Cadogan

A fortnight ago we paid a rare visit to the Cadogan Hall off Sloane Square, the draw being an orchestral concert, the sort of thing we do not very often go to - in part because the South Bank offering is so feeble these days. With the last visit looking to be just about two years ago, as noticed at reference 1.

A day when we still elected to walk from Victoria - and when we spotted the Wellingtonia of Sutton, perhaps for the first time, but not scored until quite recently, as noticed at reference 2. And the same pianist, Elizabeth Sombart, as on the present visit. Which was sold out according the hall website: we can't be the only people that like our music during the day. With the people next to us coming down from Reading for the day, well pleased with the Elizabeth Line for the purpose.

A Beethoven programme consisting of the Overture to Fidelio, the Emperor Concerto (Op.73)  and symphony No.5 (Op.67). Oddly, I can find no record of having heard the second of these - although I am sure that we have. Perhaps it was a long time ago.

Bubble & squeak to start the day, followed by stick and ride to Ewell West, followed by No.360 bus from Vauxhall. A fine cherry picker, coming off Vauxhall Bridge. I failed to get a decent snap. but there are lots of them at reference 4.

Pit stop at Peter Jones, aka John Lewis, at Sloane Square, from the cafeteria of which I was able to admire the roof over what had been the light well, now mainly escalators, in much the same way as at their store in Oxford Street.

Out to admire the hall, complete with orchestral removal van. Inside to admire the bent-wood hand rails to the various stairways. A slightly less grand version of those with used to be found at GOGGS, which I dare say was roughly contemporary although I have not checked. Probably oak, possibly elm. One might have trouble sourcing such things these days.

And then there were the little blocks under some of the orchestral chairs, either two at the back or two at the front. We noticed later that some of the musicians carried their own blocks, not trusting the hall people to get it right.

Orchestra properly dressed, men white shirts & black tail, women mainly in black trousers.

There were more touch points with the Emperor, reprised as noticed at reference 5, than with the symphony, which struck me on this occasion as a bit bombastic, militaristic even - with both works being composed in the shadow of Napoleon's marauding armies - and with the Emperor being finished just about at the time of the bloody slog of a battle called Aspern, first noticed in these pages back in 2009 at reference 6. But the orchestra made a nice change.

Out to dine at the Colbert, a place we have used occasionally in the past and premises which I knew in the distant past as a rather sleepy public house. Perhaps catering for the people who worked the grand houses roundabout, rather than for the people who lived in them. They went to the Antelope around the corner. A fake 100 year old French bistro, very much like the Delaunay over at the Aldwych - I heard later that there may be some corporate link.

We also had our pianist in among a large mixed group of French and English, some of whom had spilled over to the table next to us. I had assumed that she would change after the show, but she had kept her flashy red dress on. Something of a reunion flavour about it all, but I was facing the wrong way and so was not able to soak up their ambience very accurately.

The food was pretty good, my crab starter excellent even. The best crab that I have taken in a restaurant - Isle of Wight aside - for a long time.

Sausage not quite so good. The sausage itself was fine, but they had not got the texture and flavour of the lentils underneath quite right - given the strong flavour and texture of the sausage.

Bread good, and as at the Delaunay, served without side plates.

The cheesecake with jam - possibly compôte or confiture - was fine. I suppose now that compôte has the same root as compost - the memory turning up something about the 'o' circumflex marking a missing 's'.

Sloane Square looking very festive on exit. Much better than in the summer when it was cluttered up with food sheds.

Different bus to take us back to Vauxhall, a longer route involving the Wandsworth Road, but we get there. There appeared to be a good supply of magazines at Raynes Park - except that the facility was locked, perhaps an hour before the advertised time.

The shiny new waiting room at Motspur Park was shut too. And the southbound train indicator was on the blink.

But I could admire the steelwork. And wonder idly about how good welded joints were on tension rather than compression.

Home around 21:15 to take tea. Then fairly early to bed to wake to a rather feeble dawn chorus at around 05:00. I associate to the power chorus we used to get at the West Runton scout camp (on the north Norfolk coast) - but then that was young ears out in the country. Possibly the field with the spot in the snap above. Sea above - with good rock pools at low tide. Huts below for leaders and suchlike.

References

Reference 1: https://psmv5.blogspot.com/2023/03/cadogan-hall.html.

Reference 2: https://psmv5.blogspot.com/2025/02/wellingtonia-116-117-and-118.html.

Reference 3: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Sombart.

Reference 4: https://bladeaccess.co.uk/.

Reference 5: https://psmv5.blogspot.com/2025/02/new-needle.html.

Reference 6: https://pumpkinstrokemarrow.blogspot.com/2009/10/monday-morning-blues.html.