Abbey Mills Is Revealed
Abbey Mills Pumping station sits like a Moorish castle on the Greenway guarding the Olympic Park.
I’m pleased to see that the years of vegetation have been cleared and it now appears as the great Victorian building it was designed to be. Note that the signpost sits on the south-east corner of the pumping station site. You have good views towards Canary Wharf and the Olympic Park.
I carried on to West Ham, where they are building a lift to make it easier to get to the station.
The Bridge Over Stratford High Street Is Coming On
I’ve taken pictures of this before. I took this one today.
The Bridge Over Stratford High Street
The handrails are now in place.
Note that disabled users, those who can’t climb stairs, buggy pushers, cyclists and the plain lazy will go round the side to a light-controlled crossing over the road. Or at least it looks like they will! All in all, this bridge crossing over a very busy route, seems to have been well-designed.
The Busy Greenway By The Olympic Site
Before I went to lunch, I took the 488 bus to Hackney Wick and then walked to the ViewTube.
I had intended to have a coffee at one of the best places in London, but it was just so busy I moved on.
Wot No Rails!
This picture was taken at Whitechapel station on the Metropolitan and District lines.
Wot No Platforms!
The gap will be filled in, to create a big island platform and escalators will be put there to get to the Crossrail platforms below.
A Bendy Train
London of course, has got rid of its bendy buses, but now it has bendy trains on the Metropolitan line. I travelled on one on Friday.
These seem to be doing the job they were designed for, which the buses didn’t do too well.
The Waitrose-Go-Round
I know that sometimes I buy some odd food, as many coeliacs do, but I’m finding getting what I need seems to be getting more and more difficult.
On Friday, I went to Upper Street, Islington to get most of my shopping, but yesterday, I had to go Holloway Road, or as I say, Jones Brothers, to get some of the rest. At other times, I find myself in Bloomsbury and Eastfield.
Currently, the products I find difficult to get are the St. Helen’s Farm Goats Milk Yoghurt and the Eat Natural Breakfast Toasted Muesli with Vine Fruits. I can get the latter in Sainsbury’s next door to my usual Waitrose. I’m not sure, but they may undercut Waitrose and shoppers have been ignoring it in the more expensive store, so the computer says they shouldn’t stock it.
But it all goes to make my shopping difficult.
Observations In A Restaurant
Today, I walked to the river via the Olympic site for lunch. I ended up in a posh, but rather crowded cafe I know, which is close to Canary Wharf.
I ended being sat on a single table between two couples, who probably we’ren’t having the best of marital relations at the moment.
C, my late wife, who was a barrister specialising in family law, used to enjoy this sort of scenario. Especially in Cambridge, where a few days later they might walk into her Chambers as prospective clients. So that cause of friction was not there, as I’m not a lawyer, although, I have fathered one.
The couple on my right, were what C once described as a double helping, as they were both married to others, although they were talking about their spouses and children across the table.
She was a dumpy, but not unattractive, Far Eastern lady of about thirty and he was a rather dreary-looking man perhaps a few years older.
At one point, when she left the room, he phoned his wife to find out how his daughter was. The lawyers will enjoy both the divorces.
The couple on my left, were probably at least married to each other. He was rather plump too and she had the sort of hair, that costs a fortune and then just looks straggly and like she’s only just got out of the shower.
She first ordered a glass of white wine and then when it came, decided they would have a bottle. But when that arrived, she decided it was the wrong one and ordered another. If I’d been the waiter, I’d have crowned her with it. Her partner seemed rather embarrassed and kept quiet.
I left soon afterwards and as I paid the bill, I could feel the atmosphere. As I left, I could see everything heating up.
Carluccio’s Minestrone Soup
Carluccio’s changed their menus a week ago and added a minestrone soup to the main menu, which is on the gluten-free one without the foccaccio.
I’ve had it a couple of times and it is very good, with ham hock, green beans and lots of other vegetables in a tasty stock. It makes an excellent lunch on its own with a drink.
I should also say that this last week, Carluccio’s have had vitello tonnato as a special. As it should be their version is gluten-free. Unfortunately, I think today may well be the last day you’ll get it for some time, as they change specials weekly.
The Anonymous Widower 