A glorious early autumn day was the perfect setting for the club's foray into uncharted territory. With my compass set due north, I made my way to Gordon Hill in search of 'Mick's Pie and Tash', a new outpost of culture on the very outskirts of civilisation [Enfield]. As ever, I didn't have a clue who else would be coming.

Once across the threshold, I found myself in an immaculate dining room hosted by the colourful Rick Edmunds [right]. Both Rick and his brother Clint sport some tasty tattoo work which is well worth a closer look . . . if you ask nicely.

Mick's is less than 4 months old and occupies the former site of a bakery which stood here for more than 100 years. As you can imagine, it took some considerable dough plus elbow grease to get the premises up to scratch.

To a soundtrack of Chas and Dave's 'Rabbit', I broke fast with a starter. The firm crust reluctantly yielded up a thin but tasty filling and I had a distinct impression of deja-pie.

Apart from the traditional options, steak and kidney and vegetarian vehicles are also available, along with gravy for those who don't like the green stuff.

Here is Clint Edmunds, who with brother Rick opened the business on 25th June in honour of their late dad. The eponymous Mick, a well-known local butcher, sported a distictive 'tache, hence the unusual name of the shop. The brothers, who had no previous experience of the pie trade, drafted in mum Pauline [right] to help them in this bold new venture, so it's truly a family affair.

As it happened, my initial savoury instincts were correct. I was no stranger to these pies, as they emanated from the Monster Pie Factory of Jeff and Kane Goddard, pro-pie-tors par excellence of the legendary Goddard's of Greenwich. It turns out Jeff and Kane have not been idle since their shop closed and are now producing biblically proportioned shipments of pies to the trade from their hi-fidelity pie-facility near Sevenoaks in Kent. In addition, they still supply pie and mash to the village of their forebears with The Pie and Mash Stall in Greenwich Market on Saturdays and Sundays. How fitting that one pair of brothers in a family-run business is helping another pair of brothers in a family-run business.

Here is Kelly, who maintained spotless decor and clean tables throughout. I got the feeling she thought my lens needing buffing. Or maybe it was my general appearance that required a squirt of disinfectant.

Over there on the right is a chap I haven't seen in a while. It's Ian Sherratt RN, my esteemed colleague, master and commander of yesteryear. After ten years of talking about it, he finally showed up, and I have to say he took to it like a duck to water. Or a well-constructed dreadnought to the ocean waves.

I was heartened to see local lad Len Wilcock souse his way to a six-pie scoreline and set a new shop record in the process.

However, pie-packing postie Chris Charalambous made bold use of eels to accumulate more league points on the day. Chris is already in spittle distance of triple figures at this early stage of the season; I just hope he's got what it takes to play the pie and mash 'long game'.

Neither of these prodigious talents was willing to go into a 'head to head' duel, but between them was amashed a staggering 80 points.

Linda Jones has something in common with the Edmunds brothers; her father was also a butcher. It made me wonder if, like Holligan Sr, Mick Edmunds was master of the art of butcher's back slang. If so, I reckon he'd be proud of this posh sham-n-ipe.

Among the clearest of Linda's infant recollections is that of Brown's Pie Shop, long since closed. The matriarchal Mother Brown — a woman of square jawed determination, if the myth is to be believed — was often seen perspiring into the pies whilst serving a queue which stretched down Battersea High Street. I imagine her knees remained emphatically 'down'.

The Pie and Mash Club in session. The mood was relaxed — after all we weren't in London - and it was a pleasure to soak up the friendly atmosphere which the Edmunds family have striven so hard to create.

The interior of the shop blends traditional tiles, characterful caricature and the tasteful authority of Trajan Bold. All in all, it's a worthy addition to the pantheon of pie and mash; Mick's Tash, we salute you.

As befitting a 21st Century establishment, you can befriend the shop on Facebook, and follow all issuings and utterings on Twitter.

Later, at the Cricketers, Brian told us how his striking resemblance to Bamber Gascoigne in bygone days once caused a fracas on the escalators at Piccadilly Circus. Also of note was a recent email he received: the club's telly appearance on The Great British Menu was spotted in the Dodecanese. We may not be chucking much cash in the direction of Greece, but at least we're throwing out a cultural lifeline.

Be seeing you presently,

St@