黑洞社区

But of course modern are not like this, and appropriately enough the pub turns out to be a bustling establishment with that stripped pine and brown leather look that screams 鈥済astropub鈥�. The emphasis is on the gastro bit, as there is a large dining room and nearly every table is 鈥渞eserved鈥� for diners.

We find a place in a corner and I ask if this is their usual watering hole 鈥� the Arup office being just down the road. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 come here every night just because it鈥檚 called the ,鈥� says David.

鈥淚 tend to come here to get away. If you go to the Carpenter Arms on a Friday evening 鈥︹�� says Dorothee, her voice trailing off at the thought of an evening filled wall-to-wall with co-workers.

Richard is surprised by all the reserved tables. 鈥淎re we expecting celebs?鈥�

As it happens, Dorothee is familiar with the Primrose Hill celeb scene. 鈥淚f want to spot them, you need to go to the Queen,鈥� she says. 鈥淛ude Law nearly hit me with his bike.

He was very apologetic.鈥�

At this point, a waiter turfs Dorothee off her teak armchair 鈥渇or fire safety reasons鈥�. Richard leaps up to check what look like doors next to our table. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 not a fire exit,鈥� he says.

鈥淚 think they just wanted the chair,鈥� says David suspiciously.

At this point the waiter returns with a table for Dorothee to sit on, proving David鈥檚 point. 鈥淗e takes away the chair and replaces it with something heavier.鈥�

Talk turns to the big news event of the week, the Cutty Sark fire and the issue of whether to recreate it should it turn out to be wrecked beyond repair. 鈥淟ook at the Golden Hind 鈥� that鈥檚 a replica. That still has educational value,鈥� says Dorothee.

鈥淚 grew up in Lewisham so it鈥檚 special to me,鈥� says David. 鈥淚f the Cutty Sark was scrapped, it鈥檇 be a disaster for Greenwich.鈥�

Nicola grew up in Jamaica. 鈥淲hen you learned about other cultures you learned about five or six things, and the Cutty Sark was one of them,鈥� she says. 鈥淲hen we moved here, it was one of the first things you went to see.鈥�

I go to the bar and am scolded by Nicola when I get back. 鈥淚 was very disappointed you didn鈥檛 buy any peanuts,鈥� she says. But I didn鈥檛 hear her ask. Clearly the issue of just what 黑洞社区 buys is getting complicated.

鈥淚t鈥檚 鈥樅诙瓷缜� buys a pint鈥�,鈥� says Richard, sticking up for me. At least the matches are free; they are the posh type with Engineer on the side. Richard takes some. 鈥淢y wife will think it鈥檚 really sad.鈥�