No, not the book, movie or anything related to Hanif Kureishi's original creation but I'm talking about the Buddha (buddharupa for the pedants) in the window of the closed down TV repair shop on Central Road. I paused to photograph it in passing the other day and then, it being early and my brain not yet being fully wired for the day's activities, my mind wandered off into pontificating about the metaphorical significance of having a plastic-wrapped deity in the window of a disused Worcester Park shop. Is it a sign that no matter how bad the financial situation on Central Road might get he's there to watch over us and guide us benevolently towards contentment and abundance, or is it that he's merely attracted to Worcester Park by the idea of having his shiny pate waxed at one of the many beauty salons? Being rather sadly enshrouded in a plastic bag does seem to suggest certain limits to his deity though and why he should choose the deserted window of a TV repair shop rather than that of,say, Model Road & Rail is indeed a deep mystery that I shall ponder until at least my next cup of tea.
In other news it looks like the Brazilian-run cafe run as part of Cafe Piccolo seems to have closed with the big "Closed" sign on the front door being the main clue and the lack of tables and chairs combined with the removal of their Brazilian flag from the window as supporting evidence. Someone mentioned the other day that the proprietor of Cafe Piccolo was looking to sell and move on though I haven't had any kind of confirmation of that but it'd be a shame as our encounters with him have always been pleasant ones. Could it be that the two-for-one offer that Pizza Express have been touting recently has had a bad impact on his business?
