Trolley 509

Trolley 509 was captured on the south side of East Street, in Clayton Place, which is relatively unusual in that most East Street trolleys are captured on the north side. I wondered what the houses bottom right fetch: very convenient for town and station, but with the railway line to Sutton behind. Next time I am in the vicinity I shall explore.

Returned to the very nearly empty stack of small trolleys outside Sainsbury's main entrance. But worry not: the trolley man was heading that way with a train of twenty or so more.

Lots of boys and girls piling out of Glynn School at around 11:30 this Friday morning. I didn't like to ask them how they all came to be escaping at this rather odd time. They appeared to be heading for Sainsbury's.

Continued on my way around the Ewell Village anticlockwise, where, at the bottom of Longmead Road there was a very confident fox, confident enough that it stood there while a passing lady got her telephone out and took a picture. Possibly a fox hugger. And continued to stand there until I turned up and shouted at it, at which point it disappeared into the bramble thicket adjacent, a thicket from which I have picked blackberries in the past. As noticed at reference 5.

And so home to read about the state funeral of Madeleine Albright, sometimes known as Madeleine no so bright.

I thought that she was the lady who let Saddam Hussain believe that the US was not that fussed about what he might get up to in Kuwait, but that turns out to have been April Glaspie, US ambassador to Iraq at the time, two or three years before Albright arrived centre stage. Nevertheless, there seem to be plenty of people who believe that Albright was a disaster, sharing long range responsibility for, amongst other matters, the present imbroglio in the Ukraine. See references 2 and 3. Leavened by reference 4. Whatever the case, like many of her kind, after she retired from the political fray, she went on to make lots of money out of her contacts in high places.

One of a number of US Secretaries of State who were not born in the US, but who took strong lines, particularly on matters concerning the Soviet Union, now reduced to Russia. Perhaps, rather as Catholic converts are apt to be more Catholic than the Pope. She was also a short person, a trait I believe to be positively correlated with aggression.

So while we need to respect public servants, even when we disagree with them, perhaps a state funeral is going a bit far.

PS: there are a number of modest houses tucked into odd places, surprisingly close to Epsom town centre, not all of them underneath railway lines.

References

Reference 1: https://psmv5.blogspot.com/2022/04/trolley-508.html.

Reference 2: https://thegrayzone.com/2022/04/27/madeleine-albrights-funeral-war-deceit/.

Reference 3: https://theintercept.com/2022/03/25/madeleine-albright-dead-iraq-war-herbalife/.

Reference 4: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madeleine_Albright.

Reference 5: https://psmv5.blogspot.com/2021/08/blackberries.html.

Off to the palace

Last week saw another visit to Hampton Court Palace, with the draw being their tulip festival. A cool start, but warm and sunny enough in the middle of the day, when it counted.

Quite a queue down Hampton Court Way, which turned out to be down to widening the pavements on the bridge, including rows of those black posts which are a lot stronger than they look, being rooted in concrete. Proof against marauding Transit vans. Probably the same model as those snapped above by Street View at the entrance to Kings Charles Street at the bottom of Whitehall.

More work going on at the station, where we parked. On exit intrigued by a green plastic contraption being used to corral a group of nursery children on an outing. I though herringbone, but neither Bing nor Google could do much with that. Eventually Google turned up walkodiles from the people at reference 3, very likely the suppliers of the contraption in question. Once I had the name, Bing turned up the snap above easily enough. I thought it would be fun if one could string them together to make a good long crocodile, but I failed to work out whether that was possible.

We learned on entry that the security operation was run on the same lines as at the British Museum, with proper staff providing the core service but with agency staff being used to top up. At least the latter did not get to wear the fancy red coats of the former.

The entrance to the private function space, where no doubt one could do well given money and good weather.

First stop at the Tilt Yard café - or perhaps cafeteria - for tea and almond croissant for him, coffee and a corner of the croissant for her. A croissant which contained a good dollop of a sweet tasting goo. Wouldn't want more than one of them at a time, unlike a real croissant, of which I can manage two or three. With the tulips above being snapped on the way in. And looking rather odd in this snap, not like real tulips at all. Better, I am happy to say, in real life.

Sadly, the once splendid north and south herbaceous borders running along the east side of the palace, running more or less from the river to the gate on Hampton Court Road, have been grassed over - perhaps one day to return. The gate might be Kingston Gate, but Bing is not very helpful on this last point.

But there were lots of tulips. Some massed in beds, some displayed as specimens, some of these last in blue and white Dutch pots, in which they looked rather well. Some were past their best, but there were plenty which were not. And some of the specimen tulips had very flashy interiors.

The famous laburnum arch was just coming into flower. Maybe we will remember to go back when it is at full throttle, maybe in mid May. Given that the last sighting appears to have been getting on for a decade ago, noticed at reference 4. There June, say May to allow for early flowering in this rather odd spring. Weatherwise, that is.

While the ancient wisteria next to the Great Vine was in full throttle. Facing east, with our north facing wisteria between extension and garage being some weeks behind. Well in bud, but not yet in flower.

The lower orangery garden, with some of the specimen tulips - and some of the Dutch pots - just about visible. The famous but rather dismal Mantegna being inside, rather than oranges in tubs.

The splendid display in the fountain court.

And including some rather nicely planted tubs.

Not sure whether the columns are stone all the way through, but the stone certainly looks to be a bit more than a bit of cladding. Maybe a rubble core, but hardly a fake. With apologies to the owner of the face on the left.

We were looking for a light lunch, so pie with a dab of lettuce did me very well, even if they gave me a beef pie rather than a chicken pie. Careless, given that I think that they were coded by shape. Also a touch peppery by the time you got to the end, rather in the way of a Cornish pasty.

While the late king did rather well with the cellar for his beer, although he might have been a bit too grand to drink beer in public. Perhaps he stuck to Rhenish. And then, what about the Cardinal, a proud man, probably very conscious of his own importance?

Nicely arched ceiling too.

Out to check up on the wine ship in Bridge Road across the water. Would it still be there? 

A place which has been through several incarnations since we have known it. Vineking on this occasion, which I think was what it was last time, although the lady in charge said that the owner was quite keen on rearrangements and that it had probably changed since we were last there. A visit probably noticed at reference 6. We found two bottles which suited, but probably won't make it to one of their eating and drinking evenings, something that mid-range wine shops of this sort seem to be quite into. A 2015 Spätburgunder from Baden (a red wine), which I now know to be a little to the east of Strasbourg, a type of wine I once bought in Tunbridge Wells, noticed at reference 7, and have not taken since.  Terroirs, as I recall, denied the existence of German red. A 2018 Sirmian from Nals Margreid (a white wine), which came from Alto Adige, a place I have something of a soft spot for in the wine department. Not sure why. Furthermore, it seems to have been struck off the list to be seen at reference 5. Further reports in due course.

I might say that the lady in charge very much knew her business, that is to say selling wine to mature gentlemen. It was a pleasure to be sold.

References

Reference 1: https://psmv5.blogspot.com/2022/04/wellingtonia-75.html. An important extra arising in the course of this visit.

Reference 2: https://psmv5.blogspot.com/2022/03/wilderness.html. What looks like the last visit, more than a month previous.

Reference 3: http://www.walkodile.com/.

Reference 4: https://psmv2.blogspot.com/2013/06/laburnam.html. 

Reference 5: https://thevineking.com/.

Reference 6: https://psmv3.blogspot.com/2018/09/palace.html. Erik Laan, trading under the Vineking flag.

Reference 7: https://psmv4.blogspot.com/2019/12/the-white-that-got-away.html.

Trolley 508

Trolley 508 was captured in the High Street, quite near the new South American flavoured butcher there, a butcher which I have yet to try, being spoiled by having a perfectly respectable butcher in Manor Green Road. Not to mention another South American flavoured butcher in Pound Lane, part of the Portuguese-Brazilian colony there.

A trolley which I think had been in Station Approach on Monday and Tuesday, but which had moved down to the High Street for my visit on Wednesday, that is to say yesterday. One can speculate about the late night sport that might have been involved in the movement.

On the way to the trolley, I had passed a new parking lot, in the car parking space attached to the small block which used to house, inter alia, Gillespie the baker and Styles the barber. A parking lot with just nine space marked out. All reflecting the ease with which car parking applications can be delivered to telephones these days and the likelihood that the three cornered battle of the (now empty) block between planners, heritage folk and developers looks set to run on for a while yet.

Returned the trolley to Kiln Lane where I found another of the parcel collection containers, first noticed back in February at reference 2. I think there are others, besides these two. Clearly a bit of a push on. All looks like a bit of a chancy venture to me, with a fair bit of outlay up front and with uncertain return. The collection office at the railway station, a different outfit, always seemed very quiet and vanished after a few months. Now a fancy kitchen shop (by appointment only) which looks, to me anyway, equally chancy. But maybe inpost (of reference 3) have done their market research, maybe there is track record of success in similar towns.

Lots of white dead nettles, cow parsley and hawthorn in flower in the alley behind Sainsbury's.

A lady resting with her bicycle on top of the footbridge over the railway. Her story was that humping the bike up the steps was a better bet than taking the detour around the underpass, perhaps an additional kilometre. I have taken trolleys over the same footbridge, and I would agree with her as regards trolleys, with which the extra kilometre would be a pain. Not so sure about bicycles.

On past First Line Recovery, who had plenty of vehicles in Blenheim Road, mostly with numbers in the range 1 to 20, but some with numbers which were multiples on ten, 40 and up. Nothing in the 30-39 range, certainly no No.36. I did take a look at their gallery at reference 4, but given that they had not implemented a next button on the large versions of the snaps there, I quickly lost patience. In any case, I think I have checked properly in the past, without success, and I don't suppose they change the gallery very often.

Two sightings of what may have been fledgling gold finches when I got back to Manor Green Road. At least they were fluffy, about the right size and had flashes of yellow on their wings. Not sure enough to score them as tweets.

References

Reference 1: https://psmv5.blogspot.com/2022/04/trolley-507.html.

Reference 2: https://psmv5.blogspot.com/2022/02/trolley-472.html.

Reference 3: https://inpost.co.uk/.

Reference 4: https://www.firstline-recovery.co.uk/.

Gongs

I used to think that extravagant use of gongs by the military, and by dictators pretending to be military, was the preserve of more or less failed states in South America and Africa. Maybe it was something in the damp air coming off the South Atlantic. With senior officers of the Red Army of the Soviet era coming in a respectable second.

So I was a little surprised by this snap, lifted from the FT, of top brass in North Korea. The most extravagant use of gongs ever. With the great white leader himself opting for contrast. But maybe, in what he does wear, he allows himself 22 carat gold, rather than the 9 carat he allows his lieutenants. Or maybe even brass - which does polish up pretty well. Furthermore, they are the top brass and the Koreans may used the same phrase as we do.

PS: I remember, from my days at the Treasury, of colleagues from the Customs branch being described as being rather fond of the lettuce (on their shoulders).

References

Reference 1: North Korea’s ‘nascent hacker underground’ playing ‘cat and mouse’ with regime: Tech-savvy citizens are trying to circumvent restrictions but the penalty for being caught is severe - Christian Davies, Financial Times - 2022.

Reference 2: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_Central_News_Agency. The agency itself, I imagine the source of the snap above, not available this morning. Perhaps we do blocking too.

Dying with dignity

Reference 1 is a short report of a case from Ohio, a case about the deaths of 14 critically ill patients over a period of 4 years. Issues included consent, the use of opioid painkillers, palliative extubation and the principle of double effect - which last appears from reference 3 to date back to the times of Thomas Aquinas - more than 750 years ago, well before medicine, never mind palliative care, really got going.

I learn a little about mechanical ventilation, which involves putting tubes into airways and which can, in these circumstances at least, be rather unpleasant for the patient.

My take is that the jury, in acquitting this doctor, are a little ahead of the game. The doctor, in doing the right thing, probably exceeded his authority, thus prompting the arrival of criminal justice. 

I have not done more than glance at the other references, which has nevertheless served to remind me that dying can be a tricky business, even when the best of care is available. Hopefully, the people at reference 6 know all about it.

PS: the doctor concerned is described as DO (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine) rather than the more usual MD (Doctor of Medicine). The story turned up by Bing seems to be: '... Both MD's and DO's attend medical school and take exams to become licensed, practicing physicians. In general, DO's tend to focus on the whole body when treating medical problems, and focus on your muscles and bones to confirm a diagnosis they make. Either type of doctor can go on to specialize in a certain area of medicine, but DO's tend to choose areas such as general internal medicine, pediatrics and family medicine that allow them to focus on holistic wellness. Both MD's and DO's can prescribe medications and treat diseases with equal competency....'. I don't think that this is a distinction that we make here in the UK.

References

Reference 1: Doc Accused of Killing 14 Patients Found Not Guilty - Harris Meyer, Medscape - 2022. To be found at https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/972525.

Reference 2: Palliative Sedation, Compassionate Extubation, and the Principle of Double Effect: An Ethical Analysis - Jordan Potter, Steven Shields, Renée Breen - 2021. Relevant but inaccessible behind a paywall.

Reference 3: The Principle of Double Effect in Palliative Sedation - Rebecca Jane Bonello - 2020. An 86 page dissertation written under the auspices of the Department of Theology at the University of Malta.

Reference 4: Compassionate extubation for a peaceful death in the setting of a community hospital: a case-series study - V C Kok - 2015. Kok is affiliated to the Division of Palliative Medicine and Hospice Palliative Care Team, Kuang Tien General Hospital and the Department of Biomedical Informatics, Asia University Taiwan, Taichung, Taiwan.

Reference 5: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tracheal_intubation.

Reference 6: https://www.dignityindying.org.uk/.

Authentic sonatas

Much engineering work going on on Easter Monday, so I spent a little time pondering about the best way into town, eventually settling for the 11:49 to Waterloo, a train which ran along well enough for most of the way, but ran slow between Wimbledon and Earlsfield and did not stop at this last, as trains from Epsom nearly always do in the ordinary way of things.

With one of the objectives of the outing being two violin sonatas from Beethoven, Op.30 No.2 and Op.24, interpreted by Viktoria Mullova on the violin and Alasdair Beatson on the (forte) piano. At home at references 5 and 6 respectively. Both take an interest in authentic sounds: 'a 1750 Giovanni Battista Guadagnini violin, strung with gut and played with a classical bow, and a replica of an 1805 Viennese Walter fortepiano built by Paul McNulty'. Presumably the rather fragile looking legs unscrew for transport, in the way of a concert grans.

From Waterloo, Bullingdon'd up to the Portuguese Consulate in Portland Place, a place where there is usually an untidy queue of people waiting to get in, but I don't remember whether there was on this occasion. One might think that such places would be shut on Easter Monday.

As indeed the Artesian bar in the Langham Hotel was, although the man on the door (no top hat as I recall) assured me that it would be open at 16:00. A pity, as a pleasant place to take refreshment - sometimes in the form of a glass of Riesling and a few biscuits. On the other hand, the art book of David Bailey photographs, first noticed at reference 3, was both present and open.

While next to it we had an equally interesting collection of Langham Hotel memorabilia. Taking the two together, plenty to while away the few minutes I had to wait for the off at the Wigmore Hall, but instead of that I opted for a spot of Jameson at the Cock & Lion. This visit being the true source of the anecdote about Bells which was erroneously relocated to the Barley Mow in Epsom at reference 4.

On into the hall, which was pretty full, with a decent but rather dowdy looking audience.

The period piano, already mentioned, with what looked like a very short keyboard, no pedals and five legs. Quite a fancy bit of carpentry. And a sense that one could hear the separate strings of the low notes.

Sonatas very good, as expected, but there was a certain amount of clicking, which I did not expect. It seemed to be coming from the piano although it sounded more like the wooden part of the bow catching the edge of the violin. There was talk of less C naturals at one point, but not obvious how that might be related. Feedback from the microphones?

Mullova eschewed the flashy evening gown worn by some, in favour of a rather sombre outfit. Dark trousers, dark brown jerkin on top, a jerkin which rather reminded me of the sort of thing that might be worn by actors dressed for Tudor times. What looked like a slightly tetchy interchange with the pianist at one point.

A young lady, presumably a music student, turning the pages in an efficient and self-effacing way, as is proper. She reminded me of a page turner we have seen there in the past - but time has moved on, and the only (faint) possibility is a younger sister following in the older sister's footsteps.

On exit, round to the Brass Rail, the salt beef bar at the bottom of Selfridge's which we had noticed on a previous outing. But some time after 14:00 there was a substantial queue and what looked like a substantial wait, so I passed. Another time.

The Oxford Street shoppers might have been younger than the Wigmore Hall audience, but seemed to be just as dowdy. With the exception of the young black girls who still believed in dressing up properly to go shopping.

Pulled a second Bullington and headed off down Regent Street and then Haymarket. At the bottom of which, a young in-liner (three wheels to the foot) executed a rather spectacular U-turn, coming to a shuddering halt at the lights, having come down Haymarket at quite a lick. It would have been a bit unnerving for any nearby motorist, but fortunately the road was pretty much clear at that point.

Westminster Bridge had been closed off to traffic from Parliament Square, using serious fencing which did not look like it was going to be taken down any time soon. More or less the chunk of road marked with the shadow of Big Ben in the snap from gmaps above. No sign of demonstrations or demonstrator, extinct or otherwise. No sign of construction activity. But, dismounted, I got through and was able to head across the bridge and on to Waterloo. Being greeted at the top of the main steps by a couple of young policemen sporting very serious looking machine guns. One doesn't like to ask why exactly they are there.

Lunch took the form of a ham and mustard sandwich from M&S. Not something I do very often, but on this occasion I wanted something light, and this sandwich did very well. It was also cheap. Altogether much more suitable - with a proper meal booked for later - than the offerings from the various kiosks right in front of the platforms. And I managed to work the self-checkout without help, perhaps a first at M&S.

The train ride home was brightened up by a very flashy and flashily turned out blonde taking the seat in front of me. Makeup. Very skimpy summery one piece, with strategic holes and leaving plenty of leg on view. Hair possibly dyed. Small suitcase with wheels. I spent the time puzzling about what exactly she might have been up to. Once again, one doesn't like to ask.

PS 1: one of the colder days in this run of alternating cool and warm weather. Don't remember anything quite like it.

PS 2: references 1 and 2 being two trolleys captured at the end of the day, on return to Epsom.

References

Reference 1: https://psmv5.blogspot.com/2022/04/trolley-505.html.

Reference 2: https://psmv5.blogspot.com/2022/04/trolley-506.html.

Reference 3: https://psmv5.blogspot.com/2022/02/another-brasserie.html.

Reference 4: https://psmv5.blogspot.com/2022/04/barley-mowed.html.

Reference 5: https://viktoriamullova.com/. One of the many Russian musicians operating in this country.

Reference 6: https://alasdairbeatson.com/. One of the many Scottish musicians operating in this country.

Reference 7: https://www.fortepiano.fr/walter/. Where McNulty is visible - and the source of the snap above. Curiously, the file name of the snap appears to be in Russian, while the website is French. A curiosity I have yet to investigate further.

A quiet Easter

The day started with a spin around Jubilee Way, ending up at Hook Road Arena where the Easter fun fair was just coming around, presumably for action in the afternoon - this despite not many shops having been open in Epsom. Not much traffic out either, on wheels, on foot or otherwise. Some of the discretely located accommodation for the staff is just visible at the left.

The attractions included a small big dipper, so really a small dipper.With the electric motor that drags the caterpillar to the top of the ramp visible bottom right. We learned afterwards that the identical caterpillar - included the flowers - a blue sunflower in this snap - was to be found at Dawlish Warren, a Devon beach at which we have spent many happy days. As well as caterpillars, candy floss and attendant attractions, there is also a significant RSPB presence to the north, on the upstream side of the sand spit which is the warren, and which stretches across a good part of the mouth of Exe. There can be a fierce current between the end of the spit and Exmouth to the east - so not a good place to fall in. And maybe a tricky channel in a boat without a motor if the current is against you.

Having taken in the beef noticed at reference 1 not that many days previous, we had decided on a slightly lower key lunch on this occasion. That is to say, a piece of boiled gammon, cauliflower cheese and boiled potatoes.

A reliable wine from Alsace. The only wine that we take which is sealed with the sort of top more commonly found on beer bottles, visible bottom right. China egg from Exeter. The two nearer rabbits from Old Town, Swindon, probably somewhere handy to the Goddard Arms, snapped above from Street View. And the red hare was from Budapest, via Fortum & Mason. Quite a long time ago now, but I do remember that you could buy them in many different sizes, with the larger ones being quite inappropriate to our accommodation, either then or now. Several colours too.

Followed by a rhubarb crumble with a traditional topping, that is to say not involving porridge, followed by a few Maltesers. These last being something I have not sampled for many years. Not really part of my childhood at all.

Later on, I walked a few bricks. And later still, probably a well earned victory at Scrabble.

References

Reference 1: https://psmv5.blogspot.com/2022/04/beef-without-backbone.html.

Fusion at the petrol pump

I read today at reference 1 that one answer to the energy crisis is to recognise that gasoline is a good fuel which is not going to go away - and just to make the stuff yourself rather than waiting for the sun, photosynthesis and geology to do it for you. Just mix up air and water in a cunning way and out pops petrol. 

It seems that the chemistry is not nonsense, and plenty of people out there are working on it. The problems are, first, the cost of the electricity needed to drive the process; and; second, scaling the process up from the laboratory.

Prometheus Fuels has managed to raise $1.5 billion on the basis of what many believe to be extravagant promises. There is an entertaining website at reference 2. And the founder started his professional life in the theatre.

While Carbon Engineering is coming at this from carbon capture, the need to drive down the amount of carbon in the atmosphere, with petrol being more by way of a by-product. A quick look at reference 4 suggests that they have been at it for rather longer than the people at Prometheus. No idea where their funding is coming from.

Perhaps investment bankers really do earn their extravagant salaries when they have to decide whether people like this are worth a punt.

References

Reference 1: This $1.5 billion startup promised to deliver clean fuels as cheap as gas. Experts are deeply skeptical: Prometheus Fuels has struck deals to deliver millions of gallons of carbon-neutral fuel. But it’s years behind schedule, and some doubt it can ever achieve its claims - James Temple, MIT Technology Review - 2022.

Reference 2: https://prometheusfuels.com/.

Reference 3: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethanol.

Reference 4: https://carbonengineering.com/.

Oleastered

Two more shifts on the oleaster, having noticed the start of operations at reference 1. The first shift in the margins of roasting a bit of pork, the second in the margins of baking bread batch No.650. Both of which turned out very well, neither spoiled by failing to pay attention at critical moments, an easy enough mistake to make when multi-tasking.

Cutting all conducted while perched on the top step of the ladder at reference 4. Mindful of the woodworm holes and the fact that BH had fallen through the platform of the other ladder when it collapsed when she was doing a spot of pruning. Some additional safety provided by tying the ladder in to the bush, providing some lateral stability.

The cutting pole fairly well extended, which meant that the back of the pole was not providing a counterweight, making getting the cutting head into the right place quite tiring.

Extraction of the cut pieces mainly down to the rather longer hook, with the weight of the back of the pole giving flicking the cut piece out a bit of impetus. I thought that the pole might well have been knocked up by some country blacksmith, of which I know of at least one in the area. A bit complicated for DIY, but a bit artisanal for B&Q or somewhere like that.

As well as the odd stretch of bramble, plenty of oleaster shoots which were pretty long too. And plenty of dead wood in the interior. All chopped up and spread out on the larger of our two compost heaps. Perhaps, in due course, to fuel some more of the giant mushrooms noticed at reference 3.

Next step, negotiate with next door neighbour about tidying up the bits to the south which I could not quite reach. And, then, sit back and see whether it all grows back again.

PS 1: had we been a bit younger, I think I might have taken the whole thing out and started over. Bit late now.

PS 2: we now have a botanical confusion. This shrub is in the Elaeagnaceae family, while olives, with which they share some features, are the Oleaceae family. So quite different. But there seems to be a suggestion at reference 7, that the first might supply root stocks for the second. Rather in the way that we have all kinds of rootstocks for apples.

References

Reference 1: https://psmv5.blogspot.com/2022/04/some-serious-pruning.html. In the beginning.

Reference 2: https://psmv5.blogspot.com/2022/03/captain-hook.html. The hook.

Reference 3: https://psmv5.blogspot.com/2021/10/fungal-news.html. The repository.

Reference 4: https://psmv4.blogspot.com/2020/09/ladder-nostalgia.html. The ladder. The larger one, that is to say the one at the back.

Reference 5: https://psmv3.blogspot.com/2016/07/rope-1.html. The rope to tie in the ladder.

Reference 6: https://psmv2.blogspot.com/2015/10/autumn-cutlery-1.html. The cutters.

Reference 7: https://treefreewallpaper.blogspot.com/2012/06/oleaster-tree.html. The source of the snap above. Rather handsome, if not exactly something for a hedgerow. And there are lots more of them.

Lord Leighton memorialised

Following the post about Lillie Langtry at reference, I have, from time to time, been turning the pages of reference 2. Where, on page 178, I come across a reference to Lord Leighton doing her in marble. Curious, there seeming to be no more about this in the book, I asked both Bing and Google about it, with no result. Perhaps it was never finished and never saw the light of day. Marble reused by some art student after his death?

Whatever the case, I did light upon another mystery. Why did Lord Leighton get so large and florid a memorial in St. Paul's Cathedral? A chap who was well known in his day, but does not rate much of an entry in Wikipedia now. And whoever wrote it seems to have been as impressed that he only lasted a day after being made a lord as by anything else. The son of a Scarborough doctor, so he did do pretty well for himself. See reference 5 for more.

Turning this second puzzle over, I am reminded that St. Pauls contains all kinds of memorials, although my recollection is that they are not as thick on the ground as they are in Westminster Abbey. And that Wellington does very well, scoring two to Nelson's one. But then Nelson does get a column down the road. Clearly time to visit St. Paul's again.

References

Reference 1: https://psmv5.blogspot.com/2022/02/the-jersey-lily.html.

Reference 2: The Prince and the Lily: The story of Edward VII and Lillie Langtry – James Brough – 1975. 

Reference 3: https://victorianweb.org/sculpture/brock/60.html. More about the memorial.

Reference 4: http://psmv2.blogspot.com/2014/06/st-volodymyr.html. Notice of earlier interest in Lord Leighton. I have not checked, but I am sure I - or we - visited the house again. This despite my not caring greatly for his work. Part of my one-time fascination with the Pre-Raphaelites, in particular Holman Hunt.

Reference 5: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederic_Leighton.

Barley mowed

The Barley Mow (of reference 1) being a public house to the east of Epsom, on a narrow, old-style street called Pikes Hill, off Upper High Street. A house which I have used occasionally in the past, probably before it became part of the Fullers family, and which I had occasion to use a week or so ago.

A street which gmaps tells me is also home to rehearsal rooms and casting studios for Hurricane Productions, an outfit which will brings children's shows to you. But the current status of the Pikes Hill operation is Bing-uncertain.

On this occasion, a Thursday evening, the house was busy with young people with very little in the way of masks on show. The barman explained that these young people came from all over town and were more than just some clique turning out for the creationists, who were, in any case, based in another part of town. A barman who, as it happened graduated from Stamford Green primary school, the school which accommodated our own children, not much more than ten years ago. Which made me feel just a touch old. He also explained that while Bells may well be the biggest selling whisky in the UK (as claimed by its advertisements), it sold much better up north than in the Home Counties. Which would explain why so few houses down here carried it - as opposed to the time of my youth when most did, along with Teachers.

And oddly, while the brand is clearly owned by Diageo, they make very little of it on their website at reference 3, preferring instead to boost for brands like Johnnie Walker and J&B. Yet another puzzle to unravel.

Some of the other attractions of the house are snapped above. Decorations left, a tasteful mixture of craft work and the sort of sieves used by materials engineers to sort out the aggregates used for building roads and making concrete. Sieves which I remember from my days with Sandbergs (of reference 2) as being very expensive and coming complete with various numbers from the BSI. One of a number of such displays. How on earth did these expensive items wind up on these walls?

Drinks left. They sold a number of bottles with catchy labels, like that on the far right. Which BH was all for saving up for the next Christmas pudding until I explained that being non-alcoholic was all part of the fun. While the Lanark Lane white was fine. And the bitter beer called 'Naked Ladies', from Twickenham, is off snap to the right. Named for the famous statuary by the river, snapped immediately above, and which we used to visit from time to time. Very handy to that well known establishment, the Barmy Arms. Now part of the Greene King family.

This morning however, while I find that Lanark Lane is very widely available, I failed to find out where it actually came from. Which suggests that it is a blended, branded wine cooked up by some wholesaler. Not that there is anything wrong with that: a good way of producing something which is both drinkable and economical. Perhaps if I had snapped the label on the back of the bottle I would have got a bit further with it.

PS: on the way home, we went past the pub called Faraday's, once the electricity showroom where one bought white goods. Where we have probably bought white goods in the past. Huge mob of young people outside, including lots of young women, clamouring to get into the late night action. I was told afterwards that it is presently Epsom's top night spot.

References

Reference 1: https://www.barley-mow-epsom.co.uk/.

Reference 2: https://www.sandberg.co.uk/.

Reference 3: https://www.diageo.com/en/.

Reference 4: https://www.twickenham-fine-ales.co.uk/about-us.

Shadbolt Park

This being a park in Worcester Park that turned up in the course of a recent Wellingtonia hunt, noticed, for example, at reference 1. Red splodge marks the spot. Further investigation at reference 2, revealed that Shadbolt House, now a GP surgery, was built, and the gardens, now a park was planted, by a retired railway engineer from India at the beginning of the twentieth century. One Ernest Shadbolt, who ended his time in India as Director of Railway Engineering for the Government of India, 1904-1906. Presumably a man who knew all about ballast, embankments, cuttings, tunnels and bridges rather than locomotives. Or perhaps he did both. In any event, an odd business spending your working life on the other side of the globe and then retiring to one's natal country. But then, staying on in somebody else's country would have been a bit odd too.

He was assisted by his niece, sometime Director and Head of the Crownprincely Children's Department, otherwise the governess of the Kaiser's two boys. Bureaucratic types these Germans.

And what is relevant here is that he was a keen planter of exotic trees and shrubs, many of which have survived in the present park.

A fine line of what turned out to be Monterey pines, running south along the western boundary, more or less from red splodge marks the spot. Still some life in the daffodills.

A tall coastal redwood. With some links to the real thing to be found at reference 5.

The bole of same. Plus some more of the garden; a sort of cross between municipal park and botanical garden.

The bole of a metasequoia. Which was the end of the sequoia story. No Wellingtonia.

The water feature.

The big house. Which suggests that Mr. Shadbolt was much more interested in his garden than playing my house is much bigger and better than your house.

A handsome Monterey cypress, with the recreation ground beyond. At least that is what the ticket said, even if it does not look much like any of the trees turned up by Bing. This despite the climate in Monterey not being that different to that here in the UK. I will check the needles on our next visit.

The other end of the line of Monterey pines.

All in all, a fine resource for Worcester Park, even if a bit far for ourselves to visit very often. Let's hope that they manage to keep it going.

Somewhere along the way we came across a large, rather stark house, in among some older, regular suburban houses. We though probably another express prefab from the Baufritz people. See reference 6.

PS: Rymill reports (on page 143) that the planting of the flower beds had to be changed when the council introduced a new, task based bonus scheme. The planting did not fit in with the new world. 

References

Reference 1: https://psmv5.blogspot.com/2022/04/wellingtonia-72.html.

Reference 2: Worcester Park, Old Malden and North Cheam: History at our feet - David Rymill - 2012.

Reference 3: https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Ernest_Ifill_Shadbolt. From the Indian Biographical Dictionary of 1915 we have: 'Shadbolt, Ernest Ifill; Director of Railway Construction (retired); b. 1851; s. of late George Shadbolt; educ: privately; R.I.E. College, Cooper’s Hill; entered Indian Public Works Department, 1874; Assistant Engineer on construction of Idore, Dhond Manmad, Bopal State Railways, 1874-83; services lent to Bhavnagar and Gondal States, 1887-91; Executive Engineer on construction of Sind-Peshin, Kathiawar, East Coast State Railways, 1888-93; Engineer-in-Chief, Bezwada, Madras, Madura-Pamban, Tinnevelly-Quilon Railway Surveys, 1893-95; Engineer-in-chief, Indus Bridge Works, Kotri-Rohri Railway, 1895-1901; Senior Inspector of Railways, Madras, 1902-04; Director of Railway Construction, Government of India, 1904-06; retired from Indian Railway service, 1906. Recreations: Music, Cycling, Gardening. Address: Ardeley, Pirbright, Surrey'. 

Reference 4: https://psmv4.blogspot.com/2021/03/another-audley-end.html. Being earlier notice of R.I.E. Digging out notice of the Cooper's Hill connection to Edward Maufe is left as an exercise to readers.

Reference 5: https://psmv5.blogspot.com/2022/04/wellingtonia-75.html.

Reference 6: https://psmv4.blogspot.com/search?q=express+prefab.

Reference 7: http://mpga.org.uk/. There is, or at least was, a link with these people. But I can't find it.

Reference 8: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Indian_Engineering_College. As well as doing engineering, for a while they ran a first class rugby team.

Wellingtonia 75

A young Wellingtonia captured during a visit to Hampton Court Palace today, to be reported on fully in due course. A tree which we had missed during our many visits to that general part of the grounds.

Probably the tree marked in orange in the snap above, to the east of the the Royal Cabbage Patch. We generally pass along the path marked in blue, then turn left into the Tilt Yard café, a café which, I am sorry to say, no longer runs to Maids of Honour tarts, which I rather like. Some story about the catering contractor's bakery not being able to cater for that sort of thing. I think in the past they might have been cooked on the premises, a luxury they can no longer afford. The blue also marks the two metasequoias which take our attention at that point, diverting us from the Wellingtonia which is probably just about visible from behind. But today, we came out of the café's western exit.

The base of the tree. Some red, but not much spread yet.

This enlargement from the other side of the tree, the southern side. I am voting for the brown dusting lower right being the male flowers, as described at reference 2. Hopefully visible if you click to enlarge. But perhaps it will become clearer if we keep an eye on the tree through the year to come.

Reference 2 also tells me that these trees will sucker from the base. Not something that I have seen. Although I have seen the secondary trunks often enough.

Reference 1: https://psmv5.blogspot.com/2022/04/wellingtonia-74.html.

Reference 2: http://www.flowersociety.org/redwood-profile.htm.

Reference 3: https://mdvaden.com/grove_of_titans.shtml. A jump from reference 2.

Group search key: wgc.