Monday 24 December 2012

Christmas eve thoughts



Hope that your preparations for Christmas are going well.

Are we all greedy in Pinner? This was the state of play in Sainsbury on Saturday morning, this queue is for the so called self check outs!  I was a much to blame for shopping at this busy time. May I extend my sympathies to Sainsbury staff, and wish them a Happy Christmas.  There is by the way only one day that the shops are shut for.


Talk about dreaming about a White Christmas!  This his how full the usually low River Pinn is looking. Hopefully us living near the River Pinn will be spared a flood.  I can remember floods in the 80s, but thankfully we were not badly affected.


 The Christmas lights in Pinner this year are rather plain, in my opinion - this is a sign of austerity?




Wednesday 12 December 2012

Long catch up

I have not posted for a while and much has happened that I wish to comment on

Harris and Hoole opened up a few weeks ago.  I am grateful to the manger for four sets of free coffee vouchers.

They do not serve coffee of hot chocolate hot at all - beware they are warm. This is also a practice in Starbucks. It must be a generation thing that us oldies like our hot beverages and food hot, and the younger generation like them hot.

Here are some pictures of Harris and Hoole (some not too hot taken on a mobile phone)




It is rather odd that there is no counter that the barista's serve behind. If it is crowded there is a crowd around the coffee machines.  One day there will be an accident for sure.  I also dislike the pager that vibrates when you have to collect your coffee.  You pay on entering and are then buzzed when the drink is ready.  The snacks are really delicious but rather expensive at £5.50.  I will revert to Bella Cafe when my free vouchers run out. Also I find that the windows are rather high up, and you cannot see out of the new coffee place. Condensation also forms on the windows which obscures any view out at times. I like the Oolong tea which is service with a device with three egg timers on top, so you drink it at the optimum heat. The staff genuinely friendly and in common with the ever present manager, constantly saying sorry when sorry is applicable.  Quite often at first as they are getting used to things.

Cafe wise in Pinner try out Bella Cafe, in Bridge Street  they have a new manager and have a friendly atmosphere,  Snacks are cheaper and they are using proper panini bread now and there is a more extensive
 menu.

Now for a few pictures, rather belated of the Pantomime Evening being set up during the daytime. The two displays are from the Cancer Research Shop in Bridge Street and the weird characters from Sue Ryder in the Sainsbury complex off the High Street










Finally beware the times that school children descend on the buses. These two pictures were taken on the H13 bus recently.  All of the children were very well behaved, top marks to Bishop Ramsey school.  I do however have to pose the questions -

a) why do children have to travel in such cramped conditions, why is there not a double decker bus on the route?
b) why do adults have to travel in these cramped conditions, why do they not have a special school bus laid on?



 Some interesting history etched into the stonework of a rebuild of a bridge over the River Pinn in Cannon Lane Pinner.  It is amazing here, the River Pinner does a large turn under the road.

Finally two slightly different shots of the dog graves in Pinner Memorial House - a stones throw from Daisy's in the Park.  This cafe is full of children and mothers - and a real racket of noise abounds inside the cafe. It is also expensive - steer clear!