Tag Archives: Food and drink. Pubs

Back soon…

24 Saturday Feb 2018

Posted by in Food and drink

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I’ve had little time for blogging these past few days, although there’s one or two in draft form. I’m hoping to publish them tomorrow. Today’s taken up with social activities as Dawn and I are being taken out for a meal by friends as a wedding present. We’re heading across the border into Lancashire to Nutters restaurant. I’ll post some pictures and let you know what the food was like later.

This evening we’re off to another friends 21st in nearby Siddal, so I’m expecting it’s going to be a fairly late night!

UPDATE

– and so it was! The pair of us are having a lazy (ish) day today after yesterdays entertainments. Our mean with friends was a very convivial occasion in great surroundings. Nutters restaurant is located in a former sanatorium high up the hills overlooking Rochdale. It’s a lovely building with high ceilings, ornate windows and lots of character.

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The bar area by reception is a mix of period and modern.

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Looking into the restaurant area from reception.

Our group shared a selection of starters off different menu’s – including the fixed business lunch menu. Dawn really enjoyed her scallops whilst I tried the Lancashire potato cake which (whilst beautifully presented) was a tad disappointing.

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The scallops were delicious!

 

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The Lancashire potato cake. Great presentation but the sauce was rather bland, the tasty cauliflower made up for it.

Several of us had the Bass with a chili and ginger risotto as a main course. The fish was lovely but none of us could detect either the chilli or ginger in the risotto.

 

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To finish off I sampled the sticky toffee pudding. As with all of the meals it was very well presented, it also tasted delicious!

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Our group outside Nutters. See what I mean about the building? You can read about its history on Nutters website. 

After the meal Tony Allan (of Phoenix brewery fame) drove us back to Yorkshire via Littleborough, where we stopped off for a swift half at a wonderfully eccentric pub he knew called the Red Lion. This multi-roomed pub is stuffed full of knick-knacks, from a multitude of mirrors to pianos via horse brasses and historic photographs. Oh – and cobwebs…

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The bar in our room was just as entertaining, whilst we perused the pumps, deciding what to have, the barmaid said ‘Oh, ignore them, they’ve not been on for years, we keep them to stop the bar looking empty”…

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A look at Huddersfield station

05 Friday Jan 2018

Posted by in Architecture, Food and drink, History, Huddersfield, Railways, Travel

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Don’t ask me about best laid plans, mine seem to change all the time! It’s one of the beauties and frustrations of being freelance! Today I’ve found myself working from the ACoRP (Association of Community Rail Partnerships) water tower cum office in Huddersfield which is part of the superb grade 1 listed station. How’s this for a place to work?

DG138747. ACoRP Office. Huddersfield. 17.2.13.

The water tower stands in what’s now a car park but in the 1960’s it was a locomotive stabling yard, complete with a turntable which was situated right outside the building.

I love Huddersfield’s architecture. Well, most of it anyway. George Square outside the station is surrounded by a selection of stunning Victorian buildings that make a fantastic backdrop for the annual food and drink festival which is held over 4 days in August.

DG160608. Wilson statue outside the station. Huddersfield. 22.9.13..JPG

The grand entrance to Huddersfield station seen from the square, complete with statue of former Labour Prime Minister Harold Wilson, who was born in the town in 1916

 

DG60541. Crowds. Huddersfield food drink festival. 14.8.10.

The food and drink festival in the square outside the station. The building on the left is the (closed) George Hotel which was the place where Rugby league was born.

The station’s a real community hub. Not only is it the gateway to the town, it’s also a destination in its own right. It’s most well-known for its two pubs (The Head of Steam and the Kings Head) and Felix, the station cat (who even has its own Facebook page). But there’s a lot more too – as well as having a warm and welcoming café on the island platforms which does a mean bacon teacake (as they call them in these parts) the lobby hosts a range of food providers on different days of the week. For example, on Wednesdays you can buy artisan breads from this stall. The area also doubles as an exhibition space for local artists.

DG176254. Handmade bakery selling loaves at Huddersfield station. 16.4.14

Here’s a look inside the Kings Head pub on the Leeds end of the station. It’s undergone a fantastic restoration job in the past few years, which has exposed the wonderful ceiling and reopened side rooms. The work’s led to it winning a Railway Heritage award.

DG283267. Interior of the Kings Head on the station. Huddersfield. 4.10.17

So, what’s not to like? Trains, food, beer and architecture. If you’ve never been to Huddersfield station before – why not pay a visit? But beware, because it’s on the Rail Ale trail it can get extremely busy at weekends – and if Huddersfield Town are playing at home it can be bonkers, so I’d recommend a weekday if you can make it.