This is the entrance to Anglesey Abbey, located what seems miles from the Visitor's Centre and Restaurant.The meal in the Restaurant, Roast Pork with cauliflower, carrots, roast potatoes and gravy was so awful Y complained. At £9.30 it was seriously over-priced. Y was offered a refund which she pointedly refused, saying she wasn't trying to get a free meal but registering a considered complaint about the quality.
The carrots seemed to have been cooked for around 10 minutes and were virtually raw. Ditto the cauliflower. The cook obviously thought cauliflower needs around the same time as broccoli i.e. 12 minutes. The resultant florets were too resilient to sink a fork into. Not that there was broccoli - there was no greenstuff at al, not even peas. The Pork had been carved 'with the grain of the meat' rather than against it. But the 'piece de resistance' was the gravy which had settled-out, leaving the top 3 inches of liquid fat. You only discovered this AFTER pouring because it was in a thermos ! Not a place to be recommended.
Anyway, today has been fun. The first thing was calling in at the Hayley Centre so that Yvonne could register as a member of the Leisure Club and enjoy the Swimming Pool You will immediately see the pool area if you open the link. There's a pleasant lounge/bar where I can settle down with my laptop while Y does her 40 lengths ! I'm sure she will tell you more about it via a 'comment'.
Then it was my blood test, followed by Y's Hair, some shopping then over to Sherwood for the monthly 'nails' service.
Before Sherwood I nipped home to put frozen things in the freezer and Karen told me that Willis (garage-owner) had called in about some paper-work to do with the new car. When we called in, thinking the cheque must have bounced ha ha!, he handed us two gents umbrellas, a spray can of flysquat remover, a small purse with old coins in. So much for my clearing out the old car !
In Sherwood there was a whole new set of Charity Shops for me. The Oxfam is a gem to which I shall return. On the left is my 'haul' but I bought the Big Issue from a chap on the street. Looks like a good issue too !I think it was my most expensive purchase because I gave the vendor £2.
All the Charity Shops, - Oxfam, The Children's Society, Mind, Nottingham Hospice, were thoroughly checked for a pottery/china butter dish for Bob, but I'm afraid I was unsuccessful. It is in my mind now though so watch this space.
This afternoon Y has been keen to get out and deliver her allotted number of Lib.Dem election circulars which arrived this morning but the weather has ruled it out. The sun shines and 10 minutes later the clouds open. And I didn't want to have to collect a bedraggled, saturated, Liberal Democrat from the bottom of Mansfield Road.
My responses to your comments
Bob ..... I have identified the trees as 'Betula utilis var. jacquemontii' - 'Silver Shadow' and if you open this link I hope you well agree. Thanks for the Alder suggestion but, of course, you hadn't had the advantage of having seen the trees.
Re Rainbow Bridge. You will have read my thoughts previously expressed and I agree with yours. Steady on though about People's Friend ! I once had two pieces published therein which earned me the princely sum of £15.23p.
However, a decent bit of poetry on the subject, is Byron's Poem to 'Boatswain' his Newfoundland. Even the Gravestone at Newstead is moving.
My 'bird-feeder' comment was my preference for the feeders hanging in the Rowan Tree anyway. The point I had added was that, now the tree is in full leaf, I can't see the birds clearly enough for a snap. Not really important though. Aesthetics is all !
Jill ..... Thanks for your comment about 'The Trees'. Y says it is one of my best pictures.
I also read about the Hockney Trees. I cherish the hope that one day this Summer I shall be able to see his big picture, made up I think of 40 panels. I think it is in Tate Modern.
We often treat ourselves to a burst of Central Heating. Trouble is the 'bursts' often need to be of several hours duration.
Yvonne ...... You have caught up with me 'blogwise' so well today that you are in fact in the lead.
I've known you long enough and I've never considered you 'vain'. And, if you remember, in this respect I do know what I'm talking about.
You are wise to read carefully the pamphlets you are delivering. It would be so embarrassing, and counter-productive, if some potential voter said "Whats this all about then?" jabbing a finger at an article, and you not to know the answer.
.............................
Quotation time ..... And while we are talking about Byron, this quote of his is relevant this year isn't it?
"The English winter—ending in July,
To recommence in August."
To recommence in August."
4 comments:
This variable weather seems remarkably consistent.
You certainly make the meal sound unpleasant (although Sandra would consider the veg ‘just right’).
It isn’t actually on Anglesey,is it?
I find Big Issue invariably worth reading.
I suppose ‘a bedraggled, saturated, Liberal Democrat’ is better than no Liberal Democrat at all (we don’t have one).
I campaigned for the Social Democrats. What a long time ago.
I was certainly wrong about alders, possibly because they’re the same family as birch but dark grey and fissured.
And you may well be right, but I had a second thought (after googling), maybe Aspen? (photo by email).
I didn’t say there was never ANYTHING I admired in ‘Peoples Friend’!
The story of Gellert is also touching (and I can cry at Bambi's mother).
Us too, with Central Heating.
Jill:
In summer 1975, one of hottest recorded, snow stopped Derbyshire playing cricket on Spring Bank Holiday; 3 month heat-wave started 2 days later.
My second attempt at a comment - will I never learn that if I decide to 'preview' it before publication it goes into the ether. Graham can always find it but he's not here!
So - FOUR lengths at the swimming pool but passed a dozen times by a whale (male, of course) deluging all the sedate lady breast-stroke swimmers as he charged up and down. (Wait until I find my feet - and I'll have him ....).
Then the jacuzzi - surely the world's best-kept secret. And perhaps Reg could help me out with the etiquette - if someone joins you, should you leave as it's a bit intimate?
Then Lib.-Dem. leaflet deliveries. After all the exercise, I was fired up and desperate for the confrontation of the old days (particularly during the Jeremy Thorpe scandal) but never saw anyone!
But a question arose re. hanging ............ whoever invented those tight letterboxes with the brushes so that your hand gets jammed should be considered a candidate ...... An hour later, I still have the marks.
I would have been complaining about that meal too, hope Y wrote in as well....Under-cooked veg. definitely the trend, we used to get a special container at dinner on the last cruise containing well-cooked veg. just for us...
I do admire you doing all that swimming, Y, can I sit with you, G, in the lounge bar...R is a holiday swimmer, he can go on for length after length, up and down (must be very boring!)but he complains that these 'spa pools' in hotels are not for serious swimmers.
The Trees in Britain book looks just like my 'Wild Flowers in Britain' book, same author. A great find.
I remember the tombstone at Newstead, and was pleased to be reminded of the poem. And a good quote too! Flanders and Swan used to do a good ditty about English weather....
Jucuzzi is for five, I think, so no need to move out. Some people chat but others ignore you.
It wasn't me being a whale I was in Dovedale but just you wait.
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