Back from another Sunderland cat sitting experience whilst S&G undertook their annual family break, this time down Gloucestershire way. Not a massive amount to report on this occasion. We did part company with tradition and decided to stay at Aston Hall hotel for the one nighter on the way up – first time since I don’t know when. Good to report that the room, evening meal and breakfast were all excellent. Also called into the local pub (the Yellow Lion) for a pint but a once good pub for locals appears to have sadly gone wrong through poor management / service / facilities etc. etc. and we won’t be returning.
The week at S&G’s was relatively uneventful but we did manage a couple of nights at the Belton Woods hotel on the way back home. Another good stay, made even better by the rate I managed to achieve on this occasion! We had meals on both evenings and the food and service were lovely. Spent the day at Belton House, which included a quick foray around the house itself (we had been earlier in the year) and a walk around the gardens we had missed on the previous visit. We also ventured into Belton Garden Centre, which was more interesting than it sounds (we know how to live). Then, to generate even more tension, we went to the Downtown Garden Centre the next morning before we set off home and ended up buying items of clothing that we both actually thought worth procuring – as you can imagine, we were giddy with excitement. A smooth journey home ensued and we indeed did not spare the horses.
And then last Friday (we’d got home the Tuesday of last week), we ventured to Milsoms Kesgrave Hall for what was a late birthday lunch. We were starting to believe that the restaurant here had drifted a little from what had originally been a quite interesting concept and our last two experiences had been distinctly average. This time the cooking had moved back up a notch and my Chicken “Katsu” in particular was full of flavour. Depressingly for us, although we both had dessert, half of each plate would have been more than sufficient – how can this reduction in appetite afflict such caring, elderly residents in such a cruel and heartless fashion. 🍛🍨