Floods throughout Kent, including a giant sink-hole on the M2 (motorway) keep us close to home today. Hearing of our weekly Breakfast-in-Britain outings, the crew of Dunphy Funeral Directors recently recommended the Oak Cafe at nearby Honor Oak as the "best greasy spoon" around, so off we trudge in the grey dreariness of early morning. 
Not sure why "honor" omits the "u," but the legend goes... on 1 May 1602, Elizabeth I picnicked with Sir Richard Bulkeley of Beaumaris by an oak tree at the summit of this hill, and the tree came to be known as the Oak of Honor. So, walking in the footsteps of royalty!
Open at 6:00, the sandwich board and interior lights of The Oak Cafe invite us inside. Indeed, Dunphy's FD crew hit the nail on the head...best prices yet, and look at that Set Menu No.1! Yummy! Happy Husband digs in with glee. 
We haven't tried fried bread since the rock-hard variety at the Car Wash Diner...this is a different animal! Both soft and crisp with deep fry flavour, almost like a donut. My toast and two fried eggs, shape-controlled by a circle mould, rate close to perfect -- runny yolk soaking into brown bread. 
The place is hopping by 7:30! All 10 tables are occupied -- all men -- some in reflector suits, others in neck ties, quite the rainbow variety! Classy artwork tips the scale. And...the radio plays non-invasively at background volume, movable chairs, friendly family proprietor. Interesting yellow-green lit menu board seems to add a calming hue overall. Wierd, but it works. Overall, a pleasant we'll-be-back experience.
Well sated, we take in the neighbourhood -- Honor Oak Rail Station (opened in 1886, for the line that was laid in 1839), now an Overground station bringing a new wave of young professionals into the area, sit a few yards away. 
A first floor flat in the Victorian and Georgian terrace houses runs for £150,000 to 250,000. Homes run from an Edwardian listed for £400 to many for well over £1,000.000. Definitely out of our range -- smile! Grateful to get our home with our job. Adult children often stay with parents a long time as they are priced out of the housing market here.
We marvel, as we often do, at the detail of the houses -- coloured glass windows, arches, friezes, curved window bays, alcoves, tile entry walkways, patterned brick work, pastel stucco -- a feast for the eye!
A tattered building stuck ino a wooded space turns out to be a church with a bright picture of Jesus on its sign. Looks like it's been dropped by aliens from rural America. Odd. Probably had a previous life as a Scout Hall nestled near the tracks.
Signs of infrastructure repairs remind us of the on-going labour behind the London-that-works, keeping the more-than-a-century-old underground water and gas systems going.
Our last jaunt through Hilly Fields reveal more spring flower! Promise and hope abound!
See you next week for another Breakfast-in-Britain!
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