Off to The Fox Inn in nearby Thorpe Waterville. It’s our regular catch-up with (very) long-time friends, Mick & Jane 😀😀 The Fox Inn has been receiving good reviews of late, and we thought we’d give it a go, having not been there (I think) since April 2019! The Pub gets a lot of passing …
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Category:Pub
The Saxon Returns!
It was back to the Saxon Mill in Warwick today to catch up with Ian & Ann and Alan & Mags. We haven’t been here for a few years – last time was in July 2021! Today was all part of our regular three-monthly catchups and it was good to see everyone again. Pity about …
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New Visit – Olde Vic!
We caught up for Lunch with Geoff & Rhonda today. Our Eatery of choice was the ever-reliable The Olde Victoria in nearby Burton Latimer. We do love this place, having only been there as recently as last Sunday with Carole H for Lunch. It’s probably our most frequently visited Pub since we moved into the …
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Quorn or Meat?
Well, both actually! 😀 We took the hour’s drive to Quorn, north of Leicester, to meet up with Ralph & Karen for lunch and a catch-up. Our destination? The Quorndon Fox. Last time we were here was back in December 2023, again with these two! 👏👍. The perfect combo then – great mates and (based …
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New Year’s Day (2026)
We do like a bit of variety over Christmas and the new year, so I’m not sure what happened for New Year’s day, 2026! 🤔😂😂 This time last year, we decided to go for Lunch at The Pheasant at Keyston with longtime friends and neighbours, David and Valerie. And this year? ❓❓❓ How about Lunch …
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The Countryman (Again!)
Here I am at The Countryman in Staverton Village. The Pub is becoming a semi-regular haunt for our three-monthly catch-ups with Ian & Ann and Alan & Mags since discovering it with old work mucker, John ‘Mez’ Merrell, exactly 17 years ago today, back in 2008! 🙄👍. Sadly, Mrs P wasn’t able to make the …
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First Christmas Meal!
I’m not sure whether this is a record or not for us? It certainly feels like it – it’s our first official Christmas meal of 2025 – and it’s not even December yet! 😮. Last year, I had to wait until December 7th for my first festive nibble (but c’mon, we had only just returned …
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New Arms!
A first visit today to The Fancott Arms in err, Fancott, Toddington It was time for a catch-up again with longtime mate, Angela C. The location was about halfway between us, and made a pleasant change to our usual haunt of The Bistro just up the road in ‘old’ Toddington. It was less about the …
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Call to Arms!
Today, we drove over to the Montagu Arms in Barnwell to meet up with Mick and Jane. The last time we were here was back in May this year, also with Mick and Jane. This used to be a very frequent destination ‘back in the day’, but until earlier this year, we hadn’t been back …
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Arrow Returned
We headed off to the Arrow Mill today to catch up with long time muckers: Ian, Ann and Mags (sans Alan). It’s been just over a year since we were last here and it was good to be back! 👍 Yum yum!! A great menu that changes daily. You can’t beat this ‘posh Pub’ for …
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First Visit: Rose and Crown, Yardley Hastings
We drove to the Rose & Crown Bistro in Yardley Hastings today to meet up with Chris & Gill and Steve & Denise for Lunch. It was our first visit and came highly recommended (although this was our second attempt as we cancelled on the 24th April, because I was down with a cold and …
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Return to The Countryman, Staverton Village
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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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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