'Simple Pleasures at the Duchess of Spotswood'

As a local keen to support new ventures in Hudson's road I've been haunting this lovely new restaurant/cafe since its inception. The owners are earnest in their big dreams for the place and I don't doubt they'll bring them to realization. They work long and hard and treat foood with real respect and passion. The venue, an old block-fronted terrace, is loaded with potential and at present just charming with its glittery chandelier, old wood fittings and milk-white paint. I don't always get to eat there, but last Friday decided to do some 'work from home' which means getting away from the bootiful bub to work in a cafe. I was in luck.
Was there something new? yes. I asked for it, and lo, here was one chef-Andy had just prepared: a plate of typically English 'simple pelasures' brought together for their party in the mouth- a genteel but sophisticated house-party of the kind we might see some minor aristocracy at. A mouth-party 'Tattler' would photograph for its fashion pages: crispy fluffy diced potato, a generous mound of delicate lemony goats curd, soft but fleshy globe artichoke lifted with a briny pucker on the palate and then oh joy, darkly sweet segmemts of chesnut. Served with their beautiful toasted sourdough any of these treats would have pleased alone, but on Andy's advice I merged a few flavours for best effect- comforting, salty, heavy, lemony, sweet, crunch. yum.
Topped off with a coffee made to perfection by the glowing hostess Bobby.
Get over the bridge, it's worth it.

after a long day talking to a pre-verbal bub I'm feeling non- verbal

Here is Spotswood. At 6.10am to 7.30am two weeks ago.
It was cold. I'm not a photographer, and it really was VERY cold, and my camera is average.

But I love the bleak and graphic industrial lines juxtaposed with old softening homes and unkempt gardens. The homes and the parks came before much of the bleakness of economic downturn and disused industrial space but the majority of the factories came before the homes. Its just that the original factory architectue was often surprisingly pretty 'iced' red brick.The problem was what sprang up then fell down around it in the late twentieth century .
o hell- just see the film. It's called 'Spotswood' and was filmed all around my streets and stars Russell Crowe, Ben Mendehlson, Toni Colette and Sir Anthony Hopkins. Its old and very good.
and on that note:

and:

one day I shall blog again

it might help if my regular-blogs-to-read weren't so long and so interesting that I feel I must comment. By the time I've gone-a-visiting and yapping on theirs the tea is poured, the cats are purring and the Man wants company. drat it. I'm off to read something from my beloved Norton's anthology of poetry. bugger blogging.