Baquavit

Back to Aquavit at the end of last month for another al-fresco lunch. Not much in the way of woollies despite it being an overcast and cool start to the day. Sitting on the breezy platform at Epsom I wondered whether al fresco was going to fly - although in the event it was fine.

I then noticed a tall tree to the north. I couldn't think where it was or what it was. Clearly something to be run down at some point. Not great in the snap above, but it should be enough to track it down, even without a proper bearing, with gmaps suggesting St. Ebba's as one possibility.

Bullingdons pretty thin on the ramp when I arrived at Waterloo, and those that were there were red-lighted. I took a new arrival, which turned out to have slipping gears, so that one was red-lighted when I docked at Pall Mall East, aka Cockspur Street.

A little early, so I though I would investigate the Dover Street Market in what had been Burberry's flagship store in the Haymarket, noticed on the previous occasion at references 1 and 2. It turned out that the old building had been cleared out and then stocked with all kinds of recycled stuff, both large and small, some of it probably counting as art. I think the piece above includes the jaws of three sharks.

A lot of expensive looking merchandise, a mixture of clothing and accessories was added to the mix, along with a lot of young sales assistants and a lot of what looked like security people. Maybe shop lifting was a problem. A good sprinkling of customers, pretty much all of them holiday makers from the US or parts far east.

The central staircase was part of the heritage listing, so that had to stay.

One of the listed stair well windows. With a reminder that the backs of grand houses are not always as grand as the fronts.

While some office block lift cabins had been recycled to make clothes cupboards.

Merchandise, unpriced, with white balls.

On exit, I told the chap on the door that I felt a little too old for what was on offer. Whereupon he replied that one was never too old to start dressing nicely. Bit of a cheek considering that I was wearing my smart Fred Perry jacket handed down from TK Maxx.

Out to come across the Tom Cribb, a house last visited in the margins of a visit to theatre to see a minimal version of 'The Seagull', as noticed at reference 3. On this occasion fairly quiet with a modest collection of theatrical menials (as opposed to luvvies) on their lunch breaks.

Onto Aquavit, which was quiet inside and out. Hard to see how they covered their wages bill for the session. Opened the proceedings with a spot of French Riesling - Rosacker - from the people at reference 4.

For once, I went for a fancy starter as well as a bread basket. A complicated confection involving both red and white beetroot which I rather enjoyed. Don't usually go for this sort of thing.

Played safe with meatballs to follow, but then a fancy dessert. In the course of ordering which I learned that the chef was a real Swede. A dessert which was supposed to be a cooked cheesecake - unusual in Epsom - but which I liked well enough anyway. Rounded out with rather more of their Calvados than I had intended, having got singles and doubles mixed up with ones and twos. One of them visible upper left.

Along the way, reminded that the Ukrainian track record during the second world war was rather mixed, although allowance should be made for Stalin's famine before and Hitler's destruction during. Mixed in the sense that a fair number of Ukrainians signed up with the Germans, to end up doing some of Hitler's dirty work for him.

The busy building scene, looking south from the bus stop.

Something Canadian going on in Trafalgar Square.

Another query sumac. See reference 5. Some checking needed.

The haul from the Raynes Park platform library. Upper right for BH. Left and bottom for me. Can't remember what happened to Lodge, or who, indeed, he was. I hope bottom, a rather elderly study of the matter, will put some flesh on the bones of my theory that the UK is much too centralised and that Westminster would do well to let a lot more power out to the provinces. But I am not holding my breath: parties in opposition often make noises about this, but once they have got the the power they turn out to be just as keen to hold on to it as their predecessors.

Reference 1: https://psmv5.blogspot.com/2023/06/to-mayfair.html. The previous visit.

Reference 2: https://psmv5.blogspot.com/2023/06/gaberdines.html. Some follow-up.

Reference 3: https://psmv5.blogspot.com/2022/09/marshgull.html.

Reference 4: https://www.cave-hunawihr.com/.

Reference 5: https://psmv5.blogspot.com/2023/06/paused.html.

Reference 6: https://www.doverstreetmarket.com/. The white balls place. I have only just worked out that it is a chain.