Yesterday was kind of strange and depressing. Dave and I went to the funeral for our friend Chris, who with his wife Linda were our neighbors at our previous flat in Notting Hill. We often socialized with them and although Chris had been in poor health for the last few years we were sorry to hear that he died in mid-December.
They live down in Epsom, southwest of London in Surrey -- their Notting Hill flat is more of a pied-a-terre -- and the funeral was in nearby Leatherhead. Dave and I wore our suits to work in the morning and left at noon to make the journey southward.
I don't think I'd been to a funeral for about ten years. The last one I remember attending was for the parent of one of Dave's co-workers in New Jersey, in early 2011. And it had also been quite a while since I'd worn my suit for any reason. I was happy to see it still fit me (not bad for a suit purchased 23 years ago!) but truth be told it is a bit tighter around the waist these days.
Anyway, we got to Leatherhead early by design, and went for a walk in town. We found a little cafe opposite the office building above -- which looks very old but was in reality built about 100 years ago, at least according to the date on the exterior -- and ordered coffee. Dave decided to get a piece of apple pie.
The waiter asked if he wanted ice cream or custard with his pie. "Custard," Dave said.
This is what he got. "Is the pie in there?" Dave asked the waiter, who assured him it was. And indeed he excavated in the lake-o-custard and found a bit of crust, as you can see above. We've never seen pie served quite like that but it was pretty good! (I wonder what would have happened if he'd chosen ice cream?)
The illuminated coils inside some of the cafe's light bulbs spelled out "Love." That's an effect I don't think I've ever seen before. (I made the picture black-and-white to make it more legible.)
Finally we caught an Uber to the crematorium just outside town for the half-hour service. Some of Chris's friends wrote remembrances of his love of red wine and photography, his willingness to talk to anybody, his disdain for politicians and puffery of any kind. He had been a journalist, so he and I had that in common. Some poems were read, including an excellent one by Maya Angelou, but also some all-purpose funereal doggerel that I feel certain Chris would have scoffed at. Afterwards we chatted with Linda for a bit and then began the journey home.
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| Inside a chapel at the crematorium |
Here's one drawback to my wearing a suit: I don't have an overcoat to go with it. Consequently by the time we got home yesterday evening I was chilled to the bone. I should have just worn a sweater underneath the jacket but I didn't think of it. Fortunately some time under a blanket on the couch with the dog, a book and a glass of red wine set me right.
48 comments:
So sorry to read the news about your friend Chris.
I would NOT have enjoyed that bowl of custard with apple pie. (And I, too, wonder how they would have served the ice cream.)
The apple pie and custard is rather sad compared to strudel and vanilla sauce in Vienna, although probably a good bit cheaper.
A suit? I've managed to survive life without one! But awful here to see people wear jeans to a funeral. But I guess at least they attended to pay respects.
I watched a YT clip today of a East or Greater Anglia train with underfloor heating. Apparently very cosy.
You've worked hard all your life and cover yourself with a blanket to keep warm. Turn up the heating.
I am fascinated by the vintage looking bulbs with the filaments. I have never seen one with filaments turned into art. That is very cool.
Life is unjust. I've just decided this. I looked at the picture of custard lake and gained two pounds. I'm assuming Dave ate it AND managed to walk out of there in the same pants he wore in to that fine establishment. Unjust, I say.
Sorry to hear about your friend; that's always tough.
It's funny you say the building's not old, just 100! But, yes, it does look, by design no doubt, much older.
The pie looks kind of interesting. I might have chosen cream and now I wonder what I'd have been served.
Those bulbs are wonderful. I've never seen anything like that before.
Sad day. But you always make something of your days.
Funerals. Funny. I woke up this morning after having dreamed of a friend of mine who died quite awhile back. Her funeral was awful. Her parents arranged it with a minister who'd never met my friend and got his details and facts about her from her parents who of course knew very little of her. It made me so angry, him droning on. Sue would have hated it. The baby of a woman I knew started fussing and I offered to take the child out into the hallway and that soothed me- soothing that baby.
To me it looks like the kitchen was trying to use the last of the custard so they could make a new batch.
That building is an impressive sight as are those light bulbs. I've never seen anything like them. I don't know what to say about the pie with custard.
It's been a very long time since I've been to a funeral too. It's always a sad event.
Sorry for the loss of your friend. That was nice of you and Dave to go to his service. I don't think there will be any service at all when I die. Maybe my kids could get together to celebrate but I don't want anything religious or in a funeral parlor.
I think they shouldn't put so much custard on the pie!
It was very kind of you and Dave to make the journey to the funeral. A true sign of heartfelt friendship. Gathering these days is such a challenge.
I'm sorry about your friend's passing. If the last funeral you attended was in 2011, you are fortunate.
I'm so very sorry about the loss of your friend. My sympathies. I know your presence was welcomed.
Sending Love And Light Brother Reed - Stoked You Knew To Default And Hang With The Dog - Have Never Seen Letters In Light Bulbs - Way Cool - Stay Strong
Cheers
My sympathy in the loss of your friend. I don't like funerals, but would honestly rather attend one of those than a wedding. I eloped (so no wedding), but at least our kids had fun ones... like the Elvis wedding in Las Vegas our younger daughter had. It was a hoot!
Funerals are weird. When my Mom died, my Dad had her buried where she grew up. She had not lived there for 40 years. Attendance was sparse. It was the longest two days of my life. It was kind of you to be there for Chris' family. Pie with that much custard is also weird.
I think lying under a blanket on the couch, with a book, the dog and a glass of red wine would cure most ills. Sorry about your friend. You have a super day, hugs, Edna B.
I'm sorry to hear about your friend. I'm glad Olga, a blanket and a glass of wine where able to warm you up.
That custard-covered pie actually looks quite tasty.
Sorry to hear about your friend. What with age and that virus, death seems to creep up on us all. We attended a zoom funeral recently complete with choir music where members joined from three continents. We had lunch while we watched. I know blasphemy but the deceased would have loved it, we are certain.
I have never heard of having apple pie with custard. Must be a UK thing. But I do remember those light bulbs from a past decade though don't remember which. As I recall they came with quite a few different designs. I remember a rose specifically. And the 'love' one.
If you were in Yorkshire that would be a normal sized pudding
Custard is like pudding there, right? It looks good but too much for me. The office building does look very old and picturesque. Nothing that I wore 23 years ago would fit me except earrings and scarves. :) Sorry to hear about your friend; I've lost several lately and it has been troubling.
So very sorry Steve, to hear of the sad news of your friends passing. I do believe that Dave and your presence would have been welcomed by Linda and his family. It is always so sad to hear of a friend passing.
I love custard but have never had such a liquid version myself. My mom use to make egg custard pie and it was so delicious. Sadly, my sisters and I never remembered to ask her for the recipe.
Have a wonderful day and stay warm!
I am sorry to hear about your friend. Your story of wearing a suit without an overcoat would exactly be me. I haven't worn my one suit in ages, and I don't have an overcoat either. Glad you could warm up later.
The custard was good, but a third as much would have been fine! Ideal, in fact.
You've never had a suit? Lucky you!
Ha! Well, who knows what the long-term effects are. He's wearing the same pants now, but he may have added a bit of weight, not to mention some cholesterol!
Yeah, everything's relative, right? A 100-year-old building in London is nothing.
Trying to notice those little things...
It would be better to have NO funeral than a totally irrelevant one.
It does look like that!
I'd never seen light bulbs like that either!
I'm not sure I want a service either. We didn't have one for my dad, by his own request, when he died in 2016.
It is. Fortunately there weren't a whole lot of people there and we all went outside before gathering to talk a bit afterwards, so it didn't feel too risky.
Well, that's not to say I haven't known anyone who has died -- most significantly my dad in 2016. But we didn't have a funeral for him, at his own request.
Thanks, Jeanie. Linda seemed surprised we came "all the way" from London -- it's not that far!
The dog is a crucial component of my happy place!
LOL -- I think I'm with you on that, if for no other reason than funerals are usually shorter! We didn't have a wedding either, though we did belatedly have a party in lieu of a formal reception.
It's hard to know the best place to be interred (whether buried or cremated or whatever). I tend to think I'd rather just be scattered somewhere, or maybe in multiple places.
Doesn't that sound perfect?!
The perfect evening in!
It was tasty but it WAS too much custard. We didn't even finish it, but we ate the pie from beneath it.
Depending on the person, irreverance is sometimes called for!
Yeah, pie with custard is definitely a thing here. I love custard, so I'm all for it.
Those bulbs have been around for decades??? Where have I been?!
Ha! Well, they have a colder climate up there. Gotta stay insulated. :)
It's kind of like pudding -- maybe not quite as thick, and usually served warm.
I bet you could find a similar recipe online -- probably not exactly the same, but close!
I'm glad we don't have to wear suits every day! That's a huge plus to this job!
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