Passing by St Mark’s yesterday evening I noticed the lights on. I then heard wonderful music emanating from the church.
I walked in to catch the tail end of a concert by Cecilia Singers.
The least I could do was buy a CD.
Mulled wine and minced pies followed. The mince pies I saved for later.
A couple of pots of jam from a stall.
A very cold day, only a few degrees above zero with a very cold wind blowing. It was sunny in the morning. I considered a trip to Winchester, but decided not, it is always colder in Winchester.
Ayam woku at Indonesian street food restaurant. I think it may have changed hands. I was the only one there.
Market day in Aldershot. A handful of stalls, including junk food.
Usually not a soul to be seen, deserted streets. A few more souls market day.
I passed by Karuna Coffee House, early afternoon almost empty. Costa was busier.
I pass by a hairdresser. Lady at a sewing machine with a chess set in front of her. I am intrigued.
Bus to Farnham.
Pay a visit to Coffee Gems. I should have picked up a bag of coffee. On the other hand, following recent trips, and tempted, I have more coffee than I know what to do with.
The Coffee Can not in Gostrey Meadow. Departed before I walked through. But then a cold day.
Excellent espresso in Electric Cycle Cafe. I try a little experiment. I stir, stir not swirl. I cannot believe the difference it makes.
Quick shop in Waitrose.
Passing through Aldershot early evening, town centre sealed off, flashing blue lights, road blocks, swarming with police.
Against my better judgement, popped in Tilly Shilling a JD Wetherspoon pissheads pub for a steak.
Lunch at Tilly Shilling, a J D Wetherspoon pub, the pits, a big big mistake.
It used to be, Tuesday steak day, now the same menu everyday, with limited choice.
The most disgusting steak I have ever been served, steak and chips. It used to be served with peas, tomato, mushroom and onion rings, but not anymore. If you wish for what used to be included, have to order gourmet steak, a couple of quid extra.. Gourmet is a much abused and maligned word, but this takes gourmet to a new low.
The streak must have been the cheapest cut of meat, without sourcing horse meat, Wetherspoon could find. Sinews running through the steak, so tough even a steak knife could not cut it. The chips equally disgusting. Steak grilled straight from a fridge as could be seen by the striations, not allowed to reach room temperature.
No self-respecting chef serves this crap, no self-respecting chef would accept such poor quality meat.
Surrey Hills Brewery Albury Red. a dark red colour. I am used to drinking excellent craft beer, which will never find in a pub, certainly not a J D Wetherspoon pub. This was not good.
Toilets not clean.
Covid-biosecurity non-existent: No hand sanitiser as walked in nor on the tables, tables not cleaned, beer rings on the table, staff not wearing masks. This only serves to emphasise, current tightening of coronavirus regulations still too lax.
Pick A Bap, a Korean restaurant in a grotty shopping centre.
Pick a Bap opened a couple of years ago. It was not good then. Had it improved? Yesterday I paid a visit, ordered some food, in many ways surprised it was still open.
It was empty when I walked in. The shopping centre in which it is located, deserted, many empty units.
I asked of what was sitting in the tins, sitting for how long I hate to think. It was mid-afternoon. From ther look of the contents I guess all day.
A sign says all need to know, Food Prepared Fresh Daily. Bread fresh each day yes, food no, I want cooked fresh.
Asked to tell me what the food was, they refused.
I pointed at one dish, spicy chicken. Yes, with rice please.
It was not good, a fair description would be to say disgusting.
I asked for water. They refused, pointed to a chiller cabinet with bottled water.
Awful music blaring out.
Plastic utensils. Wooden chopsticks loose in a box.
Covid biosecurity non-existent: No hand sanitiser as I walked in, or on tables. Staff not wearing masks. On leaving I used hand sanitiser outside the barber shop next door (it too was empty).
Compared with a couple of years ago when it opened, it was no surprise I was their only customer, it was not good then, if anything, has got worse. Food and service poor.
I cannot compare with food in Korea, but compared with Korean street food in Berlin, two Korean restaurants in Guildford, it compares very unfavourably.
A sprinkling of snow on the ground in the morning. Not as cold as last few days, maybe absence of cold north wind
Luckily I saw a bus coming down the road. Most of the passengers wearing masks, a handful not. Students Farnborough Tech board bus, half not wearing masks.
Early afternoon Farnborough dead, street deserted, shopping centre deserted.
I had wished to visit a coffee shop cum sandwich shop Philly’s Coffee and Sandwiches but not in the centre. Maybe try another day.
Late lunch at a Korean place Pick A Bap. I tried when it opened a couple of years ago. It was not good then, if anything, has got worse. Food and service poor. Food disgusting. Chicken and rice not good. A sign says all need to know, Food Prepared Fresh Daily. Bread fresh each day, food no, I want cooked fresh. Food in metal boxes, probably been siting there all day. Asked to tell me what the food was, they refused. Asked for a glass of water, refused, pointed to a chiller counter where bottled water on sale. Awful music blaring out. Covid biosecurity non-existent. No hand sanitiser as I walked in, or on tables. Staff not wearing masks. No surprise I was the only customer. On leaving I used hand sanitiser outside the barber shop next door (it too was empty).
I thought maybe a coffee in a coffee in the town centre. Closed.
A tacky Christmas market of a couple of stalls, tat and disgusting German sausages.
Grotty shopping centre mainly empty units.
I expected the main street to be empty shops. Surprisingly not, but now sunk to the level of Aldershot, large number of dhsgusting junk food outlets.
Fish n chip shop has gone. The only surprise not closed years ago. Always empty, fish n chips disgusting, fish never fresh.
Worth a visit? Most definitely not.
What is it with tax-dodging Starbucks, incapable of serving a decent coffee, but still managing to overcharge? Greed.
Starbucks Farnborough, very noisy, has about as much character and ambience as a railway station waiting room.
The only good point staff are pleasant.
Sunday evening before they closed, to my surprise, music by Kronos Quartet. My curiosity piqued, I asked. Tita – Trio Da Kali and Kronos Quartet. Starbucks is full of surprises. A pity about the coffee.
I was going to the Tilly Shilling but as I passed by Pick a Bap Korean restaurant in the shabby shopping centre I decided to drop in instead.
A big mistake. Sweat and sour chicken, I barely touched it.
Each visit to Pick a Bap has been worse.
Friday night, I left half eaten, Monday barely touched.
Food not in the same league as Indonesian street food restaurant in Aldershot or Bamboo Shoots in Guildford.
It was then on to Tilly Shilling, a Wetherspoon pub.
Poor choice of beer. I picked Old Speckled Hen. It was off, tasted vile, smelt vile, best described as vinegar.
Waiter took one whiff and agreed and changed for a half of Brew Dog Punk IPA. I should have requested a pint.
Burger not good.
Wetherspoon has gone rapidly down hill. Poor choice of beer, food never good, corners cut to maintain profitability.
At night this pub is the go to for the local drunks boozing on cheap booze. Dreadful inside, and on the street causing a nuisance with their drunken noise, screaming and shouting into the early hours of the morning.
Police and local council need to act to either get Wetherspoon to clean up their act or shut the pub down. At the very least make tables outside no smoking and close at midnight.
1800 No 1 Stagecoach Gold bus Aldershot to Camberly via Farnborough.
The bus was late leaving, it had arrived a few minutes before, due to driver late leaving.
This happens all the time, drivers do not arrive at the bus until this bus is due to leave.
As the bus passed through North Camp into south Farnborough, an elderly man in his 90s asked the Nepalese driver where to alight from the bus. He was nearly knocked off his feet due to the bad eratic driving.
Instead of helping the man the driver turned very nasty and started shouting at the elderly passenger.
The man clearly distreseed became confused.
When he got off the bus, and as the bus drove off, man nearly toppled over on to the bus.
The elderly passenger alighted at Albert Road at around 1825, one stop before stop for Franborough Tech.
I alighted a few stops later at Queensmead South. As I was alighting, I spoke with the driver and said I was not happy with his treatment of an elderly man.
The driver then became very aggressive, started shouting at myself, that it was none of my business, shouted at me to get off his bus.
A young lady spoke to me when she got off the bus. She said it was appalling behaviour by the driver.
This is not acceptable behaviour by the driver, either towards the elderly passenger or to myself. He should be fired.
Pick a Bap Korean restaurant, generous portion size, mainly takeaway but there are tables for eating in.
My dish was slightly aromatic.
The use of plastic, both for serving and for utensils is not good.
Where I sat was dirty and had not been cleaned.
The food is promoted as healthy. Meat or poultry with rice is not healthy. White rice, as with any processed carbohydrates, is not healthy.
They are though new, only been open a few weeks and are learning.
I have suggested they must make water available, either on demand, or a jug or jar of water.
Plastic they have got to have a rethink, use of plastic is not acceptable.
Dishes for eating in, some form of compostable container for takeaway.
An idea from an Indian takeaway, metal containers which buy from the restaurant, cf reusable coffee cups, have proved to be popular. Bring back, and either refill, or exchange for new clean container.
They were were willing to listen and improve, do not wish to be seen as bad for the environment.
St Modwen, who have already done an excellent job destroying Farnborough, are doing their best to destroy the evening economy by locking the main entrance to the Kingsmead shopping centre.
Busy lunchtime, mainly the lunchtime rush, then not busy. At night empty.
I have suggested at night, what food is left, sell at reduced price or give away.
Not as good as either the Indonesian street food restaurant in Aldershot or Bamboo Shoots in Guildford, but a marked improvement on the very low quality of food in Farnborough.
A cappuccino, looks disgusting, tastes disgusting.
Every mistake. too hot, bitter, all foam and froth.
How can anyone make coffee this bad?
Sadly the norm for tax-dodging Starbucks.
Offered three cups sizes, normal, too big and far too big.
Put off my coffee even before it was served by the girl who served constantly scratting at her hair.
A bunch of out of control kids, no parents, shouting as though in a playground. No one deals with the problem, either shut them up or kick them out.
Also very very hot inside.
The only reason I am here with reluctance, to use the wifi.
Keithpp's Blog 