Thursday 21 February 2019

Salt'n'Vinegar With That?

I was in one of those 'Grumpy-Old-Women' conversations the other day. All very light hearted, then somebody said that the trouble with Youth-Of-Today [YOT being the antithesis of GOW] is that they will eat in the street! It was clear my friend felt that no food is fit for Public Consumption. I ventured the opinion that strolling along the Prom with a Flake Ice Cream, or a bag of chips is one of life's little pleasures. I suspect I got away with it, because such activity could be permitted on holiday.
But I don't live in Leicestershire anymore, where it was so far to the sea that being on the Prom meant you must be on holiday. I'm in delightful Dorset, where the beach is just around the corner - chips and cornets are a frequent temptation..
On Tuesday, in an effort to blow the cobwebs and our colds away, we went off to Swanage. [earlier Swanage post here ]We arrived around 11am, so stopped on the edge of the town at Emmanuel Baptist Church . Excellent coffee shop, delicious cakes, friendly staff - plus easy parking. I can really recommend this one.*****
Then we went on into the town, parking in the LongStay by the Pier [24 hours £1] We had a good wander round the town, dropping off another box at a CS. I met a TA I'd worked with in 2017, and we caught up with family news.  
Bob and I didn't want a huge lunch, as we were having dinner with friends in the evening. "Just a bag of chips on the Prom" I said. It was 1.15pm. So we went it the large HR chippie and ordered. "It will be at least 30 minutes" said the bloke. We thanked him, and left empty-handed, walking back to the shop at the other end, nearer the pier. Success!
The Fish Plaice had a fast moving queue of cheerful, chatty customers. Clearly popular with holidaymakers and locals, a board gave the names of the Dorset trawlers which had brought in the day's catch. And details of the Lincolnshire potatoes used in the chips. The portion sizes were generous, and the server apologised we'd had to wait [a mere five minutes]
We walked to a nearby bench and sat enjoying our food, watching the sea, the boats, the birds and the passersby.
As we left, I was pleased to see the local council have installed proper lidded wheelie bins for refuse, to deter the gulls from foraging open bins in search of food. Also I noticed a lovely pebble mosaic on the ground. My photo didn't come out well- but I found these on line from a useful mosaic-resource website. Thank you, Rod Humby]
It is stunning! I discovered it was a Millennium project, and created by Maggy Howarth, an artist from Lancaster.
Her website is equally informative, explaining how these mosaics are made in a 'reverse' process, so the finished piece has a flat, non-trip surface.
The fish looked beautiful, such detail, with beautiful coloured pebbles, carefully selected.
Maggy has also produced a 'Neptune' piece which is in Bournemouth. I shall have to check that out.
Our evening meal was splendid too. Another lovely day off together. Feeling blessed...




4 comments:

  1. 30 minute wait for chips...in a chippie...at lunchtime?! Astonishing!

    Other than that, it sounds like you had a perfect day.

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  2. Those chips look delicious! Now I am craving fish and chips! That is a lovely mosaic! Amazing details.

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  3. Not far from here is a coal fired chippie (I think it may be the last such in England) and the queue can be up to an hour. Brilliant for the diet, you have to be desperate for F & C to want to wait that long!

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