UK – Day 11: Gaan dahn ta Croydon, innit
I ate quite a lot today.
Mum made eggs and bacon and surprisingly garlicky sausage. That shoudl provide enough fuel for the day ahead. I left and got the train to Croydon. For some reason, if you get a return ticket to Croydon it costs about 16 pounds. However, if you want to return on a different day, it costs 27 pounds. No change in the number of trains I would be using, just a 10 pound BS charge to return on a different day. Why? Because they can.
Croydon Market
Croydon Market
Croydon Market
Unlike earlier trips, this train was packed, probably due to people going to London for Christmas shopping. After a couple of stops a group of 5 20-something girls got on and had a very loud, cackling conversation about their various men and various holiday adventures. It was all very interesting. They started joking about some poor guy with three nipples and of course then I had to get off. I stood up and said I wish I could stay for more of their exciting conversation and they all started laughing even louder and then said they think they should have their own radio show. They probably could. It was hilarious.
Croydon
Croydon
NLA tower, Locally known as the threepenny bit
My sister Sarah met me at East Croydon railway station and we walked to her flat about 5 minutes away. Her flat is on the top floor of an old house and it is very nice. I was even treated to a warm mince pie. For the unitiated, a mince pie is a sweet small pie filled with fruit like currants and other brown stuff that I could not really identify, but it is very nice and it is SO Christmas. Shortly later, my brother Stephen and my step-mum Carole arrived. We then walked into Croydon. Best of all, it was fairly sunny!
Cockneys Pie n Mash
Inside the pie n mash shop
Double pie n mash
Of course, our first stop was more food. Another pie ‘n mash shop, this one is called “Cockney’s of Croydon”. Its in the market area of Croydon, complete with stalls selling fresh vegetables and other items, all accompanied by vendors loudly shouting what they have on sale. A relic from a hundred years ago. Croydon isn’t the greatest town in the suburbs of London, but its not bad either. Its always been a bit rough around the edges and I am honestly glad it still has that about it. I think if it got gentrified, it would be a sign of the coming apocalypse. The ladies only had a single pie and mash, but us blokes had to order and rapidly consume a double pie and mash. It was good, but I would have to give the edge to Arments the other day. However, this is still miles better than anything I could ever get in the US. I did tell the owner that I had been to Arments, and she was curious to know how hers compared. I could not bring myself to tell her it was not as good. It is about 80% as good. The pies are Arments gets the edge though. Plus the liquor is thicker. Either way, its casual dining heaven with no pretense.
Yorkshire pudding and roast beef
The George in Hayes
Eton Mess
After lunch, we walked around the shops. For a long time Croydon high street (the main road through town with the main shops on it) has been closed as a road and is now a paved pedestrian area. This was done also in my prior home town of Bromley. I happen to think it was a mistake, but I understand the logic. I don’t think it is done anymore though. I found Forbidden Planet, which is geeky shop which sells books and collectibles for sci-fi nerds. They had little Dalek figures (Dr Who) and various comics and quite a selection of sad geeky nerds. Or so I hear. I didn’t buy anything. They did have a large Dalek which was a foot tall, but it was oddly painted with the Union Jack (UK flag) and looked like something from Austin Powers. Really? This for the 50th anniversary?? Ew.
After a bit more walking around, we went back to Sarahs and watched some TV before heading out to Hayes to go to The George for dinner. I used to live in Beckenham, which is very close to Hayes. In fact I recognised some of the area, but it has been over 25 years, so things have changed and one’s memory fades after such a long period. The inside of the pub/restaurant was radically changed from what you might expect a pub to look like, with white walls, no dart boards and no spitfire paintings on the walls. No fat jolly RAF chap recounting stories from the war, and other pub cliches. This is a modern restaurant with a modern menu. Items included burgers, Venison and pidgeon. yes, Pidgeon. Fresh from Trafalgar Square I wouldn’t doubt.
Me with the pie n mash
As it was sunday, I decided to get something resembling a sunday dinner of roast beef, potatoes,veg and yorkshire pudding. Likely to be my only opportunity to do so. It was great, especially the yorkshire pudding which is a puffed up baked item made from batter. Not common in the US, but a real treat in this form and also the basis for Toad in the Hole. Another fave of mine. Sigh.
For dessert, I had an “Eton Mess” which is basically fruit and hard merengue mashed together. Very sweet and very tasty.
Finally, we drove home to Coulsdon and I called it a day. What a lot of eating and travelling!