A fortnight ago Matt and I celebrated our seventh wedding anniversary with a weekend at Cathedral View Town House in Durham.
Jim and Karen's breakfasts really are something to write home about. Not only are they top quality, served sprinkled with fresh herbs from Karen's garden (poached egg with chives, anyone? I recommend it), but they're also served with a very cheerful welcome and friendly talk.
When they discovered I was on a low-fat diet, Jim appeared with some freshly toasted English muffins instead of extra toast.
And when Jim and Karen discovered it was our wedding anniversary, they gave us a lovely framed picture of Durham Cathedral as seen from their back garden. We now have that picture hanging proudly on the wall of our bedroom.
Thanks very much, we'll be back!
Sunday 15 July 2012
Monday 26 September 2011
Victorian comfort in York
Just back from a weekend in York with Matt.
We stayed at Ascot House Bed & Breakfast, a 15-minute walk from the city centre, and we'd both thoroughly recommend it.
It's run by a very friendly family for whom nothing's too much trouble, including storing our luggage for the day and calling us a taxi to take us to the station - even though we'd checked out hours earlier.
The room was very comfortable (my only quibble would be that the bed was a bit hard, but that didn't stop very good sleep), thick fluffy towels in the bathroom, and a breakfast that ticked both boxes of quality sausages and no baked beans unless you asked.
York is a beautiful city and there are plenty of great places to eat. We'd recommend Michael's Brasserie and Plunkets.
Pity the weekend was over so soon, really.
We stayed at Ascot House Bed & Breakfast, a 15-minute walk from the city centre, and we'd both thoroughly recommend it.
It's run by a very friendly family for whom nothing's too much trouble, including storing our luggage for the day and calling us a taxi to take us to the station - even though we'd checked out hours earlier.
The room was very comfortable (my only quibble would be that the bed was a bit hard, but that didn't stop very good sleep), thick fluffy towels in the bathroom, and a breakfast that ticked both boxes of quality sausages and no baked beans unless you asked.
York is a beautiful city and there are plenty of great places to eat. We'd recommend Michael's Brasserie and Plunkets.
Pity the weekend was over so soon, really.
Sunday 4 September 2011
Another little gem in Morningside
I've reviewed already several of the B&Bs who belong to the network informally known among themselves as the "Morningside Mafia": Bob and Jill Knox at 4 Morningside Place, Bolette Nason at 1 Tipperlinn Road, and Keith Paterson at Alexanders Rooms.
Just up the road from Keith, at 1 Albert Terrace, is the home of Clarissa Notley, "an American who has adopted Edinburgh and Scotland as her home".
As with any of the Morningside Mafia I'm assured of a warm welcome from Clarissa, and her two beautiful Siamese cats Lottie and Lily. Clarissa is a lovely friendly lady who's always ready for a chat - and as she knows a great deal about the theatre, art and literature, that will always be a very interesting conversation.
Clarissa also provides delicious and innovative breakfasts. Last time I stayed there it was American pancakes with maple syrup, apple and cinnamon. Mmm. And I can still taste the cinnamon buns, too...
I'd recommend any and all of the ladies and gentlemen of the Morningside Mafia to anyone who's looking for a warm, comfortable and friendly B&B to stay in a pleasant residential suburb of Edinburgh. For me, staying with one or other of them 2 nights a week, they always create for me a home away from home.
Thank you all - and thank you to my good friend and former colleague Michael Green, for directing me to the Mafia last year!
Just up the road from Keith, at 1 Albert Terrace, is the home of Clarissa Notley, "an American who has adopted Edinburgh and Scotland as her home".
As with any of the Morningside Mafia I'm assured of a warm welcome from Clarissa, and her two beautiful Siamese cats Lottie and Lily. Clarissa is a lovely friendly lady who's always ready for a chat - and as she knows a great deal about the theatre, art and literature, that will always be a very interesting conversation.
Clarissa also provides delicious and innovative breakfasts. Last time I stayed there it was American pancakes with maple syrup, apple and cinnamon. Mmm. And I can still taste the cinnamon buns, too...
I'd recommend any and all of the ladies and gentlemen of the Morningside Mafia to anyone who's looking for a warm, comfortable and friendly B&B to stay in a pleasant residential suburb of Edinburgh. For me, staying with one or other of them 2 nights a week, they always create for me a home away from home.
Thank you all - and thank you to my good friend and former colleague Michael Green, for directing me to the Mafia last year!
Sunday 28 August 2011
In the leafy backstreets of Morningside, Edinburgh lies a network of comfortable and friendly B&Bs run in family homes. One where I stay regularly is run by Mrs Bolette Nason at 1 Tipperlinn Road.
The rooms are comfortable, well-appointed and immaculately clean, and Bolette's welcome is always warm.
Since Bolette discovered my favourite kind of tea for a post-work cuppa (Rooibos) she always offers to make me a cup when I come in from work, accompanied by biscuits and a friendly chat. My evenings when I'm working in Edinburgh can get a bit lonely sometimes so this is greatly appreciated.
The breakfasts are delicious too, and when Matt stayed there with me last week, he thoroughly approved of the good sausages and absence of baked beans.
Definitely one to recommend.
The rooms are comfortable, well-appointed and immaculately clean, and Bolette's welcome is always warm.
Since Bolette discovered my favourite kind of tea for a post-work cuppa (Rooibos) she always offers to make me a cup when I come in from work, accompanied by biscuits and a friendly chat. My evenings when I'm working in Edinburgh can get a bit lonely sometimes so this is greatly appreciated.
The breakfasts are delicious too, and when Matt stayed there with me last week, he thoroughly approved of the good sausages and absence of baked beans.
Definitely one to recommend.
Monday 8 August 2011
A new gentleman in the Mafia
I regularly spend two nights a week in Edinburgh now, given I work there but live in Cumbria.
I've been lucky enough to stumble on (or to be more accurate, to have a friend and former colleague stumble on) an informal network of B&Bs run by some wonderful people in their own homes in the Morningside area. Bob and Jill Knox are just one example. And if Jill can't put me up she'll find somewhere else for me to stay. Which is amazing.
The network calls itself "The Morningside Mafia".
And the Mafia now has a new member - Keith Paterson, who runs Alexanders Rooms.
Keith provides all the little luxuries that's great to come back to at the end of a hard working day - large comfortable rooms, fresh fruit, thick fluffy towels in the bathroom. He'll go the extra mile to make sure his guests are comfortable.
Last time I stayed at Alexanders Rooms, I had a rotten cold. Keith turned the heating up, put a supply of Lemsips in my room, and offered me a hot water bottle. And he even gave me some more Lemsips and some fresh fruit to take to work the following day.
That's what I call good service.
I've been lucky enough to stumble on (or to be more accurate, to have a friend and former colleague stumble on) an informal network of B&Bs run by some wonderful people in their own homes in the Morningside area. Bob and Jill Knox are just one example. And if Jill can't put me up she'll find somewhere else for me to stay. Which is amazing.
The network calls itself "The Morningside Mafia".
And the Mafia now has a new member - Keith Paterson, who runs Alexanders Rooms.
Keith provides all the little luxuries that's great to come back to at the end of a hard working day - large comfortable rooms, fresh fruit, thick fluffy towels in the bathroom. He'll go the extra mile to make sure his guests are comfortable.
Last time I stayed at Alexanders Rooms, I had a rotten cold. Keith turned the heating up, put a supply of Lemsips in my room, and offered me a hot water bottle. And he even gave me some more Lemsips and some fresh fruit to take to work the following day.
That's what I call good service.
Sunday 3 July 2011
Food town? Everywhere's shut on Sunday
Part 2 of our wedding anniversary weekend write-up.
We'd seen in tourist brochures that Castle Douglas is a "food town". Great, we thought as we left the B&B this morning, we'll go there on the way back for a spot of lunch, and buy something to take home for supper.
There's just one problem.
It's Sunday. And that means just about all the small local food shops in Castle Douglas are shut.
Bang went our beautiful plans.
We managed to find an open cafe, and Matt said their coffee was wonderful, but the menu looked very Greasy Spoon, which put us off eating there (not to mention the howling child at the next table).
Now I can understand the religious view of not wanting to open shops on a Sunday. I can understand wanting a day off.
But if Castle Douglas - and other towns like it - want to attract the tourist trade, then Sunday opening might be something that it has to embrace, at least in part.
After all, not everyone who goes to South West Scotland will stay a whole week and be able to stock up for Sunday. There will be weekenders like Matt and myself. Castle Douglas is less than an hour off the M6. It's not the back of beyond.
And it's also just off the main A75 to Stranraer and the ferry terminal. There will surely be tourists coming off the ferry at Stranraer and heading along the A75 and looking for somewhere to have lunch, or buy a picnic lunch. And for the latter, our only option would have been Tesco.
If the shopkeepers of Castle Douglas want to promote "buy local food from small local shops" then keeping their shops shut on a Sunday may not be the way to do it...
We'd seen in tourist brochures that Castle Douglas is a "food town". Great, we thought as we left the B&B this morning, we'll go there on the way back for a spot of lunch, and buy something to take home for supper.
There's just one problem.
It's Sunday. And that means just about all the small local food shops in Castle Douglas are shut.
Bang went our beautiful plans.
We managed to find an open cafe, and Matt said their coffee was wonderful, but the menu looked very Greasy Spoon, which put us off eating there (not to mention the howling child at the next table).
Now I can understand the religious view of not wanting to open shops on a Sunday. I can understand wanting a day off.
But if Castle Douglas - and other towns like it - want to attract the tourist trade, then Sunday opening might be something that it has to embrace, at least in part.
After all, not everyone who goes to South West Scotland will stay a whole week and be able to stock up for Sunday. There will be weekenders like Matt and myself. Castle Douglas is less than an hour off the M6. It's not the back of beyond.
And it's also just off the main A75 to Stranraer and the ferry terminal. There will surely be tourists coming off the ferry at Stranraer and heading along the A75 and looking for somewhere to have lunch, or buy a picnic lunch. And for the latter, our only option would have been Tesco.
If the shopkeepers of Castle Douglas want to promote "buy local food from small local shops" then keeping their shops shut on a Sunday may not be the way to do it...
Delicious food, gorgeous unspoilt coastal beauty...
Just back from a weekend away with Matt to celebrate our sixth wedding anniversary. (Where did that time go.)
We picked a B&B in Dumfries & Galloway, Balcary Mews. It's less than 2 hours' drive from where we live, advertised itself as a "tranquil hideaway", and we'd easily be able to get to Wigtown for a spot of one of our favourite weekend pleasures - second-hand-book-shopping.
We weren't quite sure what to expect when we were told check-in was between 4pm and 6pm. Given we both work full-time, we knew we'd not get there by 6pm so we had to contact the landlady, Pamela, to ask for a late check-in. But to give Pamela her due, she said straight away "yes that's fine".
And the B&B proved a real find.
Comfortable, welcoming, friendly, with lovely large thick fluffy towels in the ensuite bathroom, and a scrumptious breakfast. I went for eggs both mornings - boiled yesterday, poached today - and they were full of flavour and golden-yolked, and Pamela didn't commit the cardinal sin of putting vinegar in the water when she poaches eggs. You can always taste it on the egg if someone's done that. Urgh.
Matt had the full Scottish breakfast and praised it highly.
"The bacon's delicious" he said to Pamela. And I've never heard him say that to a B&B landlady before.
"It's local" she said. "Everything's local except me!"
The breakfast had plenty of original touches about it too. Toasted English muffins (mmm and I wish I could resist smothering them in butter), Nutella, local honey, home-made fruit salad...
And the location is just out of this world. 2 miles down a no-through road with superb coastal views. We were very lucky with the weather, gorgeous sunshine, which meant we could see right across the bay and the Solway to the coast of Cumbria. And this morning we had a walk down to Balcary Point, where the unfenced, narrow, unmade coastal path spooked us a bit (especially Matt, whose sense of balance isn't great), but the views, sunshine, clear air, huge clumps of thrift pink in the grass, seabirds nesting on the cliffs...
Next time we're going for a week.
We picked a B&B in Dumfries & Galloway, Balcary Mews. It's less than 2 hours' drive from where we live, advertised itself as a "tranquil hideaway", and we'd easily be able to get to Wigtown for a spot of one of our favourite weekend pleasures - second-hand-book-shopping.
We weren't quite sure what to expect when we were told check-in was between 4pm and 6pm. Given we both work full-time, we knew we'd not get there by 6pm so we had to contact the landlady, Pamela, to ask for a late check-in. But to give Pamela her due, she said straight away "yes that's fine".
And the B&B proved a real find.
Comfortable, welcoming, friendly, with lovely large thick fluffy towels in the ensuite bathroom, and a scrumptious breakfast. I went for eggs both mornings - boiled yesterday, poached today - and they were full of flavour and golden-yolked, and Pamela didn't commit the cardinal sin of putting vinegar in the water when she poaches eggs. You can always taste it on the egg if someone's done that. Urgh.
Matt had the full Scottish breakfast and praised it highly.
"The bacon's delicious" he said to Pamela. And I've never heard him say that to a B&B landlady before.
"It's local" she said. "Everything's local except me!"
The breakfast had plenty of original touches about it too. Toasted English muffins (mmm and I wish I could resist smothering them in butter), Nutella, local honey, home-made fruit salad...
And the location is just out of this world. 2 miles down a no-through road with superb coastal views. We were very lucky with the weather, gorgeous sunshine, which meant we could see right across the bay and the Solway to the coast of Cumbria. And this morning we had a walk down to Balcary Point, where the unfenced, narrow, unmade coastal path spooked us a bit (especially Matt, whose sense of balance isn't great), but the views, sunshine, clear air, huge clumps of thrift pink in the grass, seabirds nesting on the cliffs...
Next time we're going for a week.
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