White bryony

Today a second walk around the shortened footbridge version of the Ewell Village anti-clockwise, just a couple of days after last doing it, as noticed at reference 1. Coming across the creeping plant snapped above by the side of the stream running down the Longmead Road, another beneficiary of the no-mow or low-mow policy presently in force.

The colours on this snap looked particularly washed out on my big screen. Odd, given that it was overcast and close to rain, if not actually raining at the time. Slightly better here.

I asked both Bing and Google about 'small white green flowers climber' and did not get very far. I then tried Google Image on the snap above, ditto. 

But then I zoomed in a bit with the Snip & Sketch tool, as above, and Image search came up with Bryonia dioica, otherwise white bryony, not to be confused with black bryony which is quite different, apart from them both being rather toxic.

It offered the snap above, from Wikipedia, which looked right, if rather grander than the plant on the Longmead. All confirmed by perusual of Bentham and Hooker's British Flora (plus the accompanying illustrations by Fitch) - one of which books was given as a school prize in 1955 and both of which devolved to me from the platform library at Raynes Park. It took a few attempts to find out exactly when before I landed on reference 2, although I was reminded that 'fitch' is an old word for polecat on the way.

I think the idea of the Flora was that one could used the keys provided to identify plants in the field, this in the days before Google Image was around, but my botany is not yet good enough to read them.

Another snippet from the walk was the promising looking crop of blackberries coming on in the fairly green space between the footbridge and the gas depot. Berries plentiful but still small and green - plus more washed out green in the snap above.

On return, I learned that BH was down to her last small bag of frozen blackberries, the drill being, when frozen, to bag them up, two or three portions to the bag. So with a bit of luck we should manage without interrupted supply. Although I see from reference 8 that last year's one and only picking did not take place until late August, the long, dry & hot summer having rather messed up the blackberry crop.

Another snippet was the advertised arrival of Gail's Bakery in town, taking the premises vacated some time ago by Lakeland and by Waterstones before that. While when we arrived in town it had been Lester Bowden before their terminal move to the Spread Eagle adjacent. A place which sold fine men's suits and jackets - of which last I still have at least one - from the days when more city gents wore such stuff. Côte Brasserie having fallen by the wayside at the end of last year, as noticed at reference 3. Another casualty of the fad for heritage.

Another was that the building occupied until recently by Tchibo Coffee was either being demolished or substantially modified, with Bowden Moss in the chair. Reference 5, itself under construction, suggests that they specialise in the construction and refurbishment of large sheds. We await developments. Presumably there is a new tenant, ready and waiting.

And lastly, the building occupied by Photo Me, the photographic booth people noticed at reference 4, has been rebranded for the Me Group, in the snap above and at reference 5. Perhaps appropriate for an age when 'me' seems to rule. Sod pretty much everybody else. Thinking here particularly of railway engine drivers and hospital consultants, two occupations which are pretty well paid already, all things considered. Not to mention the financial wizards who mine the assets of the likes of Thames Water for ready cash. Not to mention our late, lamented fat leader and his friends. 

Note the small block of flats to the left, refurbished not many years ago. No idea what sort of people live in them, in the middle of an industrial estate as they are. Maybe they are cheap. Maybe they are for security or caretakers for the buildings round about.

While off snap just to the right, we have the equally glossy looking AWE. According to reference 7: 'We are a trade only distributor to the Custom Install and Smart Home Technology Industry. We are well-known throughout the industry as an award winning supplier and training provider, and we are pleased to represent some of the biggest brands with a focus on high-end products and the latest technology'. Whatever all that might mean. 

But traditionalists will no doubt be pleased to know that there is at least one metal bashing operation left on the estate, albeit a rather specialised one, doing specials rather than runs.

References

Reference 1: https://psmv5.blogspot.com/2023/07/trolley-575.html.

Reference 2: https://psmv5.blogspot.com/2021/08/cheese-time-again.html.

Reference 3: https://psmv5.blogspot.com/2022/12/heritage-old-and-older.html.

Reference 4: https://psmv5.blogspot.com/2023/07/piano-73.html.

Reference 5: https://www.bowdenmoss.co.uk/.

Reference 6: https://me-group.com/.

Reference 7: https://www.awe-europe.com/.

Reference 8: https://psmv5.blogspot.com/2022/08/blackberries-one.html.