Today, we caught up with long-time friends Ian & Ann and Alan & Margaret. Our eatery of choice today was a return to The Countryman in Staverton Village. Here we are again at what’s turning out to be one of our favourite ‘out-of-town’ Pubs for eating! We must have been here around half a dozen …
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Category:Pub
Return to the Montagu Arms, Barnwell
We haven’t been here for AGES – today, we returned to the Montagu Arms, voted “Best Traditional Pub in Northamptonshire” in 2022. We met up with longtime friends, Mick & Jane (postponed from 4 April!) for a catch-up and a meal. Looks like the last time we all met here was back in 2009, but …
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Return to the Tollemache Arms
Tonight was a welcome return to The Tollemache Arms. The last time I was here was in June 2019, and since then, it’s had a makeover through a crowdfunding campaign where they smashed their target of raising 30k by amassing 33k in just 4 days! We picked up Bev & Jules for 7pm and headed …
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Every Doggett’s Has Its Day!
Today was an opportunity to meet up with some of the Old Croydonians Association Committee from my days as their Chair (2010 until 2016). It was one of those increasingly rare occasions when I took the train to London from Kettering to St Pancras International (I don’t get out much these days!). Roger met me …
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Carrington Arms – Nutters Assemble!
The good weather continues! So, it was a drive over to The Carrington Arms for an assembly of the Northants Nutters aka Paul & Sue, Geoff & Rhonda, Rich & Nicki and us two. I recall visiting this watering hole ‘back in the day’ when I was working. It was a central(ish) location to meet …
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The Olde Victoria
Today, a welcome return to the Olde Victoria – our local – to meet up for lunch with long-time friends, Richard & Pauline. The last time we four got together was June last year (also at the Olde Vic!), and it was good to catch up. For the first time EVER (20+ years!) we couldn’t …
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The Countryman, Staverton
Today, we caught up with long-time friends Ian & Ann and Alan & Margaret. Our eatery of choice today? The Countryman in Staverton Village. Last time we were here was in November, 2022 with Ian & Ann, celebrating their Golden Wedding. After a slightly mystifying route to the Pub (Sat Nav took us the LONG …
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Return to the Wheatsheaf
We met up with Mick & Jane at The Wheatsheaf in Titchmarsh for Lunch today. We were last here (again, with Mick & Jane) in April 2022 and it was good to be back. This used to be our go-to Pub/Restaurant when we first moved here (we must have visited close on 50 times!), but …
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A Very Pheasant New Year’s Day
Happy New Year! We began the new year with David & Valerie – and lunch at The Pheasant in Keyston! Wow! It was the best meal of the year! 😀. Seriously though, the food was excellent! Really good value too, at just £47 per head for three courses and tea/coffee (and chocs!). We were given …
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What a Pheast!
Another day, another Birthday! 😉 After my celebrations yesterday, tonight, it was our turn to act as a taxi service, picking up neighbours David & Valerie, and heading off to The Pheasant in Keyston (a 25-minute drive away, halfway between here and Huntingdon). It was David’s ‘special day’, and where I used to think it …
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Return to The Falcon Inn
Off to the Falcon Inn in Fotheringhay to meet up with long-time pals, Mick and Jane to celebrate their 41st Wedding Anniversary. The last time we were there was pre-Covid back in 2017. Before then, this was our go-to Pub/Restaurant when we lived in nearby Peterborough. Since then, we’ve developed other allegiances and, in that …
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Closed for good!
Well, that was a surprise! Nearby Hobson’s Choice announced it was closing its doors permanently! OK, it was never going to be awarded a Michelin Star, but it was on our doorstep and offered a ‘basic’ menu (read ‘cheap’) and the staff there were always super-friendly. Every time I visited, it was always doing a …
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Arrow Time!
It’s our three-monthly catchup with long-time friends and ex-business colleagues, Ian & Ann and Alan & Mags. Today, our eatery of choice is the Arrow Mill in Alcester – we were last here in October, 2022. It was almost deserted inside when we arrived just after 12 noon, but this place has a large area …
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A Very Pleasant Pheasant!
We made a welcome return to The Pheasant in Keystone tonight with great friends (and neighbours) David & Valerie. The Pub is now under new management (again!) having laid empty and unloved for over a year and eventually reopening on the 28th May, 2021. It was good to be back – we were last here …
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Catchup: Nick & Celina
Today was a (very) belated catch-up with friends, Nick & Celina (originally pencilled in for the 22nd of December, last year!). As regular readers will already know, this was postponed because I was in hospital being treated for a severe slicing to my left pinkie brought about by an ‘argument’ on the day with a …
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Friday Night at the Olde Vic
Those who know us, know that this is our fave Local! Somewhat strange then, that in all the years we’ve lived here, we’ve hardly EVER been there on a Friday night! 😕. Well, tonight we put that right! We picked up mates, Bev and Jules, and headed to our booked table. On arrival, looking at …
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Return to the Red Lion
A return to the Red Lion in Cranford today. It’s right on our doorstep and the only reason we’ve not been there more often is that it’s a tad pricey. Still, it was good to catch-up with long-time mates Mick & Jane. The last time we were here was with Nicki back in July, last …
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First Visit: The Wharf Inn, Welford
We headed off to Welford today – it was our first visit to The Wharf Inn. We met up with fellow ‘Northants Nutters’ – Paul & Sue and Richard and Nicki – for lunch. It was already buzzing when we arrived just before 1pm. After getting some drinks from the Bar we were shown to …
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Return to The Bell, Alderminster
Today was a welcome return to The Bell in Alderminster to meet up with long-time mates Ian & Ann and Alan & Mags for a long Lunch. We were last all together here back in August, last year – and we were so impressed, we felt they deserved a repeat visit! 👍👍 Given the driving …
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Christmas Catchup – Ralph & Karen
Here we are at the Quorndon Fox in Loughborough. We were last here on New Year’s day in 2021 with Jo, Janet and Carol. Today, more of the same – ‘a get together with mates’ – with a long overdue catchup with Ralph and Karen. Getting there was another frustrating experience, where the M1 came …
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The Pheasant – Revisited
David, Valerie, Ann and I returned to The Pheasant in Keyston today for Sunday Lunch. Since we moved to our current home in 1996, The Pheasant had been our ‘go-to’ quality eatery around these parts. In the intervening years though, we’d discovered plenty of alternatives (Northamptonshire’s well served!) and for no other reason apart from …
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The George for Lunch (again!)
This is fast becoming one of our top five ‘go-to’ hostelries for a high-quality Lunch. We were last here back in January, making today our sixth visit in just a couple of years – they’ve never put a foot wrong, and it was good to be back!👍 Today, we met up with Alan, Mags, Ian …
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Return to The George & Dragon
Today was a return visit for us to the George & Dragon in Seaton for Lunch – this time, with good friends, David and Valerie. The reason? A post-birthday celebratory meal for David and me! 😊 With David acting as chauffeur, we set off just before 11. We first came here back in August on …
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Lunch at The Olde Victoria
We haven’t done this in a while! Off to our ‘local’ for Lunch! We picked up Helen along the way by way of a treat, and were soon at our table for 12.45. The food and service was, as always, ‘top-notch’ where the generous main course meant that none of us could squeeze in a …
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First Visit: The White Swan
Off to The White Swan in Shawell, south of Lutterworth today, to check out its suitability for a subsequent visit with friends later this year. It was a bit off the beaten track, but we were soon parked in their sizeable car-park and heading for our table. Their Friday Lunch Menu is HERE First impressions? …
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First Visit: George & Dragon
This was our first visit to the George & Dragon in Seaton today. It’s about half-an-hour, north, from home. We were here catching up with long-time mates, Mick & Jane, who we haven’t seen since we met at their joint birthday party back in February. By the time we arrived, just before 12.30, it was …
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First Visit: The Bell, Alderminster
Yes, it’s that time again! Our three-monthly catch-up, over a Shandy (or three!) with ex-business colleagues (and great friends), Ian and Mags, together with their respective other halves, Ann and Alan. It’s been a while (January?), as Ian was unwell the last time we were due to meet, but we were soon back into the …
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Nicki’s Here!
It’s that time again – we’re catching up with Ann’s good friend, Nicki! Unfortunately, it was just Nicki, this time, as Richard had a work event to go to. No matter, the girls had plenty of catching-up to do – and I just kept the teas and coffees flowing, together with some Orange & Cranberry …
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The Olde Victoria
Off to our ‘Local’ today to catch up with long-time friends Richard & Pauline. The food and service has always been good in all the (many) years we’ve eaten here – and it was great to be back! 👍👍. Burgers all around today and most of us even squeezed in a Pud too! Thanks for …
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Late May Bank Holiday 2023
Well, the weather certainly is improving! It’s a Bank Holiday too! Surely that’s a mistake!!! 😉😎☀️🌞 Friday (26th) It got off to a good start trotting off to nearby Boughton House for an outdoor showing of Top Gun: Maverick. Saturday (27th) A lazy start to the day but with some last-minute preparation ready for great …
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