A Recce

We had a super evening yesterday. We drove into Worthing and parked at the Civic Place car park before taking a slow stroll down to the pier. It was interesting to see some new restaurants (including a couple of Japanese establishments), but disappointing to see quite a few empty units.

We strolled out onto the pier, stopping to take in the view and to look at the stained glass panels along the central windbreak. At the very end of the pier, in what was probably the ballroom, was Perch. This restaurant has refurbished the venue and has a real hubbub and style. We were shown to our table, looking out through the windows to the east, south, and west. There was a choice of 2 meals: a sharing Sunday roast, and a Vegetarian dish. We opted, unsurprisingly, for the roast. As the setting sun streamed through the windows, the waitress delivered two empty plates before returning with a huge platter loaded with roast potatoes, parsnips, carrots, shredded cabbage, peas, beans, chicken, beef, and ham hock. A boat of thick, rich gravy followed. We looked at each other, then at the platter and wondered quite where to start. Well, we didn’t manage to finish the platter, but we did some serious damage. I was excellent, and at £45 for the pair of us, it was great value for money.

With the sun now gone, we strolled back along the pier. There were a few spots of rain, but nothing to cause me to unfurl my umbrella. We arrived at the Connaught Theatre just before 19:00, with the show due to start at 19:30. Simon Evans burst onto the stage and gave us an excellent show. The first half was his usual brand of very clever comment, satire, and stand-up comedy. The second half was far more philosophical, with observations on the rise of AI and the impact of alternative realities - this he illustrated with a discussion of Samuel Taylor Coleridge and his poem Kubla Khan. It was educational and very funny the way he linked it back to themes he had launched in the first half of the show. It was a brilliant show.

We were home and in bed before 23:00

This morning, I was up before 07:00. There was no Ellie today, as Zoe had a later start. Whilst there was no hurry, I did need to get ready for a trip to London, and Di needed to get ready for another trip to the vet with Jasper.

Di dropped me at the station, and I caught the 9:26 to Victoria. It was an hour earlier than necessary, but, as I said, Di had to get Jasper to the vet. No sooner had we left Bognor Regis station than I received a text from Richard. We used to refer to Richard as “Sir” at school, because he was so well spoken. I add that little aside because it has become clear that his, indeed, a Lord of Chaos. So it was this morning when his text came in. He had missed his train from Leeds by 1 minute. He was unlikely to arrive in King’s Cross before 13:00, then had to get across to Whitehall, where we planned to meet. 

I had time to kill, so I took a gentle walk up past the Palace and through St James’s Park to The Mall and Trafalgar Square. I stopped at a coffee shop on The Strand and read for a while as I finished my coffee. From there I wandered through Charing Cross to the river and then found my way to the Victoria Embankment Gardens, where I sat in the sunshine until I received a text from Richard.

I walked up to the Civil Service Club (which was next door to the original Scotland Yard complex). Richard arrived a couple of minutes later, and we wandered in. Richard had to sign in via an App which he hadn’t previously downloaded. It goes without saying that this did not go smoothly, but with the help of the receptionist, we completed the formalities and wandered into the bar. It was not what we had expected. It was busy, but it was a bit like a pub. We found a table and sat down to enjoy a beer and chat before having something to eat. (The choice of beers was limited, and most of the pumps weren’t working.) We eventually chose our meals. Richard opted for whitebait followed by scampi and chips, while I had chorizo followed by steak and ale pie. Again, the menu reminded me of a pub (not a gastro-pub). To be fair, however, the pie could not have had more meat in it if they had wrapped the pastry round a cow. It was quite delicious.

When we had finished, we asked to see the various function rooms. These were not only uninspiring, but they were also very expensive. Our collective view was that the recce had been worthwhile since we had ruled this out as a venue.

It was nearly 16:30 by the time we said our goodbyes. I headed up to Whitehall, then along Victoria Street to the station. I arrived with about 5 minutes to spare and made myself comfortable in First Class. I texted Di to let her know I was on the way. At 19:00 I wandered off the train and slipped into the car. Di then drove us home, and we settled in for a debrief and then a quiet evening.