On this occasion, despite it being a Sunday, we were able to get to the Wigmore Hall via Vauxhall. No need to catch buses or to drive to Sutton. The occasion being provided by the Elias String Quartet with help from Jonathan Biss, both of whom we have heard from time to time over the years. Getting on for ten years or more for the latter, for whom, for example, see reference 1.
Schubert string quartet D703 and Elgar piano quintet Op.84. The second of these being new to us, but being given a bit of extra spice by the half read book noticed at the end of reference 2.
A bright, cold morning. Lots of high cloud heading east. The town platform at Epsom was quiet, with no figs and just one wagtail to be seen. Plus some striking balls of mistletoe to the north and some small children on festive outings.
While on the train we had a young family with four children. The children spent most of the journey bounding noisily around the space between the doors, between us and their parents. The mother gazed on adoringly while the father gazed at his telephone. In the end, I stood up, didn't say anything, but was rather an unfriendly presence, which damped them down a bit. I thought about moving to the centre pole which would probably have damped them down even more.
A cheerful, distant band at Oxford Circus. While we did better at All Bar One than on the previous occasion, actually getting served in time on this occasion. New floral saucers for at least some of the beverages and cheerful staff. In generally better shape.
Puzzled by this throw-away at the Cavendish Square dustbins, but Google Image reveals it this morning to be a golf buggy, which I don't think I was ever going to think of.
Very pale green anthuriums in the full hall, made up with red carnations and silver twigs. Possibly dead or dried hydrangea heads. All very striking. With the bonus that the director had turned out for the occasion.
Before the off, I tried out relaxing the tongue. Which sounded rather silly when I first read of it a few weeks ago, in the margins of reference 3 (see reference 4 therein), but does seem to work. I think, at least in part, by blocking any articulation of same prompted by near-speech verbal thoughts. Whatever the case, it was an excellent concert and we both enjoyed the Elgar rather more than we were expecting.
Some male groupies behind us, quietly chatting about their life and times following Biss on his travels. One of the absent wives went to even greater lengths, catching intercity trains and possibly even aeroplanes. I did not get to find out why she was absent on this occasion.
And behind them, someone was rattling a plastic bag quietly during the first half. But he (or she) must have noticed what he was doing at some point and stopped. Or perhaps a neighbour poked him.
Out to visit the pizza place associated with the now reopened Treehouse Hotel, noticed from time to time but probably last visited during the summer of last year, that is to say 2022, a visit which was noticed at reference 4. With reference 5 reminding me of a continuing confusion between 'treetops' and 'treehouse'.
BH played safe with olives to start, while I branched out to 'roasted romanesco cauliflower with chive crème fraîche and pistacchio crumble', which turned out to be based on a small, but entire & exotic cauliflower. A sort of cauliflower we first came across in Spalding (retail) Market, many years ago now, so many years ago that the archive knows nothing about it. But this one was really very good, and there was quite enough of it to share between two of us.
Taken with a very satisfactory white from north Italy, a Fórra Manzoni Bianco 2018 from the house of Alois Lageder in the Dolomites, made from a grape variety which was created in the 1930s by Professor Luigi Manzoni, then director of the Conegliano Research Centre. See reference 6.
We both followed up with pizza, also good. Fired with real logs rather than with gas. Mine being unusual in that it did not involve tomatoes, while the meat element reminded me of the Sicilian sausages to be bought near Borough tube station from the people at reference 7.
We were amused by their take on Italian flavoured desserts - seen, I suppose, through the Los Angeles lenses of Nancy Silverton whose name was, at least once upon a time, used in the branding of the place. But not so amused that we actually took one.
So passed on dessert, took a grappa, which came in a proper grappa glass, BH took a tea and for once in a while I took a coffee - which also came in a glass. Served by a very bouncy, cheerful young waitress. Bags of personality. Too late, we noticed the rather flashy looking ice creams on offer.
Out to inspect the new bird, promoted to the canopy over the front door from the front hall inside the front door.
Church adjacent firmly shut, despite it being the Lord's Day and there probably being carols later on. Treehouse visible behind.
It took us a while at Vauxhall to work out that the small indicator boards on platforms were selective. So this one only did trains heading for Waterloo, rather than the ones from Waterloo.
The haul from the window sill at Raynes Park platform library, the bookcase having been tidied away. I read of Father Willie Doyle SJ, a first world war army chaplain, killed near Ypres in 1917, now up for canonisation. A chap who had a serious breakdown as a young man but who went on to have a rather heroic career in the war. BH has the left hand book, but I have yet to inspect the other two.
References
Reference 1: https://psmv2.blogspot.com/2014/05/lunchtime-bliss.html.
Reference 2: https://psmv5.blogspot.com/2023/10/cheese.html.
Reference 3: https://psmv5.blogspot.com/2023/12/silent-consciousness.html.
Reference 4: https://psmv5.blogspot.com/2022/06/treetops.html.
Reference 5: https://www.treehousehotels.com/london/eat-drink/pizzeria-mozza.
Reference 6: https://aloislageder.eu/wines/compositions/forra-bianco. A house we have used before when visiting this establishment.
Reference 7: https://www.prezzemoloevitale.co.uk/.
Reference 8: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nancy_Silverton.
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