CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE. THOSE IN GROUPS WILL ACCESS GALLERIES THAT CAN BE SEEN FULL SIZE.
Jackie delivered me to New Milton Station this morning for me to catch the train to Waterloo for lunch with Norman. I didn’t get a seat until Southampton. I was lucky; many didn’t. The man in the foreground had recently received a replacement hip. At Southampton Central four more coaches were added, but they brought another load of cattle with them.
Norman and I met at La Barca, just around the corner from the side entrance to Waterloo Station on the Taxi Approach Road. The brief walk across this road, down the steps to Spur Road, and round to Lower Marsh is, on a sunny day, not a pretty one. Today wasn’t sunny.
The wall opposite the station offers a view containing the forest of cranes that is a fairly common view in the capital today.
Taxis ply their trade in both directions,
also queuing along Spur Road.
Baylis Road, opposite the end of this, runs past Westminster Millennium Green, featured a number of times since it was described by Steve White as ‘A Beautiful Setting’. The Italian flag flying on the right of this photograph shows how close the restaurant is to the station.
This protective cage may seem a little excessive, but it hasn’t escaped the graffiti merchants.
The lingering touch of autumn does its best to brighten Baylis Road where brickwork is receiving the attention of workers on a large telescopic platform.
The cheap and cheerful Chicken Valley rubs shoulders with the more upmarket La Barca doing its best with seasonal decorations. The snowflakes on the ground are in fact gobbets of chewing gum, found on many of our pavements and station platforms.
This young gentleman dined alfresco.
Across the road the La Cubana’s stall was taking a delivery from an open van.
Norman and I preferred to eat in comfort. We each enjoyed a superb leek and potato soup followed by a splendid veal cutlet served with an asparagus sauce, truffles, and roast potatoes. Our shared bottle of wine was an excellent house red Montepulciano. I needed nothing more to eat later.
The outside temperature shown on the car dashboard when Jackie collected me from the return train at Brockenhurst was 13 degrees. No wonder I felt overdressed.
I have noticed that the older I get, the more I like my comfort 😉
That goes for us, too. We’ve all had our years of chomping on the go. Thanks, Laurie
They still drive on the wrong side 🙂
🙂 Thank you so much, Bridget
Sounds like a good day spent between two friends. But I’m curious, is there some significance to dropping your gum and the ground?
Thanks, GP. Norman and I have been friends for 40 years. Re the gum, have a look at Osyth’s and TanGentle’s comments.
I like the idea for the ‘gum artist’, at least they would serve a purpose! haha
Thanks for a detailed look at your day, Derrick! So many interesting aspects, like the gum on the ground, the crowded travel, and of course the splendid meal you managed to locate!
many thanks, Luanne
All that gum spat onto the pavement is so ugly – it speaks volumes about attitudes. Would it bankrupt British Rail to put another couple of cars on busy runs? I feel a tad belligerent on your behalf Derrick 😀
Thanks, Pauline. Sadly, British Rail is no more. The ‘services’ are run by a myriad of competing companies. The train operators and the rail one are different, and if one disrupts the other they are fined. Re the gum, you might like to follow TanGentle’s link (see his comment)
Ah, privatisation has struck you too. I didn’t know! Great link to the chewing gum painter – what a guy!!
Waterloo doesn’t change, does it; we need Ben Wilson to sort out the chewing gum http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-11677462
Great link, Geoff. I hope others spot it. Thanks
That was quite a story about the gum painter. I love that he does it, but if I were out there spending all that time on a task, I think I would just peel the gum off and be done with it. I am too practical to be a real artist, I suppose.
Maybe you just like to preserve your art, Jodie
Fascinating. I wonder if he’s still doing it?
I’ve never seen any
I’m pretty sure he is. He did a huge exercise in the millennium bridge by the Tate Modern two years ago.
Thanks, Geoff. I will scour the pavements in future 🙂
You certainly live in the right place now Derrick!
🙂 Thanks, John
That ‘sea’ of cranes reminds me of Melbourne. I’m surprised there’s so much chewing gum on the pavement. Is that an English habit in the area?
Thanks, Vicki. The gum is pretty ubiquitous in UK, and, according to Osyth’s comment, in US, too
I’ve only just thought of this, but I wonder if the public bans and decline in smoking has contributed to gum chewing.
Good point.
Certainly smoking in all public venues is banned here.
Wow – That’s a very interesting thought –
Google maps street view is from June 2016 … I think the same young lad was eating the same sandwich then too. 😀
🙂 Many thanks, Widdershins
I do like all the variety of street views and life. Sorry for your seat-free ride! Ugh. In the past few months, I have noticed people offer me seats more often than they ever did. I couldn’t figure it out until I looked in the mirror and saw I’d had an aging growth spurt! I suppose it has some benefits, but it didn’t help you or the poor guy with the hip replacement!
Thanks, Lisa. Fortunately he, too, got a seat a bit later on.
I never thought those were chewing gums… 😀
There is so much of it, you wouldn’t, Maniparna. Thank you.
The “Forest of Cranes” when I was growing p in the east end of London were all in the dockyards,
They stayed around the east end until the Olympics were done with. Thanks, Brian
I get SO cross at the gum and it’s even worse in Cambridge MA than Cambridge UK!
Yes, Osyth. Thank you.
I loved this post, Derrick, but not the snowflakes on the ground. That’s so low class. I suppose all it took was a few gobbets before other morons added to the accumulation…very sad.
Thanks, Jill. It is so commonplace that I didn’t notice it until I uploaded the picture.
That was a good walk and that meal looked as good as your noted!
Thanks, Cynthia
I should amend that to say train ride with brief walk–i liked seeing your (gummy..egads) streets as usual.
Thanks a lot, Cynthia
Your photo on the train was well done. Viewing it, really imparted the crowded feeling of the ride. I enjoyed seeing the taxis, which are so different from ours in the US.
Many thanks, Nicki
Thanks for the tour, Derrick–even the chewing gum. Yuck!
The worst thing is stepping on chewing gum that someone has spit out, and then having it stuck to your shoe.
Thanks, Merril. Quite so.
What a lovely day! It’s so nice to see another place and the scenery as well.
Thanks very much, Lynn
I enjoy these short stories. So, how shall I say. ‘English’. 😄 why the crooked white lines where the taxis drive?
It is an offence to park within their range, Steve. Thank you.
Looks like a bustling city. I was about to ask the same question as the person above. The lines seemed hilarious to me, like someone had a good filling of wine before starting on their painting job 😀
Thanks, Geetha. See my answer to Steve rbittch
The snow flakes looked real! 🙂
Thanks, Timi
By gum, the local rabble are uncultured and inconsiderate. If caught, would it lead to a sticky situation for them?
I can’t stand trains where I have to stand.
La Barca sounds like a female French Poodle!
Thanks a lot, Leslie. Nice, witty, comments
Looks like another interesting day. Is there any chance of a parallel blog from Jackie about what she does while you’re away? I’m curious…
‘Ah, bless. Someone has noticed that I have a day, too. If I had a blog nothing would get done, would it?’ There’s your answer, Quercus. 🙂
🙂 Yes, I suppose all those curries don’t make themselves…
Brrr-r! We have had some bitter cold days and nights lately!
The Cubana food truck was in a colorful, pretty setting, Derrick. I like the delicious sounding veal with its presentation being quite appealing! Thanks for the numerous street photos!
Many thanks, Robin