Well, it looks like the times are a changin and my local, and favorite, Indian reasturant has closed its doors. There was a closed for renovation sign at Tamanna Exclusive Asian Cuisine in Bromsgrove recently and then one of those ‘temporary’ vinyl signs for a new business opening soon.

I’d been going to the place since before it was the Tamanna, back in the Balti Garden days. Whist there was a fondness for that place with its more cosy lighting and booth seating set up the ‘revamp’ of a few years ago was probably well needed.

It was normally a pretty busy place and the owner did a lot for local charities often holding fundraising events for local causes and while we/I was never exactly a regular we would be there once every couple of months and would always be welcomed like old friends, even had ‘our’ table. Once when when we had a small family party there the birthday girl was bought a huge bouquet of flowers by the owner and, when I called in to say hello to the party was bought a drink myself. I’ll never forget that, all the staffs friendlyness and the many enjoyable meals eaten in the place down the years.

It was a shame that the place closed so sudenly, before we could at least say thank you for all the fine meals and the friendly chat we’d had there over the years. I know the recent glut of new eatieries in the town had hit the business, with there only being so much trade to go around in a small town, I know the owner had expessed his concerns in the local paper. Its real shame that it was one of the oldest, and best, places that was the first to go due to the recent explosion in eatieries, now, a few months on several of the newly opened places have closed down themselves and there is a new resturant there at 1 Worcester Road.

We’ve been to the new place and, after a shaky start, its now very pleasent and the food is indeed very good. The service is a bit hit and miss when compared to the old staff but then its still early days.

So a final thank you for Mister Chunu Miah for those happy times eating in good company.

This was a piece done all the way back in 1999, inspired by the James Ellroy novel ‘Suicide Hill’ Well, that and a youth raised on seeing square 80s US police cars and then being disappointed that the newer models lacked the same kind of style and uniqueness.

I thought I’d start posting a few older pieces on here, as its again now nine o’clock on another sunday night at the end of another week and I’ve made it through the whole weekend without starting the new painting I have all sketched out and ready to go. Its not that I’ve been slacking, just not enough hours in the week it seems. More artwork and maybe even new artwork to follow…

Oh, and the magic of Facebook has waned a bit for me, if you want to keep up with the continued occasional flow of amusing signage photographs then you’ll need to join me on twitter.

Thank you, that is all.