A first deposit

Having failed to deposit any books at the Raynes Park Platform Library, despite best intentions, partly because being on the south bound platform means that it is better suited to taking out rather than putting in, I decided that I should, instead, deposit some books at the rather longer standing Wetherspoons Tooting Library. So off to Tooting.

First event was the finding of a cheap shoulder bag, made of some rough cotton material and with most of one side being occupied by a transparent plastic window. Not the right shape for any map that I know, so no idea what the bag is for. Now in the garage while I ponder.

Second event was a large lady of subcontinental origin in the next compartment who talked very loudly into her telephone more or less the whole way. Unusually, she had an Irish accent. And furthermore, when she left us, she was able to demonstrate trouser style which would not have disgraced a plumber from a bog-standard estate.

Garratt Lane charity shops all up and running on this Sunday afternoon, as was the second hand bookshop, the place mentioned at reference 1. There, for the sum of 50p I was able to buy a copy of the 'Rudiments and Theory of Music', published by the Associated Board, and with which I should be able to fill some of the larger gaps in my musical education. I have already learned that there are two sorts of minor scale, something I don't remember ever knowing before. More by way of a crammer than a text book, a musical version of Kennedy's Revised Latin Primer, and I doubt if I will make it to grade 8, at which grade one is expected to be able to compose tunes, if not fugues, something I think unlikely in my case. Published in 1958 and once the property of the late Justin Arundale.

From thence to Wetherspoons where I was able to make my first deposit, perhaps three shelf centimetre's worth, with one of the two books involved having a dust jacket, not something much of the stuff there runs to, despite its otherwise surprisingly high standard.

From thence to Honest Burger for my second life time visit. See reference 2 for the first visit. Nice waitress. Burger rather good, much better than the average public house offering, but marred by coming with a very small bun. I shall see how they respond to a request for two buns at my next visit. My guess is that they will come up with the extra bun with neither comment nor charge. Chips also good, a good portion and, I was reminded in time to ask for no salt, with which they are otherwise generous. Including a glass of wine, a very reasonable tab.

The place was busy and included two young families. From one, involving small boys, I learned that Chima Lego is all the thing, what ever that might be. From the other, involving small girls, in fancy dress and well painted up, I learned that Frozen parties are all the thing. The husband swore that everyone in the year groups in question was having one. I observed that this would mean one got good value out of the fancy dress but confessed that while I had seen the film quite recently, I could remember more or less nothing about it. More or less total erasure. I don't seem to have mentioned it here either, with the best I can do being reference 3, which almost certainly post-dated the viewing in question.

Back to Earlsfield where I was pleased to just catch a train, rather crowded. And then surprised to be offered a seat by a young Muslim lady, complete with neat white scarf. She was so nice about it that I did not have the heart to refuse, although I would have been quite happy to stand. In-train entertainment in the form of a reasonably large, older lady with a reasonably skimpy blouse, exhibiting much chest tattoo - perhaps the Muslims have a point when they bang on about modest dress being mandatory for ladies.

PS: in the course of trying to find out when the Latin Primer was published, I learn from a Mary Beard blog that it is full of thinly disguised smut. Perhaps all those stories about dodgy goings on in Victorian public school were not all made up. Beard talks of 1888, while my own copy was prepared in 1961 and admits to no more than a revision in 1930. Oddly, nothing about when the thing was first written, other than, by implication, a long time ago. And nothing about exactly when the 'revised' handle was tacked on.

Reference 1: http://psmv2.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/hunt-ten-coacher.html.

Reference 2: http://psmv2.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/discharge-lounge-art.html.

Reference 3: http://psmv2.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/more-shanklin.html.