Business there completed, picked up the first Bullingdon of the day at Broadcasting House and worked my way through a crowded Oxford Street to pull up at Theobalds Road and take a peek at the library there, not used for many years. I am pleased to report that it is alive and well, although a fair bit of space has been given over to computers - on which aliens such as myself were allowed. Did not seem to be as slick an operation as that operated by Surrey Libraries, but it served.
Pushed onto Roscoe Street for the customary bacon sandwich at Whitecross Street, forgetting to ask for the thicker sliced bread which seems to come with some dishes. A bit more bread to the bacon would be good, although for bacon sandwich purposes I do prefer factory sliced to baguettes, these last being inappropriately crunchy for the purpose. Better luck next week.
On into St. Luke's to hear Ronald Brautigam give us Haydn's Fantasia in C Major, Piano Sonata in G Major, an early Beethoven Piano Sonata in F minor Op.2 No.1 and Haydn's Piano Sonata in C Major. The Haydns came with hob numbers which I had not come across before. The pianist, from the Netherlands, came on looking very like the gardener in the previous evening's episode of Morse - the one involving a very dodgy Master of Beaufort College. Trousers, patterned shirt not tucked in but rolled up to the elbows and waistcoat, the ensemble topped off with long white hair. A newish fortepiano said to be a replica of one made in 1805 or so, especially wide to cope with the music around at that time. But it still looked very narrow to me compared with a modern concert grand. And it sounded like a cross between a modern piano and a harpsicord. I had thought that the difference between the two was that one bashed the strings and the other plucked, so not clear how you can be in between: clearly need to do some revision on the actions of these two instruments. But then again, I have had strings sounding like trumpets and strings sounding like oboes recently, so should I be bothered by this latest twist?
Music very good. I liked the fortepiano and I liked the pianist's unobtrusive way of playing it.
For a change, round the back to Finsbury Leisure Centre from where I pedaled to the ultimate slot on the top of the ramp at Waterloo, aka Waterloo Station 3. So I made the goal set the previous week rather quicker than I had expected.
Also for a change, someone on the Waterloo roundabout saw fit to comment on my bicycle clips (actually the foldback variety of bulldog clips), something which has not happened for a while. This chap seemed to think that I had pinched them from the stationary cupboard, when, as it happens, I had bought them from Rymans. Clearly a civil servant to know so much about raiding stationary cupboards.
PS: I see that TFL have started to rebadge their Bullingdon site in red for Santander from the blue for Barclays. Quite a way to go yet and and I have not seen a red Bullingdon since the one I rode last week (see reference 1).
Reference 1: http://psmv2.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/finns-at-old-street.html.
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