And the place lives up to our description of it as a working man's café (pronounced caff in this instance) when the man eating at the next table, who has overheard Alexander's observation that the minimum wage has gone up, apologises for intruding, introduces himself as a Marxist, and decries the failure of the traditional parties, Labour included, to prevent people going hungry or sleeping on the streets. We all assure him we agree that even the new minimum wage is totally inadequate to survive on.
Interestingly, in this little skit on the working man (could make the cast more gender inclusive, but in fact the man's wife continues silently eating her meal throughout, perhaps having survived similar embarrassments in the past) the very British question of accent arises. Twice the husband, whose name, he tells us, is Chris, tells Alexander that if he had A's accent people would take his views more seriously. And when the question of occupation comes up A says that he is a piano tuner (true, though modestly short of the whole truth, as he tunes and supplies instruments for concerts and symphonies). Chris responds, as only an Englishman could, doubting the information - "You don't sound like it." But they part as friends, with good wishes and Facebook information.
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