Farmer's Market to South Mimms!! 5434 miles.

South Mimms Services.

It sure is a million miles between the Farmer's Market in Hollywood and South Mimms Service Services in Hertfordshire on the M25. I have written about both places recently, the M25 and The Farmer's Market, and the contrast between both of them is vast.

Number one you can get really decent coffee at The Farmer's Market.

But more than that; driving along Fairfax Avenue, in Los Angeles, you do a left turn, if you are travelling south, or a right if travelling north and you are in to the market.

Travelling on the M25 you go all around the Mulberry Bush and get lost to get in to South Mimms Service Station; let's get familiar; let's call it South Mimms!!

One time you would travel on a motorway in Britain and the service stations would be easy to get to; there would be a bridge across the motorway and when you entered the service area you would be able to meet people heading in the opposite direction as you munched on your very expensive sandwich.

In fact one time, when I was a student, I had the job of a van driver - just a small van - and one day I had to meet someone travelling in the opposite direction and give him a piece of micro-film!!!! All cloak and dagger stuff?

Another difference between the two places – let me remind you as I digressed – South Mimms and The Farmer's Market, is that The Farmer's is in the open and usually sunshine and when we called there to South Mimms on Wednesday evening it was pitch black at night, about 7:00 pm, and bitter cold.

But we found the place and I have to say, I thought about The Farmers and the people we used to see there.

Now what is this about? I hear you cry; I've said all this before. Well it is a million miles from The Farmer's Market to South Mimmns in more ways than one – maybe about five thousand miles or so.

South Mimms is not a place where people go to on a regular basis; it's more like ships passing in the night and the chances of meeting people there more than once, unless they work there, is very unlikely.

At The Farmer's Market we met people every day that we had met before; we were familiar faces to them and they to us. We knew the butchers, the coffee shops, the vegetable stalls and even the parking lot attendants; none of them miss us and have probably not noticed we haven't been there.

There are loads of people who suddenly stop going there and loads more who suddenly start.

In fact when we were last there there was an English couple, some of the people who would go to the movies at The Bing Theatre on Tuesdays to see old classic movies, who told us they were going back to live in Britain too; he was 91 and she 86 and they still loved their movies.

I remember they had bought their single tickets back to London, even though they were from up north, and I told them they should have bought round trip tickets as they were cheaper – maybe $1400 for a single as opposed to $800 for a round trip – crazy isn't it?

So it was coming up to 7:05 when we decided to stop at South Mimms; if we'd waited till we got back to Ealing we wouldn't be eating till late and it was too early to eat when we started out from Suffolk.

The big thing about 7:05 in Britain is The Archers; a daily weekday soap opera on the radio which lasts about 12 minutes and which my wife listens to. So I left her in the car to listen to it whilst I used the loo.

When she came in she decided she didn't want anything to eat at all so I bought a half a rotisserie chicken with chips and mushy peas, which she could 'pick at' too, and as she wasn't eating the memsahib went off and found a seat.

I saw her as I approached with my tray and sitting on the next table were the English couple from The Farmer's Market. Looking as dapper as always; he looks like a Colonel and has a very tiny pencil thin white moustache!

Now if that's not a coincidence I don't know what is!

He, at the age of 91 don't forget, had rented a car from Heathrow Airport and driven the 25 – 30 miles to South Mimms after arriving from Los Angeles on the 10 hour flight.

We sat with them when I finished my meal and they told me they were going to stay at the hotel, which is at the services, and that as soon as they could arrange it they were going back to Los Angeles.

The next morning they were setting off for Carlisle which is way up north – about 250 miles.

They told me their stuff had arrived in Britain and was with the shippers but she said she would call them the next day and tell them to send it back – it's too cold here, they both said.

Well they are getting on.

The Clock Tower, Farmer's Market, Los Angeles.
(I know - you've seen it before)