Stinky relics

Now I've walked past this spot a thousand times and only today did I notice this rather odd looking pipe sticking out of the pavement (slightly left of the street lamp). It looks to me like an old fashioned Victorian "stink pipe" it's very robust looking, cast Iron with a fancy ornate cap. 

Stink pipes were used to vent noxious gas from sewer systems high enough above the ground so that the foul odours couldn't be detected by passers by or residents, modern sewage treatment and routing has rendered them obsolete, but clearly this example has survived into the 21st Century. No doubt someone will want it to be listed next..

Saturday Smirk

Jesus and Mo pointing out the rather bizarre way in which our religious brothers and sisters always seem to feel unsatisfied with their myths and stories. You would think that if you had a personal relationship with the creator of the universe and were party to "the truth" about everything then you'd be happy, but many people who claim this aren't until everyone else around them believes it too. 

Foxy Friday

I went to the Fox and Hounds in Caversham last Friday to meet up with a mate and have a good old gossip. I was pleased to see that they had People, Money, Space, Time by Verdant on tap, this is probably my favourite low alcohol session beer, such great flavour in such a tidy 3.4% package!

More bird weirdness

Having had a lonely magpie camping out in our back garden we now have a lone Canada goose sitting on a verge along our road. He's been there for three days now and occasionally gets up and walks around, I think he's eating the dandelions and sometimes ends up in the middle of the road and you have to beep your car horn to get him to move, how strange!

West is best

Tried one of these at the weekend, it's a new brew from Siren in collaboration with Beachwood brewing (USA) The beer is a West Coast IPA done in a crisp modern style and is totally delicious, probably the best Siren beer so far this year and a definite candidate for honors in my yearly round up. Clean and fruity it's a perfect balance between back-end bitterness and up front sweet citrus and tropical flavours, a cracking beer.

Amazing Trees

Spotted this amazing tree near my house the other day, it's in a back street off my usual walking route. Clearly a Horse Chestnut tree but looking splendid in flower, beautiful!

Fountain of youth

Went up to town last Friday and met with my Son and a couple of his mates. I was there to help them with a business idea that they'd had to start a software company with an AI based recruiting product for the legal sector. Since I've built three different software companies in my career (retired now) I do know a thing or two about what it takes, and the pitfalls that may scupper such startups. 

Of course the three chaps I met with were all young, they looked like they weren't much older than 12 to me, but that applies to most people I meet these days.. Anyway, it was great fun chewing the fat over their idea, sharing their excitement and enthusiasm and listening to their "pitch", hopefully I was able to provide them with some wisdom. 

We met at the Old Fountain pub near Old Street tube which is a class boozer with some great beers on tap and since it was (late) lunchtime it was fairly quiet (see picture above) and conducive to a focused meeting. Anyway, we had a couple of pints and a chat before they had to head back to their office and I headed back  to Paddington, I was reminded of times past (i.e. pre-2010) when it used to be de-rigeur to have a couple of beers on a Friday lunchtime before a little snooze at the office in the afternoon before another session in the evening, ah the good old days!