, which simplifies calculation of cooking time.

But on Saturday, BH realised she had no more horseradish, something she likes on her beef. So in the afternoon, off to Waitrose, where the helpful lady at customer services asked whether I wanted it on the root or creamed in the jar. And then carried me off to the latter, a Waitrose essential at £1. In the event I am told it did very well. Meantime, interested to find that Waitrose actually sold horseradish root, albeit out of stock on this particular occasions, I associated to the days when we tried to make horseradish sauce ourselves, from scratch, at that time having a large enough garden to be able to afford a few square yards for horseradish. We did not do a very good job, but I do remember that you needed to be careful when you opened the jar - we used large coffee jars - careful to keep your nose and eyes out of range, as otherwise you were nearly knocked down by a shot of ammonia.

Back in the market square, with lock down easing, at least two young ladies in party dress, in full war paint.

Not very busy on the new Wetherspoon's terrace at 1730.

In any event, I elected for the Blenheim, aka TB. The tent, which had lost a corner to a gust of wind a few days previously had been repaired. Fair number of people both inside and out. Young people inside, families and strays like myself outside. Very young waitresses - which meant that at least one large food order went a bit wrong. While my wine fell in price by £1 between the first and second shots. No-one, including me, cared enough to sort that out.

I also noticed that the windows were the same sort of timber bedded steel windows as graced our own house before we progressed to double glazing. A bit of a pain from a maintenance point of view, so odd that the owner has not seen fit to replace them. Odd too that I had not noticed them before - having spend enough time there over the years.

All of which reminded me that TB went through a phase as a Watney's house, the people who almost invented keg beer in the south of England with their Red Barrel product. Maybe it started out as one.

My first visit to a public house for just a drink, rather than a drink and a meal since last autumn.

PS: fag ends not mine.

Reference 1: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watney_Combe_%26_Reid. From which I learn that Red Barrel was invented in 1931, although it did not become big until the 1960's. While I think the Mortlake brewery now does Budweiser of all things.