www.pryordurkin.com

When I was a kid visiting relatives, I often remember elderly aunts and uncles saying they could never sleep in and would often be out of bed at the crack of dawn.  As a kid this just never made sense to me as I was quite capable of remaining in my pit until well after lunch.

Unfortunately as I turn %$ years of age (it’s rude to ask, so don’t) I find myself following in their footsteps.  Once again even though I am on holiday and it’s my birthday, I am wide awake, out of bed and sitting having my morning coffee at 6.30am, while my better half remains in the land of the lost.

The consolation prize for not having coffee and cornflakes in bed this birthday morning though (I could never wait that long!), is that we are off to Betty’s Cafe Restaurant in York where we will take breakfast in opulent splendour.

Have a good day yourselves and if we are out should you come by,  just leave the gifts under the porch

You might recall (read it here) that we both decided to buy ourselves iPhones back in late February and like many others was taken aback by the variety of apps that could be downloaded and used on this little machine from Apple.  In the beginning though, I was annoyed by the fact that a basic business function of synchronising Microsoft Exchange tasks did not work on the iPhone but I let it go, because the apps themselves seemed to be so useful.

However three and a bit months later, I have sold my iPhone 3GS on Ebay having decided it was next to useless for business use.

The battery for a start was hopeless and there was no way it would even survive a morning with the amount of telephone calls I take and receive.  It had to be permanently hooked up for recharging.  Then there was the phone signal.  Appallingly bad, it was difficult to maintain a signal even in the middle of city centres.  I know this because my second phone on the same network maintained its strength.

For me, these issues were the last two nails in the coffin for the iPhone.  You couldn’t make phone calls easily and when you could the battery would run out.  A slight flaw in anyone’s book.  Finally it is worth mentioning that the excitement I had for the apps soon ran out as well.  In the end, they were gimmicks and I found I used them less and less as the days went on.  Maybe I’m just an old curmudgeon but I suspect the hype will soon fade  around the iPhone and its apps especially with the launch of the new iPad – a bigger heavier version of the iPhone.   If you want a phone buy a proper phone and if you want a Netpad buy an iPad, but don’t mix the two is my advice.

I have returned to Nokia and the E71 for my business phone which so far is proving much more reliable.

Paul entered the Humber Bridge Half Marathon yesterday and along with many other thousands of runners, ventured out in heat of 26 degrees to run the 13 mile course which cuts across and then comes back over the famous Humber Bridge.

We arrived just after 10am and after parking up the car I met Paul in the runners meeting area to make sure he was topped up with sun block.  Having watched them set off I then took the opportunity to grab a little breakfast in the nearby entertainment arena before setting out on a four mile walk myself.

For the next two hours I explored the Humber Bridge and surrounding landscape, taking many a photograph (see them here) before making my way back to the 12mile point where I had a great vantage point allowing me to take photographs of the runners as they returned across the bridge.

Despite my efforts I managed to get lots of photographs, but at the point of momentarily taking my eye of the ball, Paul sailed past.  It seemed rude to ask him to repeat the run across the bridge so that I could get a better shot, so in the end, all I got was his back as he made his way to the finishing post.  I did get some good shots of him running out in the beginning of the run, so all was not lost.

It’s official.  We are now on holiday and having signed off from work, we are both looking forward to spending two weeks in each others company with nothing better to do, other than to enjoy eating, sleeping and doing a little travelling around old blighty.

We’ll no doubt review some new places and will of course post our experiences here.

Finally, you never know, we might just also visit friends and family over the next two weeks.

Looking to take in a spot of fresh air on Sunday gone we set out to the coast.  We made our way to Sandsend where you can see in the picture to the left that the wind was whipping up the sea into a spectacular surf.  Because it was sunny and warm when we left our home in York, we were both lightly dressed in T-shirt, shorts and sandals.  To say the wind was biting as we stepped out of the car was an understatement.  Paul was moaning about it, so we quickly walked down to the Sandsend Cafe where there it was packed inside and a queue outside.  Obviously our earlier review had been picked up and read by a lot of people.  This website does have its drawbacks!

Anyway, after a little while we managed to buy hot coffee and cake to keep us going on our travels.

As we headed back home over the North Yorkshire Moors national park, near Sleights a text message was received from our ex-neighbours.  Having answered our earlier call in the morning to see if they would be in for a visit, we quickly turned left and headed on down to spend a good few hours drinking coffee, eating scones, sipping wine and enjoying the fantastic country life offered up by their home and surrounding grounds.

A perfect Sunday out.

Kuja Lounge opened three weeks ago, in the building that formerly housed the Alley Cats Restaurant Bar/Cafe.  We had walked past last weekend and noticed a number of people dining out in the courtyard area.  Thinking the food looked good, we decided we would make a trip back this weekend to give it a try.

We arrived at 1.30pm on Saturday and took a small table at the ground floor window.  After a few moments a young waitress arrived with nicely presented drink and food menus.  We both opted for sparkling mineral water while we chose our lunch.  After the drinks arrived, we ordered up our food.  I opted for the Kuja burger with hand cut chips while Paul went for the ploughman’s lunch, both priced between £9 and £10.

While waiting for our meal to arrive we soaked up the surroundings that had been radically changed since our last visit.  When it was Alley Cats, we described the service as poor and the décor as that of a cat loving French spinster.  The Kuja Lounge makeover is modern, contemporary and despite the small size of the building, well laid out and uncluttered.  At the rear of the ground floor area lies the bar and judging by the drinks on offer; many a decent cocktail could soon be rustled up.

Lying across three floors (they have opened the basement, which although small and windowless, is quite cosy) they can cater for about 50 covers at full strength.  The toilets were clean and tidy but Paul moaned about the lack of loo roll holders and cheap hand-wash, but did compliment the individuals towels available.

Our food arrived and despite a slight mix up over the side salad (this involved Paul making the waitress cry), it was well prepared and went down a treat.  My burger was very good and with home cut freshly cooked chips, I was very happy with my lot. Paul’s ploughman’s lunch was equally good and clearly enjoyed along with the fresh crusty bread that accompanied it.

In the name of research, we both also tried something from the desert menu.  Both were priced around £6 but my chocolate cake served up with nutty ice cream was just that little bit better than Paul’s sticky toffee pudding.

Settling up the £45 bill that included a reasonable tip, we were happy to have found somewhere new for lunch while out in York. Away from passing tourists and appealing to slightly more upmarket folk we’ll certainly go back.

UPDATE.  We have subsequently been back for an evening meal and equally enjoyed the food and atmosphere on offer. Judging by the number of hits this review is getting on our website, Kuja Lounge is certainly attracting a lot of attention.  We wish the owner, Sam the manager and all the staff well.

Pryordurkin rating 4 stars.

Tel. 01904 651002

Much to my amusement, Paul was advised by our local window cleaner, on his recent visit, that he needed to get out into the garden because it was looking overgrown out front.

This story was relayed to me as I whiled away a few hours in my Manchester hotel.  Of course the problem now is that I may be expected to help do gardening this weekend.

It has been a while since I sacked someone but if you see an unhappy window cleaner in York, you will know why…..

We went along for the first time to the Courtyard Theatre, which is part of the West Yorkshire Playhouse in Leeds.  Parking up at Quarry Hill we arrived in plenty of time, to grab a glass of wine and take in a bit of people watching ahead of this quirky play.

A comedy of knitting, penguins and Battenberg cake.

Stitch is hitting the gay scene of Hull. Or at least dipping his toe in the water while staying with heavily pregnant sister Liz and her shabby sofa loving partner Mark. But why won’t Stitch let anyone into the bathroom even though Liz is dying for a pee? And who is the man in the giant penguin costume? (Extract from WYP.ORG.UK)

We were not quite sure what to expect as we took our seats at 7.45pm and when we left the theatre a little after 9pm, we wondered where the punch line or ending had gone.  The play meandered through at a steady pace but I struggled to buy into the characters being played out in front of the half empty auditorium.  Paul laughed occasionally at some of the humour but I just kept shuffling in my chair, trying to get more comfortable so my brain could wander off to entertain itself elsewhere.   The eye candy sat behind me was at least an occasional and pleasant distraction.

All in all, not our cup of tea and when the play ended with the sofa being removed from the set (don’t ask) we were pleased to be heading back along the A64 to our home in York.

Pryordurkin rating 2 stars.

Update 5 June 2010.

It has been a while since we last visited Lucia Wine Bar and Grill on Swinegate in York.  Today we returned at around 11.45 am where we took a small table outside in the courtyard area which has been transformed into a little piece of the Mediterranean.  With great taste and style this new bar and grill has stood the test of time and still remains as popular as ever with the people of York, judging by the people waiting to get tables on this busy Saturday basking in the early summer sun.

We both opted for the Lucia Burger and along with a good bottle of Italian Pinot Grigio, we had a great relaxing time.  People watching is a great hobby of ours and over the course of the meal we had a great place to sit and watch the world go by.

Great atmosphere, great styling and reasonably good food and drink.  Well worth a visit.

Original Post.

With a recommendation from Alex of Cube Hairdressing, we took along a couple of friends to the newly opened Lucia Wine Bar and Grill at 13 Swinegate Court in York on Saturday gone.  What was formerly known as the Tasting Rooms, has now been spectacularly transformed into a little Mediterranean oasis by a couple of Turkish guys.

A great deal of thought and workmanship has gone into this new wine bar and grill, the styling is wonderful, and with the outdoor terrace covered by huge canopies and electric outdoor heating, you could easily while away many an hour with family and friends.  If you close your eyes and imagine gentle waves breaking near your feet, you could almost be at one of our favourite bar restaurants in Ibiza.

We took a table at around 1pm and as it turned out, were quite lucky to do so. The place was packed both inside and out.  As we sat through our meal, I could see many a disappointed punter turned away because the venue was full.

We ordered up our food from a young waitress with goose bumps.   We went for a selection of salads and pastas.  I went for the penne pollo-fungi at £6.45 and Paul opted for the risotto fungi at £6.45.  Both of them were  good. Our friends who had a selection of salads and pastas themselves both seemed happy with their meals as well.  With a selection of drinks the bill for four people came to just over £35.

Pryordurkin rating 3 stars

Telephone   01904 731599

This week I found myself working out of The Queens Hotel in City Square, Leeds.  Situated right next door to Leeds station, this was the perfect place for my colleagues who were travelling by train.

As I arrived on Wednesday morning having parked up my car at the nearby Criterion Place Car Park, the sun was shining down on City Square, Leeds.  This brought out the beautiful people of Leeds and with lots of eye candy around it was a great start to my day.

The hotel is an elegant Art Deco Grade II listed building. It was constructed in 1937 by architects W.Curtis Green and W.H. Hamlyn for the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS). It is a four star hotel and it has a total of 217 rooms. My visit had me using its meeting room facilities this week and I was especially taken with the very nice wood panelled Boardroom.  A favourite amongst my colleagues.

As you enter the hotel foyer you step back in time to a long-lost era of quality service and atmospheric surroundings.  I particularly like the style of this place and along with very attentive and friendly staff, it was a pleasure spending a few days working amongst this old lady of a building.

Outside in city square, life was bustling by, but inside this building you could easily forget where you were.   The food served up for lunch was of reasonably good quality.  Unlike my colleagues, I never stayed over on an evening, so can’t comment from personal experience of the evening dinners served up in the restaurant.

The public facilities in this hotel are excellent.  The toilets were spotlessly clean and fantastically decorated in the continuing Art Deco style that runs throughout the building.  The old lifts that sit in the heart of the building were fascinating, but being a little claustrophobic, I could never bring myself to try them.  However the rattling cages that have been going up and down for many years looked wonderful from the outside.

In summary, I enjoyed my time working in Leeds this week, not only for the great city and its people outside, but also for this wonderful stylish historic hotel.

Pryordurkin rating 4 stars.