Had a really nice day with Roseanne, Glyn, Ted , Mabel, Jenny and James..Bollinger champagne, truffles, turkish delight and lunch at The Anchor at Hullbridge. There was a little bit of fun with the Royal family during the afternoon!
Easter Sunday…
31 Mar 2013 1 Comment
Easter in the UK….
30 Mar 2013 Leave a comment
in Environment, People
Went for a stroll by the seaside and it was very cold of course. Some crazies were swimming…looked like triathlon/iron man types! 
Back to Leigh-on-Sea…
25 Mar 2013 1 Comment
Flew from Newquay to Gatwick to land in a very snowy scene.The white stuff was everywhere and still falling! Snow ploughs were all out on the tarmac ready to go to work. Got my little bus transfer to Roseanne’s and I was the only passenger so sat up the front and chatted to the driver. Everyone was waiting for me including Floyd when I arrived back at the house…a pot of bubbling soup, more snow and then a lovely roast chicken dinner (a Roseanne specialty!). The next morning we met Jenny and James at their regular Sunday breakfast place …a real British style Caf! We all had the ‘all day breakfast’ with eggs, bacon, tomatoes, sausage, beans, bubble n’ squeak and a slice!(of bread and butter). It was actually very good, especially with loads of ‘brown sauce’.
Overnight in Newquay….
22 Mar 2013 1 Comment
in Environment, People
Leaving on the first flight in the morning so staying at Fistral Beach Hotel in Newquay. I don’t think anyone has stayed in the room…its just opened from total refurbishment and is very nice. I was panicking a bit after looking at all the hotels driving in..oh my god…daggy, old British seaside joints Fawlty Towers style but worse and they all looked fairly hideous. However, checked in to my nice room and went to the ‘spa’ and enjoyed the steam room, sauna and pool.Turned out to be very ‘social’ and I met the Newquay Dominoes Pizza shop owner who is from Kenya and going to Australia soon and then a group of people got in the jacuzzi with me…five of them all big and two covered in tattoos , just when I had it to myself! Anyway got talking, as I invariably do, and they invited me to their fancy dress party here at the hotel with the theme’P’. They have a spare outfit for me…Popeye! Its a damn shame its on tomorrow night!! They were from Plymouth and I have to try the Plymouth Gin tonight in the bar..they still actually make it in Plymouth!
Last day in Cornwall…
22 Mar 2013 1 Comment
in Coffee, Culture, Environment, food, People
Explored Newquay which is a bit of a surfing mecca…ripcurl shop, quiksilver, surfing schools and lots of ‘surf’ and ‘beach’ cafes although the main shopping area is a bit dowdy and not atmospheric. I resorted to Costa for a coffee which was actually really good but maybe I’ve been in Polperro too long! I was looking for somewhere for lunch and was getting desperate so gave up and drove around the town and started heading out into the countryside when I came to a tiny cove called Watergate Bay. I parked in the paid parking lot ,as you have to absolutely everywhere here ,and saw a sign near the path to the beach saying “Fifteen” so in I went. It turns out to be Jamie Olivers Fifteen Restaurant, very funky and with a spectacular view of an almost perfect surf pumping in from the Atlantic ocean…no wonder I had seen the surfers in the car park hurredly kitting up with wetsuits, booties, hoods and gloves. It was on! The restaurant was booked out so they sat me at the bar where I had the best, friendliest service with a glass of prosecco and fresh cornish crab bruschetta. I decided to lash out and the barman made me a sensational flat white and I had a blood orange chocolate piece of decadence.
Any Rick Stein fans out there?
20 Mar 2013 1 Comment
in Culture, Environment, food, People, Society
Drove from Port Issac to Rock and caught a passenger ferry across the Camel River Estuary to Padstow. Some beautiful sunshine and lots of lovely golden sand that reminded me of home. Rock was amazingly quite an upmarket place!
Padstow Harbour was quite nice and the shops and restaurants definitely upmarket. Rick Stein’s restaurant was there and he has ‘cashed in’ with a merchandise shop next door and a patisserie down the road…nice stuff though I must say. I didn’t do lunch there as I had it waiting for the ferry…fresh sea scallops just pan seared to perfection. I did actually lash out and have a sweet sensation..classic English Victoria Sponge with a pot of tea. it was moist and delicious and so worth it!
Doc Martin territory…
20 Mar 2013 1 Comment
in Culture, Environment, People, Society, Time
Visited Port Issac or more affectionately know by Doc Martin fans as “Port Wenn”. It is a pretty little harbour town unaffected by the ‘fame’. Saw the surgery, harbour and school and had a coffee in a nice little shop that was the only place to sell souvenirs and it was all cute and not overdone or too commercialised. 
pinkbirdflies 