Kitchen men

THE FIRST kitchen designer was here for only about half an hour; the second, today, stayed for over two hours. The first gave a cursory measurement of the room, asked what we wanted, and promptly left. The second gave us the full spiel, about the virtues of this kind of cooker as opposed to that, this type of work surface rather than that, the suitability of these units instead of those. If the first chap was a little glib, the second was exhaustive – and a little exhausting. We’re expecting the third man on Thursday and I’m hoping he’s something in between the two.

For my experimental cook today I do us a lamb hotpot, using some condensed Scotch Broth soup as a base for it. I serve it up with Lyonnaises potatoes – sliced spuds sautéed with onions. It’s pretty good, if a bit oily.

Later, My Good Lady and I watch a recorded old movie, Night Train to Munich, starring a very youthful Rex Harrison, and directed by Carol Reed in his pre-Third Man days. It’s an amusing little romp, very English and quite undemanding.

After I tuck MGL up in bed, I think over our plans for the kitchen. The trouble with both designers it that they specialise in the minimalist styles of kitchen, which I’m still not entirely convinced about. The Thursday man is much more in the English traditional style, so maybe he’ll prove to be the winner. Hope so. I’m beginning to find my own indecision a bore.