Trios

A week ago to the Wigmore Hall for another round of trios at one of their lunchtime concerts, given on this occasion by the Amatis Trio of reference 2. Checking, I find that I heard them back in 2019, in the by then not very prestigious Purcell Room. Noticed at reference 3.

As it happened a cold morning, as already noticed at reference 4, although the frost was lifting by 11:15 or so when we left the house. Passed an M&S trolley in Station Approach, but one which had gone by the time I got back to it.

Onto to All Bar One in Regent Street, somehow getting the idea that they were part of the Whitbread operation. Which I first knew as a big London brewer busily buying up regional breweries, with the form that the tied pubs so brought in, sold Whitbread bitter (whose name I forget) and the regional brewery bitter, rebranded as Trophy. I remember that I used to quite like the various offerings so branded. Checking with Wikipedia, it seems that after they had to sell their 2,500 pubs in the early 1990's, going onto to all kinds of ventures, mostly selling them on after a few years, but now the owner of Premier Inn plus a number of pub grub chains. The big brewery in Chiswell Street is now an event venue. I dare say also a listed building. Must take a look next time I am in the vicinity of Whitecross Street or the Barbican. While All Bar One, again according to Wikipedia, is a Mitchells & Butler brand, itself part of the Six Continents Group. Nothing to do with Whitbread's, not ever, so I don't know where I got that idea from.

Past the Christmas window at Margaret Howell, a fashion house last noticed at reference 5.

And so into the Wigmore Hall, where we were given single sheet programmes printed on rather odd paper, slightly plasticised, with a margins problem on the back. Perhaps knocked up in the office upstairs, rather than going to their regular printer? That said, would they have a printer which would cope with 500 copies? Would they go to a local print shop? Whatever it is that they are doing, hopefully they will get better at it.

The front of the hall was reasonably full and before the off we were entertained by the lady sitting behind us who was able to talk in a very knowledgeable way about the afternoon teas to be had at the Savoy. Talk of gluten free and smoked crab scones. Not a type of meal which I particularly go for; cake and some sort of strong drink, perhaps brandy, yes - cucumber sandwiches at a fancy price no. While BH rather likes them.

The flower arrangements were dominated by spotted green anthuriums. Five to each of the two pots, arranged in forward facing circles. The hall certainly has a good florist.

For trios we had Shostakovich Op.8 and Brahms Op.8, both early works containing plenty of hints about what was to come. Both rather good. The encore may have been an arrangement of Fauré's 'Après un Rêve'. The name did involve a dream and the length on YouTube is about right.

For lunch we went to Ponti's again, back in favour after a gap of some years. Mixed bread rather good on this occasion, some of it cheese flavoured. After which I went for pizza, which was fresh and the sprinkle of rocket was easily removed. One of my better meals there. BH went for salad followed by a rather yellow ravioli, which she thought rather good. Sauvignon Blanc and grappa to drink. Everyone happy.

There had been some talk of shopping, but by the time we had finished lunch we decided to call it a day and try to beat the rush hour on the way home.

Raynes Park platform library still closed. But there were taxis outside the station at Epsom.

References

Reference 1: https://psmv5.blogspot.com/2021/11/irritation.html. This being the occasion which yielded the Evening Standard which prompted this post.

Reference 2: https://www.amatistrio.com/.

Reference 3: http://psmv4.blogspot.com/2019/04/parkhouse.html.

Reference 4: https://psmv5.blogspot.com/2021/11/cold-frosty-morning.html.

Reference 5: https://psmv5.blogspot.com/2021/11/mainly-schubert.html.