Kozhukhin

A week or so ago, off to the Wigmore Hall for one of their Monday morning concerts to hear Denis Kozhukhin give us Haydn piano sonatas in E and C minor followed by Brahms Op.118. Possibly all new to us. But about the pianist at least, I was wrong, because I had heard him twice at St. Luke's, then more recently at Smith Square, as noticed at reference 1. But even than, getting on for ten years ago; in the days before the plague, when we still did evening concerts on a regular basis.

A cold morning and on this occasion we elected to walk. Taking in a small flock of starlings in one of the trees in Manor Green Road. And this new-to-me service container for the gas people, parked on Meadway, next to Clay Hill Green. Seemingly servicing works down by the new flats on the edge of Court Recreation Ground and in Hookfield, on the other side of West Hill. No particularly handy for either place, but, presumably, needs must.

For some reason we caught a train to London Bridge, which at least meant that we were not much bothered by ceiling announcements during our journey. What is it about Southwestern Trains that makes them so enthusiastic in that department? Then tube to Oxford Circus for our tea and toast at All Bar One - making up for the absence of sugared bun by actually eating my smarties on this occasion.

Between All Bar One and the Hall, we came across this keybox, a neat adaptation of the more usual wall mounted boxes for smart areas with railings. Airnb clearly penetrating into the smarter part of London. 

'... GRIFEMA se distingue par son engagement envers la qualité, la durabilité et l'innovation. Chaque produit est conçu pour répondre aux besoins variés de nos clients, en offrant à la fois performance et fiabilité. Choisir GRIFEMA, c'est opter pour des solutions pratiques et robustes qui facilitent le quotidien...'.

Bing found plenty of product from the same people, quite modestly priced, but failed miserably on the clue 'grifema website uk' and it took the power of Google to get me to reference 2. A very mixed collection of stuff they offer too. One supposes that they are a branding and retail operation rather than making anything themselves. French, been going just about 40 years. Never heard of them before.

However, Gemini isn't having any of this. Actually a Spanish front for a Chinese manufacturing operation pushing stuff out through Amazon. Which probably explains why Bing had a bit of trouble finding the website. Corroboration from Bing to the extent that Ibergrif seems to exist, another online sales operation.

Onto into the Hall where, for once, they were a bit let down by their flowers, arrangements build around Arum lilies.

But the concert was very good, despite not knowing any of the music. And the pianist had a subdued stage presence which belied his performance.

Out to try the Coach Makers, a foodie pub which we have not used for quite a while. Downstairs infested with the high chairs we don't like, but upstairs was a proper dining room, and I got a proper chair even if BH had to have recourse to some cushions on her bench seat to bring her up to a decent height.

A fine prawn cocktail for me, complete with old-style container. BH took a salad.

Followed by an Iberico chop, slightly underdone, for me. The prawn crackers were actually, we were told, some form of crackling, but I failed to work out how that might be. BH took fish and chips which she was well pleased with.

The puddings were the usual pub fare with lots of sugar. No jelly, stewed fruit, apple sponge or anything like that. Pass.

But they did sell a decent Calvados, which, inter alia, yielded an interesting pattern on the table cloth from the lights overhead. 'Somerset Cider Brandy 3 Years Old, England 42%'.

We learned that the very select chain Cubitt House, of which the house is part, had just been sold to Young's. Maybe we will stay around to see how long it takes Young's to bring them into the corporate fold, to lose their quirky menu, to get some proper beer in the beer engines. See references 4 and 5.

Our waiter was from Turkey and he lived in Beckenham; apparently not much more than an hour door-to-door. But we agreed that that hours in hospitality were still a bit grim and would not suit everyone.

A party of cheerful ladies on the next table, one of whom knew all about the fine road between Salisbury and Blandford Forum which we had used just a few weeks previously. See reference 6.

Old style stairs. Not for the inebriated or otherwise incapacitated. Shadow of trusty stick visible lower left.

Noticed that the quaint hardware store of Marylebone Lane is still there. The last of what were a number of such stores in central London, serving the local builders, before, I suppose, the rise of outfits like Travis Perkins - which are a bit further out? And the rise of men in vans, less likely to be caught short of the odd screw or tin of paint?

Picked up a piano on the way to the tube, as noticed at reference 9.

On the train home we were stopped for fifteen minutes or so at Ewell West while the railway people dealt with the lost boy - maybe around 12 years old, wandering up and down the train looking a bit lost. We never did find out what the story was.

PS 1: BH and I have eaten at the Coach Makers before, but I failed to turn it up today. Just the beverage at reference 7, near ten years ago. The house has not made it to our Tier One.

PS 2: '... But the rapid march of the cockroach party has caused alarm. Authorities ordered the movement’s X account to be blocked, using legislation against online activity that threatens national security...'.. From India, via the Financial Times.

References

Reference 1: https://psmv3.blogspot.com/2017/06/smith-square.html.

Reference 2: https://legrifema.fr/. 

Reference 3: https://ibergrif.es/.

Reference 4: https://www.cubitthouse.co.uk/the-coach-makers-arms-marylebone/.

Reference 5: https://www.thecaterer.com/news/youngs-buys-cubitt-house-pubs-for-30m.

Reference 6: https://psmv6.blogspot.com/2026/04/to-faketown.html.

Reference 7: https://psmv3.blogspot.com/2017/04/more-cheese.html.

Reference 8: https://somersetciderbrandy.com/. Taking on the French at their own game?

Reference 9: https://psmv6.blogspot.com/2026/05/piano-112.html.