I think it’s quite intriguing to see a room in a National Trust property looking like this. This is the dining room at Charlecote House and it’s a key room in the property, reached from the Great Hall. This section of the property isn’t part of the Elizabethan core, it’s part of the west wing extension that was added in the 1830s by George Hammond and Mary Elizabeth Lucy.
And here’s the problem, they’ve had a leak. As the signage notes, there was a small leak from a gutter which led to a leak that went unnoticed until the wallpaper started to peel off the wall and mushrooms started to appear. I was visiting the property with Richard, who is on his big diet, and reading that managed to make him hungry. He’s distracted by anything even vaguely food related at the moment….
That’s their issue. Although it’s worth noting the rather impressive ornate plaster ceiling in the room.
They’re on the second stage of fixing the rather sub-optimal arrangement.
I rather like that they’ve decided to keep the room open so that visitors can see the work that is ongoing. The wallpaper is by Thomas Willement, it’s all a bit opulent for me, but I think that was likely the intention at the time.
It’s a huge undertaking to fix a relatively small problem, although such is the challenge in historic buildings. If this building was in private hands, the cost of the repairs would perhaps be too onerous, but it certainly looks like the National Trust are doing a thorough repair job.
Starting with an apology that Julian and I visited the Hop Rocket in February, so it’s both taken me time to write about this visit and it also means that the photos were taken in the dying days of my last phone so the quality is sub-optimal. Anyway, the Hop Rocket is relatively new in this building on Unthank Road which was previously briefly Oliver’s Cocktails, before that it was the Amnesty Bookshop and going back further it was a bakery and cafe so it’s been a little of a chameleon of a venue. I’ve also got nothing against trendy and expensive food venues, although I’m unlikely to visit them, but it’s a delight to see this becoming a pub and indeed something of a decent one.
When we were in the York, Tom had mentioned that the venue was holding its first birthday party, so it seemed an opportune time to visit as I know what Julian is like when there’s free cake.
The beer choice was solid, a pretty even mix of cask and keg, with a number of local breweries and some national delights. It was a well curated beer list with numerous tempting options, all feeling rather on-trend, but there is also plenty of additional choice in the beer fridges.
Behind the bar and there was an upbeat vibe to the venue, although it likely helped that they were celebrating their birthday. It was busy, but the service was efficient and polite, with the team member being knowledgeable about the beer range. The interior is cosy and there’s also a small outside drinking area.
I went for the 11th Birthday Cake Celebration (Mango, Pineapple, Coconut & Lime Ice Cream Cake with Vanilla Pastry Sour) from Amundsen Brewery, which was a beautiful little number. Lime and coconut elements, this was smooth, decadent and juicy, although Amundsen does frequently surprise and delight me.
And we did leave clutching our birthday goodie bags.
I’m not sure that the venue refers to itself as a micropub, not least as it’s not a small venue, but it does have that sort of ambience. It’s well reviewed on-line (although there’s a bizarre review from a customer who let their dog urinate in the pub twice and seems perplexed that this wasn’t considered ideal, but my two loyal blog readers can read the full version on Google Reviews) and attracts a varied crowd, but it has a strong contingent of younger drinkers (as in early 20s, not a load of 12 year olds). They don’t do food beyond basic bar snacks, but they do let customers bring their own in and they’re pet friendly. I very much liked this venue, it’s a bit of a hike for me to get there, but I’m sure that I’ll meander again there soon. All really rather lovely and this feels like the independent pub, which I think is owned by the same people as run the Brewery Tap, that I hope lots of people support.
Richard and I had time for one more Coventry pub and so it seemed sensible to visit another venue, a micro-pub no less, listed in the Good Beer Guide, in my never ending quest to try and visit every pub in the book. Hops D’Amour was the first micro-pub in Coventry having been opened in May 2021 by a local couple, Gregg and Vyx Spencer.
The beer list at Hops D’Amour and this had a range of beer styles and types, with a mix of cask and keg alongside a fair number of ciders. I was eyeing up the Birthday Cake from Vocation, but that had just run out when they were serving the previous customer. The pub has won numerous CAMRA awards over the last couple of years, including being the local cider pub of the year.
The back bar and they were very apologetic when my replacement choice of Banoffee Pie from Yonder Brewing ran out. Not that they needed to apologise, especially when it was clear there was enough left of the beer for me to at least try. The team members were polite and helpful, having an excellent beer knowledge and I felt that the recommendations were appropriate.
And there’s what they had left, with the beer being punchy in its banoffee flavours. There was a taste of caramel, banana and a fair chunk of biscuit as well, decent.
I told Richard that he kept looking miserable in the photos, so he looked more cheerful in this one. His diet seems to have given him a resting angry face, but I didn’t tell him that as I only want to encourage people. The beer from Yonder was the Peanut Butter and Jelly and it had a jam tasting finish, being sweet with plenty of chocolate and jelly flavours, although not much peanut butter.
The interior of the venue which remained busy throughout our visit. The Singer (of sewing machine fame) sign on the wall is a throwback to the previous occupant of this shop, with Singer having had a long presence here over the last couple of decades. There’s also an external area, which seemed to be primarily used by smokers, which was also busy during the time that we were there. There was no music playing and no television screens, which is exactly the ambience that I would have expected from a micro-pub.
Some of the previous pump clips were being used as decoration and there are some decent brewers there, not least Castle Rock, DEYA, Thornbridge and Yonder.
The pub is open every day of the week, but they don’t go for late closing hours and that seems a very sensible decision, there’s inevitably always a challenge from late night drinkers and this isn’t the sort of venue that needs that trade. I very much liked it here, the atmosphere was welcoming, there was an excellent beer choice, the service was friendly, the prices were reasonable and so another excellent recommendation from the Good Beer Guide.
And the next in our series of James and I visiting every food stall at Norwich market (again) was China Wok. Last time I did this in 2023, this was the period when Nathan and I did them and it was the first one that we went to. That was over two years ago and the prices here have remained moderate, with a price increase of just £1 since then so at least some things haven’t been ravaged by inflation.
The concept is to pay for a base of either rice or noodles and then select a choice of three different toppings. We started off well as we queued at the wrong end, which was some navigational brilliance of ours that felt slightly sub-optimal. I recall this being the only food stall at the market which doesn’t accept cards, but fortunately we had just enough cash on us.
It’s a solid food rating which is reassuring enough.
The food offerings aren’t huge in number, but they had a suitable number of chicken permutations for me. There was a choice of chilli beef, chicken curry, chicken black bean, sesame chicken, sweet & sour chicken, salt & pepper chicken and fried vegetables. There is also the option of adding on chicken balls or spring rolls. The service was polite and efficient with a relatively brief wait in the queue. The nature of the service means that there’s no wait for the food as it’s served up immediately when ordering.
From left to right, this is the chicken black bean, the sesame chicken and the salt & pepper chicken, with the meal costing £7.50 as we went large. On reflection, I would have asked for the chicken black bean sauce to be poured along the top as the rice down one end was quite dry, but the sauce added some depth to the arrangement. The chicken was all tender, a little firm with the sesame chicken, but the tastes and flavours were all there. There’s a handy and civilised area to eat our food at the end of the stall, so we didn’t have to go and face the wild pigeons, seagulls and other aerial rodents of Norwich.
James and his artistic efforts. He had to edit me out and I rejected his later offer to draw me back in, as I would have likely been highly offended and annoyed at the results. I asked him to sum up his thoughts about the food and he replied:
“Ah, the anticipation of discovering the culinary treasures held within the unpretentious confines of a simple metallic vessel is a pleasure in itself. Upon parting the folded edges, one was immediately greeted by a generous and inviting panorama: a substantial foundation of perfectly prepared farinaceous strands, serving as a delightful canvas upon which a triptych of savoury delights was artfully arranged. It was clear from the outset that this was a collation designed for substantial enjoyment, promising a diverse exploration of textures and flavour profiles within its humble, yet effective, packaging.
Exploring the varied landscape of toppings proved to be a most gratifying endeavour. The purported sesame-infused avian constituent offered a delightful chewiness, a robust texture that provided a gratifying counterpoint to the yielding nature of the noodles, while its glaze contributed a pleasant, sweet depth. Beside it lay the bovine offering, exhibiting an exquisite tenderness that truly impressed, each morsel dissolving with minimal persuasion, complemented by a subtle, beguiling warmth that stimulated the palate without overwhelming it. The third element, the alternative gallinaceous preparation, proved equally commendable, presenting succulent pieces of poultry enveloped in a perfectly balanced seasoning of crystalline sodium and pungent piper nigrum, showcasing a simple yet profoundly satisfying flavour harmony.
Collectively, this assemblage within its unassuming conveyance proved to be a truly gratifying collation. The interplay of the silken substratum with the distinct characteristics of the three proteinaceous components – the delightful chewiness of the sesame chicken, the melting tenderness of the chilli beef with its gentle thermal caress, and the succulent, well-seasoned salt & pepper chicken – created a harmonious and deeply satisfying gastronomic experience. It was an exemplary execution of comfort cuisine, demonstrating that even within modest presentation, genuine culinary pleasure can be found in abundance.”
Anyway, enough of James. Overall, I thought that the food was of a decent quality and represented value for money. Not accepting cards is a reason I might not rush back, not out of any annoyance about their decision, just that I don’t tend to carry much cash so it is a slight logistical challenge. However, it was a filling lunch, the service was friendly and we didn’t have long to wait. Given all of that, I’d recommend this stall to others, there appears to be some consistency to the arrangement and I like that reliability in this unpredictable world.
After an NEC evening meal, my friend Richard demanded that we go to a pub in Coventry city centre and so I decided I would be helpful in accompanying them. The Gatehouse Tavern is a Good Beer Guide listed pub and has appeared regularly in the book. The building was formerly the gate house to the Leigh Mills, a worsted and cotton manufacturer (or whatever the right word is there) and it was turned into a pub in the 1980s, although with some significant modifications.
A map from the 1870s, the pub is just about the second ‘T’ on Hill Street.
The beer selection with around seven real ales available. The service was friendly and warm, it felt a welcoming pub to visit.
The interior is atmospheric and comfortable. I didn’t investigate, but there’s also a large beer garden and judging by the on-line reviews they seem to do keenly priced food at lunchtimes.
Stuff that’s on in the next few weeks, there’s regular live music here.
The first beer, the Waves from Twisted Barrel which was a lemony and sessionable pale ale, pleasant but a little thin. Incidentally, Richard was happier than the photo suggests.
The second beer, the Mild from Silhill Brewery which had roasted flavours and a slight creaminess to it. Both beers were well-kept, at the appropriate temperature and the glasses were clean.
This is a rather lovely pub and it’s another one of those venues that I might have walked by if it wasn’t listed in the Good Beer Guide, but I’m glad to have visited.
With an hour to kill in Bletchley, I thought I’d visit this JD Wetherspoon pub located on Queensway for the first time. I’ll use the history of the pub from their web-site to explain the name:
“Bletchley is best known as the World War II headquarters of Britain’s famous codebreakers – Bletchley Park. Sir Herbert Leon, a wealthy stockbroker, had bought the estate in 1882 and was key in its development. In 1937, the estate passed into government hands. Then, an undercover MI6 group arrived using the name ‘Captain Ridley’s Shooting Party’, with ‘an air of friends enjoying a weekend at a country house’. Their real purpose was to see whether Bletchley Park would work as a wartime location.”
The first building here was Halfway House which was constructed in 1870 when the area was effectively all fields. This became the New Inn later in the Victorian period and the pub was entirely rebuilt in the 1930s and that style is distinctive. During the 1980s, the pub was run by the wrestler Johnny Kincaid for a few years, back when it was named the Bletchley Arms. JD Wetherspoon took over the pub and renamed it in 2017, spent £2.4 million on the building and the refurbishment, but the heritage of the 1930s building remains.
The history sign outside of the pub which explains the heritage of the building.
The pub has this on display, noting it’s an Enigma Machine, although I don’t know of any more heritage than that.
The interior is clean and comfortable, with numerous power points dotted around which proved handy.
This JD Wetherspoon is on a lower price band so the 660ml of beer and steak & kidney pudding was just over £6, which is certainly good value. I set the bar quite low on this stuff, but the cutlery was dirty so required me to clean it before use. The drink is the ever reliable Elvis Juice from Brewdog, although the glass served was too dirty to use. The gravy isn’t defective incidentally, that’s just my obsession with black pepper everywhere.
The dessert of chocolate cookie crunch was under £2 and the half pint of White Dwarf from Oakham Ales was £1. The beer was OK, it was well kept and it had a citrus kick from the hops with pleasant end notes.
It’s a relatively very well reviewed JD Wetherspoon venue, one of the highest Google Review scores I’ve seen so things must normally be rather happy and content here. I thought I’d have a little read through though….
“Absolutely disgusting, sat at our table looking at food under a light on the counter, that we’d ordered for over 25 minutes before it was served to us. I complained that it had sat there way too long before being served to us & was asked to leave”
I wonder how strongly they complained to actually be asked to leave….
“Awful customer service, unfriendly atmosphere, untrained staff. We were delivered drinks to our table which we did not order and left untouched, then half an hour later a very unpleasant manager accused us of theft if we did not pay for the drinks. Your operations are completely inadequate and your approach to customers is aggressive and unjustified. Avoid if you don’t want to be scammed by rude servers and an even more ill-mannered and unreasonable manager”
If a team member served me drinks at a table and I just tacitly accepted them without saying anything I’d be expected to be asked to leave when they realised….
“No stirrers for tea/coffee (wood stick things) very very disappointed.”
Customers are sometimes very brave to deal with such inconveniences…
“Geeky looking guy”
I didn’t bother copying the rest of the review, but this one is easy to identify who is at fault and it’s not the team member…
“Me and me mate where going to go in there got id now we are both are in are 50s don’t go out much were not impressed as we don’t carry id on us so they didn’t let us in apparently door staff said they have to do this now since when”
There’s a heap of reviews like this stating that they are IDing absolutely everyone. This feels rather sub-optimal for the pub to do this at the door, although secretly I’m always pleased to be asked about my ID since I never am any more :/ But, looking at this news article, I can understand the issue.
“We will never go back again we were only allowed 3 drinks each”
Hmmmm, I think I can guess what’s happened here.
“Asked for a pint of cider from who I believe was the shift manager, she gave me a large head on it and was very rude when I mentioned that I had asked for”minus the head please” and commented that it was the best she could do”
How on earth have they served a customer a cider with head? I’m with the customer….
“Questioned about a cider with a meal for my boy, maybe I’m mistaken but looking at government legislation says: However, if you’re 16 or 17 and accompanied by an adult, you can drink (but not buy) beer, wine or cider with a meal???”
Definitely mistaken, it’s up to the pub and isn’t some sort of human right. If there were human rights about beers, they should be about not serving Madri.
Anyway, I’ve digressed again. I rather liked the pub, although the glass and cutlery could have been cleaner, the service was friendly, there was value for money and the real ale was well kept. I like the effort made with the heritage of the pub and changing the name to honour those who worked at nearby Bletchley Park.
I thought that it would be a marvellous idea for Liam and I to go a slightly convoluted way back to the hotel after the LDWA Capital Challenge to see these new stickers that TFL had put at some stations along the Elizabeth Line last week. The stickers have the moquette design that is used on Elizabeth Line trains, with a total cost of £30,000.
The sleek, pale wall panels, admired for their minimalist aesthetic, had instead become rather unintended canvases for human outlines which was seen by TFL as sub-optimal. TFL said that they would ensure that the stickers blended in and added:
“The Elizabeth Line has been hugely popular, and with high footfall comes unexpected wear. These stickers are a simple, cost-effective way to maintain the appearance of the stations while reducing maintenance needs.”
Liam pretended he was really excited at this piece of infra-structure development.
Next on our perambulation a couple of weeks ago was Stranger’s Tavern which has somewhat of a complex history to unpick. Firstly, Julian found the railings outside the pub a handy place to lock his bike up and to also keep an eye on it when we were seated inside. Once that faffing about was done and I watched the police doing something next door with a food delivery driver, we were ready to enter.
The story starts with the Three Pigeons pub which was located opposite where the pub today is now located. The current location is under the ‘HAR’ of Charing in the above map. This has been a pub from the mid eighteenth century located where Westwick Street and St. Benedict’s Street met, but the building was demolished for road improvement works in the 1890s. In 1869, there were allegations of election bribery taking place at the pub although the investigators only found evidence of intoxication of voters. I sometimes wonder whether this (the intoxication, not necessarily the bribery) should be encouraged again to see if voters make more sensible decisions after a couple of beers.
This map, from around 1900, shows where the pub was moved to. Morgans Brewery operated the venue until the 1940s, then it became owned by Tollemache & Cobbold. In 1977, the pub was renamed the Hog in Armour and that’s how I remember it over twenty years ago when my friend James and I played pool upstairs. That’s now been turned into a cocktail bar which is separately branded today, but I digress. It was renamed the Mash Tun in 2014 and then the Strangers Tavern in 2019. I quite like the Three Pigeons name myself, but there we go.
An advert from 1881 and there are a couple of interesting things there, including the bagatelle table (the fore-runner of today’s bar billiards), but also the annual bread, cheese and celery supper. I’m not bothered about the celery, but the rest of the supper sounds amazing.
Incidentally, in 1930, the local press reported:
“Mr. Lindley, at the Three Pigeons, near Charing Cross, has a hog, which is allowed to be the largest ever seen in this city (Norwich). Its dimensions are 9 feet in length, 5 feet high, 9 feet round the body, and the neck measures 4 feet 4 inches round; his weight is computed to exceed 50 stone.”
50 stone?!?! Handy for the later name of the Hog in Armour though.
The bar was entirely devoid of customers when we entered, but it was contemporary and clean in its design.
I had expected something rather more generic, but I think it’s fair to say that both Julian and I were surprised and delighted. There was a broad range of craft beers and the team member behind the bar was knowledgeable, engaging and enthusiastic. Well, I say we were both delighted, but they don’t serve real ale (those two lines that look like cask are actually cider) so Julian could have been more delighted, but at least the craft options were intriguing.
The keg selection which is a little hard to make here unfortunately, but there were some beers from breweries that I hadn’t been aware of and it’s always good to see beer from Brew York.
I opted for the Ben & Terry’s Peanut Buttercup from Bianca Road Brew Co, a London brewery who were new to me. Lots of peanut butter, smooth and rich, this was nearly quite a decadent beer. Julian went for a beer from the same brewery, the Hay-Z which is a pale ale and it was a fresh and fragrant little number.
The team member said that the bar was doing well, although it’s always seemed a bit empty when I’ve gone by, but it’s possible that they get a decent crowd in during weekend events. They don’t seem to serve food other than bar snacks, so it’s a primarily wet-led venue. I actually really liked the pub, it offered beers that were a little different, the service was friendly, the team member who served us was knowledgeable about beer and I felt welcome during the visit. All really rather lovely and I think that they deserve to be busier.
Finally, for anyone who wants to see what the Hog in Armour looked like in the 1980s, jump to 12 minutes in of this Tales of the Unexpected video. Also note the appearance of Clive Swift, later better known for his role in Keeping Up Appearances.
As Liam and I had completed the LDWA Capital Challenge earlier in the day, we thought we’d amend our original plans for us to drive somewhere (well, for Liam to drive somewhere whilst I had a nap in the passenger seat) and eat in the hotel since it worked out around £31 each for a three course evening meal, a pint and breakfast in the morning.
I was initially a little sceptical that it would be one of those half board arrangements where the only thing included was the salad or something ridiculous, but it actually included everything with a just a couple of relatively small surcharges for the mixed grill and steak. I’m not a mixed grill or steak person, so that was that sorted for me. Liam, however, being a civil engineer (a profession I suspect requires a daily intake of at least three different types of grilled animal), naturally gravitated towards the mixed grill. It’s in the blueprints, I’m sure.
I had asked the team member at reception a little earlier if we had to book for the evening meal or tell them in advance we wanted the deal. I liked his informality and he hinted that this wasn’t really necessary and I can see why he thought that when we arrived in the bustling restaurant. However, I quite like the idea of a private dining club and I felt that had been achieved here.
We were effectively the only customers, although there was one other table somewhere just out of sight just finishing their meals. The server was trying to man reception, welcome customers, welcome diners and he told us he had to go to a room to provide the customers with more pillows in between serving us. He was enthusiastic, over-worked and kept forgetting Liam’s order before he reached the till, which was actually located just behind Liam so it wasn’t far. On one occasion the team member mouthed “what did he order?” and I liked his whole engagement and attention, it was an informal, endearing and welcoming performance that I thought was perfect for the service we wanted.
Firstly, let me admit that the beer that came with the meal deal was Coors Light. Now, as I had walked 27 miles earlier that day, I needed water and so this was a perfect fit. I went for the prawn cocktail and I’m not entirely sure of the presentation here as it was quite a lot of sauce with some slightly firm prawns, but they had a pleasant enough flavour. I wasn’t sure about the piece of bread and butter, but it was handy for mopping up the sauce. Liam looks surprised and delighted here.
It was becoming evident that presentation wasn’t the key here. However, the chips had a pleasant taste, the chicken was tender and had some flavour to the coating with the bun being fresh and the salad being salady. It was certainly a very reasonable tasting affair and Liam seemed pleased with whatever he was doing with his mixed grill.
The chocolate sundae was served as a large portion and it had a Flake. You can’t argue with a Flake. It’s the universal language of dessert satisfaction.
Breakfast in the morning wasn’t much busier and similarly low-key, but there was a friendly and engaging welcome. I asked if there were fried eggs and there were, I just hadn’t noticed them, but the team member had some more made up for us. They didn’t make the amount we asked for as there was some confusion, but the thought was there and the team members seemed jovial enough despite it being a Sunday morning.
I’m more of a continental breakfast person, but this was a much better cooked offering than somewhere say Travelodge. Travelodge cooked breakfasts are broadly terrible, they don’t deep fry anything and so their hash browns are oven baked (so they’re hard on the outside and uninspiring on the inside), the bacon is often not really cooked and there is no fried egg, just some awful scrambled egg. Here, there are fried eggs, the hash browns are fried and there’s also black pudding.
All very satisfactory and there was a supporting cast of yoghurts, juices, coffees, fruit and the like to add to the arrangement. I would have liked the bacon cooked a little more, but I cut the fat off and was aware they’d probably go and burn me some if I asked as that’s how I like it served. The croissants are also better than the ones at Travelodge that have less taste than the packaging they come in.
Anyway, I was suitably impressed with the whole offer of just under £31 for three courses, a pint and breakfast. The presentation wasn’t great, but the quality was reasonable for a chain restaurant and the service was well above average. Indeed, so good was the service in the evening that I messaged Whitbread who said they’d pass on my thoughts, which I imagine they probably have. Given that there wasn’t anything else nearby in Barking that didn’t require a fifteen minute walk each way (and we’d done enough of that) it was more than satisfactory as a post marathon refuel. I wouldn’t rule out doing this again in future, although it’s obviously dependent on what else is in the local area.
I usually don’t write anything about the flights I take, but a change is as good as a rest and all that. I’m not sure that Luton Airport has really mastered the art of returning flights efficiently, but the security process is now quite efficient. I have to confess to pure idiocy during security when I managed to leave my belt on during the security scan. I blame the confusion on their policy of leaving liquids and laptops in the bag which throws my system. The member of security staff was though not deterred and, thankfully, my brief masterclass in how not to do security seemed to escape wider notice, preserving my fragile dignity in aviation matters.
They announced the gate quite early, an hour before the flight, the delights of Gate 32 beckoned. Having endured the boarding methodologies back in my BA days, which often resembled a polite but ultimately confusing game of human Tetris, Wizz Air’s approach felt refreshingly straightforward. Every passenger knows, or should know, where to go from signage and they didn’t take long to board everyone. Admittedly, that leads to a lot of waiting on the stairs in the airport terminal to board, but at least it feels efficient although it’s less ideal for people who prefer to have a little sit down rather than balance themselves and their luggage on steps.
The aircraft was ready and for the sake of completion, the registration is 9H-wNE, the same aircraft I went from Gdansk to London Luton on a few months ago. It’s hard not to make that sound quite geekish, but as a reminder, for my two loyal blog readers who can’t remember, it’s an Airbus A321 which was delivered to Wizz Air in March 2024. Feel free to use that aviation nugget of information at your next dinner party, instant social success guaranteed…..
I’ve had a long series of good fortune from the seating Gods where I’ve been aisle or window seats, but that luck had run out for this flight when I was randomly given a middle seat. I always vaguely hope that one of the passengers doesn’t turn up, but they both did. Both were Polish, the one by the aisle fell asleep for most of the flight and the other managed to consume several Polish beers and then needed me to wake up the aisle guy from his hibernation for obvious reasons. I’m not sure that they entirely managed to follow my rule of letting the middle seat passenger have the arm rests, but since that’s a rule I’ve created it’s one that’s hard to enforce. Fortunately, this isn’t a long flight and two hours later we were landing into Warsaw.
The crew on the flight were well presented, engaging and efficient, although that’s the normality for Wizz Air flights I’ve found. Announcements from the pilots were in Polish with a shorter English version following soon after and the safety briefing was completely in a way that the CAA would be pleased by.
The delights of Warsaw always excite me, so I didn’t even mind that it was a bus that took us to border control. Most passengers on the flight were Polish or had EU passports, so the queue for my passport to be stamped was relatively short. The border agent was friendly and for this visit didn’t require a detailed explanation of my life before letting me into Poland. The flight is with my Multi Pass, which I’m still moderately obsessed with, so it cost just £8.99. Armrest battles aside, Wizz Air delivered the goods once again as far as I was concerned.
