The Pryordurkins

As you’ll see from the previous posts, it’s been quite an active weekend.  This evening however has us winding down with a great sunset.  Hope you had a good one yourselves.

On our way back from Beningbrough Hall (read the review) we decided to stop by Sutton Park, which we had last visited during Easter 2008.  It was covered in snow last time (see the pictures), so this time, we looked forward to walking around the grounds in relative warmth.  Having paid our £3.50 each to enter the grounds (you have to pay £3 more to enter the house), we followed the Woodland trail.  Starting out across a field that had a number of tourists caravans parked up we followed the trail through the woods.  This was the same trail as the Easter hunt, followed last time in the snow.  The ground was dry this time and the trees were really green.  The trail brings you back into the main grounds where we explored the gardens, the ice house and took a peep at the falconry display in the walled garden (access would have cost another £5 which we decided was a bit of a rip off).

We kind of got the feeling that this property which is privately owned is only ‘reluctantly’ opened to the public as a means of bringing money in to support it’s obvious expensive upkeep.  We were surprised to see that picnics are banned from anywhere in the grounds except the children’s play area (can you imagine the noise), so unlike Beningbrough Hall where many a family were enjoying picnics in the grounds, this one had little life to it.

It’s worth a quick stop off if you’re passing, but we felt offered little value for the entrance fee.

Pryordurkin rating 2 stars.

We decided to take a trip to a second  local National Trust property now that we are fully fledged members.  This time it was Beningbrough Hall near York and within thirty minutes of leaving home we were there.  Pulling into the car park we noticed quite a few people having picnics and given we are still trying to buy our own from John Lewis it made the wait all the more worse.

We spent the next two hours walking around the gardens, grounds and the house itself. (check the photograph gallery).  The grounds, even under a cloudy sky were wonderful to walk around and Paul seemed to fall ever more quiet as we walked through the gardens planted with many varieties of fruit and vegetables which they serve up in the Wall Garden Restaurant which was to be our final stopping point (more of that later).  The house itself includes a good number of paintings on loan from the National Portrait Gallery and (while not our cup of tea) a good deal to keep the kids happy as well.   We did of course happen to play with the virtual portrait computer; the output of which you can see in the photograph gallery!

As mentioned our, final stop was the Wall Garden Restaurant which like many National Trust properties aims to serve up locally sourced and produced food.  We originally planned to stop for a quick cuppa, but when we saw the Roast Beef Sunday Lunch being served up to those people queueing up in front of us, our stomachs got the better of our minds and we had the full works instead.  Followed by home made Apple Pie and clotted cream (for me, not Paul!), it was a nice meal.  The bill came to just over £24, which could be a bit pricey for those with large families, but the quality was certainly there.  The beef was very good indeed.

All in all, well worth a visit.

Pryordurkin rating 3 stars.

We arrived at around 2pm for a spot of lunch having stumbled across 31 Castlegate Restaurant and Bistro near Fenwicks in York.  The simple menus outside looked tempting, particularly the ‘early bird’ menu which offered up two courses for £10.95.

We climbed the stairs to what was the first floor restaurant and were quickly seated at a wooden table in the corner.  What first struck me as I walked towards the table was the floor that seemed to fall away under your feet.  Like many old buildings in York, this one seemed to lean.  What puzzled me though, was looking at the building from outside, it looked reasonably new, ie built in the last 100 years or so.

Anyway, the tall waitress pointed out the lunch time specials menu on a blackboard.  All the options were priced at £5.95.  Unfortunately I couldn’t read it from where I sat (I doubt I could even if I had my glasses as the writing was so small).  Having asked the waitress to read the options from the specials menu out, Paul then asked about the early bird menu, to which the waitress responded by bringing us a new paper menu.  Until then, we only had the blackboard or the grubby plastic menus on the table to choose from.   Things were starting to go down hill.

With the drinks being sorted, I went for the pan fried chicken breast with mashed potato, while Paul opted for the penne pasta with spinach.  While waiting for the food to arrive we checked out the surroundings…

The cutlery offered up on the table for main was cheap as chips and along with the paper napkins, our expectations continued to sink.  The floor which was carpeted hadn’t seen a hoover for some days.  Grass and dirt was evident around many of the tables.  A couple of the light bulbs in the chandeliers were broken and along with the thick dust that covered the window blinds and surfaces, we felt that the owners simply didn’t care.  Hanging on the walls were a number of paintings offered up for sale.  They were boring and had clearly being hung for a while as the one above our table had faded.

Having finished my starter of salmon and smoked haddock fish cake which was actually quite nice the mains arrived and these were in essence a real disappointment. (The cutlery provided for the main was actually starter cutlery in size!) Paul’s Penne Pasta with spinach lacked spinach.  The pasta was clearly bought in.   My chicken on mashed potato was poorly seasoned and bland.

We wanted to get out by this point and while I visted the loo, Paul asked for the bill.  The toilet was small and unkempt.  There were few ‘green’ paper towels left for the next customer and like the flooring upstairs had clearly not been cleaned today.  As I returned to the table I took a peep into the kitchens.  They were grubby and disorganised with products and packaging laying around on shelves in a fairly dishevelled manner.   Not a good sign by my standards.

When I got back to the table I checked the bill to discover that despite Paul only having one option from the two course menu, we were still being charged for the full two course menu.  Although perhaps understandable, it just left a bad taste in the mouth, so Paul asked for a dessert anyway if he was paying for it.  What seemed like a long time later, his crème brulee arrived, overly burnt.

We left and as is very unusual for us, we did not leave a tip.

Pryordurkin rating 1 star.  ( a very poor experience)

With global warming and the price of fuel weighing heavily on our minds, we have started to dry our wet clothing outside.

While working at home today, I managed to catch up on the laundry and took advantage of the warm breeze blowing in from the fields behind our house to dry said clothes.  (Note: The electric dryer awaiting repair is in no way connected to this decision and, I never thought my smalls would form part of such an artistic photograph either!)

Continuing the theme, it is perhaps worth mentioning that we have also decided not to buy any more expensive bottled water, instead plumping for freshly filtered and chilled tap water, now dispensed from a small water cooler that sits on our breakfast table.

Even the cats now like the water drawn from the cooler, instead of the bottled Evian that they had come to enjoy over the last few months.

How virtuous is that?

Regular readers might remember that back in December 08 (read it here) we happened across a great Art shop in Pickering where we bought Peebles; an original piece of art that caught our eye.

With our ever busy lives though, Peebles has unfortunately sat propped upright against the wall that he was destined to be hanged on, while waiting on a picture hook to be hammered in.  We never seemed to find the two minutes it eventually took last Sunday.

However, at last he has taken his rightful place in our dining room and now proudly hangs between the entrance to the conservatory and the patio doors.

It’s only taken five months to find the two minutes it took to nail a picture hook to the wall!

This does of course pale into insignificance compared to a certain Aussie friend of ours who is yet to complete her glazed tile bistro table after starting out nearly six years ago!

Bank Holiday Monday promised clouds and rain according to the BBC forecast for York.  Not to be put off by what is now typical weather for British Bank Holiday we hit the road heading north.  With Durham City set as the destination we found ourselves leaving the A1 at the junction for Ripon and followed the signs for Fountains Abbey instead.

I must have been in my early teens the last time I was at Fountains Abbey, so as we arrived I immediately noticed a big change.  As we pulled into the free car park, we walked the short distance to the (new for me) visitor centre.  A modern stylish building that housed the reception area, a tourist shop, toilets and to our delight, a restaurant. It being lunchtime, we thought we would dine before entering the grounds.

The Meal

We queued up and were served quickly. Paul went for the steak pie with fresh vegetables; I went for the chicken casserole again with fresh vegetables.  A cream tea for two on the side the cost was about £23.  We took a seat at a table and waited for our food to arrive.

This National Trust restaurant is clearly a professional operation set up to cater for large numbers of visitors.  It was efficient, clean and well run.  The only minor complaint we would have is the two girls on the tea counter and the guy taking the hot food orders, could have smiled a bit more.  As it was they all looked miserable.

Our food arrived and we were both very pleased with how it looked and on eating, how it tasted.  The vegetables were cooked to perfection and I particularly liked the fresh locally sourced green cabbage.  A sign near the kitchen indicates National Trust try to source local seasonal produce and our meal proved that this was always a good idea.  Paul’s steak pie was very good (I had to try it) and my chicken casserole was on a par.

The cream teas to finish were equally impressive.  Organic wholemeal scones and clotted cream went down a treat.

The Visit.

We left about an hour after we arrived ready to walk off some calories around the 800 acres of the Abbey grounds, which you will see from the photograph gallery (see them here) were absolutely wonderful.

Extract from their website. http://www.fountainsabbey.org.uk/

“Yorkshire’s first World Heritage Site is a huge estate of beauty, contrasts and surprises including the largest abbey ruins in the country and one of England’s most spectacular Georgian water gardens.

The perfect place to escape from it all and enjoy a great, full day out, there’s so much to see and do at Fountains. Set your own pace to explore over 800 acres of naturally beautiful countryside, with ten historic buildings to discover spanning 800 years of history and acre after acre of open space.

Situated in an area of outstanding natural beauty in the valley of the river Skell, on the doorstep of the Yorkshire Dales, only 30 miles from the historic city of York and 9 miles from the A1.

Relax, play, learn, wander, watch or join in, whatever kind of day you choose it will be unforgettable.”

We explored the abbey itself, the old mill, the gardens, the mill, Anne Boleyn’s seat and the ‘surprise view’, which was well worth the climb up the hill..  The Abbey and its grounds were busy but so big that you could easily avoid people and walk in relative peace and tranquillity.  Every corner we turned offered up more fantastic views than the last and in the end we found ourselves repeating just how great this place is for a day out.

The Abbey was built circa 1100’s and the water gardens established some 600 years later.  Acquired by the National Trust in the 1990’s they have invested heavily in restoring the grounds.  Along with English Heritage who maintains the Abbey itself this place easily justifies itself as a World Heritage Site.

If you go, you must take in the walk up to the ‘surprise view’.  Start at the serpents tunnel and follow the path for some of the best views of the day.

We left around 4.30pm and the hour-long journey home was problem free.

In keeping with our aim of becoming two old dears, we should mention that while we were there, we also joined the National Trust and become fully-fledged members.  We even have the car badge to prove it.  Old age beckons, but if every trip to a National Trust site is as good, it will be worth it

All we need now for the car though is a RSPB, badge, Save the Whale badge and an Alpha Course sticker.  Along with the blanket we keep in the car, the flask we occasionally use and the picnic basket we are thinking of buying, we might just be able to take up Sam’s suggestion and start parking up in motorway lay-bys’, to sit on deck chairs and have a nice cup of tea!

Pryordurkin rating. 4.5 stars.

We woke up quite early this morning to find wonderful sunshine and not a cloud in the sky.  With fresh coffee, hot crumpets covered in Lurpak butter (it’s the weekend after all), we sat out the front of the house at our Bistro table having breakfast in the sun.  The two cats joined us for breakfast and lolled around the water fountain and (by now) warm gravel, sniffing at the planting which is starting to burst into life for summer.  You can see from the picture gallery other parts of the garden are now starting to show quite a bit of colour as well.  So with all the hard work we have ‘both’ put into the garden of late, it looks like it is starting to pay off big time.

Later that morning, we headed off into our favourite garden centre (Deans) to pick up a few other bits and pieces.  Paul also bought the necessary grow bags and tomato plants so later on in summer, we can pick fresh grown and flavoursome tomatoes from right outside our house.  Having made a quick visit into the City we are now settling down for the evening and thinking about heading out somewhere tomorrow for fresh air, a walk and maybe a little  picnic.  (All we need now is a blanket for our knees and a flask – oh wait a minute, we have them as well).

Have a great one yourselves and maybe see you soon.

A short stroll from Victoria station sits this Italian Restaurant that had the responsibility of feeding a few pals and me last night.  We arrived around 9pm and were quickly seated by the friendly owner.  I ordered up a bruschetta starter and my own version of a Chicken Pizza that didn’t appear on the menu, but they were more than happy to prepare.  To drink we all opted for the house red, which was a very fine wine to drink indeed.

The bruschetta was simple, presented well and went down a treat.  Just the way I like it; no messing around as in some more pretentious places.

My Pizza quickly followed and in all honesty, was excellent.  Probably one of the best pizzas I have had in a very long time.  It was thin and crispy, piping hot and at the end of a long day, just what was needed.

My colleagues all seemed to enjoy their meals as much as I did and went so far as to insist I gave a good review.  They need not have worried.  I tell it like it is and this place deserves praise indeed.

Although the restaurant was quiet while we were there I could also imagine it being very lively and having a great atmosphere when full.   Worth the visit and I’ll probably go back if I’m the area again.

Pryordurkin rating 3.5 stars.

A bit disappointed with this after listening to much hype from many a friend and acquaintance. I was lucky not to queue for too long and soon sat down to experience Magpies for the first time on Saturday 21st April. The service was professional and quick but the quality of the food was not as we had been led to believe. While the cod was good and fresh., the chips were a bit of a let-down. Being famous for the queues of people trying to get into Magpies we expected something a little better. The establishment is clearly a well oiled machine with a very large turnover of customers all the time. Worth a visit for the quick service, but don’t expect the best fish and chips you will ever eat. You’ll find them round the corner at the Kyber Pass (read my review).

We returned this year to try the take out fish and chips and again it was a disappointment.  The staff were curt with the customers and the food was nothing special at all for the very high price.  We much prefer Harry Ramsdens down the road for take out fish and chips.

Score: 2 Stars. Visited April 2009.