Unbelievable! It’s only the 10th of December and this is already our FOURTH Christmas meal! Tough life, ehh?!? 😁 At this rate, I’m sure there must be a real danger that we’ll both turn into Turkeys before the 25th! Gobble, gobble! 🦃🍗 Today’s venue of choice? The very popular (and very nicely appointed) The George …
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Category:Restaurant
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 Old Bridge Hotel
It’s been a really long while, since I was last here at The Old Bridge Hotel & Restaurant in Huntingdon. A conservative estimate would suggest that it was the early 90s when I was working with one of my first clients – Nokia. Thirty-or-so years on, and we were here to catch up with Steve …
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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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Taste of India
No, not another one of our holiday Posts from the other side of the world! 🙄 Tonight, we returned to Taste of India in Bridge Street, Rothwell. Gosh! The last time we were here was in February 2012 (also with Paul and Sue!) — and before that, way back in 2005! Where does the time …
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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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Steve visits the Gym!
Off to the Capital today – one of my less frequent trips into London these days! To think, I used to do this pretty much on a daily basis when I was working!!! 😲. What a difference, 10 years in retirement makes!!! But ME in the GYM??? Surely some mistake! Read on! 😉 The reason …
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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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Sedgebrook Hall Revisited!
A long overdue catchup with ‘old mucker’ John Cullwick at Sedgebrook Hall to discuss the marketing of his latest book: ‘Our Hannah’. The last time we saw each other was, I think, five years ago also here at Sedgebrook Hall! Today, I had the opportunity to meet his daughter Ellie too! We had a really …
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Birthday Girl 2023
Another year and another Birthday – as Ann celebrated her special day today! It was a day with friends, food, cards and gift! 8.35am: After a quick ‘Birthday Bacon Sarny’, Ann began opening her presents and cards. Soon after, the ritual was briefly interrupted (in a good way) by a surprise video call from Nicki …
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ATMs Reunited
A timely reunion today (again) for three ex-Sainsbury ATMs (that’s ex Area Training Managers!) — Paul, Geoff and yours truly! Today, given our pensionable status, the eatery of choice was the geographically convenient for all of us (and wallet-friendly) ‘Hobson’s Choice, just off junction 9. Boy! It was busy and for the first time ever, …
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The George (again and again!)
We’re off to one of our top-three eateries around these parts – The George in Great Oxendon. This was our fourth visit here, having been introduced to it by Paul & Sue back in November, 2021. Today, it was our three-monthly catchup with Ian & Ann and Alan & Mags. We arrived in good time …
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Second Visit: The Swan at Braybrooke
We met up with Paul & Sue for Lunch today at The Swan at Braybrooke in Market Harborough. We were there to celebrate some accumulated techy work I’d done for them. The original title of this Post was First Visit but as soon as we pulled into their (rather compact) car-park, I realised we’d been …
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Palmers at The Palmichael
If you’re looking for a quality Italian meal, then you can’t go wrong by choosing The Palmichael in nearby Burton Latimer. We’ve eaten there many times, and it’s one of the few the only Italian eatery that still survives in this part of Kettering. Many other ‘Italians’ have appeared on the scene – and disappeared …
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Return to the Smoke!
Up until very recently, I hadn’t been to London for quite a while – and here I was back again just seven days later! 👍 How so? Last week, an enjoyable catchup with old work buddies, this time, a ‘thank-you’ lunch, courtesy of Angela, for a year of tech support, looking after her various devices. …
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Overdue (twice!)
Two overdue activities today! 🤔 First: a return to the ever-reliable Olde Victoria in Burton Latimer and second: a catchup with friends Richard & Pauline. The menu was as good as I remember it – and the service too! 👍. We soon made our choices and the short wait before the food arrived gave us …
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5ive go to London
In what felt like years in the planning, ‘The 5ive’ met in London today. Guess how we got our name? Guess no more! Back to the ‘dawn of the time’ (1999 actually!) when a number of us in our day jobs as self-employed Management Trainers first met during a very large project for a then …
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I’m in the Country – Man!
We drove over to The Countryman in Staverton village today to meet up with great friends, Ian & Ann. The reason? It had been their golden wedding anniversary this year and by way of celebration, they had organised a series of lunch dates with long-time friends. As we drew up outside, I had a sneaky …
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First Visit: Arrow Mill, Alcester
Off for one of our semi-regular get-togethers with Ian & Ann and Alan & Mags at the Arrow Mill in Alcester. Located west of Stratford-upon-Avon, just off the A46, it was our first visit to this rather posh-looking Pub/Restaurant (with Rooms too!). It took us a while to get there though! It may have been …
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Return to Ascoughs Bistro
The first time we visited Ascoughs Bistro in Market Harborough was with Bev & Jules back in June. The food and service was really good, and we decided to visit there again as soon as we could. Today was that day and David & Valerie joined us as part of our semi-regular ‘monthly-eat-outs’ and an …
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Ashmolean (again!)
We never turn down an opportunity to visit The Ashmolean (having been there in November 2011, March 2012, September 2013, March 2014, May 2018 and August 2021). Yes, it’s no surprise then, that this Museum is probably our favourite out of any of those we’ve visited ANYWHERE! 😁. On this occasion, it was to meet …
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Dubious Dovecote and a Great Garden!
Off to the Dovecote Buttery today for Sunday lunch with Helen. We haven’t been here for about a year – and it was good to be back. Well, that’s how we felt when we arrived! Disappointingly, the place was so busy, the service levels fell well below how we remember it. Additionally, the food was …
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Nutters Reunutted (again!)
After yesterday’s sad news, it felt a little odd going out for lunch and meeting up with friends! ☹️ Geoff, Rhonda, Paul, Sue, Ann and I got together for lunch at the Olde Victoria to discuss next year’s ‘Northant’s Nutters Annual Getaway’. In amongst the excellent food and service (as usual!) we narrowed down our …
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Dead Centre!
Maybe not everyone’s idea of fun on a Sunday morning, but here we are at Kettering Cemetery in London Road! Fortunately, it’s not for the reasons you might imagine! 👍 We’re actually here as part of our semi-regular ‘Sunday Hosted Walks’ courtesy of Friends of Kettering Art Gallery & Museum! ‘Tour Leader’ today was David …
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