Bear business with Mum

To Hampstead with Mum today. Finished Epitaph for a Spy by Eric Ambler. Outside my usual reading ambit, but fun nevertheless. A really easy journey for me, though Mum's train had to be taken out of service. I met her at Hampstead station and toddled all the way down Flask Walk, round the back of a school full of children in the playground demonstrating their healthy lungs. Into The Old White Bear which is one of our new haunts.

In the Old White Bear a table full of posh theological students nearby, the most valuable wearing red trousers and a wide brimmed hat. Being God focused clearly not irreconcilable with being a dandified fop -- which I liked. Mum and I were talking about art, and I was reminding her of painting and artwork she did when she was younger and we were living in Neasden, for example a tall totem pole made out of vertebrae, a nail picture of the sun and moon and swirling stars. I remember her hammering many nails into an old door and spraying gold and silver onto it. While we were discussing such matters, a one armed man came over and said hello. He knew Mum from Edgware. I think I'd met him once before too, but I couldn't think where. When I got home, Lorraine said that he used to drink at a former haunt of Mum and Mason's in Edgware. They said hello, and he is an artist too hence him tuning in. We had some lunch there. Mum drinking ginger beer, which she liked. Fond farewells at Hampstead Station.

I sloped back down to West Hampstead Thameslink, and had one of those journeys where you just miss each of your connections, so getting home took hours. 

Pat and Maureen sitting with Lorraine in the back garden when I got back. Lorraine made us all dinner, before Lorraine drove them home and I sank happily into the gold sofa.

Mum outside an art shop, and a glance down Flask Walk.