New year trios

I thought that we were doing trios quite often these days, but it seems that this outing to the Wigmore Hall a fortnight ago is the first such since December last year, noticed at reference 1. So from the Leonore Piano Trio we had Dvořák's Op.90 (heard on several previous occasions, firstly I think on the South Bank, in the days when they still offered plenty of classical) and Mendelssohn's Op.66.

A bright sunny morning with an early start, being out of the house by 09:20; a time when I am usually only thinking about getting dressed. Spotted the trolley subsequently noticed at reference 2. Picked up a useful gadget, which I now know to be a universal something for use on bicycles. A smaller version of something I already have. Wikipedia tells me at reference 3 that B'Twin has been gobbled up by Decathlon, who subsequently discontinued the brand.

A failed tweet across the rails while we waited for our train. A small flock of great tit sized and shaped birds, but the wrong colour, being various shades of brown. Juveniles?

A young mum with a pram made us think at Oxford Circus. One supposes that a big and busy tube station like that would have lifts, but we had no idea where they were and couldn't see any signs. She didn't look at all bothered, so perhaps she knew where they were.

All Bar One smarties were stuck in transit somewhere. But we got a very winning smile instead. While a chap drove past outside in a very flashy looking Mercedes, by himself, wearing a mask. Perhaps he was a chauffeur and had just got into the habit of wearing one all the time.

Wigmore Hall busy. Trios good: I even got on with the Mendelssohn. BH did a spot of people watching over her sherry, while I inspected the contraption at the foot of the front door. They must be something to do with locking up at the end of the day, but in the time it took to down my sherry, I failed to compute what that something might have been.

The plan was to take a picnic in Berkeley Square and not having bothered to check the map, we got there via Bond Street and so were able to take in Galeries Bartoux, a place I thought had visited in the past and found to carry what for me is the interesting end of contemporary art. Checking though, I find the last place was the Opera Gallery, as noticed at reference 6. But the layout must have been very similar, and this one was equally welcoming, despite it being clear that we were just looking. Quite happy to take us through her patter about the goods.

So we had a number of what appeared to be deep metal boxes built far into the wall, but which were actually confections with mirrors, stuck on the wall and about six inches, not six feet, deep. Clever though, and it was hard to see the joins, even when you had been told what was going on. A lot of painted bronze figures, some with lots of bits missing. High standard of workmanship, whatever one might think of the art. Some quite decent paintings. Quite a lot of paintings with cunningly executed blobs of paint in relief, surprisingly effective at a distance. A painter of bright interiors from California who did not do shadows at all, but created an impression of depth with cunning variations of shades. I have yet to work out why that is so different, but I rather liked the paintings - in colours which reminded me of Hockney, whom I do not usually care for. There were perhaps three on show, newly arrived and one already sold.

The visualisation at reference 7 is rather clever and includes some of the stuff that we saw and some stuff like the stuff we saw, but not the paintings from California. 

Out to admire this registration plate on a Land Rover. UK style of numbers, but not a UK format that I am familiar with. And if the vehicle is registered in Qatar, not clear how you are supposed to know that if you are in the car behind. But then, perhaps if you have Qatar money, special rules apply.

Found our way to Berkeley Square for our picnic.

Looked in at the windows of Sexy Fish, the place with a huge selection of Japanese whisky, but did not attempt to get in.

Pit stop at Henry's across the road from Green Park tube station, a place which looks to have spent a good bit on its fittings and furniture. Quite a few people eating in the left hand zone (in the snap above), rather fewer in the right hand drinking zone where we were. But this did include a gathering of young people probably from Korea or Japan, who were into some complicated board game. We got the idea that it was an impromptu social gathering of people stuck in a foreign land, facilitated by Facebook or some such. The staff did not seem to mind their taking up a good deal of time and space without much consumption: they did bring a bit of life to the place.

Strolled down Gentlemen's Walk where there were lots of daffodils. All very scenic in the pale afternoon light.

Onto St. Jame's Park where this willow coming into leaf got lots of people snapping away.

At this point we decided that we had done enough and headed for Victoria Station, rather than pushing on through the park and across Westminster Bridge to Waterloo. Coming across the serious bit of ironmongery snapped above.

Through the busy shopping, eating and drinking precinct which has been built more or less opposite Victoria Station. Reminded that US-style sports bars awash with big televisions seem to be getting more common. Maybe a device to scare away older people. But there were plenty of young people out enjoying themselves - with very few masks to be seen.

Reminded also that motor racing seems to me to be a particularly tiresome form of television entertainment. I can just about see the point of going to a race track in person, despite all the noise, rather as one might not give a toss about horses but still enjoy the Derby. But on television?

We also came across of squad of young men in flashy red blazers - a rugby team across from Belfast for some tournament or other. They were quite young so perhaps a school rather than a university. In all events, they looked to be settling down for a session. They seemed happy enough to explain who they were and what they were at, and I should have asked if I could have taken their picture.

Into Victoria Station to be impressed by the indicator board. Much better than the Waterloo Station equivalent. So something which Southern Trains actually manages to do better than Southwestern Trains. In fairness, I should say that BH prefers their rolling stock, which for me, has its points but is rather cramped.

References

Reference 1: https://psmv5.blogspot.com/2021/12/trios.html.

Reference 2: https://psmv5.blogspot.com/2022/03/trolley-492.html.

Reference 3: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%27Twin.

Reference 4: https://www.decathlon.co.uk/. Everything for the great outdoors!

Reference 5: https://www.leonorepianotrio.com/.

Reference 6: https://psmv3.blogspot.com/2017/09/wigmore-two.html.

Reference 7: https://www.galeries-bartoux.com/en/our-galleries/london/.