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  • Cambridge – The Maypole

    Cambridge – The Maypole

    This was the third in our list of pubs to visit in Cambridge, the Maypole which is a freehouse that is listed in the Good Beer Guide. I have visited here before, but it was several years ago and I’d managed to forget most things about it. It was part of the Punch estate that was purchased from Pubmaster, but it’s now a free house and there’s a comprehensive history of the pub on their web-site from its opening in 1851 which is clearly laid out. The history of the pub is quite complex, as the site once had two separate pubs on, the Maypole and the Plume of Feathers.

    There’s a central bar area in this CAMRA award winning pub, which now has an Italian street food menu.

    Interesting decoration in the pub of a maypole scene and the interior was clean and comfortable. The service at the bar was friendly and helpful, with the environment being welcoming. The pub is well reviewed, although recently got a negative 1/5 comment saying:

    “If the pub happens to be playing a wonderful Luther vandross number, and you happen to sing along quietly, then it appears one might be more suited to wetherspoons and you will be asked to leave”.

    Ignoring the sneering about other pub chains, I quite approve of the policy the pub seems to have here. And from five years ago:

    “I got 31 chips for 3 pounds”.

    A 1/5 review which seems to have been a fore-runner of the JD Wetherspoon Paltry Chips group on Facebook…..

    There were beer options chalked up in a few places, this is the keg list which has some acceptable options, but feels a bit limited for a freehouse with no ties that is mentioning that it’s making a big effort in this area. Although we had just been to the nearby Thirsty, where the options were exceptional, so maybe an unfair comparison between the two. The cask list is better than the generic choices in some pubs in the city, I suspect they do more cask than keg sales here.

    We both went for half a pint of the Brazilian coffee from Colchester Brewery, as I couldn’t see anything at the bar that I hadn’t had before. This is though a perfectly acceptable beer, and one of my favourites from that brewery, and it was at the appropriate slightly chilled temperature.

    This feels like a well-run pub and I can see why it has been listed in the Good Beer Guide, with an effort made to have both cask and keg options, as well a wide range of other drinks. We didn’t try the food, but the choices looked interesting and the service was friendly and welcoming, so a very pleasant visit. As an aside, CAMRA note there’s no accessible toilet here.

  • Cambridge – Thirsty

    Cambridge – Thirsty

    [NB, I’ve visited again and it remains excellent]

    This was the second pub in the little expedition that my friend Nathan and I took ourselves on in Cambridge on Saturday (the first was JD Wetherspoon for a quick breakfast) and it was apparent quite quickly that this was going to be an early highlight of the day.

    That’s a very decadent and exciting selection of beers chalked up above the bar. The service was friendly, engaging and the staff member was knowledgeable and keen to help.

    Functional seating in a venue which seemed to have started with more of a wine emphasis and has shifted more towards craft beer, a move that I applaud. There were lots of power points around the bar as well which was handy. They’re partly a shop and partly a bar which is a nice combination, although we noticed them on Untappd, which shows that it’s perhaps worth venues like this paying for the premium service to get noticed…. It’s not the largest venue around, but there is a reasonable amount of seating and there are a few seats outside as well for when it’s warmer.

    The beer selection in the fridges, which cut across numerous styles and the choices here were no less decadent than the draft options.

    The Sweet Cherry Bakewell Sour from Vault City Brewing, nice flavours of cherries and almonds, although I probably didn’t need as much as half a pint of it.

    The Blueberry Pumpkin Spice Latte, again from the ever reliable Vault City Brewing. Smooth, full bodied with an initial hit of blueberries and then a rich aftertaste of cinnamon and more blueberries. Really very lovely. What was also nice was that the staff member came over and gave us each a Vault City Brewing glass, which was handy as I needed a new beer glass, although it meant that we had to navigate around Cambridge all day with a glass each [as a spoiler, Nathan and I did both get our glasses back to Norwich safely].

    I very much liked this venue and they had numerous customers coming in when we were there who purchased boxes full of different cans, and it’s fair to say that they weren’t priced like Morrison’s flog off their Stella. Some considerable effort has gone into sourcing beers that are actually very good, which isn’t the easiest thing to do and often isn’t done at all by pubs. There were some very tempting options in the fridges, particularly the sours and the stouts, but I managed to resist the temptation, not least as I already had a glass to traipse around all day, let alone beer.

    Definitely one my my favourite pubs in Cambridge and one I’d happily recommend. Quirky, on trend and free from generic beers. As a controversial aside though, the beer range here is one of the best in the city, but I suspect that it will never get listed in the Good Beer Guide due to the lack of real ale…..

  • Warsaw – Museum of Warsaw (Early Map of Warsaw)

    Warsaw – Museum of Warsaw (Early Map of Warsaw)

    I’ve decided that I take too many photos, as is apparent when I’m working through my galleries after a visit anywhere, including Poland where I returned back from two weeks ago. But, I doubt I’ll change that little flaw in my character, so I’ll have to just manage the large amount of data I create…..

    Anyway, this is one of the many maps which is available in the Maps Room of the Museum of Warsaw. It’s possible to make the map larger by clicking on the image above, which makes it very evident just how much Warsaw has changed. Although it’s possible to make out the Old Town area and a few of the larger streets, so much of the city has changed that it is quite a challenge to tie everything in (or at least, it was for me). I spent quite a while just gazing at this map, fascinated by just how much Warsaw has evolved over the last two centuries, albeit much of it forced because other countries kept damaging it.

  • London – Islington (Borough of) – Mikkeller Bar (Exmouth Market)

    London – Islington (Borough of) – Mikkeller Bar (Exmouth Market)

    There are now two Mikkeller bars in London, there’s one in Shoreditch, and there’s now this one at Exmouth Market (named after the Exmouth Arms Pub) which isn’t too far from King’s Cross. This visit is from early November, when a few of us gathered here before we went to meet Scott at King’s Cross railway station, which was very kind of us to meet him off his train. Mikkeller was founded in 2006 and it now has something of a global reputation, once a cuckoo brewery which brewed wherever it could, but now with its own locations which include this bar.

    The beer selection is chalked up behind the bar, but they’ve also got it listed on Untappd as well which is handy. They do have beers from other breweries, but they inevitably have a focus on the beers that they’ve brewed themselves. It’s inevitably all very on-trend, not just the beer selection, but also the location and the service style. I had absolutely no complaints about the balance of the beer selection either, there was an excellent range of different styles available.

    The food options at the bar, and the company said when opening that:

    “This is not a restaurant with a brewery, it is a brewery with a restaurant”

    I liked the menu, which was quite simple, but had some interesting options on it, including the ‘Ndjua Scotch Egg and the Nordic Summer Salad, a very firm nod towards the origins of the brewery. Decent mix of vegetarian and meat options as well, it’s actually quite a tempting little selection.

    I had three one thirds here, with all the drinks being brewed by Mikkeller. I went for the Can’t Say No 2 U (a stout), the Heliosphere (an IPA) and the Parasol Paradiso (a fruited sour). That last drink, and the lighter coloured one in the photos above, was beautifully decadent, a nicely balanced sour with strong flavours of mango and passion-fruit. The drinks were all served perfectly, in smart little branded glasses and everything was at the appropriate slightly chilled temperature.

    The venue was relatively busy, but seemed clean and organised. The service was attentive and polite, with the bar staff being knowledgeable about the beer options. If I’m being overly critical, the noise volume was a little higher than ideal, but it’s a busy bar in London and so perhaps that’s not an entire surprise (although Goose Island have better acoustics as far as I’m concerned). The on-line reviews are nearly all positive and glowing, which isn’t unexpected, and I’d quite happily return here and recommend it to others. All really rather lovely.

  • Częstochowa – Random Photos

    Częstochowa – Random Photos

    This is a slightly random post, mostly just photos with very little supporting text. It’s mainly some of my remaining photos from my trip to Częstochowa in Poland a few weeks ago that I didn’t otherwise do much with.

    I’m not sure if there was a specific reason for this being located at ul. Ogrodowa by the bridge over the railway line.

    Street art.

    The Solidarity imagery at a square, Solidarności, named after the important movement which drove Poland towards independence. In the early 1980s it was illegal in Poland to even wear a badge with this on as the authorities desperately tried to repress the country and they placed it under martial law.

    A memorial to honour textile workers.

    More street art and I thought that this made the otherwise bland Soviet-style building look somewhat better.

    There are no shortage of statues of Józef Piłsudski in Poland, and this is the local one.

    It’s certainly revered judging by the floral arrangement in front of it.

    A walk along the river, this stretched for some distance although was rather muddier in some areas.

    The city’s railway station, which doesn’t in my view look much like a railway station. I think there was a hope it would become a slightly decadent shopping centre as well, but it’s all a bit barren at the moment.

    And two photos of the square in front of the station, where the authorities have seemingly spent some money to improve things somewhat. There are some murals on the neighbouring buildings and the square has been opened up and traffic mostly kept out.

    I wrote about the city elsewhere, it’s a welcoming place which is very much dominated by the presence of Jasna Góra. There are many central areas which are derelict and no shortage of empty shops and offices. It seems that Częstochowa needs more residents so that these units can all be redeveloped and turned into housing which can in turn create economic growth. Investment in the city’s infra-structure is clearly being made, not least with the tram system, but they’re going to need a lot more money to reverse the industrial decline which seems to have blighted at least part of this city. At least though they remain a major pilgrimage site, which must help financially.

  • Norwich – Brewdog Visa

    Norwich – Brewdog Visa

    I picked up my new Beer Visa from Brewdog in Norwich yesterday, which I thought I’d be interested in given my attempt to visit every Brewdog in the country. I have to say that I don’t really quite get what they’ve done here, I had hoped it was something like just getting it stamped at each Brewdog. Instead they’re introduced something really quite complex which seems to involve having certain drinks to get stickers and then also repeating the same process at different Brewdog venues. I can’t see whether they’re trying to promote visiting different bars or drinking their mainstream beers, so they’re got some hybrid thing going on.

    It’s actually so complex that I really don’t understand it despite reading the instructions on numerous occasions. Although, to be fair, I’m often easily confused by things. For anyone who wants to read the rules then they’re at https://www.brewdog.com/uk/beer-visa-2.

    Given that I don’t tend to drink Brewdog’s own beers when in their bars, as I’ve had them all, I’m not that interested in the whole process so I’m going to bin the visa. Not the loyalty scheme that I had expected, but apparently they’re relaunching it again in 2023. I’ll wait until then and hope they get something a little more exciting.

  • Norwich – Dhaba at Fifteen

    Norwich – Dhaba at Fifteen

    In an attempt to work through some of the restaurants in Norwich that I’ve neglected to visit over the last couple of years, my friend James and I popped to Dhaba at Fifteen last night. I wasn’t entirely surprised and delighted by Spice Valley last week, but this one came recommended. The welcome was immediate and helpful and we were asked to provide track and trace details. I’ve lost track now of what the actual rules are, but I thought the restaurant was being careful which is always good.

    The menu which I thought was well laid out. There are the traditional Anglo-Indian dishes shoved at the bottom, so they’re there as a choice but the restaurant isn’t going to shout about them. There were numerous really quite innovative dishes there that I haven’t experienced before as well as plenty of vegetarian options.

    The restaurant is perhaps a little plain its decoration, but it was clean and comfortable. It got much busier during the evening, with a number of smaller groups coming in. The restaurant also seemed to be doing a decent amount of takeaways and deliveries, so it seems a popular location.

    I’m always disappointed at any Indian restaurant that doesn’t offer my drink of choice, namely mango lassi. They had it here and it was thick, slightly sweet and very delicious. I approved.

    This is much better from the chutneys and the staff member explained what they were. There was a minced carrot almost like coleslaw (I clearly wasn’t listening when they told me exactly what it was called) and a mint raita which both had a depth of flavour and some care put into them. I’m going to have to e-mail the restaurant so they can tell me exactly what these were.

    [I have e-mailed them and they promptly replied saying that, from left to right, they were a sweet carrot & onion chutney, mint raita and spicy mango chutney.]

    I went for the Kolkatta Kasundi Chicken which is a mustard based curry, something that I’ve never had before. I was suitably surprised and delighted by the arrangement, the chicken was tender and moist with flavour from the sauce, the curry itself had a strong mustard taste without being over-powering and it was served as a generous portion. James had gone for the Peshwari Chicken Pasanda which he thought was equally good, with a similar flavour of almond running through the curry. The rice was fluffy and as expected, with everything being at the appropriate hot temperature.

    The service was always polite and engaging, but without being overbearing or fake. The staff seemed keen to help, which was evident in the way they were offering other customers the option to change dishes to suit their tastes or to make starters into mains. Although the restaurant was getting busy, we were never rushed or hurried, so the environment was comfortable. The prices were perhaps a little towards the higher end of the scale, although the quality justified that.

    The reviews for the restaurant are generally very positive, although I’m bemused by the negative review that complained about the large pieces of chicken. I’m not entirely sure that this is a negative for a restaurant, but there we go….. I’d say that this is one of the best Indian restaurants that I’ve been to in Norfolk, suitably decadent and I think I’ll likely come back here. All very lovely.

  • LDWA NEC Interviews – Stuart Bain

    LDWA NEC Interviews – Stuart Bain

    In a new series of content, I’m interviewing every willing NEC member that I can find about what volunteering for the LDWA involves. My first interview is with Stuart Bain, the Risk and Environment Officer. We’re looking at an on-line Strider (the magazine we produce three times a year for members) in the future as part of our new web-site, so content such as this will be moved on there.

    Stuart is, if I’m being honest, quite annoying as he’s very professional, efficient and hard-working. He saw us through lots of the documentation in 2021, along with other incredibly hard working volunteers, and looks after risk, scanning in the NEC archive, environment and currently IT on the NEC. He also has numerous charitable roles and some of us suspect that he’s employing staff at his own cost to make him look so effective.

    Anyway, I asked Stuart some questions and am partly hoping that it might inspire others to think about joining the NEC in the future or volunteering for the LDWA.

    What inspired you to join the LDWA?

    I love walking along the Wye Valley and by accident I noticed a so-called challenge event called ‘Offa’s Twisted Wye Kanter’. I’m not overly competitive, so the idea of it not being a race but challenging yourself really appealed. When I enquired further, I realised I could get a discount if I became a member and there were lots of other walking challenge events available across the country! I love a bargain.

    What’s your favourite thing about the LDWA?

    Having weekend trips travelling across the UK and entering the challenge events. The level of support and camaraderie at checkpoints and HQ is fantastic – the food isn’t bad either.

    Where’s your favourite walk?

    Pembrokeshire Coast Path -186 miles of stunning scenery. I deliberately haven’t completed the full route yet because I don’t want to ever finish it. My favourite stretch is Northwards from St. Davids to Porthgain. Although short, the route around Ynys Dinas is very special and mystical also with Cwm-yr-Eglwys.

    What’s your perfect Sunday afternoon?

    I regularly do footpath surveys for the Vale of Glamorgan Rights of Way team. So, I would say surveying footpaths in the morning, a cheeky pint when finishing then off to watch the rugby in the evening. I probably should have said a 25 mile hike across the Brecon Beacons in hindsight…

    Why did you join the NEC?

    I have a passion for the environment and sustainability. One weekend, when reading Strider I read an article looking to replace my predecessor for Environment, Risk and Data Protection. For my sins I work in a Bank doing Risk and Data Protection so it felt like a perfect fit. I called the previous Chairman, David Morgan, who can be quite persuasive (threatening) and I couldn’t say no.

    You joined the NEC as the environment officer and have also temporarily taken over the IT role as well (along with numerous other responsibilities), what’s that like?

    It’s really fulfilling. We all aware there is a lot of work needed to modernise certain areas of the LDWA and I felt I could really make a difference helping with IT and the website. If as an Association we don’t transform and modernise over the coming years, the LDWA will be irrelevant and become extinct. I want to see a modern, forward looking LDWA that is even more welcoming and inclusive to new members.

    I’ve always been fascinated by history, so I’ve recently started doing some archiving work and reading old NEC documents running back to 1972. It’s been fascinating learning about how the LDWA has evolved over the years.

    What is the most exciting thing about the new LDWA web-site we’re working towards?

    There are a lot of ideas that have been raised by members and if we can deliver them, it would be fantastic! However, what I find most exciting currently is modernising the look, feel and content ready for our website redevelopment work. Engaging with other volunteers and getting stories and content changes will make the existing site more attractive and give members a reason to visit. I’m always on the look out for a photo or stories we can add to the website (sorry for the shameless plug), so if you have any let me know.

    What’s the best bit about being on the NEC, other than working with Julian?

    Very childish, but I have to admit it’s probably the grief Tim Glenn generally receives from you about… well anything. Cupboard-gate, Steak-gate, Mustard-gate, Golden Grahams-gate – the list goes on.

    NEC volunteers are very like-minded, don’t take themselves too seriously [some of us do, we are very serious….] and have a passion to do their best for the LDWA. Although the social side is really good, it’s fantastic volunteering with people all working towards to the same collective aim of improving the LDWA.

    What would you say to anyone thinking about joining the NEC?

    Go for it. It’s really fulfilling. You work with a great team of volunteers, serving a great Association. And you get to work with Julian.

    It’s much spoken about, but do you think that you’ll ever enter the LDWA 100?

    No. It’s probably an unpopular opinion, but I don’t understand why anyone would want to put their bodies through that experience. 30 miles is enough, anymore and the fun disappears and it becomes a chore. [I’m going to tell Dave M about this….]

    Inspired by the communications officer, you’ve started to use Untappd more. What are your favourite beers?

    Anything from these Welsh Real Ale Breweries: Grey Trees, Salopian, Tiny Rebel, Tenby Brewing Company. I must call out the pint of Kveik you forced forced me to drink last time we met up.

    What one thing would you like to see change in terms of the environment? More public transport and an increased opportunity to wild camp of having a right to roam?

    Good question. We need to become Carbon Neutral in the next few decades and this has to be done sustainability and don’t impact quality of life. There is no point saying don’t use a car, turn off your heating, don’t eat red meat etc. We need to explore other innovative solutions to practically reduce our carbon footprint which don’t impact our quality of life. Banning Diesel and new Gas boilers in the future is a step in the right direction as long

    Why should someone join the LDWA?

    Cheap challenge events, wonderful welcoming social community and access to GPX files. For £15 a year, it would barely cover a round of drinks with Julian.

  • Morley St. Botolph – St. Botolph’s Church (Stanhope William Howard Sholto Douglas-Willan Memorial)

    Morley St. Botolph – St. Botolph’s Church (Stanhope William Howard Sholto Douglas-Willan Memorial)

    Inside St. Botolph’s Church in Morley St. Botolph is a memorial to Captain Stanhope William Howard Sholto Douglas-Willan, a name which suggests some substantial aristocratic pedigree.

    Sholto, which appears to be the name that he went with, was born in December 1897 was living with Ferdinand Howard and Agnes Hilda Louise Douglas-Willan, residing in Bexhill at the time of the 1901 census, although he was born in Dover. The family had three servants at the time of the census, so there certainly seems to have been some money, with numerous members having served in the armed forces during the nineteenth century. He was though the son of Reverend John Alfred Douglas-Willan, Rector of Morley.

    He was a leader in the 4th Battalion of the South Staffordshire Regiment and as the plaque notes, he was mentioned in Despatches, although his medal card doesn’t give an exact date for that or what he did, but it appears to have been awarded posthumously.

    His photo appeared in the Daily Mirror on 6 March 1917 as a missing soldier, with anyone with information encouraged to write to his father at Morley Rectory, although the press reported the week later that details of his death had been confirmed. Sadly, he had been killed in action on 17 February 1917 and his name is commemorated at the Thiepval Memorial.

  • Morley St. Botolph – St. Botolph’s Church

    Morley St. Botolph – St. Botolph’s Church

    This was our final church visit of the afternoon and Morley St. Botolph is certainly very different to the church at Morley St. Peter.

    There is some evidence of a Norman church on this site and it’s possible that they constructed on a pre-conquest building. The church that stands today is mostly from the thirteenth and fifteenth centuries, although there was an extensive Victorian restoration. And a more recent disaster that I’ll come to a moment.

    This illustration is from the middle of the nineteenth century, before the church was restored.

    The chancel window, likely put in here quite early, perhaps in the thirteenth century.

    The three stage tower, likely from the later part of the fifteenth century.

    The blocked up priest’s door.

    The vestry was a medieval addition, although it was in ruins by the nineteenth century and subsequently needed rebuilding by the Victorians.

    The porch, probably thirteenth century, but heavily restored.

    It was getting dark and as part of their festive celebrations, the church turned the lights on.

    And another photo of after we had left the church’s interior, I thought that this was rather lovely.

    The interior of the church was accessible as there’s a Christmas tree competition going on and the community had been invited to come and visit.

    The interior of the church is mostly modern as there was a devastating fire in 1959 which destroyed most of the nave. The building was left derelict for a few years, but it was needed by the community and so a reconstruction project was started. The architect was James Fletcher Watson and he has ensured that the church has retained its medieval feel, with some quite attractive new wooden pews. I haven’t yet found any photos of the church in ruins, but the chancel section survived, albeit heavily fire damaged.

    Nicely decorated and there’s the selection of raffle prizes to one side. As an aside, Richard paid £1 to enter and he’s hoping to win the slime.

    Some of the Christmas trees from the competition, all from local community organisations.

    A friendly volunteer turned on the main lighting after we said that we were looking around and he gave us a brief history to the history of the building. The lighting before this though was minimal, but the glow from the heating gave it a strangely warm feel. There was a warm welcome offered by the volunteers, with free hot drinks available which Richard partook in. Members of the community had come to look at the Christmas trees and I liked the enthusiasm of the volunteer at the little desk near to the door who was encouraging people to join in some fund raising projects next year.

    It appears that this church is something of a hub for a number of local congregations and it has a welcoming feel to the whole arrangement. If it hadn’t of been that important cluster church then it might never have been rebuilt in the early 1960s and it could have been left to fall into ruins.