Ullman

Just a fortnight ago, to the Wigmore Hall to hear Alexander Ullman do a Beethoven piano sonata (Op.110) and 12 Chopin études (Op.25). A chap whom the Wigmore archive suggests appeared a number of times 2014-2017 - although, curiously, the present concert does not appear. Perhaps the RCM just rented the hall for the occasion, giving the concert a subtly different standing from the point of view of the archive.

A mild, overcast day and the first event of note was coming across a suction lorry from Pier going around the Meadway roundabout. A brand first noticed a little more than a year ago at reference 1. I supposed that this one was assisting with the gas works in Hookfield - and also that the gas people continue to top up their own fleet of such lorries - which can often be seen lined up at their depot on Blenheim Road - by hiring.

New model train, the sort that comes with rather hard seats. But, on the up side, I discovered that TFL's Bullingdon stand map works perfectly well on my telephone. No need to download a screen scrape or anything tiresome of that sort.

Woke up in a rather curious way at Vauxhall, it taking me ages to work out what the announcer was on about. Then, taking the Bond Street route to Olle & Steen, I was sitting down with my coffee and bun there just under an hour after my train left Epsom. That is to say rather quicker than the run to All Bar One - and much better quality bakery.

In the Beckstein Room, scored my third Bösendorfer, yet to be posted. But I now know that both blog search and Word search care about the umlaut on the 'ö' , while File Explorer does not.

I was also intrigued by the backs of the chairs. I think the answer on close inspection was that they were some kind of cunning composite, but I am going to need to take another look to remind myself what kind.

The front part of the Hall was pretty full, including one young man, I suppposed a music student, sporting earrings which terminated with carabinas, which one might have thought were a bit heavy for such a purpose. Maybe the long term plan was to have stretched ear lobes, big enough to take some elaborate tattoos.

The performance was very much that of a young man, with plenty of both piano and forte, delivered with a physically florid manner. But none the worse for all that, and I liked the études rather more than I was expecting. And for some reason, he brought my late elder brother to mind, also musical in his own way.

From there to the Wigmore, the pub that is, for a light lunch, the pie experience of reference 2 notwithstanding. Some of their crab crumpets by way of amuse bouche, followed by some chicken thighs, probably on a bed of pasta with a few trimmings. Washed down with a spot of Picpoul. Just the ticket on this occasion.

Interesting beer mats which stuck to the table when under very slight pressure, but not otherwise.

Pulled a Bullingdon outside the Portuguese Consulate - no queue on this occasion - and down to Moor Street, just by Cambridge Circus. From there to the cheese shop.

From there to the stand opposite Lowlander in Drury Lane where I was touched for a fiver by a beggar, one of a pair of young men who appeared to be working the street. He claimed that he was homeless rather than hopeless. Lowlander where I used to be entertained occasionally by C&W and where, more recently I have taken moules frites with BH, for which see reference 3. Time we paid them another visit.

The second Bullingdon had a slightly flat tyre which meant that it would not dock at Waterloo, but my luck was in as there was a TFL man to hand who was able to do the necessary. By which time I might say that I was quite hot, with my telephone registering 18°C.

Nearly stunk out of my seat on the train by a nearby snack. Vinegar was probably the culprit.

Not tempted by the Half Way House at Earlsfield on this occasion.

But I did spot a large chunk of footbridge waiting to be lifted into place at Motspur Park. No doubt the 'Earl Beatty' will be glad when the building work is done and they get back some of their commuter trade which it has put off.

Out at Epsom to capture the trolleys noticed at reference 4.

And wound up the proceedings with a beverage at Wetherspoon's. Where there clearly was a join in the carpet noticed at reference 5. Can't think how it missed it first time around. more serious inspection called for.

And when I had finished with carpet, I moved onto to pondering about how Pythagoras's famous theorem about right angled triangles would play on surfaces other than planes, vaguely thinking the curvature of the surface came into it. Not something that I recall coming up in my mathematical days. Not something I got very far with on this occasion.

References

Reference 1: https://psmv5.blogspot.com/2023/03/new-pump.html.

Reference 2: https://psmv5.blogspot.com/2024/03/piano-in-town.html.

Reference 3: https://psmv5.blogspot.com/2022/05/back-to-stones.html.

Reference 4: https://psmv5.blogspot.com/2024/05/trolley-681.html.

Reference 5: https://psmv5.blogspot.com/2024/04/spoons.html.