Chelsea

Took a short swing through Chelsea last week to visit haunts old and places new. Started off by pulling a Bullingdon at Grant Road, where the stand seemed to have shrunk - leaving what appeared to be vacant stand marks - perhaps to make way for the electric car charging points which had appeared a bit nearer the station.

Slightly unexpected route from Clapham Junction to Sloane Square, probably rather quicker than that intended, up the side of Battersea Park, which was just as well because by the time I had found the Sloane Square stand full and relocated to Cadogan Place, I had burned up 28m 4s, not far short of the pay bar at 30m.

The square was also full of painted elephants, elephantine versions of the cow noticed a couple of years ago at reference 4.

Sloane square shady enough but rather noisy, so a quick visit to Holy Trinity, already noticed, and then, having made my rendez-vous, into the new-to-me Botanist for a drop of sparkling water. All very trendy and try-hard but rather spoiled by being rather noisy, mainly because of the canned music. Otherwise it might have been a good place, one branch of a small but select chain. Head waitress knew her stuff, which included being enthusiastic about her chain and her work.

From there, onto to the Cadogan Hall to hear Pinchas Zuckerman and colleagues give us Mendelssohn (Song without Words, Trio No.1) and Mozart (Clarinet Quintet), with us being about 8 rows from the front, just about right for me. Certain amount of fiddling about with old-style music stands, but otherwise the quintet was notable for the clarinetist being rather heavily pregnant, enough in this heat for one to think that all the puffing and blowing must have been a bit of an effort. We got about an hour and a half, all very good. Hall about half full.

Pinchas Zukerman was new to me, despite being just about my age and having been in the premier league for some time. And a place which we have not visited often, perhaps only once, getting on for three years ago and noticed at reference 1. Would have been tempted to go back for more trios, a couple of days later, but access denied by prior engagement.

Picnic in the open space next to the Saatchi gallery, aka Duke of York's Square, after which we took a turn through the new-to-me Partridge's, a small and select version of Fortnum & Mason, catering more to local housewives (or perhaps ladies who lunch), rather than the tourists of Piccadilly.

Continued to stroll down the King's Road, trying to spot all the places which had been fashionable watering holes in the late 1960's. A few of them were still watering holes, but we desisted. Lots of ladies in fancy dress, lots of shops in which to buy them.

From where I pedaled off back to Clapham Junction, taking a more modest 17m 16s to get to Grant Road to from South Parade, Chelsea. This despite an interaction with a Porsche Range Rover look alike and a sighting of a low flying Chinook over Albert Bridge.

Trains to Waterloo not in good form, so nipped across to the other platform and just caught a Victoria train, which was on form, on this occasion.

Reference 1: https://psmv2.blogspot.com/2015/10/a-new-venue.html.

Reference 2: https://www.partridges.co.uk/.

Reference 3: http://thebotanist.uk.com/.

Reference 4: https://psmv3.blogspot.com/2016/08/cow-hunt.html.

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