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.
Honor Oak Park Station
Honor Oak Park station is on the East London Line and it is a station I passed through on the way to see Ipswich play at Crystal Palace this afternoon.
But why is it spelt the American way?
It is actually spelt in the proper old English way from the Latin roots, which of course Americans would have originally used. There is a discussion here. Note that the girl’s name as in, the actress, Honor Blackman is also spelt without the u.
So don’t write to London Overground and complain!
A Comedian With Cerebral Palsy
BBC Breakfast this morning showed a comedian from Newcastle, with cerebral palsy called Lee Ridley, who works under the name of Lost Voice Guy. If he appears near you, I think he would be worth seeing and not for the curiosity value.
It reminds me of a time in the United States, where there was a blind comedian with a guide dog. I never saw him, but there is one in New York now called Brian Fischler. In the act I heard of, the dog got into it, by reacting appropriately to some jokes.
A Chinese View of London’s Transport in the Olympics
This article from China turned up in one of my searches. It’s a good read and very positive in outlook.
The only thing about the article is that the pictures didn’t really go with the text.
Transport for London Bans Gay Cure Bus Adverts
I put up an article a couple of weeks ago about Stonewall’s adverts on London buses.
I thought there would be some protests and after watching them for nearly three weeks, I haven’t even seen one that has been damaged.
I usually read the Evening Standard and listen to the local news and have seen no reports of any protest either.
But now some gay cure adverts planned by an opposing Christian group, have been banned by Transport for London, as reported here.
I have read about the therapy they are promoting in serious newspapers and magazines and it is not something I believe will work. Therapy, such as that for smoking and nail-biting does work, but only because the person seriously wants to give up. So on the same basis if a person seriously wanted to stop being gay, some simple less agressive therapy might help. There is a serious article in the Guardian, that anybody who believes religious-based methods cure people from being gay should read.
But my biggest issue with the adverts, is that they mimic the ones from Stonewall.
Surely this is an infringement of copyright!
Just imagine the row if Pepsi-Cola copied an advert from Coca-Cola.
The Anonymous Widower 