Daura in the Angel, Islington Waitrose
The Estrella Damm Daura was there all the time, but rather hidden away at the bottom of the Free From section. The bottles and packaging are very red by the way.
I think shops need to think how they sell GF beer. Sainsbury’s put it with the special beers and Waitrose have done the opposite. Perhaps they need some clever stickers on the shelves to point people in the right direction.
The Angel Waitrose is very small, so they have a space problem. I’m sure there’s a labelling or web solution, which would help the stores and shoppers alike.
Carluccio’s Have Formalised the Gluten-Free Breakfast Menu
I was in the Upper Street branch today and the manager showed me a copy of their gluten-free breakfast menu. Effectively, they’ve had it for some time, but it’s now properly printed.
He also said that they are doing a lot of gluten-free meals.
The Tuesday Night Football Test
So I can’t go to Derby for the Ipswich match on Tuesday night, but how many of the Championship grounds are possible to visit for an evening fixture and get back to London at a reasonable hour?
Here’s a list based on the current clubs in the Championship.
- Barnsley – No return train
- Bristol City – Into London at 00:33
- Burnley – No return train
- Cardiff – Possible if you miss the last 30 minutes
- Crystal Palace – Not relevant
- Coventry – Into London at 00:04
- Derby – No return train
- Doncaster – Possible with a taxi
- Hull – No return train
- Ipswich – I’ve done it after the Arsenal match.
- Leeds – No return train
- Leicester – Possible if you miss the last 15 minutes
- Middlesbrough – No return train
- Millwall – Not relevant
- Norwich – Possible if you walk quickly
- Nottingham – No return train
- Portsmouth – Into London at 00:30
- Preston – No return train
- QPR – Not relevant
- Reading – Easily done
- Scunthorpe – No return train
- Sheffield United – No return train
- Swansea – Just a bit too far
- Watford – Easily done
It should be said that quite a few like Leeds, Sheffield and Nottingham have very early trains, where if you were a real fan you could wait for perhaps four hours in the station or find a B & B. But I was never that enthusiastic!
I think though it shows the need for the matches to be planned better. Perhaps local matches like Ipswich against any London club should be the ones for Tuesday nights. Although it could be argued that Ipswich to Derby is an easy drive and many fans will go by coach.
The Sunday Lunchtime Test
I was talking to a friend yesterday about my troubles on getting back from Derby after the football on Tuesday and he happened to say that it’s very difficult to get to some places in the UK from London by train for lunch on a Sunday. In some ways this isn’t something that is fair, as engineering works sometimes take place, but surely things like this should be possible most of the year.
Out of curiosity I decided to check some routes.
- Cardiff – Three trains before 13:00 – Two direct and one almost
- Liverpool Lime Street – Two trains before 13:00 – Both direct
- Manchester Piccadilly – Three trains before 13:00 – All direct
- Newcastle – Two trains before 13:00 – Both direct
- Norwich – Two trains before 13:00 – Both direct
- Plymouth – One train before 13:00 – Direct
- Swansea – One train before 13:00 – Direct
I have checked the next three Sundays and found that in some cases trains weren’t running due to engineering works, especially on the Norwich route.
Incidentally, I was surprised that Plymouth and Swansea are possible. Especially as the High Speed Trains are nearly forty years old. But they are still very comfortable, have windows aligned to the seats and are very fast. Incidentally, I checked and found that on the 12th of February you can get to Plymouth for £14.20 in Standard and £28.70 in First.
But if it’s granny’s birthday and you’re booking a few weeks in advance, it seems that the system is pretty predictable.
The Anonymous Widower 