Fake 200

The snap above being taken from the veranda of Wetherspoon's, overlooking the sculpture called 'Evocation of Speed' in the market place, late on a wet Derby Day morning.A long time since we used to kick off in the Marquis at 08:00.

The point being that Wetherspoon's had shifted to plastic for the duration of the Derby meeting and I had been surprised to be given my 'Shere Drop' in a Dimple glass, last noticed in the Wetherspoon's at Waterloo Station at reference 2. The barman explained that it was plastic, not glass, and the pint, indeed, was not heavy enough, even more noticeable as the glass emptied. There was also a false bottom, with the glass supported on the rim, rather than on a solid piece of plastic - let alone glass.

I wondered about the glass at Waterloo, but I did not think plastic at the time and I think that glass in confirmed today in the comparative shot above, with Epsom left and Waterloo right. Quite different, even allowing for the difference in the lighting conditions.

Then, in the background we have the horse art, much improved by moving it from its temporary location in the narrow confines of Ebbisham (now Epsom) Square. Gemini reminds me that it is called 'Evocation of Speed' and tells me that it is the work of one Judy Boyt, to be found at reference 4. He also explains that one horse is Diomed, the winner of the first Derby in 1780 and the other, the one in front by a long head, is Galileo, the winner in 2001.

There followed a fairly lengthy discussion with Gemini about these horses, in particular the hats of the jockeys and the bits & bridles of the horses, on which I hope to be reporting more fully in due course. In the meantime, I had thought I had caught Gemini out when he told me that Galileo won the first Derby of the new millennium in 2001. But he comes back, perhaps a touch pedantically, with the information that the Gregorian calendar which we use, started a year 1, so the new millennium does indeed start in 2001, contrary to popular and established usage.

Probing for the year of the birth of Jesus, passing through the mess that was the Roman calendar until Julius Caesar took it in hand a few years beforehand, I think the idea was that Jesus was actually born late in 1BC, but was circumcised eight days later on the first day of 1AD. Zero was not around at that time. See reference 5.

I then remembered about an equestrian statue underneath an office block near Sutton Station. Asking Gemini was a lot quicker than checking in my archive, and I would be surprised if he was wrong about it. And for what it is worth, I do dig up reference 6, which agrees with Gemini. With the information there derived from Bing.

Back at Wetherspoon's on Derby Day, lots of young men in suits outside and lots of young women in full (un)dress inside. Which meant that I got a seat outside, which was good. I also had my folding umbrella, just in case. One wondered how the young women fared later, in what turned out to be a wet, windy and cold day.

Over the road to inspect the Kokoro Passage, to see how things were getting on since I gave up serious trolley hunting - to find that no-one had stepped into my shoes. I collected up one trolley, from M&S, just for form, although, as it turned out the date part of the maker's plate was illegible, so I will never know how old it was.

Through Court Recreation Ground, where I learned that King Charles was indeed going to turn out for the Derby, despite not being a horsey person in the way of his mother. I don't suppose though that he was going to drive down Hook Road in the old way though. 

It then turned out that TB was shut, unfortunate for what should have been a busy day in a house which used to be frequented by people who liked a flutter and including at least one chap who had been a problem gambler. It looked open again today (Monday), so I don't suppose I shall ever know why. Illness? A skirmish the night before?

Into Costcutter to buy a Saturday Guardian, which turned out to include a fat supplement about all the proper things to eat while watching the World Cup on the box. BH was surprisingly interested in it - and, to be fair, I have caught her watching the odd football match. While back at Costcutter there was a chap promoting vapes from Philip Morris. He did not know the term 'toasties', but he soon caught on and he explained that you can now get a hybrid version which does both toasties and vapes. There was a choice of colour if not trim. There was also a special deal.

Home to a turkey leg, a very cheap and reliable form of roast for two, recently discovered at Sainsbury's. Hugely cheaper than anything else on offer.

On the plate. Taken with a spot of Proper Job, out of St. Austell on Sainsbury's - of that is the proper stud term. Unusually, we did the whole thing in one go; the more usual form being that there is enough left for a bit of snacking later. Both greens and carrots seem to be properly in season again, and both did very well.

PS: the only 'boyt' in the archive is about something entirely different, so Gemini was probably offering new knowledge. But see reference 3 for the old knowledge.

References

Reference 1: https://psmv6.blogspot.com/2026/06/fake-199.html.

Reference 2: https://psmv6.blogspot.com/2026/05/polish-grub.html.

Reference 3: https://psmv5.blogspot.com/2025/01/number-one-millbank.html.The wrong 'boyt' is to be found towards the end. The only 'boyt' in the archive.

Reference 4: https://judyboyt.com/. She looks to have done a number of versions of the present sculpture: a bit like musicians economising on rehearsal time by doing repeats...

Reference 5: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feast_of_the_Circumcision_of_Christ.

Reference 6: https://psmv4.blogspot.com/2020/03/penultimate-outing.html.

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