Navigating North London

Why is it so difficult to get a decent Eccles Cake in this city? I know they are a northern delicacy, but they are not so unpopular, surely?

Today has been a busy day for Furtle and myself. Having slept in a little this morning, we breakfasted late, doing a mountain of washing up and some general tidying etc beforehand. The next phase of the day's activities involved the Tube down to Camden Town where I picked up a 9-pin serial to PS2 converter and a new optical mouse. I had hoped to get a track ball, but the only one the place supposedly had in stock proved elusive, so I went for a more conventional mouse instead. Furtle paid around £16 which bought her a heap of small components and about £32 worth of a flunky's time as he sorted and assembled said electronica by hand. Yes, Maplins, for all its aspirations, has a splendidly manual stock control system, which would have been recognised by the firm of Marley and Scrooge.

There followed coffee, a trip to the bank and an abortive attempt to buy comics from a frankly disappointing Mega City. Back onto the Tube north, off at East Finchley and a bus ride through the delights of Muswell Hill brought us to a Tesco the size of Wyoming. It certainly is a lot cheaper than Waitrose, isn't it? We may be arranging for food deliveries from the place in an attempt to keep the bills down. Then a bus home. chores complete and excursion finished.

Lordy but it was hot.

Anyway, yes. Tesco, On the plus side, Eccles Cakes. On the negative side, somewhat disappointing Eccles Cakes. Not as disappointing as the Eccles Cakes Furtle found for sale on the Holloway Road (they might have come from Morrison’s, but you'd expect them to know better), but certainly only second rate at best. The closest I have found (other than the wretchedly small ones sold in batches of four, supposedly from a Lancastrian bakers and available in any number of supermarkets) are M&S own Eccles Cakes, but the supply is unreliable and though the taste is about right, the fruit content is relatively low. It is very easy to buy something close to the suburbs of Eccles Cakes, but the real thing remains as elusive as ever.

Next time I go home I shall have to buy a large supply and bring them back in Tupper Ware or something to see me through the lean times.

It's cooler, now. I wonder what jollity tomorrow will bring?

Navigating North London

Why is it so difficult to get a decent Eccles Cake in this city? I know they are a northern delicacy, but they are not so unpopular, surely?

Today has been a busy day for Furtle and myself. Having slept in a little this morning, we breakfasted late, doing a mountain of washing up and some general tidying etc beforehand. The next phase of the day's activities involved the Tube down to Camden Town where I picked up a 9-pin serial to PS2 converter and a new optical mouse. I had hoped to get a track ball, but the only one the place supposedly had in stock proved elusive, so I went for a more conventional mouse instead. Furtle paid around £16 which bought her a heap of small components and about £32 worth of a flunky's time as he sorted and assembled said electronica by hand. Yes, Maplins, for all its aspirations, has a splendidly manual stock control system, which would have been recognised by the firm of Marley and Scrooge.

There followed coffee, a trip to the bank and an abortive attempt to buy comics from a frankly disappointing Mega City. Back onto the Tube north, off at East Finchley and a bus ride through the delights of Muswell Hill brought us to a Tesco the size of Wyoming. It certainly is a lot cheaper than Waitrose, isn't it? We may be arranging for food deliveries from the place in an attempt to keep the bills down. Then a bus home. chores complete and excursion finished.

Lordy but it was hot.

Anyway, yes. Tesco, On the plus side, Eccles Cakes. On the negative side, somewhat disappointing Eccles Cakes. Not as disappointing as the Eccles Cakes Furtle found for sale on the Holloway Road (they might have come from Morrison’s, but you'd expect them to know better), but certainly only second rate at best. The closest I have found (other than the wretchedly small ones sold in batches of four, supposedly from a Lancastrian bakers and available in any number of supermarkets) are M&S own Eccles Cakes, but the supply is unreliable and though the taste is about right, the fruit content is relatively low. It is very easy to buy something close to the suburbs of Eccles Cakes, but the real thing remains as elusive as ever.

Next time I go home I shall have to buy a large supply and bring them back in Tupper Ware or something to see me through the lean times.

It's cooler, now. I wonder what jollity tomorrow will bring?