Screwfix

The last day in November saw a first visit to the Screwfix passage since mobility problems had kicked in again. All present and correct, but I did wonder whether it could get a bit tricky down the slope when the frost is on it. I don't remember any such thing, but Clay Hill Green and West Hill certainly do.

The security fence around the empty Tchibo facility in Blenheim Road had come down in my absence. Is a new tenant about to move in?

But why have CLD - the security fence people - left their sandbags? Oversight or flytipping? See reference 1.

A bit further round our local monkey puzzle was looking well. Need to keep an eye on the pale green growth over the green tiles. Is that just what happens when a stem divides? Or is it having a go at the female cones noticed back in June, in Ealing, at reference 2?

Decided that BH needed the bumper festive edition of the Guardian, published for some reason on the last Saturday of November. In which, over breakfast this morning I noticed a couple of items from the pink section.

First, with the important exception of capital punishment, the Commons is very much behind the curve when it comes to cross-party social reforms like assisted dying.

Second, I was pleased to read in a letter from one Gavin Neath, late of Unilever, that the UK food industry has done a lot, on a voluntary basis, to cut the amount of salt in food. Cutting which involves cooperation between the big foodcos, as the customers, given a choice and within reason, will go for the product with the more salt. Pleased because it appeared to be an unforced effort. The foodcos do pay some attention to public health.

Not applicable to us here at Epsom, as, being healthy people, we add little salt to our food and do not eat much junk food. Not even our speciality salt. That said, we do eat in restaurants which I dare say use quite a lot of regular salt and I have just added a teaspoon and a half to my near 6lbs of bread dough (batch No.735). While a search for salt at reference 3 led me to the fat report from Bath University to be found at reference 4: 'a rapid review of the acceptability and impact of  approaches to reduce the salt, fat and sugar content of  people’s diets on consumers and industry'. Nothing like as glossy as the sort of thing which might have come out of a foodco. And which I am probably not going to attempt to read.

References

Reference 1: https://psmv5.blogspot.com/2024/03/trolley-647.html.

Reference 2: https://psmv5.blogspot.com/2024/06/ealing.html.

Reference 3: https://www.food.gov.uk/. One that escaped the cull of quangos!

Reference 4: https://www.food.gov.uk/print/pdf/node/8816.