Petes Pix 2022

Walk on a warm sunny day from Nomansland Common carpark and Hammonds Farm. This hook-nosed chappie is on the path alongside Rifle Butts Wood.

To St John’s Wood and the incomparable Oslo Court. What a pleasant surprise to be greeted by Neal who chided us for leaving it so long. We last saw him in February 2020. We expressed our delight in seeing him, but when we said we were told last month that he was only working lunches he was puzzled and assured us he was working evenings… We started on the Melba toast and crudities and turned down the warm bread roll while sipping a glass of lovely house Champagne and I saved some to go with my starter of whitebait. As usual I had Escalope of Veal Holstein with Pommes Lyonnaise, this time accompanied with green beans and broccoli, and a few of Joan’s fried courgette batons. As usual I couldn’t finish this huge portion and was again chided by Neal for not clearing the plate, but that didn’t stop him from tempting me with desserts. He wouldn’t leave without taking an order, ‘just a taste’…  I weakened and had a lemon tart that really tasted of lemon. (And Neal added some raspberries and tw

  To Criccieth for the week, arriving Saturday 2 July , with a lunch stop at Dobbies, Shrewsbury. The fruit scones were the best ever, just the right combination of soft and freshness, not dry or hard.   We stayed at Ty Jem , a new four-storey house by the railway station.   The master bedroom was on the top floor with distant views of the sea through to roof-window. The house has a monkey theme, and this was a disturbing bedside light.   Dan cooked roast beef on Sunday evening and took afternoons off all week.     On Monday 4 th Dan drove us to Pwllheli where we plundered the excellent Gwin Lynn Wines, and in the evening we went to Dylan’s on the beach.   I had an OK burger and the waitress found us more bottles of the very drinkable Longbeach Pinotage, which is sadly no longer listed.   Tuesday 5 th we walked along the coastal path and spent time watching seals sunning themselves on rocks. Back at Criccieth we saw a dolphin, and watched it till it swam away, leaping ov