Brown wood

From time to time I mention the demise of brown wood - a little prematurely if this public house on the posh side of Epsom is anything to go by. Overall effect very brown, despite the purple paint below the dados.

Notice also the table mats, possibly felt backed fake slake, and, top right, the bottom of a picture which I took to be a Jack Vettriano print. The chap whose answer to snooty remarks from more classy artists was that you might be more classy but I make a lot more money. Perhaps that was before the world of art was taken over by the corpses of sharks. And rest assured, the glass thing bottom left is not an ash tray, rather a candle. No closet smoking in the back bar here.

Returning through town at around 2300, I was also pleased to see that our two long-standing clubs were both alive and well.

The queue from the place which used to be called Chicago's stretched out into the street, round the Spread Eagle (now a fancy clothes shop) and into the High Street proper. Must have been several hundred of them, in various states of dress and undress. All under the watchful eyes of a small posse of community support officers.

While outside the place which is still called the Boogie Lounge there was a much shorter queue. The place I was once allowed to inspect while wearing Wellington boots and duffel coat because it was very early and so empty - although I am sorry now that I declined the offer of alcoholic refreshment.