Bloated!

Apologies for yesterday's rather hurried and 'substitute' blip. Seems from views and comments that it certainly failed to excite and quite a come-down from the spotlight of the day before. Must try harder!

There's a fairly well known and well used pub right next to Teddington station called the Bloated Mallard. (My guess is that they were having a wease, messing with Heston Blumenthal's Fat Duck, but hey, imitation is the greatest form of flattery they say!). I'm afraid they don't reach Heston's standards, but it is well used and well liked pub. They must be doing OK, because they've now opened one in Hampton High Street, very near to the Hampton Hill New Gate.

They took over the Old Duke of Clarence, which in truth, was a bit run down and was becoming a bit tatty, but is a lovely old building. Nice architecture and some great original features, a bit of a landmark in the high street having had it's brickwork painted cream for years, but at least the Victorian tiling survived the urges to paint over the years. It worked nonetheless.

So they've given it a lick of paint,...and then, they gave it another lick of paint, then they put up a sign, they they gave it another lick of paint, then they put up the prices....then....oh yeah, they opened the doors and said "look at us, don't we look nice - come and have meal with us!"

"No thanks, feeling a bit bloated today"

Yes, this is it's true colour!