Dover Patrol One

Dover Patrol being the game of a board game for two that I used to play when I was young. Also the name of the naval operation which kept the Straits of Dover clear for the passage of troops and supplies during the First World War. An inconspicuous but important operation. With one of the things that I remember from ten years ago being that the commander of this operation for some years, one Admiral Bacon, was of the view that the Germans could have done more than they did to disrupt this traffic. They might well have taken heavy losses in so doing, but they could have made a lot of trouble for us.

The patrol today however is my patrol of Epsom High Street over the recent holiday.

Proceedings started with the arty shot included above of a solitary water hawthorn flower (Aponogeton distachyos), complete with its garland of duck weed.

Followed up with a snap of one of the pin oaks (Quercus palustris) on Clay Hill Green, for some reason being given a festal haircut. Perhaps the houses on the other side of the road were moaning about the loss of western light of an evening. Perhaps there was some botanical reason.

Something of a trolley fest in town, and without my trolley I could have made a killing. The first up is snapped above, together with a large helping of scrap food left for the pigeons visible top right. Including, unusually, what appeared to be the outer shells of a number of Scotch eggs. Why buy the things if you don't like the shells? Was the bird feeder a vegetarian who, for some reason, got lumbered with a packet of them? An unwanted present?

The collection of trolleys at the town end of the Kokoro Passage. A mixture of M&S and B&M.

At the bottom of the ramp. Maybe the town really is missing my services as a one-man volunteer trolley collection operation? The back of the restaurant marked down for the once projected end-year trolley celebration visible to the right of the pillar.

Some rather expensive cherries from South Africa from Waitrose, which was very busy mid-morning. As busy as it gets. 

The cherries might have clocked up a few air miles, but they were rather good cherries. Furthermore, according to reference 3, not invented in British Columbia, natal research station to so many cherries, These ones were invented in California by the Zaigers, people who according to Bing do not seem to have a website, but who can be contacted through one Mr. Wilson. See reference 4. And Google turns up reference 5. Furthermore, 'Royal Hazel' seems an odd name for a stone fruit. All in all, a bit odd.

I also took a couple of portions of cheese from a chap on a stall in the rather thin market, who might have been French, certainly foreign. Bavarian smoked - the white stuff which comes in a shiny brown sausage and French Comté. Both turned out well.

The traditional lentil soup for Christmas Eve. Three and a half pints of water, 10oz red lentils (washed a couple of times in cold water) and some sticks of celery started about 90 minutes from the off. Garlic, onions and leeks done in butter a bit later, then added to the mix 10 minutes from the off.

A vegetable portion was kept aside, but our portion was improved with some smoked pork from M&S, a new departure, as we usually use smoked streaky. I thought that it did very well on day one, although I was surprised how much it had toned down for day two (for breakfast). Possibly tenderloin, possible the eye of back bacon.

What was left of the cherries after the first shift.

Followed up by the ceremonial rendering on the radio on the smart television of the carol service from King's College Chapel, with attendance in person having sometimes being a feature of my childhood Christmas. Back in the days when lay congregations could still sing - and full blast in the body of the chapel was quite something. Not the same on the radio, but it does serve as a souvenir. Not for the first time, I pondered about the merits of rotating the carols: stick with the family favourites or keep the thing alive with something new?

From right to left clockwise, candelabra from Montreal, mince pies from Sainsbury's 'Taste the difference' range and three bar electric fire from Belling and Cambridge. This last almost an antique.

All helped along with a spot of Taylor's fine port, not something I take very often. I was surprised first that it came with a cork rather than a stopper and second that the three of us did the bottle in one go. 15 units from Waitrose.

A second visit to town was indicated later, a second visit to the pharmacy in search of statins being required. Open, to my surprise, until 19:00, and at least one of the assistants had been there in the morning. More trolleys.

The Marquis was full, inside and out, this last not being something that I have seen for a while. But we opted for Wetherspoon's, busy inside but quiet outside. All very festive and jolly, as seen from our inside table. We learned that food stopped until after the Christmas break at around 19:00 and that opening hours on the big day were 11:00-15:00. And that staff could take a meal with their break, as I caught a young man on the way up to the staff room with two plates worth of one. On the stairs too.

The ladies polished of what was left of the evening at home with a slab of royal tosh on the box. I was busy elsewhere, possibly with a bottle.

References

Reference 1: https://psmv2.blogspot.com/2014/04/the-dover-patrol.html.

Reference 2: https://psmv2.blogspot.com/2014/05/bacon-and-out.html.

Reference 3: https://en.excelentesprecios.com/royal-hazel-cherry-tree.

Reference 4: https://www.davewilson.com/about/zaiger/.

Reference 5: https://zaigersa.co.za/.