Memorials

A memorial chair snapped in our newly paved market square this morning. A chair which I object to on at least three grounds.

First, I think the time for first world war flavoured memorials is past. It would have been clean, neat and tidy to draw a line under the whole dreadful business on the centenary of its ending.

Second, it looks rather untidy to have a different sort of chair set up in the middle of all other new chairs - one of which is visible behind. Moaning at reference 1 notwithstanding.

Third, I do not think it is appropriate to sit on war memorials. It is one thing to have a park bench in Nonsuch Park, on the sunny side of the wall running south from the big house, dedicated to someone who liked to sit there in their pensioner years, dedicated by means of a discrete brass plate. It is quite another to sit on a rather tawdry representation of a group of soldiers.

Perhaps our town councillors just go weak at the knees at the thought of having to go the distance with people going on about our heroes.

But going on to pass the chipper, 'The Plaice to Eat', just about visible behind the bus stop top right, I thought it time to go there for lunch, it being about a year since our last visit. Too long, given that it is a very good chipper.

So, large cod, chips, mushy peas & chardonnay for me, small cod, chips, salad and tea for her. With some bread, wallies and so forth to keep us going while we waited for our cod. All very good. And I am pleased to say that the place was busy, mostly with pensioners like ourselves. Long may it last! Maybe we will move up to a regular weekly spot.

From where I associate to a very smartly turned out, elderly gentleman whom we once came across in the Superfish in Ashstead, a gentleman who appeared to be a solicitor widower or something of that sort and who just had to have his fag after his fish supper, this being by the time when most restaurants had banned smoking. But he was old enough that he was allowed his fag. They even dug up an ashtray for him.

Reference 1: https://psmv4.blogspot.com/2019/12/poor-detailing.html.

Reference 2: https://psmv4.blogspot.com/2019/01/fake-55.html.

Trolley 379

Trolley 379 was visible from the capture point of trolley 378 just posted, but in the private part of the car park across the fence. Reached via the second passage, the one that runs down the western side of 'Plaice to Eat'.

Oddly, given the Sainsbury's was quite a long way away (having left this part of Epsom town centre maybe twenty five years ago). Who on earth would have bothered to walk it this far? Notwithstanding, I was content to take it back. Despite the vibrato of the wheel lock, probably defunct, as the number of Sainsbury's trolleys with them seems to be declining.

Checking on the Thames Water waste water tanker at the bottom of East Street on the way, last noticed at reference 1. All present and correct today, still no sign of any action to repair the broken sewer.

And then, happening to pass TB on the way back from Kiln Lane, I had the opportunity to find that the rule about no bar stools at the bar was for real, despite it being late afternoon, the bar being more or less empty and not very inviting. The new young manager was not to be moved by my observation that I had been sitting at the bar at TB since before he was born. I did no more than observe that the rule was rather silly, down my drink and leave. Probably not to return.

I wondered whether this bit of nonsense was a wheeze by Greene King to make sure the refurbishment failed and that the council would then allow the site to be put to better use, that is to say affordable flats. The cost of refurbishment - perhaps £250,000 and more - could be offset against the profits to be made from such a development. See reference 2.

Against that, there is the consideration that the 'Station' at Stoneleigh, an even bigger pile of a pub from the same fleet, right next to Stoneleigh Station, does rather well - although it would be interesting to see the books as it is another big site and would be worth a lot as flats. But whatever the case, perhaps Greene King think that they can pull the same trick off again at the back of Epsom, in another residential area, but one without the pull of a successful parade of shops and without a busy railway station.

Reference 1: https://psmv4.blogspot.com/2020/01/waterworks.html.

Reference 2: https://psmv4.blogspot.com/2020/01/herald-copse.html.

Trolley 196

Yesterday saw the discovery of a whole new nest of trolleys in the car park between the High Street and the station, accessible from the alley by 'Plaice to eat' (last used well over a year ago. See reference 1).

Yesterday also saw the first buying of trolleys, that is to say feeding them pound coins to untangle them from the back to back arrangements, such as that on the right hand side of the snap left. The committee had previously ruled that this was OK, provided that one got most of the money back when returning the trolleys concerned to their stacks.

So two pound coins unlocked the two trolleys on the right, and trolley 196 was the one at the back, belonging to Wilko's. Returned to the stack and one pound coin returned. The system works.

Reference 1: https://psmv3.blogspot.com/2017/05/the-philanthropist.html.

Fake 55

After dealing with the moon last Friday (see previous post) off to the 'Plaice to Eat' for a fish supper, a place with which we have been well pleased with in the past.

Presented with sliced wally, pickled onions, bread and butter on arrival. Haddock and chips for me to follow, cod, chips and salad for BH. Washed down with tea, although alcohol was, I think, available. All very good and the quantities were about right. Much better than the pub equivalent, although this last has come on in leaps and bounds over the years, and is usually quite acceptable, if heavily coated.

We wondered about how the fish was delivered: fresh or frozen? I thought probably frozen, given the appearance of the grey sideline of my haddock. Whatever the case, the haddock had a good texture and tasted fine.

Potatoes almost certainly fresh, as I quite often pass the potato delivery lorry parked outside, taking in what always seems to be a good number of sacks.

Faked for this arch over the more traditional windows. Thin slivers of brick glued onto a wooden backing and painted in gloss. There used to be a lot of it from the Cypriots who lived and restauranteured in and around Harringay Green Lanes in the 1970's, so perhaps it is a Mediterranean thing.

Followed up with a spot of the Picpoul at the Marquis, which was quite busy with young people, some of them clearly on the lookout. Perhaps it was what used to be called a pickup place. But there were also some older people, so a good mix overall. Near thirty year now since I thought to make the place my local, in the days when it still had an old-fashioned brewery tenant and his wife running the place, long since retired to the seaside.

And nearly home, nearly scored a three at the aeroplane game in our very own road. Not sure now why it was nearly, but that is what the note says. Most likely because I lost the first aeroplane, although it should still have been there, after I had snagged the third. One has to get all three in one sweep of the eyes for it to qualify.

Reference 1: https://www.facebook.com/plaicetoeat/. One supposes that for a small business, a Facebook page in a cheap and easy alternative to setting up your own website. With the open access being something of a two edged weapon: you get the fair comment but you also get the rubbish. But see reference 3 below.

Reference 2: http://psmv3.blogspot.com/2017/05/the-philanthropist.html. The last documented visit appears to have been in 2017, although reference 3 suggest that we also visited in February last year.

Reference 3: https://psmv3.blogspot.com/2018/03/prezzo.html. The website included in this post does not seem to exist any more. Perhaps there was a change of ownership, even though there has been no detectable change of format.

Trolley 369

For a change, a Waitrose trolley captured in the passage running down the left hand side of 'Plaice To Eat', a chipper which we use occasionally. Very good it is too.

Returned to Waitrose, by then up and running.

Thought about but decided against the clutch of trolleys by the clocktower, no doubt left there by people getting taxis home with their shopping. Something for the Clocktower Cars drivers to do while they are waiting.