Month: December 2010

Hope and Greenwood: Probably the best sweet shop ever

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I was in London today at the Royal Opera House and noticed that there was a Hope and Greenwood’s just around the corner.

Hope and Greenwood’s are probably the best old fashioned sweet shops ever. You can still by things by imperial measure and get bags of sweets made up. I’ve been to their shop near Forest Hill many times on trips to the Horniman Museum (I’ve mentioned the place many times), but I’ve never been to their central London shop.

It isn’t much bigger, but it is just as wondrous. The staff are wonderful and the range of confectionery is superb.

If you ever get a chance to visit one of their shops then you must, absolutely you must.

Dusk, Snow, Woods and Alexei Sayle

Posted by on in Books and Audiobooks, ListeningLeave a comment

I walked home tonight just at dusk hoping that the light would hold for long enough for me to get through the woods before it got dark and I started to walk into things or get lost.

I was ok thankfully and just made it.

I continued listening to Alexei Sayle’s “Stalin Ate My Homework” on the way back which is an excellent read, or in my case listen as I’ve got the audio book version. I would recommend it to anyone. Unless of course you don’t like Alexei Sayle in which case you probably shouldn’t bother with it.

I must be over half way through now and I’ve really enjoyed it. It is funny and poignant at the same time, and a deeply personal reflection on his quite unusual childhood.

I’ve especially enjoyed the way the book doesn’t so much tell the story of his childhood but more meanders through it in a seemingly haphazard manner. I guess in many ways that childhood is like that. Today it made a good backdrop to my journey.