So pulled a Bullingdon at Waterloo 1 and pedalled to Hinde Street. On the way, somewhere in New Oxford Street, a black Ferrari, no doubt the property of a footballer or worse, thought he would overtake rather faster than I thought was proper, but he did not reckon with the traffic and I caught him up comfortably. About which I was so pleased that I forebore giving him a piece of my mind.
Even more pleased to find just the sort of brown twisted cord I had in mind at Rouleaux, which turned out to be staffed by lightly sloaned young ladies and occupied by enthusiasts. Regular readers can make bets with themselves about how long it is before I get around to making the new toggles.
Business done I thought to try the white at the Coach Makers, responsible for the rather unusual web site at http://www.thecoachmakers.com/home.html. Also unusual in that I was personally greeted by an energetic bar maid, possibly Latin, who was convinced that what I needed was a glass of Viogner Marsanne, Hermit Crab 2012. At least that is what it said on the bottle. Not bad at all and available at Amazon, where a bottle costs less than double what I paid for a glass. The bar maid closed the transaction by a firm handshake on exit, something that has never happened to me in such circumstances before.
Being in the area, popped into the Wigmore Hall to hear some violin sonatas, Bach and Mozart, with a fortepiano rather than a piano. I was sitting very near the front and was able to admire the wooden case, which I suspected of being veneered chipboard, despite not being very sure about the acoustic properties of same, and the very slender legs. On the one hand one is impressed how much weight such thin wood will take, on the other by how easy it would be to break the legs off by giving them a whack to the side. Very near the front and very much to the right, on the wall in front, which I was not that keen on. But it did enable me to work out that the fancy red-brown marble columns were actually veneer, maybe half a centimeter thick.
Sonatas very good with, for some reason, the violin of the Bach sonatas (No.2 and No.3) reminding me of trumpet. Mozart (K526) all I would have expected.
Slight puzzle in that the programme suggested that the concert was broadcast live, as part of the Radio 3 lunchtime series, whereas the St. Luke's concerts are usually, if not always, aired a couple of days or so after the event. Perhaps the Wigmore, as the senior venue, is the only one to get the respect of live broadcast.
Back to Hinde Street to pull another Bullingdon, to pedal off in the drizzle to Vauxhall. Did Park Lane Southbound for the first time for while, which was fine except for a BMW saloon pulling right out from a left hand side road, rather than wait a few seconds until the lights just up the road changed. Pushy so and so. There was also the diversion of a slender lady cyclist who was into restraint (I think that is the proper term) and wore a large chain a few inches below what would have thought was the belt line, that is to say the waist.
Victoria OK and Vauxhall Cross OK, although this last might easily have not been if it was not for the consideration of drivers round about. Parked up at the South Lambeth Road stand. Sandwich (good) on South Lambeth Road and cake (substantial) at Stockwell. I learn that Stockwell, unlike Epsom, still boasts a real post office. There are some advantages of living in such a place.
The Swan was still there and appeared to be alive. Many years since I heard quite a decent folk group downstairs there and a noisy band upstairs, kitted out with blue lights for the occasion.
Reference 1: http://psmv2.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/op131.html.
Reference 2: http://psmv2.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/cotton-balls.html.
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