A day in Rochester

For CBC's birthday weekend, we took a trip to Rochester in Kent.  We drove and parked in a Multistorey carpark near the station.  If you wish to travel there by train, you can take the highspeed link from St Pancras in 30mins.

We arrived and CBC went in search of a haircut.  I looked around the shops and strolled the historical high street.

CBC went for a look in the cathedral before his haircut and I visited it after him.

There was a beautiful Easter garden display in front of some wall paintings.

The cathedral had a beautiful lightness to it and the organ was extremely attractive.

There was also a beautiful chamber organ.

More views of the organ.

I always enjoy looking at the stained glass windows.

Some beautiful flooring.

The cathedral was in the traditional cross shape.

The high altar.

The choir stalls

The high altar had such a beautiful floor.

After this, I attempted to find CBC who had made his way to Chatham in his fruitless attempt to find a haircut.

We decided to make our way to the Historical Chatham Docks.  It costs around £32 to enter but you can use your ticket for a year.  We only had 30mins before closing so we definitely need to go back!

We explored a historical naval ship

CBC had a kip!  Next time, we hope to see the Submarine!

I bought this embroidered jacket on my way to Chatham in the Demelza charity shop as I was really cold!

We visited another historical sea-faring vessel.

Rather than face the massive walk back to Rochester, we jumped on a bus to Chatham station and then walked the rest. We went to pick up CBC's brother and partner

Once we had found them, we headed to Upnor to visit the Madeiran Restaurant, Os' Camacheiros.  This is the reason we actually came to Rochester.  The owners of this restaurant used to have a Madeiran Skewerhouse in our home town and then they closed and we really missed it.  After our Madeiran visit (which was inspired by his restaurant) we wanted to eat here!  I really recommend it! 

Here was the restaurant.

CBC orddered the fish skewer and I ordered the beef skewer. His brother ordered the vegetable skewer.  When you order a skewer, you choose two sides to go with it.  We went for 2 each including the spicy rice, corn on the cob, fried potatoes, skin on fries and maize.

Desserts are varied. I regret my choice as there were so many better choices! Oh yes, and we played Qwirkle.

 CBC's was better than mine!

I thoroughly recommend a day trip to Rochester and Chatham. And, I recommend heading out to Upnor to visit the Madeiran Skewer house!

Stoked Vegan Barbecue Restaurant - Westcliff on Sea

 We visited Stoked Vegan Barbecue restaurant after we were in the Westcliff Area of Southend.  

This is apparently the first Vegan barbecue restaurant in the South.

Here's what they say about it:

OPENED ON THE 1ST OF AUGUST 2020. STOKED IS THE ONLY TRUE SOUTHERN AMERICAN STYLE VEGAN BBQ IN THE U.K. SITUATED IN THE SUBURB OF WESTCLIFF-ON-SEA, STOKED REGULARLY SELLS OUT OF IT'S ONE OF KIND FOOD WHERE THE MENU CHANGES EVERY 6-8 WEEKS. WITH AN IMPRESSIVE CRAFT BEER LIST, STOKED IS OPEN FOR DINE IN & TAKEAWAY THURSDAY TO MONDAY.

We drank Cawston press Rhubarb and Ginger and here's what we ate:

I ordered the Vegan BBQ Ribz.

These are made out of Tempeh, my absolute favourite Veggie substitute and they were cooked and coated in Barbecue sauce.  Accompanying this were barbecued beans, Vegan Macaroni cheese, Coleslaw and gherkins and a dressing of pickled red onion. 

It was all delicious- I would say that you could easily share this- I struggled to eat it all and had to leave some which I HATE doing. I THINK it was either £13 or £11.

OOoh, before I tell you what CBC ate, THIS dish was the BEST item.   I LOVE Southern fried chicken wings and I think that'd be the meaty thing I'd miss the most if I did take the final step and turn Vegan.  

These were the Firecracker Cauliflower dish (£6) and they were ABSOLUTELY delicious!  The coating was so zingy and tasty and I loved the chillis.

CBC chose the Cajun Tofu tacos.  He said thy were tasty BUT pineapple was a strong feature of the dish which he said overpowered the dish a bit too much.

We went at around 5.30pm-ish and there were a few people in but it was fairly quiet but I could imagine this being heaving later in the evening (they do alcohol).

If you want a meat-free meal but want exciting, interesting food with lots of flavour and interesting elements, this restaurant is for you.

It is located at 78 London Road, Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, SS0 9SU.

A delicious meal at the Square and Compasses, Terling

On Saturday, my husband decided we should go out for a meal to try something new.  He looked up online and found a gastropub called The Square and Compasses which he had seen on one of his epic cycling journeys in a village called Turling,
Here's the blurb from their website about it.

The Square and Compasses is a traditional country pub set in the picturesque countryside of rural Essex. Believed to date from about 1652 and originally two farmers cottages, the building retains a wealth of original features with exposed beams throughout.

 This 17^th century freehouse has been sympathetically refurbished both internally and externally and offers a warm and relaxing atmosphere, delicious food, real ales and fine wines.

Inside, the cosy atmosphere and various styles of eclectic furniture and antiques ensures your comfort in which to enjoy a drink or two and maybe something to eat, in the company of family and friends. Whilst outside, there is a small garden with seating where you can enjoy the warm summer sun and the scenic views over the Essex Way.

We decided to try it out especially as CBC found it listed in the good food guide. It's a fair old drive from where we live in Essex but was it worth the effort?

While we were waiting we decided to order a plate of olives and anchovies- these are priced at around £3.50 each and were a generous portion. The anchovies were succulent and delicious bathed in fresh lemon and the olives were plump and juicy.

Next, our starters arrived. Considering everything is cooked from scratch, things arrived very swiftly.
CBC ordered the crab cake which cost around £6.95ish.  It was an extremely generous portion and he said that the coriander and lime mayonnaise with it was delicious as was the salad and the fishcake itself.

I ordered the pigeon breast with a courgette and chorizo croquette, sweet potato mash and parsnip crisps (plus sauces). This was around £6.50.  This was an absolute gem of a dish.  The duck was juicy and easy to cut, tender and delicious.  The courgette and chorizo croquette was really yummy.  The mash was lovely but for me the highlight was the amazing parsnip crisps. I don't really like parsnips- I just tolerate them whenever I am served them but these were sublime!  All the flavours together were an excellent combination.

Mains arrived soon after.   The restaurant always has a fish of the day (well, in fact two!) as well as a pie of the day and many other specials.   CBC ordered the Skate (£16.95ish) which was served with capers and vegetables which he declared to be extremely filling and tasty. Perhaps the potatoes and carrots could have been served smaller - he felt they were rather too enormous but otherwise a resounding yes!

I ordered the sea bass fillet served on a bed of spiced rice and bok choi, with an onion bhaji on top.
The best part of this meal was the sea bass filet. Not a bone in sight- tender, it broke away with my fork, the skin on top was crispy.  The bok choi was tasty and generally the rice was pleasant although it had one spice in it that I was not so keen on. For me, the onion bhaji was the part I didn't enjoy. A disclaimer here: I do not like onion bhajis and I will never order them in a restaurant or pick one from a buffet table.  This was the nicest onion bhaji I have tasted- but there is something about the spices chosen that I really dislike about them and this one, I ate, though I didn't love it.  Generally though, it was well balanced and well-thought out meal with a sufficient and one would also say generous portion.

When it reached dessert time, I was not overly enamoured by the choices. I am, it is to be said, a complete fusspot when it comes to dessert. 9 times out of 10, I will not choose one and I'd rather fill up on savoury.
Thus, CBC chose the Sticky toffee pudding with ice-cream which I can report he thoroughly enjoyed and demolished. This cost £4.50

I chose to have one scoop of toffee fudge ice-cream which was just right for me.  It was the right type of creamy deliciousness.

The meal itself was fabulous. I could not fault the service either.  

I failed to take any pictures of the setting but it is a wonderfully historic and cosy pub. Our table was in a little corner by the bar where we, if it were winter, a roaring fire would have been lit.  I thought, for the quality of cooking and the service received, that the meal was incredibly good value and we will definitely return to the Square and Compasses. I am definitely not the largest fan of general pub food (I am more of an Asian food buff) but this was a whole different ball game.

This is unlikely to yield any affirmative comments, but I will ask it anyway? Have you visited this great pub or indeed the village of Terling and what do you think of our choices?

xx

The Garden Station Cafe

Whenever I go to Northumberland, I always discover or try some new place to eat or drink or indeed somewhere beautiful to visit.  When we visited The Garden Station at Langley-on-Tyne, near Hexham, I wasn't sure what to expect but it was the perfect location for a cafe, I met all three of these in one.  The approach was through winding lanes and green scenes and finally up a steep slope to a car park.  The setting is actually the old Langley railway station on the now defunct Hexham to Allendale line.

At the height of summer, the place was glorious.  Green, vibrant and wonderfully wild.  The old station house is the cafe and the railway tracks are the start of a walk. You can eat outside or in.


We headed inside for lunch.  I chose a cheese and tomato toastie with Earl grey tea which was tasty if a little thin on the cheese front.


I went with CBC and WKWTTG, his brother and we all had tea which came in our own mismatched vintage crockery.

The place was remarkably cheery and shabby chic without trying too hard, polka dot table cloths and different salt and pepper holders on each table.  Original artwork and photographic artwork lines the walls and can be purchased.  I was tempted.



The toilet was entertaining. I found myself looking at all the items on the walls.

We headed outside to have a look around.

As we walked along the railway sleepers, we spied the station cat...

And a recycled material stag.

 The cat was really friendly and flirted with us outrageously, rubbing up against legs.

The station cafe is a wedding venue also and I can imagine it being a wonderful place for a small intimate wedding.

There were a few visitors when we were there but it didn't feel crowded.

As you can see, there are just so many original and sweet touches.

The whole place felt really alive.

We'll definitely be back for another visit sometime.  If you are ever in Hexham, Northumberland, I recommend this place for a visit and a gentle walk.


Have you visited any remote cafes like this?It really was in the middle of nowhere!

xx

Emerald isle

 Happy St Patrick's day to thee of the Blarney stone!


 I have an orchestra concert tonight and it's quite a sweet touch that we all have to wear a touch of emerald green with our usual "all black" outfit.  I'm planning on wearing my Christmas ribbon round my waist from Christmas presents!

 I thought I'd make a nod to Ireland with this outfit also.
Emerald green top and leggings (Primark) with emerald lego earrings (craft-fair?) and greeny albalone M&S necklace! With just a touch of navy blue to tone it down!

Have you ever seen Amadeus, the film?  Excitingly tonight, we are playing La Grotta di Trofonio by Antonio Salieri (1750-1825).  If you've seen it, he's the man who lots of rumours circulated regarding the possibility of his having contributed to Mozart's early demise! They were supposedly rivals! Not true about the murder bit, but it's such a nice surprise to play some music by him and see the comparison!  Lots of the orchestra think it's rather trite but I love it!  Mind you, give me a pretty flute solo and I'm anybody's!

Hope you are off to have an exciting weekend!  Last night, CBC and I went to a localish restaurant called The Apollonia, a Greek restaurant. We didn't intend to go there, we just parked nearby as there are lots of restaurants to choose from, and went to have a snoop! It was hilarious as they had entertainment in the form of very Greek-looking singer, DJ and pianist who had the most Essex accent you could imagine, Tom Jones impersonator, a hilarious Greek dancer who got everyone (except us!) doing that mediterranean circle dance whilst wearing a tower of glass tumblers and a bottle on top of his head! We had the mezze which was delicious, a massive selection of dishes, homous, tahini, taramasalata, beetroot salad, crab salad, Greek salad, Haloumi, gammon slices, sea bream, garlic mushrooms (AHRGH!), mussels (sadly I'm allergic!), chargrilled meats and loads more!  It was very friendly, great value and there was sadly stacks left over!  I always feel so guilty leaving any food but I wanted to be able to sleep! 
Frantically made a Mother's day card today as have been meaning to do it all week but work seemed relentless! Will show tomorrow or as soon as I've managed to get it to my Mum!!!

Have a lovely day!