Last week, it was certainly hot… unbelievably hot. Battleaxe and Philosopher didn’t even go outside, despite the fact we have a lovely new all-covering sun umbrella/canopy in the back garden. It was too hot to do anything. Too hot to write – this study is boiling hot in the front of the house. Then, a couple of days ago, the weather totally changed. It poured with rain and is now cloudy with a really chilly strong wind. Back into the long trousers, the fleeces – and we even had the heating on for a bit. Have had two days in London – meeting my old housing chum Pete one day, and then the two Sue’s from Birmingham. Battleaxe is currently having eye problems – persistent recurring stye things, now erupting on the lower lid of one eye as well as an existing patch on the upper lid of the other eye. Been to the doctor this morning.
Look at these starlings enjoying our bird bath. We have so many baby starlings at the moment, endlessly screaming for food at their exhausted parents, and fluttering and squawking round the bird feeders. We even had a group of them fly into the house through the open bi-fold doors one day last week. Two flew out again straight away but one didn’t – just flapped uselessly from one curtain pole to another, until Philosopher captured it in the kitchen. Like everything else in this life, bi-fold doors are a mixed blessing. Sure, they bring the outside in to the home in a very attractive manner, but they bring everything else as well – flies, endless bumble bees to be rescued, and birds…
London? It was one of the last very hot days when I went up to see Pete, but the train was air-conditioned to the point of goose-bumpy refrigeration both up there and back, and we ate in an air-conditioned restaurant – Masala Zone, in Floral Street – a very good Indian, specialising in South Indian dishes. Had been there once before with friend Shaun, and Battleaxe would recommend. Finally, we went to the also air-conditioned Courtauld Gallery – Pete had never been there, and it is one of my favourites – quite small, but so full of well-loved household-name paintings. Here is a previous post about it, and here is one of my favourite paintings, photographed on that earlier visit.
Monday, when I met the Sues, was a bit cooler, and in fact the train was by now too uncomfortably cold. We ate in Romano’s, a comparatively recently refurbished restaurant upstairs from the main beef-fest at Simpsons in the Strand. Battleaxe has braved the dark-brown, heavy beef place on a couple of occasions, once with my parents, and once with Philosopher and Alan. Gosh, I don’t believe it – that was 2013! I see Simpsons closed at Covid time, and has been totally remodelled. Back then I said in the blog that my first visit was on my 21st birthday. I guess it was… So long ago. Anyway, Romano’s is considerably lighter – in all senses of the word – and, much cheaper. Here is a picture from the website. We chomped our way happily through a three course prix fixe for £24.75. Not bad.
After, we went to the Royal Opera House for a mosey round – Sue T had never been there. Not much to say about it except that it had one of the most expensive shops I have ever seen. Here is an example of the over-priced offerings.How much for one of these?
Yes, this basket of inoffensive little – and I mean little – about 1.5 inches tall? – crocheted dangly chickens. Say £5.99? £8 because it is the middle of London? Try again… A tenner… No… £15.00. Then think plastic hair combs made in China – £30.00
Eyes – I don’t think the doctor had a clue what was going on. She suggested, to save time, that I should be referred to ophthalmology at Benenden, so will have to progress that… Honestly, getting health care these days is just one hurdle after another…
Currently, we have a man festooning a wire off a telegraph pole at the back of our house to get us hi-fibre broadband. Don’t ask me why…
