Went down to Guildford today - my usual monthly trip. An early start - but I went to bed on time for once, so it wasn't so bad: chilly at that hour, though. I made the Overground station at 7.35, arriving on the platform at the very moment that the delayed 7.27 train pulled in! I see, therefore, that the timetable has changed - I'm used to trains leaving at 7.40 and 7.50. Anyway, it was - catch this one, or wait for 21 minutes for the next. So I decided this one was a good train to catch.
The faces crushed up against the door were unnerving, as the train came to a stop. However, I'd forgotten how many people get off there - the train was actually nearly empty by the time we could get on. Well, not counting the people in seats! I mean, there was plenty of standing space. Definitely more space than I'm used to - taking an earlier train is delightful, from that point of view - if you can manage it. The train from Clapham Junction to Guildford was also uncrowded - a welcome change from the last time I took it, when I had to stand most of the way.
But the point of this post is lunch. We had a team lunch organised - which makes a nice change - in the White Hart. The car park was crowded - we ended up parked on the road outside. I've just eaten here once before - we had a Christmas lunch here a while ago. I remembered it as good. I was right. The menu includes pasta, pizza, Smorgasbords, salads, and a "Stove & Grill" section. I was torn between chicken and steak - the steak comes in three varieties, and you can have it with sauce, foie gras, or tiger prawns. In the end though, I went for the chicken..
..which must rank among the very best chicken I've ever had, if not the best! The chicken was succulent, with crispy skin, swimming in a gorgeous Gorgonzola sauce. If you searched, there were walnuts hidden in that sauce. And the potatoes Dauphinoise were packed into a little cake, and very moreish. My only regret was that we felt obliged to hurry back, and only had one course. Friendly service, too. Very highly recommended..
Well, it's back to Ireland for the weekend. On Monday, I've booked to go to the Globe again - hopefully the journey will be easier than my last outing! The show is Doctor Scroggy's War, and I got a terrific ticket deal with LoveTheatre - front row, lower gallery: they always have good seats. What beats me though is why they inflate the official price. My ticket was £24, they quote the official price as £46.10. It's not - it's £41.50, including booking fee! Honestly, why bother to exaggerate what's already a good deal?!
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