It was, as it happened, a rather drear and wet day, so I thought to try out the bicycle cape on a Bullingdon. I always used to carry the cape when I used a proper cycle, although with lack of use there are interesting spots, not to say splodges, of mould growing on the inside and an interesting smell as one puts the thing on. I also worried about where I could buy a replacement, should that become necessary, yellow cycle capes not being anything like as commonly worn as they once were. Hi-vis before their time though they might have been.
So I pulled a Bullingdon at Grant Road East, Clapham Junction and pedaled off past the 'Asparagus' and Battersea Dogs Home and onto the shiny new Waitrose. Quite busy less than four hours after the off, bigger than the Epsom Waitrose, a lot smaller than the Kiln Lane Sainsbury's and about the size of the Leatherhead Tesco's. That is to say, about the right size for the senior shopper - or the metropolitan flat dweller dashing in for a quick bit of ready-meal after a hard day's work extracting money out of the rest of us. Sadly, being on a Bullingdon and not having thought to bring a bicycle lock, not practical to collect either my free organic bag or my free restaurant guide. Perhaps I was not missing much as I learned later that neither the restaurant where I lunched, not that which I lunched at reference 1 was listed. Who on earth could have put the thing together? Perhaps also I would have found that 'My Waitrose' card did not stretch from Epsom to Battersea; they certainly didn't bother to send me an email about this important juncture in Waitrosen affairs.
By the time I got to Vauxhall Cross I was a bit cold and wet, despite the exercise, so I paid one of my rare visits to a Pret, complete with cape, bicycle clips etc. I couldn't find the soup but two young ladies behind the jump took me into their care and I exited with quite a decent cup of something described as Christmas ham hock soup. Something of the pot noodle about it, maybe the MSG, but for a ready made soup not bad at all, just the ticket for the occasion. This despite sitting underneath an umbrella which seemed detirmined to drip on me - this because I did not think it fair to inflict wet cape on those sitting in comfort inside. Also because it would have had me steaming up in short order.
I wonder now whether I will remember to confess my visit to a fast food joint when next asked about such places by YouGov, screens which I usually briskly tick through with 'never'. More on them in due course.
In the meantime, on to the Estrela Bar, on or near South Lambeth Road, for lunch, well known to google despite not having moved into the world of web sites. I got the impression that they had either changed their baker - their bread used to be very good indeed for a restaurant - or that their baker had changed the mix. But they made up for that with a large portion of some excellent lamb, strips of lamb, cut with the grain, which had been lightly spiced and grilled. Served with overcooked seasonal vegetables; overcooked, I imagine, because they had been sitting for a while in a bain-marie. Or however you say that in Portuguese. Or perhaps a relic of the days when few adult Portuguese had much left in the way of teeth. But the vegetables did include some cabbage, something which many grander establishments have trouble with.
Picked up the Bullingdon for return at South Lambeth Road (underneath what used to be the striking BT building, now probably headed for more luxury flats) and pedaled off to Falcon Road. Which allowed a visit to the Turkish emporium there where I was able to pick up some of their excellent & cheap Turkish delight - at least BH has never complained about it. I don't eat the stuff - and some of their excellent but not so cheap Greek figs. Which I do eat.
Overall verdict, much more comfortable in a cape when on a bicycle in the rain than in anything else I can think of - except, perhaps, waterproof jacket and trousers, but with these last being a bit of a fiddle to get on and off. The only down side was that one then had a wet cape to carry about. We shall see whether I repeat the experiment/experience.
PS: the Wetherspoons web site tells me that the 'Asparagus' was named for all the asparagus that used to be grown in Battersea when the area was one big market garden for the then rather smaller metropolis.
Reference 1: http://www.psmv2.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/a-touch-of-pepys.html.
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