Big pleasure from small things

Southall is a shopping paradise if you have a thing about stainless steel kitchenware (or copper, or cast iron), pulses Tesco have never heard of (by the kilo) and jingly jangly jewellery at impossibly low prices. I now have a tiffin carrier, lots of sandalwood joss sticks, a bottle of rose water (what for?) and some earrings that I can see while I'm wearing them. Cool.



It is also the friendliest place I have visited in the south of England, and the only place I have visited in all of Britain where there are hardly any white people. It reminded me of the smarter parts of Delhi, which I guess is to be expected, and I was struck again by a forlorn wish that I could carry off a salwar kameez every day, because they are truly splendid garments and I have never seen so many to choose from.



We also had two fantastic meals, in Chandni Chowk and Brilliant (which lives up to its name) and a couple of pints in the Glassy Junction, the only pub in the country, so they say, which will take rupees for beer. Not many women in there, it has to be said, but no macho atmosphere either. It was a Great Day Out and I recommend it. Just wish we'd timed it better for the Bollywood cinema...

joella