How did the duck egg prices compare to chicken egg prices? Over here they're ludicrously expensive.

I loved the Borough Market the last time my wife and I were in London last February (2012)! It was quite cold, snow even fell on London but I dragged my wife down to the market on a Saturday morning and we got some cheeses, cured meats and breads, enough for the week we were there for snacks and fun foods. I liked it more than Chelsea which is fun but a bit more touristy.

You were right about me losing my sense of humour though.
I guess sometimes the things that make you go hmmm are the ones that strike home :)
I'll forgive you anything if'n you like my coat anyway... Still getting used to it. It's technically a cape - has no arms.
Damn, I cut the price off in my photo.
They are more expensive than hens' eggs, but they're not in the luxury food realm. They're probably £2-3 per half dozen. Large free-range eggs are about a pound cheaper. Caged (battery) farmed eggs are cheaper yet, but I don't buy those.

We're a nation of duck-keepers. Or at least we're a county of duck-keepers. True Aylesbury Ducks are rare now, but a recognised breed.
Am now embarrassed at the idea that it's possible to go to Borough Market and not take countless photos...
Glad you enjoyed it too. With a bigger budget - or any at all - I might not have been able to make it home under the weight of my purchases. Even with my stomach shrunk to the size of a pickled walnut I still could have purchased something from every stall.

Those photos are great! Thanks for posting them, Sundae.

I love how the fish look surprised.

Fish are routinely surprised.
Mostly by the fact that bait comes with a pointy reckoning.

I liked the tour as well. It reminds me of my local Pike Place Market; I'll try to put together a similar tour sometime.

regarding the rhubarb, do you mean like walla?

Indeed. I had no idea it was regional.
Grommish.

Off to London to see Teddy P!
AKA Edward Petherbridge, classical actor, talented artist and all round jolly nice chap.
Comes from Bradford apparently. In the days when actors had to lose their regional accents I assume.

Lots of pics of me me me, just in slightly different settings. And some of Steven. And just one or two of London. When I publish my Photo Album, like Tracey Emin, I will have plenty of material to draw from at least.

And we're off.
16.05 to Marylebone. Train fairly empty as you would expect at this time on a weekday.
Filled up as we got closer to London and it got later.

My jewellery courtesy of Brianna's sister.
They were Bri's and when I wear them I think of her.

Gosh, the sunlight shows my age doesn't it?
Ah well, I hated the way I looked well into my twenties, so I'm hardly pining for them now.

Free toilets! Huzzah! Saved me 30p anyway. Wish I could have gone twice to get more value out of it.
Some of the few photos of London I took. These are all around Monument/ Cannon Street/ London Bridge.

Many more cyclists in London now than when I lived there. I think the Congestion Charge (payment to enter London by car) has something to do with it. Still not as many as say Oxford - or anywhere where students can't afford cars.

When I took the second photo I thought it might be of Athena, given the owls. Editing the photo I realise it's Perseus (the shield, the Gorgon's head and all that) under the protection of Athena. I love that London is littered with barely noticed details like this.

Let me take you by the hand, and lead you through the streets of London...

One of the entrances to Monument. The one closest to Stevo's work.
I've taken a photo of the actual Monument before (it's for the Great Fire of London in 1666.) Cellar post.

My lovely brother, The Shard and London Bridge.
Three amazeballs in one photo, best only look for a second, it might explode.

The Golden Behind.

Oh, okay, a replica of the Golden Hind, Sir Francis Drake's ship in which he circumnavigated the globe in Tudor times. It's tiny when you think about how many were on board originally. Many of them died of course, so it must have felt quite roomy by the time they got round to drinking their own urine.

History via Blackadder ;)

And bro and London.

Impaled tourist from above shot.
That's for the Burma railway, Johnny Foreigner!

And off to the Gourmet Burger Kitchen - GBK.
My bro likes them so much he has a loyalty card.
I'm not so sure...
I feel a huge weight of red meat sitting in my gut today.

I did pig out though, so it's my own fault.
Can't remember the last time I ate red meat - and even then it would have been mince.
Still, it was a meal bought for me. I enjoyed it with my brother. The service was excellent and the taste was sublime.

I had The Don, but got Ste to change the brioche bun to a standard one. I love brioche, but with butter and hot chocolate, not with beef grease.
I'm sorry to say I have no idea what Steven had!
I took a pic but it's well blurry. Beef-drunk I was.

The fries... hmmmm.
I chose skinny fries, as did Ste, but he is used to them, I was shocked. I thought they would be like McD's fries. I mean they're skinny compared to chip-shop chips. No, these were more like crisps.

Steven ate most of them, after I told him I was getting too full to finish them.

The restaurant.
ME.

Semi-industrial setting. But very clean.

The Don. Note weirdy fries. Also I had a bottle of the real Budweiser - Budvar :)

Waiter noticed me looking around and hurried up to the table.
"Do you have any hot sauce?"
Yes, they had hot sauce.

Burger in the process of being stripped bare.
I should have finished eating at this point. Anything else was pure greed.

My attempt at taking a photo of the table, including Steven's burger.
As I said, beef-drunk.

What I left.
What a glutton.

One of a series of photos of me in toilets.
This time I am holding the heart of the Tardis.

Off we went to the Young Vic (as opposed to the Old Vic, where I went to see Mark Gatiss in All About My Mother.)

It didn't open its doors on time or start on time - of course.
But when it started I didn't think about that again. In fact I've only remembered it now in writing this up.

My Perfect Mind is a two-hander with Paul Hunter and Edward Petherbridge.
The premise is that Paul Hunter is a psycho-analyst dealing with a patient who believes he is Edward Petherbridge. The fourth wall is broken on many occasions, and it is seen Petherbridge has a King Lear complex. In fact he went to New Zealand to play Lear and had a stroke before he got onstage. In the play this is obviously eating away at him, but it must be cathartic in a way.

There are many references to his previous work, to Shakespeare and past and present events. It's a masterpiece. Hunter is wonderful but of course Teddy P steals the show. And not sneakily in the night; in a complete balls-out suave gentleman burglar kind of way. "Yes I'm stealing it, but you want me to really, don't you?"
He is generous too, no need to prove his acting chops.

We walked out and there was an usher with something like an old cigarette tray/ ice-cream tray. I hoiked Ste back and asked whether he wanted to buy Mr P's book for Mum - it was referenced in a wink-wink way in the show. Oh yes, he wanted. Bless him.

So we asked where we should wait for Teddy to come out (I was thinking Stage Door) and it turned out he left through the bar and often had a drink with friends and fans. So we waited there. Now me, with my extensive online stalking credentials, knew that if we were to ambush him without annoying him, we would have to have our tricks of the trade ready. Pen? Check. Camera ready to switch on and take photo immediately? Check. Book out and ready to sign? Check.

I have the eyes of frightened prey and therefore am always alert to my surroundings.
I spotted him as soon as he stepped into the bar and hissed at Steven "Go, Go, Go! Operation Teddy P!" Or something like that.

I heard him tell the lady in front of us (the only other person waiting) that he was meeting some very important people, so couldn't talk. Bugger. He is a working actor and no doubt it was about a job. She was obviously a long-term fan as he recognised her. Still reasonably undeterred, I approached him and immediately apologised, because I'm English.

He was lovely. He said he really didn't have any time to spare but I asked if he could just sign the book for my Mum, who wasn't able to come because she was ill. Just a signature. His demeanour didn't change - the appointment was obviously genuine and not an excuse, but he insisted on writing a proper message and telling me to give her his love. He then apologised for his writing which he admits has not come back completely since the stroke.

Kiss on both cheeks. Thanks from him for coming, for buying the book. Thanks from me for a sheer enormity of the show (haha, got it in!) and his talent.

And photo. Bless Stevo. All ready to go and done and dusted. We took up about 3 minutes of his time, probably less, and I think we were all the happier for it. Oh - just to note this was approx 10 minutes after he came off stage. Although it's a small theatre he is still wearing some stage make-up. I've seen him in many other settings, he's not a make-up kinda guy.

Ste and I in the Young Vic.
That blazer is far too big for me now, but I wanted to look smart.
It looks better when I am standing up.

Ste waiting for the Tube.
Jubilee Line, gotta love how new and sparkly it is, even now.

Almost obligatory shot of me on escalator.

Modern chap on way home on late train.
Got a taxi back home.

Wonderful afternoon/ evening.
Very happy.

Looks like you had a lovely time :) and extra props on getting the book, signed and all, for your ma! x

They would charge for breathing the air if they could. Actually, it's very civilized of the English to not pee on the sidewalk when they charge to use the toilets. They would do that around here. Actually, they do it anyway, and charging for toilets is a thing of the past here.
That's so cool! We went up to the top of the Monument when we were there last Spring.

Very cool again! We didn't go on the Hind, but stood where you stood, and also by those church ruins where Steve is.


Thank you so much for sharing it with us. It looked very fun.

Thanks for sharing. Looks like a wonderful time.

I love those skinny "weird" fries. A chain in the US called "Steak & Shake" serves them (among many other places, with varying success). It was a regular treat growing up. Now I go once every couple of years. Then as now, I dip the fries in a chocolate shake. Sweet and salty, and now I'm really hungry.

heh heh heh

I'll forward that to Ste :lol:
He really is a lovely brother but I bet he can't help thinking that.

The only Get Out Jail Free card I have is that he is the photographer in his marriage. It's rare he appears in a photo. So I know he understands when I stop dead to take a pic and I'd like to think he sneakily appreciates me including him.

Don't you mean 30 pee?:)


I will have to remember to post some pictures of In-N-Out Burger in Las Vegas. No offense to the Brits, but we Americans pretty much own the whole burger thing, from the mass produced McD to the more specialized chains like In-N-Out with a diehard fan base.

We won't pretend to own Fish and Chips, but burgers are all about the U.S.A. :us: (insert burger smiley here)

:rolleyes:
Wasn't the hamburger invented in Hamburg, Germany? And the idea of putting it between two buns invented by the Earl of Sandwich in England?

The 100x100 was an IotD.

http://cellar.org/iotd.php?threadid=9982

This is one example of top management not causing 85% of the problems. They made the right call banning those disgusting monstrosities. As a restaurant, I would be embarrassed to have such a gross item come out of my kitchen.

...coming out of anywhere!

Eww

I'm pretty sure that was The Greeks.

wiki

Birthday Trip 2013 - Camden Lock
 

So, as the actress said to the Bishop, "Wow, this is a long one."
Mum and I went to London yesterday. I was offered the choice of a number of gifts, and a trip to London would be the most expensive of all. But I honestly knew by the way she pitched it, that she really wanted us to go.

She missed out last year (because we had a huge row before my 40th and I couldn't even face it.) And she missed out on her theatre trip with Steven because she was ill and I ended up taking her place. And she has had a lot of worry and stress recently. And let's face it, a trip to London isn't exactly a hardship for me!

We'd actually got into town when she said she's always wanted to go to Camden Lock.
Now it was one of the places I had thought about, because it's one of the places you can walk and talk and meander through for hours without spending anything apart from a penny. Or 30p nowadays. But I didn't know if it would be her bag. And although it was "my" day, I'd always rather she was happy, because I enjoy myself much more when we are in synch.

So off to Camden we go!

Now, Camden Lock is denigrated by the uber-cool and trendy. It's a tacky tourist trap, everyone there looks the same and yet are pretending to be themselves and unique, it's over-priced and a rip-off. I don't give a stuff what the cool crowd think, I like seeing things I don't see at home. I like the food stalls and the jewellery and the tiny tiny beautiful clothes that only fit the hoardes of Asian princesses that descend on it every Sunday.

We had a great time, and we only really went round half of it.
Given the right budget even I, who am grossly over-sized for the clothes - could have spent hundreds. But it wasn't about buying. It was about looking and talking and showing and laughing. Job done.

1. Camden from just outside the station.

2. And there are still some traditional boozers alongside all the trendy places.

The sort of clothes you can buy here.
Uniqueness ready-to-wear.

I honestly missed the No Photos sign.
Mum said it's because all the shop-staff/ stallholders are on benefits and don't want to be caught on camera.
Rubbish.
It's because they don't want everyone else copying their ideas and undercutting them.

I respected future signs, which is a shame because I fell in love with a whole stall full of cushion covers of cats dressed as famous people. Amy Winehouse looked just like Diz. Hey, I've never claimed to be classy...
But honestly, the colours were so bright and the images so well done they really worked.

So many pictures of dresses and shoes to follow.
Even female Dwellars may need to retire to a man-cave for a while.

1. Captain John Hart, anyone?

2. The market-proper, although it's only really a tiny part of the whole shopping environment. Lots of rockabilly dresses and bags. No prices on anything. It's not a case of "If you have to ask you can't afford it," it's a case of, "how much can I fleece you for?" The phrase I saw you coming springs to mind.

1. Another traditional pub. And because I come from Bucks.

2. Detail. Looks like the goat of Mendes to me.

Many of the buildings have external decorations.
I took some of these photos for Dad because I know he adores that sort of thing.

We went for an All You Can Eat buffet in Max Orient.
More expensive than street food, which is what I really wanted, but Mum wanted "Somewhere proper to sit down. With a toilet."
I refer you to the above - I'm happier when she's happy. And it was okay. I ate there with Terri the last time I was in Camden (it's documented in the Cellar somewhere.)

1. More building decoration.

2. Mum perusing the drinks menu in Max Orient.
No photos of the food because AYCE means you get a plate of stuff you can't remember the names of anyway.

Note: NO REFUND ON BUFFET FOOD.
They also had notices that a surcharge of £5 would be added for food wastage. Mum and I pretty much ate the patterns off our plates just in case.

Onto the right hand side of the market, where some of the food stalls are.
They are all over Camden Lock, but they do cluster together.

1. Moped seating, looking out onto the water. White people love being near water.

2. Example of an Indian food stall. So many more to come.

Dresses and Shoes Time!
 

Warned, you have been.
I need to lose 30lbs and gain £1000 and then I can take these home.

1. Carmen Miranda style shoes that even I acknowledged I wouldn't be able to walk in.
Coveted them anyway.

2. Mum surprised me by saying if she had the money and a wedding to go to, she would love a pair of these. She'd have to have enough money to sort her bunion out first though :thepain:

I would honestly wear these. They are gorgeous.
I'd probably try to do something completely improbable in them too, like walk on a shingle beach :rolleyes:

The Lock proper.

Food of All Nations
 

Well, not all.
But many.

We're on the left hand side of the market now, and another dedicated outside food area. We've eaten by this point, which is a shame, as we were offered so many food samples. Tiny ones of course, but given the amount of stalls we could have filled up for free! Must remember this next time Dani comes to visit ;)

This was about 13.30 and Mum was convinced they were "giving it away" because they wanted to pack up. Hello? Camden Lock comes alive in the afternoons. I wasn't as dismissive as I might sound here, but she's kinda basing Camden on her memories of wholesale food markets, not on those that cater to tourists, and especially teenage tourists.

Anyway, Cowboy Cottage Pie and the detail of their embarrassment.

1. Slightly sinister looking chap on the afternoon tea stall. I'm not even sure he's from the Commonwealth.

2. One of the outside dining areas in this part of the market. No mopeds.

1. Merkins!
Actually I don't know, may also be imposters.
Mum said it all looked very dry (sez the woman who cooks beef to buggery.) I assured her that if it really was smoked American-style then there was no way it was dry inside.

2. Even being stuffed to the lungs with Chinese buffet, my mouth managed to salivate when I passed this stall. Damn the French and their Tour Eiffel.

1. Italian. Yum.

2. Something for Lola. Yorkshire puddings as street food? Well, okay. Makes sense in many ways.

I didn't take photos of the stalls where we were implored to eat samples.
It just encourages them.
But they were throwing themselves at Mum. "Mummy, Mummy! Try this!"
I assured her it meant she looked affluent :)

Drinkies: Round One
 

We didn't have a drink from either of these stalls.
I just loved the colourful vibe of the Smoothie stall.

I also offered Mum a Sangria (I was going to have a lemonade) but she decided it probably wouldn't have enough alcohol in it for the price, and that she would rather sit in a bar with a toilet if she was going to have a cocktail. I didn't offer the drink randomly, my parents have holidayed in Spain for years and Sangria is a staple Spanish drink - a bit like Pimms over here. But cheaper.

Mum's need to be near a toilet comes from years of bowel trouble (sorry, TMI), much of it stress-related. So I do understand. I was trying to bring a bit of the al-fresco lifestyle into a grey day in North London, was all.

Horses for Courses
 

The antiques part of Camden starts in The Stables Market, although there is overlap.
Yes, it used it be horse-based. When barges and narrow boats were drawn by horses, Camden Lock, so yes it was and still is a working lock. As such it was a centre for vets and blacksmiths.

Now Mum and I did not go as far as the antiques market.
She's 63 you know!
By which I mean she'd been on her feet a while and I could see her flagging.
But I did dabble in the shallows to get pics of some of the scultures for you.

.

Is that horse sniffing me?

Non-equestrian Sculptures
 

We couldn't go into Cyberdog as the music was too loud. It would have made Mum's ears bleed. But they sell the more extreme-end of clubwear. I don't mean fetish, just out-there.

And a big chap outside a South African restaurant.
We didn't really want to eat zebra that day, even though we were handed a money-off flyer. Nice looking place though. I kept the stall in front in the frame to try to give some perspective. Not sure it works.

Camden Tat
 

But it is colourful.
And detail.

Outside dining and decoration.

I wish I had been able to spend more time at Camden Lock when I was there last year. Very cool place. I never saw the moped seating, but that's really funny.
We rode that water bus from Camden on the canal to Little Venice. That was fun, to be in a boat seeing hidden parts of London, insulated from the hustle and bustle, but right in the middle of it all.

1. Gaudi-esque. I wish Mum had come to this part with me, I'd have loved a pic of me on this bench #vain.
But she was having a sit-down and that's fair enough.

2. A vest top we saw which really made Mum laugh. She said if it had been a t-shirt she'd have bought it for Dad. He'd never wear it out, but would have loved it to sleep in :eek: