The Clachan

After leaving Shakespeare's Head, we spent some time shopping in the hustle & bustle that is the Oxford & Regents street mall. Kelly, Joseph & Edward went and did their own thing, but I don't recall what that was. This left Marita Beth & I doing our own thing until we had to head to the theatre later in the afternoon. We're walking through the crowded streets of Soho, London in a fine warm afternoon. Marita Beth wants to shop, which is no great surprise, she always wants to shop. So, that leaves me shopping...Or doing something else. I chose something else; and what should that something else be? Hell, I'm in London, that something else is going to be ale. So around the corner I strode, after warning my lovely lady that I was leaving her to her shopping, and espied The Clachan. Fabulous. The Clachan is a Victorian structure tucked into an alley behind the Liberty (that grand Tudor style building you can see in the background). Built somewhere around 1898, it has been modernized but retains much of its original fittings & fixtures. It used to be called The Bricklayers but at some point it's name was changed to The Clachan and no one is really very sure why. The word clachan means "village" in Scots Gaelic. I sat and drank my 1/2 bitter while my wife window-shopped. Eventually she joined me, I finished my bitter, verified she didn't want one and we left. Jens Lehmann has been given the nod by Klinnsman as the number 1 for the German squad. And it's no wonder, he's been in righteous form for the Arsenal for the past few months and truthfully deserves it. At least considerably more than that blonde baboon that has been the German number 1. That's it for the day. Scarborough Faire starts tomorrow, so it's my first "official" day in business as East Wind Games. It's going to be a gas. Wastrel On! (Listening to: Response by Gary Burton)

Shakespeare's Head

I seem to be a little jumbled. The other day, I wrote about a visit to an Italian Ristorante in London. Well, that visit came after drinks at the Shakespeare's Head Pub. At least, I think it did. I recall sitting in Shakespeare's Pub waiting for Kelly & Joseph (and maybe Edward) to arrive. I wish my memory was better, perhaps Marita Beth's travelogue will provide the correct answer. Either way, the Pub was very fun & sits in a lovely Yuppie part of London with gads of shopping in a walk-only open-air mall. Delightful Arsenal, for the first time in the very long, very rich club history, are through to the semi-finals fo the Champions League. On the heels of their 2-0 win over Juventus a week ago, they played in Turin last night and forced a draw from the Italian side with yet one more Juve seeing red. Marvelous performance from the team. However, it's not over; and if we want Henry to stay, which we do, we really need to win the cup. We have Villareal next, and then hopefully after that 2-leg tie we'll see either Benfica or Barcelona (I'm hoping for Benfica, personally) in the finals. It's important to Henry, it's important to Arsenal and it's important to me. On the weekend we have ManU. This one is critical if for no other reason than for morale. If we can take ManU, we'll jump Tottenham into fourth. From there it's a matter of clinging arse-tight to that spot. Come on the boys! Wastrel On! (Listening to: Ring of Fire by Social Distortion)