Every year, a bunch of Weasels descends on Borough Market in order to sniff out some Christmas Delights. Given I’m generally away this time of year, it’s not often that I can go. This year, however, that was not the case and, with Mirinda concentrating on her DBA, I decided to join them at London Bridge.
I was a tad concerned about the State of the Railways given the train guards on our line had decided to call a strike on the final Saturday before Christmas but, as it turned out, the trains were fine. Well, we did have to change at Woking but other than that, it all ran quite smoothly. Perhaps the people who went on strike have merely proven they are not necessary.
The plan was to meet outside Southwark Cathedral by a statue that looks suspiciously like a big pile of poo and, given I was early, I decided I should have some breakfast before meeting a beer or two.
Having filled myself with Germany’s best, I headed into the cathedral grounds in order to wait. No sooner had I arrived than I had to turn around and return to the sausage stand after being haled by a just arrived group of Sussex Best Weasels.
All the outside gates into the Southwark church garden have been permanently locked (John thinks since the terrorist outrage of a few years ago) so the only way in and out is via the actual Cathedral. Which is why I went all the way in then all the way out again, returning to where I’d started.
There was much kissing, hugging and cries of Schnaffel-flaps! We then waited for Bex and Lex to arrive. We had an Emergency Planning Meeting, deciding to meet back at the Rake at 1pm. We then splat up again in order to forage in separate areas of the market. (I’m using ‘splat’ here as the past tense of ‘split.’ Of course.)
Given I’d already bought lots of lovely cheese and saucisson, I just tagged along with Lorna, Darren, Bex and Lex as they went to the German shop, the cheese shop, Brindisi Spanish shop (where I bought some chorizo) and Spice Mountain before grabbing a Croatian pastry and winding up at the Rake where other Weasels had already gathered.
And so we settled in for some serious Weaselling with some pretty amazing beer. I can thoroughly recommend the Oskar Blue which has the kind of citrus notes that makes one think someone has squeezed a lemon into the glass. The session IPA was equally lemony although it was like the peel rather than the juice.
During our drink and chat we managed to change tables in order to spread out on benches rather than high stools which came in very handy when Tom joined us with Jo and their two boys Edmund and Oswald. We were then highly entertained with talk about the various London Underground lines that pass by the hotel they all stayed in last night.
Overall it was a most enjoyable afternoon but, like all enjoyable things, it had to end. Lindy and Darren left then Tom and Jo dragged their kids away. Then I wandered back to Waterloo and home in time to make dinner.