Cambridge full English breakfast?

[Blue Hills]

er, see upthread.

There is also one in Ruislip - calling on the same friend on a ride Birmingham to London I did once wonder whether to pop there for a refresher while waiting for the tube rush hour to end. Checked it out from the outside the other day before riding on to the wonder of the Greenwood. Didn't look very nice - one of their shop conversion jobbies I think - and not too cycle friendly.

yes, Northolt is one of those curiously inbetween places, at least to outsiders like me.

 

[Ian H]

er, see upthread.

Oh. I wouldn't have realised that far out was still Northolt.

 

[srw]

Northolt's a bit of a desert between Ruislip, Pinner, and Harrow.

If I were picking somewhere in London to stay to visit central London, Northolt wouldn't be on the list for exactly this reason. There's no rapid journey into the middle, just a selection of rattly and not hugely regular tubes. And speaking as someone whose commute in London is 90 minutes, runs to a timetable even on the tube and where the number of trains is strictly rationed, I'd rather stay reasonably close to the action than an hour away. Even before chucking in the sheer obnoxiousness of Tim Martin.

 

[Blue Hills]

yes you have to factor all this in.

All easy thanks to internet research.

Croydon for instance is zone 6 I think.

But has very very frequent trains into London Victoria, many of which are very fast.

So you could be in Westminster Abbey in no time.

Praps her maj should move there.

The Tim Martin thing I always find amusing/educational about certain types of British attitudes and postures. He's entitled to his opinions as much as anyone/us. And I am not aware that he expresses himself in an impolite or offensive way.

Do folks who profess to object to him and therefore shun his enterprises and diss his customers enquire into the attitudes/opinions of the bosses of the many many many other businesses they buy from? Methinks something else is going on.

 

[Ian H]

Back to Northolt for a moment (and completely off-topic), possibly it's only famous resident was Stanley Green.

The Tim Martin thing I always find amusing/educational about certain types of British attitudes and postures. He's entitled to his opinions as much as anyone/us. And I am not aware that he expresses himself in an impolite or offensive way.

Do folks who profess to object to him and therefore shun his enterprises and diss his customers enquire into the attitudes/opinions of the bosses of the many many many other businesses they buy from? Methinks something else is going on.

I think it's only that he's very public about his opinions (and they appear on Wetherspoon menus). Mike Robertson was another Westcountry-based character (very obnoxious) — founder of Trago Mills.

 

[Blue Hills]

At the risk of bemusing Steve in Denmark with his original question, yes I remember Mr Green from my first arrival in London - my university wasn't far from his patch.

Mr Martin's spoons publications have at times prominently included quotations from Tony Benn.

Have yet to find anyone who can seriously back up their denunciations of Mr Martin.

I tend to think their statements often say more about them.

I voted remain by the way.

 

[Ian H]

Have yet to find anyone who can seriously back up their denunciations of Mr Martin.

Mr Martin doesn't particularly worry me. But seeing as you asked, here's some reading matter (all Grauniad, I realise, but I couldn't be arsed to trawl further).
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/may/31/wetherspoons-brexit-beer-mats-eu-referendum-imf
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/sep/20/wetherspoons-and-mcdonalds-staff-to-strike-together
https://www.theguardian.com/society...spoon-ban-homeless-people-cornwall-owen-jones
https://www.theguardian.com/busines...o-sell-more-non-eu-drinks-in-run-up-to-brexit

 

[Blue Hills]

Ok, ian, honest points.

very quick read/scan.

1: He's entitled to his views on the EU. And I always find it odd that many folk can't take on board that that the EU, like anything, can't serve the interests of folk with their own agendas.

2: I would respect any picket line. But strongly suspect that many of the folk who condemn spoons don't care a toss for the working conditions of the folk manning the production/service lines of the businesses they partake of. In the best possible taste. The "hospitality" industry doesn't have the best record on pay. I speak/write as someone who has sampled 5 star hotels at the bottom (I won't bore you with the details) and the top.

3: I have a lot of time for Owen Jones but feel that he is picking an easy unfair/lazy/target/highlight for his point. Possibly pandering to the worst sort of guardian reader. His "chav" book was brilliant and a vital corrective to an all too common contempt abroad at the time, including from many who would claim that they were impeccably liberal/lefty. In fact I seem to remember that his book starts with such a point.The black irony is that many self declared liberal lefty folk object to spoons, and wouldn't go near one, because they imagine that they are populated by "smelly people". The lower orders. The chavs.

4: If spoons decides to sell less european and more british drinks, that is their right as a business. I don't see that as racist. I am a fan of Italian wine - best drunk in Italy for all sorts of reasons. I am a fan of British beer. If "Mr spoons" decides that he would like to support British alcohol, fine.