Keeping the peace.

As the Phantomette is a dyed-in-the-wool Arsenal supporter and I support Spurs there was only one thing to do this lunchtime. Stay away from the T.V. and the radio and avoid strangling each other.

It has been quite a few years since we went down to Borough Market, so we thought we would give it a try. It was interesting to see how things have changed down there.

Borough Market in 1999 was a foodies dream. Small producers travelling with a few cool boxes full of meat, cheese or sausages. If you got there much after twelve noon all you would get would be crumbs.

Six years on and the Market has turned into another stop on the London Tourist Trail. The place is crowded. Queues for venison burgers or falafel wraps snake round the stalls. I saw one stall where the line went full circle and came round on itself. Some of the stalls which have been there since the beginning have now got walk-in fridges and refrigerated display cabinets. There seem to be fewer of the small individual artisan food producers and more spin-off stalls from commercial businesses in the area surrounding the market.

There is still plenty of great food to be had. We bought some amazingly creamy, sweet Gorgonzola, and rich, nutty Comte cheese. Some smoked Mackerel went into our bag, and plum tomatoes on the vine and smelling heavenly. We added some French new potatoes and chose a couple of fistfuls of salad leaves, rocket, mizuna and oak leaf. Sold loose for us to mix and match, enough for two salads came to .90p. A soggy supermarket pillow pack would have been twice the price and half the quality.

We stopped for a sandwich and a cuppa before getting the bus home. I couldn’t resist checking the score on my phone. Nil –One to Spurs with fifteen minutes to go.

By the time we got to the bus stop the game was over, a one-one draw. But for ten minutes or so it felt like a dream had come true.

And at least we could eat our lunch without strangling each other….