Advertisements

Category Archives: West Yorkshire

Boxing day blogging.

26 Wednesday Dec 2018

Posted by in Calder Valley, Food and drink, Musings, Travel, West Yorkshire

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , ,

I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas day – unless you’re one of the 1000s of Network Rail engineers or contractors working over the holiday – in which case I hope you stayed safe had an easy shift! The weather here was remarkably mild for the time of the year, but then the valley was cocooned in cloud all day which kept the heat in.

We had a quiet day at home apart from a short stint at our local pub (the Big 6) at lunchtime.

Christmas Day lunchtime in the Big 6, when it’s all hands to the (beer)pumps…

It was a mix of regulars and unknown faces as people escape (or are told to bugger off out of the way) from family gatherings for a couple of hours before the real indulgences start around the dinner tables.

The rest of the afternoon and evening there was just the two of us enjoying some quality time together. Our Christmas dinner was anything but traditional. We’d bought some lamb shanks from a local farm shop which Dawn used for a 1st Class mutton (lamb) railway curry using a recipe from Rick Stein. It was divine! The mixture of spices (including cinnamon) really complements the lamb. Dawn served it with a home cooked Sambar (Indian veg curry) and red rice.

The rest of the evening was spent relaxing on the sofa and watching films whilst the cat curled up in front of the fire. Today the pace picks up considerably as we’re packing for New Zealand. Tomorrow we head down to Tilford(Surrey) to catch up with the rest of Dawn’s family for an afternoon, then head for Heathrow on Friday morning for the start of our delayed honeymoon! heading to New Zealand’s going to be a welcome break for a number of reasons. It’s an escape from the UK’s current political madness and shambles over Brexit for a start. There’s also the fact that January’s a drab month in the UK as many people are miserable because of a combination of factors, like the weather and because all the Christmas and New Year bills have come in. It also seems like a long haul to Easter and the next bank holiday!

Unlike our usual January escapes this one’s presenting an interesting logistical challenge on the packing front. Normally, we’d be going to somewhere Equatorial where the weather’s constant and we’d just need clothing for warm weather. Not so in New Zealand, where we’ll be doing a lot more walking and hiking in conditions that can mirror a UK summer. There’s quite a temperature variation too, so there’s a lot more to pack. Normally we’d only take one large suitcase between us. This time we’ve had to borrow a second one. I only hope we remember that when we’re travelling!

Jet (our cat) is most disgruntled as he’s been chucked off the bed to make way for the suitcases which currently look like they’ve been ransacked by overzealous customs Officers. The old boy (he’s 17) has been allowed on the bed recently as he’s been ill. We had to take him to the vets to get some infected teeth removed so he’s been given a lot of leeway and TLC. The problem is, he senses we’re going away, but at least he gets on well with the house-sitters who’ll be looking after him and keeping him company whilst we’re away.

23:13

Phew! Packing done, paperwork printed, instructions left. Now it’s time for a glass of wine and bed. Tomorrow’s going to be the start of a looonnng few days…

Advertisements

Rolling blog: Calder Christmas…

24 Monday Dec 2018

Posted by in Calder Valley, Rolling blogs, Travel, West Yorkshire

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , ,

‘Tis Xmas eve in the Calder valley and the weather’s been in the festive spirit, blanketing Sowerby Bridge in a long cotton wool cloud this morning. Opening the bedroom curtain often reveals an unexpected delight as the weather in the valley’s so changeable. This was the view today.

DG315326crop

Sowerby Bridge railway station’s down there – somewhere!

Pretty as the picture looks it took me a lot of sweat to upload it because the Nikon download software on my computer had a hissy-fit and refused to open. Why is it that 99% of the time you can rely on these things – until you’re actually in a hurry? Is there something built into the software that can sense when it can cause you the maximum stress and blue language? In the end I had to reload the software, wasting a precious hour of the day, but of all the kit that could go on strike, this is one I can’t do without. With it being a Monday (as well as Christmas eve) there’s still work to be done which entails a bit of running around and a trip over to Huddersfield.

14:08.

We’re now over in Huddersfield where it’s a beautifully crisp and sunny winter afternoon. Whilst I’m here I’ve taken the opportunity to get a haircut. I suppose you could call it my Christmas No1!

The town centre seems reasonably busy as people do their last minute shopping/panic buying but the number of shops that have closed this year has left gaps like rotten teeth even in the busiest of areas.

Take Greenwoods for example. I’ve always found them a good mens outfitter with great prices. Sadly, the Halifax branch closed in the summer. Now it looks like the Huddersfield one’s had it too..

They’d join firms like Poundland and Crawshaws as well as the local branch of Card Factory and a number of small locally run businesses. At least next port of call is still thriving: The Kings Head at Huddersfield station.

A trip to the station allowed me to capture what will probably be my penultimate UK rail pictures of 2018.

DG315339crop

A pair of Trans-Pennine Express Class 185s pass at Huddersfield.

DG315341crop

I love the shadows and quality of the light this time of year.

DG315346crop

The new age. One of the former Scotrail Class 170s that has been cascaded to Northern at Huddersfield whilst working 2J67, the 14:49 Huddersfield to Leeds. Although billed as a Trans-Pennine Express service the trains and drivers are provided by Northern.

20:46

We’re in the Xmas spirit now as Dawn’s finished work until February and the Christmas cooking’s begun. This year we’re staying at home and cooking for ourselves, so we don’t have to do traditional fayre. Far from it. Tonight we enjoyed seared tuna with roasted potatos and steamed broccoli with a lemon and herb sauce.

Now we’re in preparation mode and getting ready to cook a traditional Indian sambal to go with the 1st Class Railway mutton (lamb) curry. The lamb’s already marinating ready to be cooked tomorrow. Here’s the ingredients for the Sambal. Sadly, we didn’t have the time to get shallots and okra, so we’ve freestyled a little…

 

Saturday selection

22 Saturday Dec 2018

Posted by in Musings, Photography, West Yorkshire

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, ,

It’s been one of those slow days where we’ve been pottering around but doing nothing special – partly due to the miserable weather but also due to recovering from yesterday’s entertainments! I shouldn’t really complain about the weather. Whilst grey skies and showers aren’t to everyone’s taste, drinking water is – and our reservoirs are perilously low this year after such a long, dry summer.

Most of our day’s been taken up with the mundane, the sort of everyday chores that fill up a lot of modern day life. Trips to the recycling centre and a local farm shop then braving packed supermarkets (honestly, you’d think people were preparing for the Zombie apocalypse or world war 3, not just Christmas) and finally, giving in and nipping up to one of our favourite local pubs (The Moorcock Inn) for a ‘swifty’ and a chat before a quiet night at home. Whilst Dawn’s busy cooking pan fried hake with sautéed potatoes and steamed broccoli I’ve retreated to the office to scan a few more old slides. Here’s a couple of samples.

05940. Signalbox. Canterbury East. 21.7. 1996.crop

Here’s Canterbury East signalbox on the 21st July 1996. Built in 1911 by the South Easter and Chatham Railway it’s now a grade 2 listed building. It’s elevated so that the signalman could see all the tracks beyond the station roof.

05950. 47725. Kings Cross. 2.8. 1996. crop

On the 2nd August 1996 Class 47 No 47725 sits in platform 1 of London Kings Cross with the stock of an afternoon mail train whilst an electric loco at the front prepares to take this service North to Newcastle at 16:30. Mail trains used to operate out of many of London’s termini until a new rail connected mail centre (the Princess Royal Distribution Centre, or PRDC) opened at Willesden in 2003. In those days these trains would block platforms for hours, nowadays you’d never get away with it as platform space is at a premium.

Right, I’ve been summoned as food’s ready. Now for a glass of wine and a film…

Rolling blog: foodie Friday

21 Friday Dec 2018

Posted by in Food and drink, London, Rolling blogs, Travel, West Yorkshire

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , , ,

06:34

I’m preparing to head to London for an Christmas lunch with old friends and colleagues today. It’ll be a very convivial afternoon, as will this evening, as I’ve got to head back to West Yorkshire as Dawn and I are out for a Thai meal with a couple of friends – such is the fun of packed social diaries in the run-up to Christmas.

08:21

For once, the Yorkshire weather defeated me. Persistent drizzle (the sort of stuff that manages to defeat umbrellas or waterproofs) meant I abandoned attempts to walk to the station and cadged a lift off Dawn – which got me there considerably quicker and a lot drier! I’m now watching the rain from the comfort of my mobile office, otherwise known as Grand Central’s 08:10 from Halifax to London Kings Cross. Here it is pulling in to Halifax, past the old signalbox which was made redundant in October.

For once, my train’s not too busy, that’s possibly because it’s so close to Christmas, but also the fact the first service of the day (the 07:07) tends to attract most business people as it arrives in London at 10:10 whereas this one doesn’t arrive until 11:14. As I don’t need to be there so early I’m enjoying the space and relaxing atmosphere, although I’m still catching up on some work.

09:32.

The path for this train is characterised by generous timings on the way to Doncaster. We’ve swung between being 1 minute late and 4 early. Having waited for a platform at Wakefield Kirkgate we’d been running early until we reached Marshgate Jn just outside Doncaster where we were held waiting time and for a platform to be free. Platform space has been at a premium here for years, which makes timekeeping difficult. We’re booked a generous 6 minutes to clog one of them up, which has meant our slightly late arrival has turned into a right – time departure. Next stop – London Kings Cross…

10:08

We’ve just passed through gloomy Grantham where the low cloud that’s dogged us all the way from Yorkshire still persists. Despite the fact these Grand Central Class 180s are capable of 125mph I doubt we’ve touched that today until now. We’ve dropped a couple of mins behind time but we’ve obviously got a clear road as the driver’s opened her up for a bit. The speed app on my phone tells me we hit 124 after Stoke Jn at the same time a rainstorm on the edge of the weather front hit us! We weathered that (literally) and now the sun’s managing to break through the momentarily fragmented clouds.

10:35.

The burst of speed didn’t help us as we crawled from Werrington Jn (where Network Rail are preparing to build a new ‘dive-under’) through an empty Peterborough station and on to Holme Jn, which we passed 7 mins late. Sun and speed have both deserted us. This section of line’s very busy, with Thameslink stoppers added into the mix as Great Northern locals, so could well lose more time.

11:54.

I take back my last comment, we did make up 5 mins!

Now, lunch beckons…

17:15

I’m Northbound again after an excellent lunch (if you ignore the eye-watering bill) that included one of my favourites: seared scallops.

Chatham House rules prevent me talking about the event, but there you go.

Right now I’m doing a Jeremy Corbyn – sitting on the vestibule floor of LNER’s 17:03 to Leeds. Any resemblance to ‘Magic Grandad’ is purely coincidental.

17:58.

We’ve just left Peterborough so I’ve graduated from a vestibule floor to a seat.

19:55.

Ho hum. Everything went well until I got to Leeds, when I found my connection (the 19:36) was cancelled. This meant I’d be 15 minutes late as my next train wasn’t until 19:51. I’ve now swapped this..

For something a little less speedy and spacious!

Saturday postscript.

What a fun day! Lunch in London and Thai tapas in West Yorkshire has led to a slightly slower than usual start to the day (I blame the Tequila shots that Froso insisted we buy). Both meals were delicious but I think it’s time to give my stomach a rest today!  If you’re in the area I can recommend Café Thai in West Vale. We’ve eaten here several times and never been disappointed. They have a traditional Thai restaurant on the ground floor whilst upstairs they serve a tapas style menu. Here’s one of last nights dishes.

A good time was had by all…

48411884_2224892187832848_628339035206582272_n[1]

Rolling blog: A chilly day in the Calder Valley

15 Saturday Dec 2018

Posted by in Calder Valley, Musings, Weather, West Yorkshire

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , ,

Today’s a good day to be sitting at home with the central heating on, pottering around doing various chores and keeping one eye on the weather. The temperatures hovering around zero, although the wind makes it colder. We’ve snow forecast and the baleful sky looks like it could deliver it at any moment. Luckily, my new Brasher walking boots have arrived, so I’m prepared!

It’s now mid afternoon and the snow’s turned out to be drizzle, which is a bit of a disappointment but probably for the best!

15:53

Despite the filthy weather and treacherous conditions we’ve ventured out as we needed to stock up on spices ready for Xmas. I love browsing the local Asian supermarkets, marvelling at the variety of exotic veg on offer, or exploring the vast spice aisles. Here’s our haul.

Now we’ve dumped the car, taken our lives in our hands and strolled up the cobbled hill to our local, the Big 6. On the way we passed a car that’s skidded on the ice and rear-ended another! Now, what to choose…

Rolling blog: Leeds liason..

12 Wednesday Dec 2018

Posted by in Rolling blogs, Transport, Travel, West Yorkshire

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , ,

Best laid plans and all that: I’m currently sat on a train to Leeds with my wife as Dawn’s having to have an ultrasound scan on a shoulder injury, so I’m going with her for a spot of moral support. It’s a pain in more ways than one as time is flying by at the moment and there’s so much to do before we fly out to New Zealand.

Mind you, the concept of time seems to be relative if you’re a member of the Tory party, especially if you’re an MP. Despite the sands running out rapidly on the article 50 date and us getting ever closer to crashing out of the EU in a no-deal scenario, they’ve found time for another round of the interminable civil war to stage a no-confidence vote in the PM. This is proof (were it needed) that the majority of the Tory party only cares about itself and the wealth and ambitions of its members. The rest of the country can go hang. I can see I’m going to indulging in a lot of spleen venting in these next few weeks as these fools take us ever closer to the edge of the precipice.

Whilst my spleen’s up to speed, I’ll have another gripe? What is it about some people who clearly have all the awareness to their surroundings as an amoeba? Here’s an example from today.

These two women have the whole bloody platform to stand on and a waiting room to sit in. So where do they choose to stand? Right in the middle of the doorway! Despite several people having to try and squeeze past them (and being typically British, they never said anytbing to the women) it never entered into their tiny minds that this wasn’t a great place to hand around! I’m beginning to despair of the English and I’m constantly reminded of an old NUT badge from the teachers strikes of the early 1980s that said “if you think education’s expensive, try ignorance”…

From Leeds we had a spin on one of Northern’s Class 170s which have been cascaded from Scotrail. This one was working the 11:55 Leeds-Selby. They’re certainly an improvement on the 158s!

13:48

For Dawn, this has been time well spent. Her shoulder injury is capsulitis which was diagnosed by ultrasound. A Corticosteroid injection was administered directly into her shoulder capsule to help ease the inflammation, so I came in useful as a hand-holder! Dawn was given advice on exercise and posture. We went private, so it cost £150, but it was worth it.

The clinic’s in Garforth, to the East of Leeds. It’s a place i’ve never visited before although I’ve passed through the station dozens of times. I was pleasantly surprised by the fact it still manages to retain a functioning High St. I was also interested to see clues to its past in the name of a pub (The Miners) and this building.

Those days are long gone. The last colliery (Rothwell) closed in 1983, the year before the bitter and destructive Miners strike of 84-85.

17:05

We’re now in Huddersfield. Slightly later than planned as the Trans-Pennine service we caught was (to no-one’s surprise) delayed. The stopping pattern of the Hull-Manchester service we used has changed, it no longer stops at Batley but the automated announcement still claimed it did, much to the Conductors annoyance!

As we left Garforth I spotted this historical plaque on the Miners pub.

Whilst Dawn’s returned to work I’ve been having a mooch around Huddersfield, looking for a few bits for our New Zealand trip. It’s bleeding freezing tonight, the temperature may be rising in Westminster but the hot air’s certainly not reaching West Yorkshire!

This festive season the town’s gained a new attraction in St George’s Square, outside the station. It’s a tent based pop-up pub (I saw the same thing in Lincoln last month).

I popped in to have a look but didn’t stop for a drink as we’re meeting up with Dawn’s parents for a meal later at the wonderful Thai Sakon.

21:20

The food at Thai Sakon was excellent as usual and so were the staff. Here’s my starter: deep fried crispy noodles with prawns in a sweet and sour sauce.

It was a lovely evening with Dawn’s parents. We shared food and laughter. We’re now making our way back home on one of Northern’s less attractive trains.

Wednesday wondering

21 Wednesday Nov 2018

Posted by in Calder Valley, Musings, West Yorkshire

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, ,

Today we’ve suffered another dull and dismal day in the Pennines. The Calder valley’s been coated in cloud with just a rare glimpse of sunshine to tease us. I’m so glad that I got out to capture the autumn colours last week as the weather’s never been the same since and now most have the leaves have fallen.

I’ve not minded too much as my day’s been spent working at home in the warm with the heating on and the cat for company. This past few days I’ve been trying to make a dent in the 1000s of slides I need to scan, which has been an interesting trip down memory lane (see this blog). Now I’ve nipped out for a walk and a pint before resuming the scanning. Here’s the view across the valley as I walked up to the Big 6.

Normal service will be resumed tomorrow as I’ll be making my way to Lincoln as I’ve a press event on Friday morning. Siemens are showing off their new railway bogie overhaul facility, so expect a blog over the weekend.

In the meantime, here’s a couple of the pictures I’ve been scanning. They tell two stories. One’s the changing face of the railways, the other is the changes in London.

05497. 47283. 47187. Wandsworth Rd. 15.3.1996crop

On the 15th March 1996 two old BR built Class 47 diesels cover South London in diesel exhaust as they power through Wandsworth Rd station. The locomotives were heading for the Channel Tunnel freight yard at Dollands Moor. Operated by a BR break off company called Railfreight Distribution they were used to move freight trains to/from the channel tunnel. They operated in pairs just in case one broke down so they’d be less likely to block the busy commuter routes across the home counties. The skyline behind them has changed completely. The old gasometer was demolished several years ago and the whole area as far as Battersea power station is being covered in high-rise housing. I really should go back to get a comparison shot soon.

05491. 33025. 3011. Wandsworth Rd. 15.3.1996crop

The same day a Eurostar service from Waterloo international passes Wandsworth Rd on its way to the Channel tunnel. These trains operated over the ‘classic’ network until High Speed 1 was built into a revamped St Pancras station in 2007, 12 years later. It’s passing an old BR Class 33 diesel locomotive. These were built especially for the old Southern region of British Railways and were a familiar sight in the area from 1960 until the last ones were withdrawn a few years after this picture was taken.

Right, we’ve both popped up to the Moorcock Inn for a midweek treat. Can you guess which two dishes we’ve chosen?

21:52.

We’re back at home. Dawn’s relaxing in front of the TV and I’m finishing off scanning the next batch of slides as I won’t have chance these next few days. The temperatures really starting to drop, so the central heating’s been cranked up a bit.

What a contrast (in more ways than one)!

16 Friday Nov 2018

Posted by in Railways, Travel, West Yorkshire

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, ,

After yesterday’s superb autumn weather we’ve had a complete change. I’ve been working  from home and I’ve hardly been able to see the other side of the valley all day! The fog came in this morning and it’s stuck, now it’s evening and the day seems to have slipped away into the murk.

I’ve been busy editing the pictures that I’ve taken in London and West Yorkshire before uploading them to my Zenfolio picture website. If you follow this link you can see the galleries I’ve added them to. I’ll upload a few here as samples.

In London I had a look at the old Liverpool St – Shenfield rail route that will become park of Crossrail, or the ‘Lizzie line’ if you prefer its new name. The old BR built Class 315 trains that have plied the route since 1980 are being replaced by the new Bombardier built Class 345s.

DG312949. 315843. Shenfield. 14.11.18crop

315843 and a sister unit sit in the new bay platform at Shenfield that was built to take Crossrail trains. 13th November 2018

DG313009. 345003. Manor Park. 14.11.18crop

Bombardier built 345003 approaches Manor Park in East London on a service to Shenfield. These 7 car units are replacing the 4 car class 315s and will operate the delayed Crossrail services from 2019.

A day later, on a very different railway, I was ensconced on a hill in West Yorkshire in equally stunning weather – but far more trees, and a lot shorter trains!

DG313076. 142019.142086. Walsden. 15.11.18crop

A pair of Northern Rail Pacers cross the Rochdale canal on the Gauxholme bridge as they make their way from Leeds to Manchester. In the background is the town of Todmorden. The autumnal colours in the leaves have been spectacular this year.

DG313150. Northern class 156. Todmorden 15.11.18crop

A Northern Rail Class 156 traverses the viaduct that crosses the centre of Todmorden. The railway station can just be seen trough the trees to the left.

 

Rolling blog: Autumn colours

15 Thursday Nov 2018

Posted by in Railways, Rolling blogs, Transport, Travel, West Yorkshire

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , ,

I was trying to get some autumn leaf colour shots the other day when I was rudely interrupted by the weather and the need to head to London. Today I’m back and the conditions are superb. Here’s my current location, looking down over Todmorden in West Yorkshire. The climb’s a bit of a bugger when you’ve a camera bag on your back, but it’s well worth it!

15:11

I can’t upload any camera pictures right now, but I have to say, the light’s been gorgeous! The only problem is that the light doesn’t last long this time of years and the long shadows soon creep in

I’m back in Todmorden now as (foolishly) I took water with me but no food – so I was rather peckish by mid-afternoon and the days exertions. West Yorkshire ain’t flat!

Tod’ has a lovely little market, both indoor and outdoor, it nestles in the shadow of the railway viaduct and I keep meaning to come here one morning to get shots juxtaposing the two. The outdoor market sells all manner of stuff, especially bric a brac, whilst the indoor one has some good butchers selling locally sourced meat. There’s also a very popular coffee stall. Here’s a couple of shots.

Whilst I’m waiting for my train home I’ve popped into the Queens Hotel which is across the road from the station for a swift pint before heading home. They have two local ales on. One of which commemorates the Great War.

21:35

I’m back at home in front of the computer screen, so here’s a couple of sample of the pictures I’ve been after today.

DG313096. 158756. Walsden. 15.11.18crop

DG313120. 66617. Walsden. 15.11.18crop

A sublime evening at the Moorcock Inn, Norland

10 Saturday Nov 2018

Posted by in Food and drink, The Moorcock Inn, West Yorkshire

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, ,

Last night we finally had the opportunity to sample the restaurant menu at the Moorcock Inn, Norland. We’re incredibly lucky to have this place so close to us and we walk up to the pub on a regular basis for a drink and chance to sample the bar menu, but until now, we’d never had the opportunity to sample the restaurant menu. As it’s our first wedding anniversary on Sunday we thought this would be a great start to the weekend. We weren’t disappointed. Here’s what was on the menu.

20181109_191953413453639998288166[1]

I couldn’t resist getting some pictures of the courses but as none of this was set up, these were the dishes as they came, so you’ll have to excuse the rushed nature of the shots – it was quick, get a picture and tuck in!

DG312670low

Bread (served with their home-made cultured butter) and the snacks, In the Foreground are sprouts in a Rosehip and Hogweed vinaigrette, ingredients that have been foraged. The sprouts were gorgeous and the dressing superb, reminiscent of a hoisin sauce but far lighter and less cloying.

DG312676low

Smoked Dogfish (sourced from Whitby on the Yorkshire coast and caught sustainably) with celery and horseradish.

DG312686low

Wood-roast pear and onion, sea herbs and walnut cider. A superb mixture of flavours and textures, salty, sweet and smoky.

DG312689low

Potato tart, plankton and chrysanthemum. This was a real surprise. There was an earthiness and variety of textures, from the layered potato to the crunchiness of the pastry base. – all perfectly balanced. Accompanying the tart was the fish seen below, which added yet another dimension. Aimee had done an excellent job in complimenting Alisdair’s amazing food with a range of drinks and served a NV Drie Fonteinen Geuze beer from Belgium. The sourness of the beer added yet another dimension to the dishes.

DG312692low

DG312693low

8 yr old Hebridean mutton, tomatillo and home-made feta cheese. Inside the lettuce leaf is braised mutton which had been cooked overnight in one of the smoke ovens at the rear of the pub. Dawn had never had mutton before and was blown away by the tenderness and taste.

DG312696low

One of the extras which I had all to myself as Dawn is allergic to cheese, so for me it’s a rare treat nowadays. I love veined cheeses and this Young Buck blue cheese from County Down was rich and full of flavour. It’s made from organic raw milk. It was served with wood-roast apple and soda bread. The balance of flavours, from the thick tangy creaminess of the cheese and the sweetness and smokiness of the apple, coupled with the texture of the soda break was a delight.

DG312699low

The meal was rounded off with Lavender ice cream with grapes and beetroot, served with sake from NV Kodakara Umeshu, Yamagata, Japan. The sake’s infused with plums and almonds, giving it a richness and roundness that makes it an ideal accompaniment to a dessert. Wow!

We had a wonderful evening and the food exceeded our expectations – which were already high after having eaten different items off the bar menu several times. Alisdair’s a wizard in combining tastes and textures to produce some unique and stunning food. His inventiveness is amazing. Couple that with Aimee’s talent in selecting just the right choice of wines, beers (or even sake) to accompany the food and a meal at the Moorcock’s a truly memorable experience. My wife’s no slouch when it comes to cooking (something we both enjoy doing) but Dawn was left in awe by what we had last night – and I have to agree. The food here is very, very special. We can’t wait until next time to see what the pair of them provide…

If you want to contact the Moorcock. Here’s links to their website and their Facebook page.