Southwark

Our last expedition to London was touted as a visit to Southwark Cathedral. In the event, while we made it to Southwark, we did not make it to the cathedral, partly because BH had spotted an art installation involving large bubbles under the Leadenhall Building of reference 1. Also known as the cheesegrater and not to be confused with the cheesecutter, a sort of flat cap favoured by painters and other tradesmen in the early nineteen seventies. Also by Andy Capp, late of the Daily Mirror, although, being picky, his was cap not really flat enough in the crown to quality.

A cold bright day and we took the train to London Bridge. Investigated the retail opportunities under the concourse area, without flashing any plastic, and emerging to grab a taxi to take us to Leadenhall Street. The building, as seen from the road, was flashy enough, but the art was a bit disappointing.

Tucked into a corner of the semi-open space at pavement level, it consisted of three or four tetrahedrons, each made by taping four large balls together. Not enough balls, not enough space and the whole thing looked a bit DIY at close quarters. Maybe they should have taken the turbine hall at the former power station just up the road. Notwithstanding, a bit of fun.

There was also a table football machine in the corner which you could play without putting money into it. Not having had a go on one for years, another bit of fun. I wonder why pubs stopped having them? Reasonably common in my student days, along with bar billiards.

Headed south, back towards London Bridge, taking in Leadenhall Market on the way. Last time I was there, quite a long time ago now, there were still a few poultry dealers hanging, but most of the space seemed to have been given over to people selling large and expensive candles and recreational stuff of that sort. Now not a fowl to be seen and the whole place had been given a serious paint job and then given over to food and drink. We thought to try an Italian place, so climbed some very steep stairs to find ourselves in a small and crowded dining room. A rather pretty waitress explained that she was full up and so we went back down again. Not that sorry, as while the grub was probably good, it was all a bit small and crowded. Or at least, so it seemed from the door. But see reference 3.

Pushing on from the market, the next place investigated was the very grand Crosse Keys in Gracechurch Street, which turned out to be a busy Wetherspoon's. Even grander inside, but we thought that it would take a while to get served and passed on. I learn this morning that Gracechurch Street is the name of the inner London end of the A10, a road I used to know quite well when it was the main road between London and Cambridge. Cycled it at least once.

This morning, I learn from reference 4 that it was built just after the First World War for what is now HSBC. Built by Trollope & Colls for whom I once worked a summer. Including windows from the famous Crittall Company. Sumptuous banking hall, now the bar. Some Chinese flavoured detailing. Some fairly grand rooms above. Barclays might have been in the mix at some point.

Passed Farmer J's Field Tray operation, with quite a queue there this Thursday lunchtime. To judge by reference 5, the tray offering is an airline style meal in a white plastic tray involving some sort of meat and a couple of vegetables, one of which is likely to be rice. Didn't dig far enough to find out whether hot was an option. Maybe another time, queue absent, we might give it a go.

Across London Bridge to look in at the Barrowboy & Banker, a place I have visited on occasion in the evening. There was a not very good table for two in the eating area but the busy waiter was far too busy to bother with us, so we left and pushed onto Borough Market, eventually finding ourselves upstairs in Roast, a place we have visited once before, something more than a year ago, and noticed at reference 6. They thought they could perhaps just fit us in, despite our lack of reservation. Busy with mainly young people, with no signs of the recession. But then, I suppose that the people recessing would not be there.

BH was pleased with  her hake, while I opted for the roast beef, asking for medium or medium rare. Carrots, under the beef, good. Broccoli good. Roast potatoes good. Red cabbage rather overdone. Yorkshire pudding decent but dull, improved by the power gravy, but still nowhere as good near as what BH might knock out at home. Beef plentiful but very disappointing: undercooked and rather chewy, with the very blunt serrated steak knife supplied - visible right in the snap above - not being much help at all. Nowhere near as good as what I might knock out at home. Which, considering the price and the restricted menu, I thought was poor.

Wine good, a Nadine Ferrand Pouilly-Fuissé from the 2020 vintage. Which I learn from reference 8 is a ladies wine, that is to say a mother and daughter operation. To be tried again.

Service good. BH had a fine view of the goings on down below. And they could, after deep thought, still manage Calvados.

Suitably refreshed down to inspect Borough Market.

One of the butchers, the Ginger Pig, ran to a pig's head full frontal in their main display cabinet. While another ran to a good selection of good looking beef. Including some côte de boeuf which cost even more than the stuff I bought from Manor Green Road and noticed at reference 10.

A rather flashy fishmonger, sporting, inter alia, a conger eel complete with head and the largest octopus I have ever seen in a fish shop. Proper market people with plenty of mouth - but we settled for a pair of Arbroath smokies. Very good they turned out to be too - served with potato salad and green salad. A delicacy last taken a bit more than a year ago and noticed at reference 9.

Half a white loaf taken from a barrow run by Olivier of reference 11. Mostly taken with some Comté taken from another barrow. Very good they were too, a change from my usual fare of Lincolnshire Poacher with brown. Still and all, I would not want Comté every day, it has too rich a flavour.

Outside, we passed the old operating theatre, then shut. BH is pretty sure she has not visited the place, while I am pretty sure that I have. But maybe I just passed it and looked up the pictures, like that above? Which prompted me to wonder whether the punter on the table gets a percentage from the admission charged to the spectators on the benches.

Put our heads around the door of the church underneath, now a bar. Slightly shocked to find the altar end very brightly lit up, but I supposed I would get used to it, as I have at the Horton Chapel nearer home. In any event, it looked like a place for people a lot younger than us and we passed.

Rather a cold wait at London Bridge for our train. Glad that I was well wrapped up.

PS: the picture index at the bottom of the screen has mysteriously reappeared!

References

Reference 1: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/122_Leadenhall_Street.

Reference 2: https://www.servcorp.co.uk/en/. Office rental people who contrive to get to the top of the leadenhall building hit list. Clearly have a special relationship with the Bing search engine.

Reference 3: https://leadenhallmarket.co.uk/stores/osteria-del-mercato/.

Reference 4: https://britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/101262387-7-and-9-gracechurch-street-langbourn-ward.

Reference 5: https://www.farmerj.com/fieldtrays/.

Reference 6: https://psmv5.blogspot.com/2021/09/cheese-on-foot.html.

Reference 7: https://psmv3.blogspot.com/2018/04/rising-sun.html. The only reference to bar billiards that I managed to turn up. I feel sure that I have seen one, tucked into a corner, more recently. Cheam comes to mind, but a quick search turned up nothing likely. Must consult my corresponding expert in such matters.

Reference 8: https://ferrand-pouilly-fuisse.com/.

Reference 9: https://psmv5.blogspot.com/2021/12/smoking-by-mouth.html.

Reference 10: https://psmv5.blogspot.com/2022/12/french-beef.html.

Reference 11: https://www.oliviersbakery.com/.