CSI Victorian London
The BBC’s new police drama, Ripper Street, was called this in this review in today’s Daily Telegraph.
I watched it and depending on your view of the typical reader of that newspaper, some of the elderly men, who read the Telegraph, probably liked it too. There was quite a bit of Victorian underwear and unrestrained boobs for a start. I don’t know whether Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells liked it, as he hasn’t put pen to paper yet!
I certainly enjoyed it more than Downton Abbey, which because of my allergy to adverts, I never watch!
To Notting Hill For a Pizza
As a coeliac, I don’t get to eat pizza very often. In fact the last time, I ate one, was in Naples in 2009. But that was rather special in that the restaurant was one of the best in that wonderful city in Italy.
Otto Pizza is a short walk from Notting Hill Gate station. I found it on the web last night, after I felt that after seeing the poster in La Porchetta, that I ought to have found gluten-free pizza in the over two years, that I’ve lived in London.
So this lunchtime, I took the Underground to Notting Hill Gate station and then got a 328 bus to outside the restaurant at the Artesian Road stop. Not only did I have a delicious double-flavour pizza, I had a gluten-free beer as well.
The only problem was that streams of Wonga-encrusted buses kept stopping outside.
In fact in one short period of time, of the eight buses that stopped, five had adverts for the barely-legal loan shark. And of the three that didn’t, one was a half-size bus and the other was still an advertising virgin, unmarked by commerce.
As to the unusual pancetta and sprout pizza, it was something I liked a lot. But C, would have really turned up her nose at the Grapes of the Devil.
This is a restaurant that deserves to succeed big time, if only because it doesn’t follow the rule book laid down by big chains.
Death Of Someone Who Could Write
The death of Lord Rees-Mogg was reported over Christmas and today the newspaper that he edited has a two page tribute to their former editor.
In a piece by Anne Spackman, the Comment Editor, which describes him as an editor, who knew the value of editing, there is this final paragraph.
When his wife rang just days later to say that William had been taken into hospital, she said he wasn’t afraid of dying. “It’s going to be so very interesting,” he had told her.
If we could all be as brave and dignified, when the time comes.
Derry Becomes UK City Of Culture
There is a touch of deja-vu about how Derry is being made the UK City of Culture for 2013.
There was a lot of cynical thought about what might happen when Liverpool became European Capital of Culture in 2008. However, looking back from 2010 in this article in the Guardian, shows it was a great boost to the city. On my regular visits to the city, it now has a very buoyant attitude to the future, compared to say ten years ago.
Let’s hope that being UK City of Culture does the same for Derry.
Ministry Of Justice Deals It Out to Claims Firms.
This article on the BBC web site, says that the Ministry of Justice has shut down 209 rogue claims firms in the last six months.
This is good news. But I wonder how many people have been involved in more than one firm.
I also would love to see a database published of all those involved. It would be an interesting analysis.
Bawling Out Wares In Oxford Street
At the tacky end of Oxford Street towards, I heard a lot of commotion going on. It was comng from this shop selling perfumes.
Bawling Out Wares In Oxford Street
It was an old-fashioned trader bawling out his wares. I haven’t heard or seen anything like this since they used to get rid of crap in a shop called King Kong in the main shopping street in Liverpool in the 1960s.
Keep Calm And Eat Pizza
I saw this sign in the window a La Porchetta restaurant.
Keep Calm And Eat Pizza
I keep calm most of the time, but I can’t find anywhere to eat pizza in London. Unless anybody knows of reliable gluten-free pizza in the city.
Europe’s Most Stupid Politician
I’ve just read two articles about President Hollande’s tax ideas in the Times and The Telegraph. He wants everyone who earns over a million euros to pay a 75% tax rate. the constitutional Council has turned his idea down, so he doesn’t even know French law.
Forty or so years ago, such a policy could have been enforced and in those days in the UK, anybody earning over about £40,000, used to pay an income tax of over 70%. But all that did was create schemes to avoid paying tax and the best brains of the country became accountants and tax lawyers, rather than scientists and engineers to create wealth by creating companies and jobs.
But Hollande thinks he can turn the clock back!
He must be so stupid to not see that he’s being counter-productive, by giving the brilliant, reasons to leave France. Il est un imbecile.
Train Ticketing For Football
In the last few months, I’ve been to Barnsley, Birmingham, Bolton, Brighton, Hull, Leeds, Leicester and Wolverhampton to see Ipswich Town play. Although in some cases like Hull and Leicester the football wasn’t the best, I’ve not had much of a problem with the trains. Except of course in getting to Ipswich, where they have chosen match day Saturdays to rebuild the line.
Usually, I travel First Class either one or both ways. On the Wolverhampton trip, where I could be sure of my times, I used Advance tickets that cost just £31 with a Senior Railcard. Some of the supporters, I met at the game, were rather surprised at the price.
But sometimes, I’ll get Off Peak Second Class and pay the upgrade, if it is available, like it is on Virgin. GreaterAnglia and others.
Next Saturday, I’m going to see Ipswich in the FA Cup at Aston Villa. For that game, I’ll book the outrun on a specific train using an Advance First Class ticket on Virgin, as they seem cheaper than Chiltern and stop in New Street, where I can get the train to Witton for Villa Park. but coming back, I’ll get an ordinary Off Peak Standard Class ticket, as that will mean I can get any train. If I want to upgrade to First Class it will cost me £10 on the train.
I’ve just booked the two tickets and they cost me a total of £31.65.
The Anonymous Widower 