Coronation cod

On Friday we paid a rather long overdue return visit to Bachmans for a linzatorte (see references 1 and 2). We called on spec and as luck would have it they had two in, of which we took one. As it turned out, a good cake but with rather more red jam inside and rather more sugar glaze on top than we were expecting. We thought that maybe their recipe had moved on a tad since 2012.

From there onto the French Tarte in Maple Road, in Surbiton proper (see reference 3). An area full of very full on housing, looking rather like the stuff you might get in a posh area much nearer London and fairly full of rather full on ladies who lunch. Full on in the sense of rather loud and rather full of themselves. We took a fine slice of apple tart outside on one of the sunny pavement tables. We read the notice which explained that they would shortly be taking bitcoins. A little early and we decided against lunch at the next door French Table, and wandered off, back towards town.

Past some interesting raised beds in the front garden of a large town house, full of orderly lines of truncated stalks. Small boys nearby told us enough about the flowers that had been there to think that they had probably been sunflowers. We must try to go back when they might be in season again. They must have been a rather splendid & unusual display.

Past the rather grand St. Andrew's church, the sign board for which positively invited us in. But both entrances were blocked by locked glass doors and the cleaner within, who did see us, was not into letting us in. Clearly thought that on her wages (she did not look like a volunteer) she was not going to mess about with customers. We could see enough through the glass doors to be reminded of St. James the Less on Vauxhall Bridge Road (see reference 4) and it would have been interesting had we been able to see a little more. Perhaps a letter to the diocesan authorities is indicated. That is to say to the bishop of Kingston, area bishop of the diocese of Southwark, in the Province of Canterbury. Based in Raynes Park of all places. Or should I go straight to the top, with the present primate being a former incumbent of the Kingston see?

And so onto the Coronation Hall to partake of the Friday Club fish and chips on offer there. Two meals and two drinks for around £11, probably about what a couple of bowls of soup would have cost at the French Table. Fish surprisingly good for a pub but the chips were a bit feeble, tasting more of mashed potato than chip. Presumably oven chips. Nevertheless, very good value, value which must make life a bit difficult for other places in their segment of the market.

The Hall itself, apparently once an early cinema, built just before the first war, had been rather splendidly restored and decorated by the Wetherspoon's team. Clever use of the space, not unlike that of the rather similarly shaped George's Meeting House in Exeter (the place with the lovingly restored pulpit). The illustration offered above, gives some idea, but the colour seems to have gone a bit off and I dare say the telephone was confused by the medley of interior lighting. But good enough to see that it was a rather more cheerful place than Common Club of Stamford Green where they have, as I recollect, a not that dissimilar roof.

PS: perusal of the various bitcoin websites was interesting. A gang which seems to be torn between the need to be open and transparent and the need to be private, the latter need appearing to introduce all kinds of unwelcome complications into the use of bitcoins. Which makes one suspect one part of the idea is to avoid paying taxes and another is to be suitable for transactions that banks might be a bit stuffy about. Not sure what they have to offer me, a happy & contented user of a visa card.

Reference 1: http://www.bachmanns.co.uk/.

Reference 2: http://pumpkinstrokemarrow.blogspot.co.uk/search?q=linzatorte.

Reference 3: http://www.thefrenchtable.co.uk/.

Reference 4: http://pumpkinstrokemarrow.blogspot.co.uk/search?q=Time+to+move+from+the+bubble+men.