That is to say, the last episode of the current series.
On this occasion, we went late in the afternoon, after batch No.625 had left the oven. There had been some concern about traffic at this time of day, but as it turned out there was no problem in either direction. Furthermore, the Rose Car Park was only half full, so we were able to park on level six, that is to say level tangerine (levels being colour coded for those having problems with numbers).
The Hogsmill was very full and turbid, and for the first time for a while we saw no fish at all, although they may well have been there.
Street food in the market place was winding down by the time that we got there, but the French flavoured café, noticed in the course of a previous visit at reference 1, still had an hour to go, so we were able to take refreshment there - and where their little brick shaped cakes - mostly, I dare day, fluffed up cream and sugar - were still as good as ever. In fact, much the same as similar offerings from Bachman's down the road. Maybe they come from there, although I dare say there are wholesale fancy bakers somewhere in some industrial estate somewhere in the area which do much the same thing rather cheaper.
We were rather struck by the ceramic frieze around the wall next to us. At first glance one thought made of quite a lot of square and triangular tiles, but at second glance revealed to come in rectangular panels, with the pattern glazed on. Hard to be sure now from the snap above, but I think we have just one panel there, with the join being the leftmost vertical. I thought about scoring it as a fake, but decided against.
Business complete at the Bentall's Centre, about a year after kick-off, we went down to take a turn along the river, by then ramping up for the busy night ahead, and with quite a lot of people wandering around already. A row which must once have included the French flavoured restaurant we used to use, Frère Jacques, now long gone. In fact, the only trace I can find is at reference 3, so probably gone well before 2015. I remember that the proprietor, a large Englishman in the 30-40 range, was keen on visiting first world war cemeteries in Belgium and northern France. Something which I think I would do if I happened to be in the area, but I don't think I would make a special trip - although I am hoping to make a special trip to some of Maufe's cemetery work, rather nearer. For whom, see, for example, reference 4.
While now we have a bit of work from the creationists, snapped above, a naked version of the rather ugly heads we have outside the station at Epsom.
Plus a bridal bower for visitors to take selfies in. Maybe more décor than art.
Plus some animal pedalos. No need to go as far as the pond at Ryde on the other island for our anniversary and birthday water sports any more.
Plus a bit of scruff, just to prove how hip the area is. Not in the grip of the council's thought police.
Managed to clip one ramp side kerb on the way out of the car park and I was surprisingly tired by the time we got home. Probably the result of my first bit of night driving, in traffic, for a couple of years.
Fresh bread, butter and cheese (from Neal's Yard Dairy) for tea. Followed by a spot of Fitzcarraldo from the Herzog-Kinski team. I puzzled about the lack of refuelling of the river boat and learned - or perhaps was reminded - we have seen the film before - that Fitzcarraldo was really an Irishman, with Fitzgerald apparently too much of a mouthful for the inhabitants of South America. Reminded also that there was a happy ending, while I had remembered it ending in tragedy or at least disaster. A splendid film, more fairy tale than story. Another spin-off from Conrad's original tale, roughly contemporary with 'Apocalypse Now'. While oddly, the notice of a book from the Congo at reference 7 fails to make the connection, despite it and Conrad's tale being next to each other in the bookshelf in the extension, under the Shakespeare.
Following refreshment, finished the day with a click n'collect retro microwave from Argos, now located at the back of Sainsbury's at Kiln Lane. The only requirement having been that it should have no more than two rotary control knobs and no computer display at all. And certainly nothing so complicated as a touch screen or a grill giving out retro heat.
A satisfactory day.
References
Reference 1: https://psmv5.blogspot.com/2021/10/kingston-one.html.
Reference 2: http://www.bachmanns.co.uk/.
Reference 3: https://psmv2.blogspot.com/2015/08/zanussi-or-bust.html.
Reference 4: https://psmv5.blogspot.com/2021/08/st-thomas-hanwell.html.
Reference 5: http://rantsofadiva.blogspot.com/2012/03/crazy-80s-project-fitzcarraldo.html. The source of the relevant snap above. Otherwise a blog which appears to have drifted to a close in 2018.
Reference 6: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fitzcarraldo. The Wikipedia version - from which I learn that the film has stronger foundations in fact than I had thought likely. Also that Herzog's hands are not entirely clean when it comes to his relations with the local Indians.
Reference 7: https://psmv2.blogspot.com/2014/07/recycling-at-raynes-park.html.
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