Not often do I have a reason to cross Vauxhall Bridge, yet this Grade II* listed bridge is quite impressive. Not just for its views: Battersea Powerstation on one side, the Palace of Westminster on the other, the SIS aka MI6 Building on the southern riverbank, which is actually in eastwards, Tate Britain on the northern, which is actually westwards. No, the secrets of this bridge can be viewed best by boat: in case you haven’t noticed, Vauxhall Bridge’s four piers have massive bronze statues on either side.
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The Vauxhall statues were designed by Frederick Pomeroy and Alfred Drury. Pomeroy’s statues on the south side represent Agriculture, Architecture, Engineering and Pottery, whereas Drury’s north side statues are Science, Fine Arts, Local Government and Education. Interesting mix, isn’t it? I wonder how (or if?) they decided on the themes for the statues. Anyways, lean over the railing on the south side, second pier from the north/west riverbank, make sure not to jump/fall, and suddenly you will see St Paul’s Cathedral in the hands of the Architecture statue. It’s a proper scale model, perhaps about 60cm long and very detailed, considering that it is bronze and has endured all weathers since 1907. London is full of wonders, tiny and tall.
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Overall, this is an enjoyable walk and only a short stroll away from the tourist hotspots Westminster and London Eye. Not many tourists are venturing this far south, and most of them only flock to Tate Britain and back. Tate Britain was actually my own motivation for this walk, but at least I went the extra 250m.
No, Sole Street is not a street in London. It is a hamlet in north Kent, 43km from London Victoria, and you have probably noticed that I refuse to use Imperial units. Anyways, the most noteworthy aspect about Sole Street is perhaps its railway station, which was our starting point for a leisurely (and muddy) country walk. Hills, fields, greens, patches of forest, horses, a pregnant pig, a medieval church, a designated area of outstanding beauty, and we narrowly missed the lost village of Dode. Really nice to get out every now and then and to discover the countryesque beauty of the area so close to London.
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Ah, and I should of course mention the two pubs that we did not leave out: the Amazon and Tiger in Harvel was our lunch spot and left us satisfied, even though they did not let us into the carpeted dining area thanks to our muddy boots. My Shepherd’s Pie was nice, good standard pub food, not outstanding but solid quality, going well with my TEA. No, not tea, the hot cup-sized camellia sinensis beverage, but TEA as in the pint-sized Traditional English Ale from Surrey’s Hog’s Back Brewery. More sweet than bitter, light and fruity, as enjoyable as a cuppa.
The second pub stop was at The Cock Inn in Luddesdowne, a true gem, almost worth a trip on its own. Here, we were immediately forced to remove our muddy boots and enter on socks, but upon entering the bar room, it became immediately understandable as to why. Yes, that was an old sewing machine on the table. And there’s a real open fire. And all those war-time posters. And…Köstritzer on tap?! Turned out that the landlord does regular trips to mainland Europe and brings back beers he likes. I, however, was longing for a tea, as in cuppa this time, but was surprised to be rejected. Filter coffee available, but no tea? Never heard that one before, but well, a pint of black German stuff was a rather enjoyable replacement.
Another day, another sushi – it really is commonliner’s sushi week. And save the best for last, no conveyor belt this time, but the all-time affordable favourite Hare & Tortoise at The Brunswick in Bloomsbury. The H&T is without doubt my most-visited restaurant in London, thanks not only to its proximity to my workplace, but rather to its very good value for money: for less than £10, you get a decent Wagamama-style meal, just better. And even though H&T now have a few branches, they are not anywhere near as ubiquituous as Wagamama. And better still: they serve sushi.
Hare and Tortoise, by Kake_Pugh via flickr.com
They did not always have sushi on their menu. They started serving the Japanese signature dish about three years ago. It is good to see a restaurant constantly improve; from the opening of branches beyond Bloomsbury, to the relocation during the renovation of The Brunswick (when H&T moved from one to the other side of the Renoir Cinema) with an interesting push towards friendlier service, to the expansion of the menu, H&T’s development has been thoroughly positive, while they kept the prices down. Plus, they are still sticking to their no reservations policy, so queues are a regular sight. Unexplicably, though, the queues seem to have shortened a bit; good especially for lunch customers, as 45 minute wait times were occasionally stretching lunch breaks a bit too much, but shorter queues do make me wonder about the state of business. However, as long as there are queues, they can’t go wrong.
Hare and Tortoise Bloomsbury, by Kake_Pugh via flickr.com
The sushi was good as always. We ordered a salmon selection plus additional extras including the world-class vegetable tempura. Even though H&T sushi is not necessarily much more expensive than the better conveyor belt chains, I think the sushi here has a much better quality. But perhaps the atmosphere adds to this impression: conveyor belt restaurants always have a fast food atmosphere around them, while this is a proper restaurant, though one of the rather loud and rushed kind with not much space. Yet the sashimi was brilliant, as were the various rolls, so today we made a pact to come here for lunch once a week between now and April.
The street name is important. There is another Coach and Horses in Soho, in the south-eastern end of the area, and it is steeped in history and really good. The one at the corner of Great Marlborough and Poland Street, a Greene King pub, is not quite as good, but will serve its purpose when you get the table at the open fireplace upstairs, as we did. Ok, it’s just gas, but watching dancing flames is for some reason very relaxing, especially when sitting on quite comfortable red-leather-padded chairs and banks, with a few red leather cushions for added comfort.
Coach & Horses, by Ewan-M via flickr.com
This is the kind of atmosphere for spending a whole lazy afternoon. Pity only that the bar staff were a bit grumpy tonight, matching the low quality of the ale and serving the pint with more than an inch of froth! But as they are on Greene King’s Capital Cask Ale Trail, I suppose they earn a substantial portion of their income from tourists. Well, with that attitude, they won’t keep returning customers, even though I will probably give them another chance some time – if any seats near the upstairs fireplace are available.
This week turns out to be sushi week, after last Sunday and a bit of unexpected Itsu takeway sashimi leftovers at work. As a part of the YO! Company, YO! Sushi is the catering arm of that business and operates a chain of conveyor belt restaurants, initially across the UK only, but I hear they are now also present elsewhere, such as Ireland, the Middle East and Russia. I would say, YO! Sushi fits in between the bargain sushi chain Wasabi and fellow conveyor belter Itsu, both in terms of price and quality, however that also depends on when you visit.
YO! Sushi, by fboosman via flickr.com
YO! Sushi often has special offers to cut prices significantly, and that’s what we did tonight: 40% off turned an otherwise £20+ dinner into a very affordable £13-£15 affair. And I really like their table layouts, including the white fake-leather sofas with built-in bottle buckets at the end of the backrests, and no, these buckets do not necessarily have to be used for champagne. Definitely the most comfortable of all low-to-normal budget conveyor belt chains.
The choice on the belt was good, and it changed quite a bit over the time we were there. This is always a good sign, as it is an indicator of freshness. Also, the belt was not so overloaded as the one last Sunday, although I must say the quality of the sushi at our recent Wasabi visit was definitely on par with YO! today, in other words definitely above supermarket sushi but below sushi in non-belt restaurants. Anyways, I will happily return with a voucher in my hand, but if I was to pay the full price, I would probably go elsewhere.
Behind the unassuming door pictured below in the middle of West Bromptonian nowhere lies one of Europe’s finest Jazz clubs. The 606 Club got its name from its original location in 606 Kings Road, and it transferred its reputation and name to the new location in Lots Road, a residential area plus some industry such as the derelict Lots Road Power Station directly opposite, which is supposed to be turned into a shopping hub within the next three years.
606 Club Entrance, by rbeforee via flickr
This venue is a proper club, which in this case means that only members are allowed to have alcoholic drinks without a meal. And you can only become a member after three documented visits! All non-members must have something to eat with their drinks, unless they stick to soft drinks during the week. In addition to the meals, the club has a music charge, which is added per head to the bill. In return, the club offers quality jazz music every (repeat: every) night.
Tonight was my first time at this legendary club, and it did not disappoint, starting with the experience of entering the venue. Not only is the door so unassuming that you would not take notice if you were not in the know, but every guest has to ring a doorbell before a trellised gate buzzes open, clearing the way down a rough staircase into the lairs of the club. Inside the club, the decor is pretty much simplistic, with all attention focused understandably on the small stage.
January 31, 2010 
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London with a yellow rucksack.
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