A funny thing happened on the way to the Forum

[johncorrigan]

Which jab did you have; I have seen a suggestion that more people experience side effects after the first AZ jab, but the second tends to be fine, whereas side effects are more common after the second jab for the Pfizer vaccine.

I was pfizered twice in Forfar and apart from a sore arm first time round, I have had no adverse response.

[Bryn]

I was pfizered twice in Forfar and apart from a sore arm first time round, I have had no adverse response.

I was second jabbed with Pf/B this evening. The mildest of soreness at the site of the injection but no other noticeable side effects as yet

[Serial_Apologist]

I rang my mate, asking if he was taking visitors this afternoon, not having seen him for a couple of months.

"I'll ring you back later; I'm with Julie and Pearl right now - we're rowing on the Serpentine".

[french frank]

I rang my mate, asking if he was taking visitors this afternoon, not having seen him for a couple of months.

"I'll ring you back later; I'm with Julie and Pearl right now - we're rowing on the Serpentine".

I should wait until he's calmed down a bit.

[Padraig]

We have a Forum in our city for swimming and Sport in general. The funny thing is, I don't go there; I go to the older Complex. The lovely thing this week is that the showers are back in action for the first time since. The sad thing is that my swim is at 7.45 am. The amazing thing is that I manage to make it. I've run the gamut there!

[Serial_Apologist]

Today I decided to patronise Waitrose' branch in Beckenham. This was the first time I have done so, despite living in the area now for 16 years and within the same distance as my more regular cycle trips to E. Dulwich Sainsbury's and Brixton Tescos - about 3 miles. The uphill trek from Penge has a lot to do with it. Nevertheless it would make a pleasant change from my usual fare, and I am in the process of hoarding for the colder days that will end my summer seasonal devotion to salads, almost exclusively.

I did however wonder if anything would occur as a reminder that this was not a visit to my usual food emporia. At first this didn't seem likely, there being too small a sample of locals to get an indicator species, as ecologists say, with only around 20 shoppers in situ. I can't remember ever having shopped in Waitrose, so it was a little surprising to find few items one wouldn't in any of St Sprees' or Tescles' larger outlets - often the same labels, and, again, surprisingly few differences in price - I even paid less for my usual vapes, and proclaimed so to the amusement of the salesman; I did pick up a few different vegetarian products in the cold compartments. However, it was on the way out that I had my "evidence".

I was making my way back to where I had parked my bike - tied to one of the metal barriers in the car park - and just walking at a normal pace, when a car came up behind me, tooted, and parked two spaces from where I was unlocking my bike. A woman emerged, I would say in her late 60s. "Did you want to speak to me or something?" I asked - she could have inadvertently hit the horn, or maybe was signalling to someone else. "I was just wondering when you were going to make up your mind where you were going" she replied curtly. "Oh I'm sorry I took up two seconds of your precious time", I said, blood rising, "this would never have happened in Brixton, you know". "Oh ho ho, that's rather good!" she said. "You take care of yourself". I said. "Oh I usually do" she replied. I was thinking, just as well it was me, lady. I could have raised the odds further by adding what I wanted to add, but what's the use if it merely helps shorten one's life, which would probably only please people such as her, who have all the position and arrogance to treat others, especially if they are carrying stuff on their back and are wearing cycle clips, as in their way and expendable. And I felt a tad gleeful at having my teeny weeny bit of evidence.

[Bryn]

Today I decided to patronise Waitrose' branch in Beckenham. This was the first time I have done so, despite living in the area now for 16 years and within the same distance as my more regular cycle trips to E. Dulwich Sainsbury's and Brixton Tescos - about 3 miles. The uphill trek from Penge has a lot to do with it. Nevertheless it would make a pleasant change from my usual fare, and I am in the process of hoarding for the colder days that will end my summer seasonal devotion to salads, almost exclusively.

I did however wonder if anything would occur as a reminder that this was not a visit to my usual food emporia. At first this didn't seem likely, there being too small a sample of locals to get an indicator species, as ecologists say, with only around 20 shoppers in situ. I can't remember ever having shopped in Waitrose, so it was a little surprising to find few items one wouldn't in any of St Sprees' or Tescles' larger outlets - often the same labels, and, again, surprisingly few differences in price - I even paid less for my usual vapes, and proclaimed so to the amusement of the salesman; I did pick up a few different vegetarian products in the cold compartments. However, it was on the way out that I had my "evidence".

I was making my way back to where I had parked my bike - tied to one of the metal barriers in the car park - and just walking at a normal pace, when a car came up behind me, tooted, and parked two spaces from where I was unlocking my bike. A woman emerged, I would say in her late 60s. "Did you want to speak to me or something?" I asked - she could have inadvertently hit the horn, or maybe was signalling to someone else. "I was just wondering when you were going to make up your mind where you were going" she replied curtly. "Oh I'm sorry I took up two seconds of your precious time", I said, blood rising, "this would never have happened in Brixton, you know". "Oh ho ho, that's rather good!" she said. "You take care of yourself". I said. "Oh I usually do" she replied. I was thinking, just as well it was me, lady. I could have raised the odds further by adding what I wanted to add, but what's the use if it merely helps shorten one's life, which would probably only please people such as her, who have all the position and arrogance to treat others, especially if they are carrying stuff on their back and are wearing cycle clips, as in their way and expendable. And I felt a tad gleeful at having my teeny weeny bit of evidence.

I'm confused. Where is this problematic hill between Penge and Beckenham? I use to live towards the Crystal Palace end of Penge High Street and frequently cycled to Beckenham. It was the other side of Beckenham, towards Bromley, that I encountered any hills worth mentioning.

[Serial_Apologist]

I'm confused. Where is this problematic hill between Penge and Beckenham? I use to live towards the Crystal Palace end of Penge High Street and frequently cycled to Beckenham. It was the other side of Beckenham, towards Bromley, that I encountered any hills worth mentioning.

It's on the way back, Bryn.

[Serial_Apologist]

I should wait until he's calmed down a bit.

Only just spotted this message.

It takes me back to a gig in the 1980s, when the leader of the band, the pianist, announced that they were now to play Howard Riley's "Blues Row". The piece happens to be based on a 12-tone row or series, but he had pronounced it as "row", as in "bloody great quarrel". Afterwards I went over to him, and corrected him on the pronunciation. "Oh, Blues Row or Blues Row - in the end what difference does it make?" he said!

[Bryn]

It's on the way back, Bryn.

Ah, going up towards Crystal Palace. I tend not to think of anything on your side of Penge West Station as still being Penge, since Crystal Palace Park effectively starts at the bottom of the hill.

[Serial_Apologist]

Ah, going up towards Crystal Palace. I tend not to think of anything on your side of Penge West Station as still being Penge, since Crystal Palace Park effectively starts at the bottom of the hill.

That final climb always exhausts me. If I cut through to Westwood Hill on one of the lower connections, it doubles the length of that part of the journey but somehow makes the climb seem less arduous - which is very strange, given that an examination of the OS map shows the height contours to be identically spaced whichever route is taken. I can only think it must have something to do with the direct ascent from Penge, the one with CP Park on the left, is a continuous climb, whereas Westwood Hill has two stretches which must logically be steeper but which, having a relatively level stretch halfway up, seems to demand less effort.

[Bryn]

That final climb always exhausts me. If I cut through to Westwood Hill on one of the lower connections, it doubles the length of that part of the journey but somehow makes the climb seem less arduous - which is very strange, given that an examination of the OS map shows the height contours to be identically spaced whichever route is taken. I can only think it must have something to do with the direct ascent from Penge, the one with CP Park on the left, is a continuous climb, whereas Westwood Hill has two stretches which must logically be steeper but which, having a relatively level stretch halfway up, seems to demand less effort.

When I liven in Penge High Street, just a 100 metres or so up from St John's Church, I worked just south of Battersea Bridge and cycled straight up to Crystal Palace Parade at the start of my way to work. My bike had a ridiculous range of gearing, so the ascent was slow but not too arduous. Towards the other end of the journey, I once got pulled over by a police car and was accused of exceeding the speed limit as I hurtled down Latchmere Road. Fortunately, I knew enough about the law regarding cycling to know that speed limits did not apply to cyclists and the police officer appeared not to know about "cycling furiously", so he had to let me go on my way. I was a lot fitter in those days.

[french frank]

the police officer appeared not to know about "cycling furiously"

I believe that you can only be charged with 'wanton or furious riding' on a pedal cycle if you cause injury. In a multi-faceted career I once worked for a short while in the statistics department at New Scotland Yard. I remember misinterpreting the police officer's description of 'tricycle' as a pedal cycle, whereas it was probably Del Boy's Reliant Robin. There was an unusual amount of illegal parking by bicycles that month until it was explained to me that a 'tricycle' in this case was a Private Motor Car.

[Serial_Apologist]

I believe that you can only be charged with 'wanton or furious riding' on a pedal cycle if you cause injury. In a multi-faceted career I once worked for a short while in the statistics department at New Scotland Yard. I remember misinterpreting the police officer's description of 'tricycle' as a pedal cycle, whereas it was probably Del Boy's Reliant Robin. There was an unusual amount of illegal parking by bicycles that month until it was explained to me that a 'tricycle' in this case was a Private Motor Car.

We needed a Pedants' Paradise, back then!

[Bryn]

We needed a Pedants' Paradise, back then!

Don't get me started on the crazy misnomer "quad bike".