Cafe Rouge - I'm breaking up with you

Dear Cafe Rouge,

I'm afraid our relationship has run into difficulties and I do not think we can weather through it. I have been fair and loyal to you, but for a long time now you have disappointed me and I feel like enough is enough.

I want to reassure you that this hasn't always been the case. In fact, in the beginning you, me and my future husband were a regular little menage a tois. I have a lot to thank you for in those fledging years, my custom growing with the seriousness of mine and my husbands feeling for one another. In those beginning years,it felt like I had won the lottery and upgraded, from a boy to a man, from all-you-can-eat congealing buffets to well presented french food. As I'm sure you know, in the honeymoon period everything is rose tinted, a toastie is no longer a toastie – it is a croque monsoir!

My future husband and I, in our warm dewy glow of first real love, felt this was real romance. French food and candlelight, how much more romantic can you get? And in those days, the atmosphere was warm, the service was prompt and the food was delicious. We ate through our student budget at your branch at the Corn Exchange in Leeds, celebrating mid-term exams and commiserating hangovers.

As my future husband and I graduated and moved into the real world, we moved to Newcastle and got jobs and a real disposable income for the first time in our lives. It wasn't always plain sailing but life was very exciting. I celebrated getting my first post-University job with a new grown up leather handbag and a glass of wine and a bowl of goats cheese pasta at your branch at the Metro Centre, Gateshead. When the quarter life crises hit, was this what I wanted to be doing with my life? - I made myself feel better with more of the same pasta and a little retail therapy, my future husband doing the same.

Over the years, birthday meals were had here also, as I always took up the incentive of free wine with a meal in your birthday club.

Relationships have to progress and mature and you were witness to that when my future husband proposed to me outside Durham Cathedral. It was one of the happiest moments of my life, everything felt so magical and unreal and I felt like the luckiest girl in the world. We shared that night with you, Cafe Rouge, as we celebrated with champagne in your branch overlooking the river, in a candlelit nook just built for two. To celebrate my newly grown-up status, I had duck dauphinois with green beans and I don't think any meal could have competed at that moment.

This was to be the pinnacle, the high point of our relationship, Cafe Rouge, before the almighty low. Around the end of 2009, after my future husband and I got engaged, you changed. The warm efficient atmosphere was gone along with half of your staff and your menu it seems. My husband likes to joke that the dip in service was a lack of morale due to the absence of the salad de Merguez from the menu, but that's his own personal issue we won't go into. I tried, Cafe Rouge, I really did – but whenever I gave you the chance to impress me, you started to disappoint me with your lack of attention and your inflexibility. You no longer seemed romantic and new, rather rude and old-hat. My eye started to wander to the up and coming, more pretentious and exciting restaurants that were literally appearing on my doorstep. I felt guilty but I told myself that dalliances were okay, if you had only kept up your end of the bargain, then I wouldn't have been driven to taking my pleasures elsewhere.

But still, my husband and I always came back, hoping upon hope that we could revive our feeling for you. After all, we have a long-standing history. You have been witness to some of the greatest and most challenging times of my life. We share a lot of fond memories, to just give up on you felt like I wasn't honouring them. But there is only so much you can take before you realise enough is enough.

Lately, there have been two different times and places that we have shared with you, that have made me realise that we simply aren't compatible anymore. In the recent past, my husband and I got married and we now have a two year old daughter. This summer, we celebrated my daughters and my dad's girlfriends birthday with a big family meal at your branch in Trafford Centre. I noticed, as I have on previous occasions, that other people seem to have gone off you too, your main traffic being those who couldn't get into Pizza Express next door. You were the quietest restaurant in the Trafford Centre, despite being very aesthetically pleasing. We saw this as a positive sign, less customers usually means a more prompt service.

Not so. It seems Cafe Rouge, that despite having one of the better children's menus out there, you are not very child friendly. First of all, it is standard practice to bring out a child's meal with the starters, not leave a two-year old whining for their food for what, believe me, seems like an eternity. The starters were slow arriving and the mains even slower. My two-year old is quite a well behaved little girl, used to eating out, yet even the best two year old has their limits and I suspect that that limit will not be waiting an hour for something to eat. Especially when that hour only brings limp sausage and chips, half-cold. It is also not acceptable to leave a two-year old without a drink for twenty minutes, despite parents constant reminders that they would really like a glass of squash please. And lastly, to have a member of staff roll their eyes because my toddler had a dairy intolerance and did not want ice cream on their bowl of strawberries...and then to take almost half an hour to put some strawberries in a bowl and bring it to the table...can you see where this is headed? Toddler meltdown and the general feeling on my part, that this relationship we have Cafe Rouge, might be headed towards a swift and final conclusion.

The last straw, Cafe Rouge, was back on our home turf – the Cafe Rouge at the Metro Centre, Gateshead. We were Christmas shopping, a rare moment without our toddler and we decided to have one last go of it with you, your final chance to remain a part of our lives. We noticed that you had halved your menu again, it looked rather sparse and unappealing and we wondered what your current business model was. It clearly wasn't working as the other restaurants flanking you were bustling and we were table one of three. We had a late breakfast, we thought we would go easy on you – a Croque madame and eggs Benedict with a side of Lyonnaise potatoes and a pastry basket. My husband was very hungry you see and was almost drooling in anticipation. Alas, we were once again disappointed. The pastries in the pastry basket were burnt on one side, to the point where we were having to pick the burnt bits off to eat them. My husband also did not get his side of lyonnaise potatoes. I asked for them three times, each time getting more and more insistent, until finally they arrived, over half an hour after our breakfast had come out on the table. Everything else had been eaten and our plates and cups had been cleared away, so the waitress plonked them down on a completely empty table. Not once had we been asked for a top up of drinks and the waitress was so observant that she didn't notice that my husband had absolutely no cutlery to eat his potatoes with. As she flounced off to somewhere unseen, we vainly looked round to provide ourselves with cutlery, to no avail. And there Cafe Rouge, was the sound of the death knoll on our relationship, watching my husband stubbornly trying to eat your greasy offering of small, cold, hard potatoes, on their own...with his hands.

I felt I owed you an explanation, our relationship having been so long and full of memories and here it is. I wish you the best, a long and successful business life, but I'm afraid that with your current attitude, you will probably never attract loyal customers like me again.

All the best,

Christie Knox

A Review of The Cook and Barker in Newton on the Moor

The Cook and Barker at Newton on the Moor, is one of those places everyone has heard about round here. It is not one of those best-kept-secrets that Northumberland does so well.It has quite firmly exploded onto the local gastrosphere, with a reputation for having restaurant quality food in a traditional country pub atmosphere. Considering the hype, I was really looking forward to eating here and expecting great things from my meal. 

After hearing that the restaurant can get very busy in the evenings, I rang up and booked at midday for a table at 8pm. Come evening, we arrived a little early and decided to head in to get a drink at the bar. Our first impressions of the bar were good, although it was very busy - we managed to edge ourselves onto the side of the bar but stood little chance of getting a seat. The decor was very quaint and was very  traditional, it looked exactly like the type of pub Americans dream about going to in the movies. The staff at the bar were friendly and served us promptly, despite it being very busy and suggested we head down to the restaurant even though we were early, saying they were sure our table would be ready. 

We hovered for a couple of minutes at the entrance to the restaurant before a waitress took us down to a central desk and looked for our reservation. Our reservation was nowhere to be found and I felt a little embarrassed, repeating to them that yes, I had made a reservation earlier that day. The girl quickly improvised and gave us a table right next to the entrance of the restaurant, not always my favourite place to sit but it was very busy so we made concessions. 

The atmosphere in the restaurant was very nice, all twinkly lights and wooden beams, with an interesting focal point of aesthetic "junk" hanging from the rafters, which provided a talking point. There were a few larger parties in and it was noisy but convivial. We had brought our drinks through from the bar but if we had not, I think we may have been waiting a while for a drink as it was quite a while before anyone came back to check whether we were ready to order starters etc. 

The menu was extensive and varied. As The Cook and Barker prides itself on using local produce, the menu was dominated somewhat by seafood and lamb dishes though of course this will change as the menus are seasonal. For a special occasion or the more discerning foodie, there was a set dinner menu at £29 a head, £45 a head including wine on certain days. We felt the A La Carte menu actually represented better value for money and were surprised how reasonable the price was considering the Cook and Barkers reputation. You could eat here on a budget, as homemade pie and chips would only set you back £8.95. 

For my starter, I opted for a goats cheese and beetroot salad with roasted vegetables, balsamic vinegar and fresh pesto. It was immaculately presented, down to the tiny piped balsamic dots around my plate. The portion size was large with a whole goats cheese perched on top of large cut roasted peppers and courgettes, which was then on top of fresh beetroot medallions. The goats cheese was mild and crumbly and of good quality. The beetroot was the highlight of the dish however, fresh and thickly cut. The fresh pesto was nice but almost non-existent and the balsamic vinegar was used more as a decoration than a flavour, which are my only criticisms of the dish. 

The Husband had shredded duck breast with peppered strawberries, which once again was immaculately presented. The duck was succulent and perfectly cooked and the peppered strawberries complimented it nicely. The portion size was also quite generous. 

After our starter, we waited quite a long time for our main course. Not once during that time did any of the staff ask us if we enjoyed our starter and we were never asked if we wanted another drink. Despite the amount of customers, there was a curious absence of staff on the restaurant floor. There were long periods of time, between 5 and 10 minutes at a time, where there was not a single member of staff to be seen. I noticed there were quite a few tables around us where customers had finished their wine and required a top-up, a missed opportunity if ever I saw one. When there were staff on the restaurant floor, a lot of them looked surly and unfriendly. The lad who brought out our main course didn't even really speak to us when he put our food down on the table. 

For my main, I ordered the steak burger with bacon, cheese and hand cut rustic chips. When my meal came out I couldn't believe my eyes - the portion size was enormous!  The burger was absolutely delicious, good quality meat and nicely cooked, with a nice topping of extra-mature cheese and a sweet red onion chutney. I was slightly disappointed by the bacon, I was expecting a juicy thick rasher of british style pig in my bun, but instead I got a weedy, chewy stick sticking out of my plate. It was so chewy and over-cooked that it was more like a piece of leather than food and I wondered whether it was meant more for decoration. The chips were so large that you needed to cut them up to eat, but they were mostly crisp on the outside and tasted like roast potatoes on the inside. I personally prefer thinner, crunchier chips but these were quite impressive looking on the plate and in a large quantity. 

The Husband of course ordered Sirloin Steak, to continue his steak tour of Northumberland's eateries. The steak was incredibly large and came with a little pot of sauce to pour over it. The Husband was very impressed with the quality of his steak, even though it was more well-cooked than he had asked, he still thoroughly enjoyed it. 

However, it is here that once again, the service let the Cook and Barker down. The menu was not clear as to what side order you got with the steak, but you do generally expect a side order of chips or salad to come alongside your hunk of meat. We were a little bemused when my husband received his steak and no side order arrived - we didn't know whether our expectations were wrong and he should have ordered a side to go with it and this was all he was getting or whether there was more to come. 15 minutes after everything had been served and the steak half eaten, I decided to try and get the attention of a member of staff to find out. Only once again, there was no members of staff to enquire with. After 5 minutes of vainly trying to get someones attention, I had to stand up and go over to the main desk in the middle of the room before a waitress would speak with us.  It turned out that they had forgotten my husbands side order of chips and they were on the table within 5 minutes, neatly presented in a little bucket. The Husband was pleased with his chips and said they were the nicest rustic chips he'd eaten in his tour of Northumberland's eateries, it was a shame he didn't get them at the beginning of his meal. 

We had started the meal with full intentions of getting a pudding, but we changed our minds because although the food was absolutely beautiful, it was now 10pm and we didn't want to wait another half an hour for another course. We asked for the bill and they were quite slow providing that, though at last we received a smile from a waiter, who obviously was hoping for a tip. 

Overall, it is unfortunate that the Cook and Barker had only one opportunity to impress me because I suspect we arrived on an off-night. The menu was extensive, varied and reasonably priced, with options to suit every budget. The atmosphere was lovely and the decor was just right. The presentation of the food was spot-on every time. The food was tasty, of good quality and the portion sizes were very generous. It is a shame that the service, from start to finish, so drastically let the Cook and Barker down.        

ATMOSPHERE - 10/10

SERVICE - 3/10

PRESENTATION - 10/10

FOOD - 8/10

PRICE - 8/10

TOTAL - 39/50

Corbridge Festival 2012

 This year, I won tickets to the Corbridge Festival on Saturday 7th July. Quite frankly, I had never heard of the festival until they followed me on Twitter. I think to a certain extent, the festival had been overshadowed by another festival taking place the same weekend - The Chilli Festival at Seaton Delaval hall. However, my interest was piqued and when I saw the quality of the acts playing, I decided to enter the competition to win tickets and surprisingly won. I had already purchased tickets to the Chilli Festival and instead of picking between the two, decided to do them both in one weekend. 

Friday 6th of July rolled round and at 6pm, we were still struggling to pack everything into the car and set off, midst torrential rain and amber flood warnings. We questioned our sanity - Corbridge is known to flood even when nowhere else is, but we were up for an adventure. We realised we hadn't even visited Corbridge before, it was getting dark and the rain was getting ridiculous. None of this put us off. In reality, the journey was easier than we thought - we got to Corbridge no problem and in half the time estimated because no-one else was stupid enough to be travelling in what can only be described as weather of biblical proportions. 

This is where we ran into problems. We had the address of the festival, we had the postcode for our satnav - but that actually covers a wide area in Corbridge and neither Tynedale Rugby Club or Corbridge Festival were signposted from any of the roads leading in and out of Corbridge. In fact, the entire weekend we only saw one poster advertising the festival and that was a small one on the pedestrian walkway of the bridge, not clearly visible from the road. We drove around for ages, in and out of Corbridge looking vainly for some indication of where we were supposed to be going, in the rain, to no avail. It was due to the kindness of some of my followers on Twitter offering me directions that we even got there! 

Still, once we arrived at 9.30pm a steward came running out of the Clubhouse in the pouring rain to greet us and she was very helpful, giving us a positive impression of the festival at it's start. The camping areas had been split into two - a quiet area for families and a noisy area for groups of people drinking. We decided to stay in the noisy camping area because we had decided against bringing The Toddler, feeling that this year she was a little bit too young. In fact the noisy camping area was really quiet the first night, with people keeping to themselves. On the Friday night, there was a tribute band playing in the Clubhouse, but we arrived late and The Husband was tired. 

 

As you can see, the camping area was not that crowded the first night. 

The camping facilities were basic but more than adequate. There were plenty of toilets and showers available and food was served at the clubhouse from relatively early on. 

The festival started at 12pm and initially, there weren't that many people onsite but it soon filled up. 

 

The festival was somewhere between the fairs that you'd expect somewhere like Corbridge to have and a professional festival. Considering it seemed to be locally organised, we were quite impressed, especially with the acts they'd managed to attract for later on in the evening. There were a decent array of stalls, but possibly not enough to entertain you for the entire festival. I'm sure as the years go on, this will change however, as this festival is only starting to gain in momentum and is relatively unknown. Stalls included a couple of preloved clothing stalls, a hippie clothing stall, a stall selling whistles, hats and general festival paraphanalia and a tarot card tent. For food, there was a Soupie Face stall selling fresh soups and stotties with meatballs and a Kielder Organic Meats van selling burgers, sausage and bacon sandwhiches and chips. Alternatively, the Clubhouse was serving food all day. There was also an icecream van. 

There was a lot to do for children, in fact I was starting to wish we had been brave and brought The Toddler camping with us. We will definately be bringing her next year! There was a bouncy castle, a big inflatable slide, a painting and crafts stall, trampolines and a childrens entertainer - Jan from Stories for Tots. There was also Go-Karting and a Softplay Playbus at the entrance to the festival. Some of these attractions did incur an extra charge however. 

Mid-afternoon, we decided to take a breather and take a look at Corbridge town. The festival is only a 10 minute walk from the town centre and it's a lovely walk along the river and over a bridge. There is a lot to visit near Corbridge and I expect we shall visit again soon, because the town really was very nice. 

 

Walking over the Bridge at Corbridge. 

 

The High Street at Corbridge. 

In town, we visited a nice little artisan bakery for a snack and got some more money out from the cashpoint, as our funds were quickly being depleted buying food and drink. Although, I must mention that the food and drink was quite reasonably priced compared to most festivals.We then returned to the festival site.

It will take too long to write about every artist playing at Corbridge festival, so I shall stick to the ones we particularly enjoyed. 

 

Rae Morris was on at 5.20pm. A young nineteen year old singer-songwriter and relatively unknown, she's only starting to be noticed as "one to watch". She's due to record her debut EP with Noah and the Whale's Charlie Fink, so I think we'll soon be hearing a lot more from her. Younger television fans might recognise her single 'Don't Go' as it was used in an episode of Skins. 

The husband and I were very impressed and stood rapt watching her entire performance. She seemed very nervous and genuine, a little moppet on stage with a big mop of curly hair. Shy and softly spoken, she hesitantly addressed the crowd occasionally but seemed more comfortable performing. When she sung, everything seemed real, raw and full of emotion - and her voice, sometimes hesitant and lilting, sometimes belting - suited the lovely summer afternoon this festival was turning out to be. When we returned home, Rae Morris's music was the first thing we looked up. 

Dancing Lotus were the next act we were impressed by. An orchestra of an act - the band comprises of a singer, a rapper, a violinist, bass, guitars, beats, piano and a drummer. Over four years they have recorded 3 albums and 2 EP's. Originally from Lincoln, the band have recently relocated to London where they are recording new material in the studio, inbetween gigging across the country.

Quite honestly, I'm not usually a fan of anything remotely sounding like rap music, but this band sounds deliciously fresh, upbeat and ambient. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and I found myself bobbing up and down from my seated position. They certainly got a few people up and dancing. 

 

The supporting act was The Quireboys, a hard rock band with strong ties to Newcastle. Formed in the 1980's, they were mainly popular in the late 80's and early 90's. Their debut album 'A bit of what you fancy' reached number 2 in the UK charts and their single 'Hey You' reached number 14. The band have split up and reformed a couple of times; the current reformation has been going since 2001. The band is still very active, recording new material and playing live.

 

I hadn't heard of the Quireboys as I was only a toddler when they were in the charts. The husband had heard of them as he is a big Wildhearts fan and knew that Ginger, the frontman of the Wildhearts had played briefly with the Quireboys as their guitarist. Standing in the crowd, it soon became apparent that the Quireboys had quite a few fervent fans, some of whom had travelled from far and wide to see them. Many were wearing Quireboys t-shirts and most of the crowd near the stage knew the words to most of the songs and were singing them drunkenly and enthusiastically. We soon realised that actually, we knew quite a few of the songs too and that some of them were actually quite good. Standing in the crowd, it was easy to get drawn up in the hype, with the frontman Spike rocking it out as if it were Glastonbury. 

Simon and Oscar from Ocean Colour Scene were the headlining act, playing an acoustic set of Ocean Colour Scene classics. Ocean Colour Scene are an English britpop band who formed in 1989 and were mainly popular during the 90's. They have had 5 top 10 albums and 6 top 10 singles to date.

As the fans of the Quireboys took a breather to get more beer, we managed to get into the front row to see them play. The view was unfettered and fantastic, we were literally as close to them as the picture suggests. Although we were seeing an acoustic set and not the full lineup, it felt like something special to see them play at a festival as small and unknown as this one. When they first started to play, the crowd surged forward and for the first time, we felt a bit squished in the crowd. 

The atmosphere was great, everyone singing along and dancing to the music.  I had the misfortune to be squashed next to what can only be described as a madwoman with flailing limbs and a hard look about her, but the majority of people were normal and merry, not beating people about the head with their enthusiasm! The Husband said that the Ocean Colour Scene Acoustic set was going to be the highlight of his summer and after the festival had finished said that the whole festival was the best event he's been to so far. 

The festival seemed to be the best of both worlds, an undiscovered gem of world class acts mixed with a village fair feel. There were thanks given at the end of the festival for the organisers, an emotional tribute given to a local girl who died in a tragic accident and most of the people there were fairly local and quite friendly. 

After the festival had finished, we headed back to our tent for the night. This night the campsite was a little more rowdy but still one of the quieter "noisy campsites" we have ever visited. The campers in general were friendly but soon settled down for the night and were mostly considerate of others, which the exception of one family who were playing dance music and arguing drunkenly for a couple of hours into the night. However, there was no bother, people kept themselves to themselves and you felt perfectly safe wandering to the toilet block in the middle of the night. 

Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed Corbridge Festival and I'd recommend it to anyone, but especially to families. For only £17 per adult, £8 for teenagers and free for children, the festival is great value for money for the quality of acts on offer. There is a lot on to keep the children entertained in a safe environment, away from main roads and a walk away from the town. We enjoyed the acts but even if you wanted to take a breather, Corbridge is only a short walk away and is a beautiful little town. This festival is only going to go from strength to strength as the years go on, so support a local event and check it out in 2013!

 

A Review of The Junction in Widdrington's Sunday Lunch

We visited The Junction Restaurant in Widdrington Station on the recommendation of a friend. Open 7 days a week, this family run restaurant prides itself on offering the best local produce Northumberland has to offer and also stocks a selection of local craft beers. It opened in November 2011, so has not been open that long and has recently hired a new head chef, who is committed to increasing the amount of dishes completely created on the premises. 

Located across from a railway line and opposite the local Coop, the restaurant seems quiet and unassuming from the frontage. When we entered we were pleasantly surprised by the modernity of the decor and how well thought out the layout was. The tables were slightly larger than average and not too close together, allowing for a more relaxed and private dining experience. Aesthetically, the place was functional, simple but stylish enough to make your meal feel like an event. 

We had booked a table for 12pm, but when we arrived we were their first customers of the day. The staff were attentive, seating us at a large table near the window and providing a highchair for The Toddler without being asked. It sounds like a moot point but most places we've visited for Sunday lunch often leave you to hunt out the highchair from some random nook. They chatted with The Toddler and made us feel welcome. They also brought out a pot of crayons and some colouring in sheets to entertain The Toddler while we ordered food, which I thought was a nice touch. We ordered drinks while we were looking for the menu and they came out straight away. 

The menu was simple, offering two choices of meat on your Sunday lunch and one vegetarian option. There was a choice of 3 starters and the dessert choices were on a chalkboard near the front of the restaurant. The Husband opted for a starter while tempted by the chalkboard, I abstained in favour of leaving room for a pudding. The Husband ordered a curried lentil soup. When it arrived it was just the right temperature for eating and came with a small mountain of chunkily cut bread, just right for dipping. The Toddler eyed up the pieces of bread eagerly and the waitress obviously clocked this because she came back shortly after with a couple of extra pieces of bread for The Toddler to snack on, free of charge. 

The Curried Lentil Soup was delicious, one of the best soups I have ever tasted. My poor Husband ended up sharing his soup with The Toddler and I and I sorely regretted not ordering a starter of my own. It set a good precedent for the main course. The Toddler started screeching for more soup - it was that good! 

For the main course, both The Husband and I ordered the Roast Beef. The Chef came out and personally asked us whether The Toddler had any dietary requirements and what we would like her to have on her smaller version of a Sunday Dinner. It made a welcome change from having to seem fussy and ask for substitutions. The Toddler has a milk allergy, so the chef agreed to make everything without milk and when her meal came the mashed potato had been replaced with some lovely steamed baby new potatoes, which The Toddler gobbled greedily. 

When ours came, we were quite impressed. It wasn't the largest Sunday lunch we'd ever had (some places definitely favour quantity over quality) but it was just the right amount and well presented. 

It was absolutely delicious and came with a generous side order of steamed seasonal vegetables. 

For once, the potatoes and vegetables were the stars of the show. The roast potatoes were beautifully crisp with a fluffy interior. The mashed potato was creamy and the seasonal vegetables were cooked al dente, which because they were good quality only served to preserve the flavour. The turnip mash was a surprising delight, slightly peppery and creamy. There was enough gravy and it was well flavoured and the Yorkshires were rustic looking and just the right texture. The beef in comparison was very good quality and full of flavour, but was maybe slightly overdone for our tastes. However, I think this might be a matter of personal opinion, for plenty of people the beef would have been perfectly cooked, we are just very fussy with our meat. As it was, it was still the best Sunday lunch I have had in Northumberland so far. 

The Husband was full up after his main course but I had saved room for the pudding. I ordered a caramel apple pie. I was pleased to be asked by the waitress what choice of accompaniment I wanted and I opted for ice cream. When my pudding came out, the serving size was very generous and I had to enlist a little help! 

Once again the pudding was well presented, with generous lashings of caramel sauce and two large scoops of ice cream alongside a very large slice of pie. I thoroughly enjoyed it and it was The Husbands turn to wish he had opted for the pudding.

Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed our meal out at The Junction Restaurant. The food was good quality and reasonably priced. It was consistently well cooked, even if the beef wasn't to our personal taste and very well presented. The vegetable dishes and the soup were particular highlights. The pudding was generously sized. The staff were attentive and friendly, they made you feel comfortable and were not pushy. The restaurant itself was aesthetically pleasing. 

Would we visit again? We are already making plans to book an evening meal. I would recommend you give this restaurant a try. 

ATMOSPHERE - 8/10

SERVICE - 9/10

PRESENTATION - 9/10

FOOD - 9/10

PRICE - 8/10

TOTAL - 43/50

Northumberland Flood June 2012

Picture courtesy of The Northumberland Gazette. 

I woke up yesterday, after a night out, in Newcastle to some pretty strange weather. It was raining but incredibly humid; it felt like you were in a greenhouse. I thought little of it. My main concern on the journey back by bus to Alnwick was that I would greet my husband with a frizzy afro to rival that of the Jackson 5. At 3.30pm The Husband and The Toddler picked me up from Alnwick and we made the journey home. 

As he was driving home to our small village outside of Alnwick, the storm hit. The Toddler was fast asleep in the back of the car so we decided to just continue sitting in the car and wait the storm out, at least until she woke up. The storm was pretty spectacular and I'd never seen anything like it, it was as if the heavens had opened. The lightning was making the sky flash yellow and red and the thunder sounded like we were under attack! 

Our house, about to be flooded. 

We live almost at the top of a big hill and our driveway is at a slant down to the house. We suddenly noticed that a river was flowing down our driveway, past our car and was forming a moat around the house, calf deep. The Husband started scrambling for his keys.The water started overflowing the front step and heading for under the front door.  At this moment The Husband realised he'd lost his keys. I've never seen him so panicked. Eventually we found the keys had fallen under his seat and we dashed inside, coat over The Toddlers head. The Husband had to go straight back outside to bail out the water from the front door and unblock all the drains, mid-storm, as the water had washed a whole load of gravel into them, which was why the water wasn't draining away. 

Walkergate Metro Station in Newcastle. Photo courtesy of The BBC. 

We have never seen anything like it and we seem to have got off pretty lightly, compared to the pictures we've seen and our friends experiences. Newcastle and Alnwick were the two worst areas hit by the flash flood. A couple of our friends live in Newcastle and last night couldn't leave their homes because the streets were flooded. In Felling and Gateshead, homes were evacuated and 23,000 homes were left without power overnight. 

In Alnwick, the junction between Market Street and Bondgate Within was flooded to the depth of two feet. A lot of the shops on Bondgate Within ended up flooded. Further afield, the A1 came to a standstill and parts ended up closed for most of the night. Trains were cancelled as well due to a landslip at Spittal and for a good proportion of the evening, Scotland was completely cut off from the North of England. 

Once the storm passed, we were surprised to find only a couple of hours later that the sun was shining again! Today it is clear skies and warm and several of the flood risk warnings have been removed by The Environment Agency. 

A Review of The Masons Arms near Rennington

The Masons Arms is located in Stamford, Rennington, NE66 3RX. Situated 4 miles from Alnwick, near the coastline - it is in a good location for a Sunday lunch while touring North Northumberland's countryside. As well as food, The Masons Arms offers good quality accommodation that has been awarded 4 stars by The English Tourism Council. 

Last week we went out for a family meal here as a party of 6, including The Toddler. We had reserved beforehand and when we arrived, were promptly ushered to our table which already had the highchair waiting. The decor was traditional but not old-fashioned and we felt quite comfortable in our surroundings. 

The menu was quite limited on a Sunday, with the choice of pork, beef or chicken Sunday dinner as a main. They did not serve the regular menu on a Sunday, so if members of your party fancied a regular meal they would be out of luck. The vegetarian choices were a little bit more adventurous - with the choice of Glamorgan Sausage and chips or an African Sweet potato and spinach stew. There were a choice of about 4 or 5 starters. When we visited they were Crab salad, Seafood pate, Wings of fire, Soup of the day and Sundried Tomato and Mozarella Parcels. 

Both The Husband and I opted for the Sundried Tomato and Mozzarella Parcels. At £4.95, they were one of the more expensive starters on the menu. When they arrived we were surprised at how small they were, they were the size of two supermarket mini spring rolls in a sea of congealing cheese and passata. Their interior was filled with mozzarella and they were tastier than they looked, but four mouthfuls and they were gone, leaving us slightly dissatisfied. 

Both the Crab Salad and the Soup of the Day ordered by our family members were reasonably sized and offered better value for money. The presentation was average, but our family tucked in quite happily. 

What we did like was that The Masons Arms has a "kids eat free" policy and this also extended to starters and puddings, so The Toddler got her own small bowl of soup. This was much appreciated by her as she proclaimed that the soup was "tasty" and ate every last drop. This is also the first place we've been since I started blogging that provided proper children's sized cutlery and child sized plates. The Toddler felt like she was a big girl with her own special metal fork and knife. The staff were friendly towards The Toddler and talked away to her.

For our main course, both The Husband and I decided to have the Glamorgan Sausage with chips. 

The sausages were delicious and cooked well, with a tasty mustard dressing on the accompanying salad. The portion size was relatively large, with a decent sized portion of chips. Unfortunately the chips were quite undercooked and were slightly floppy, meaning they needed a lot of ketchup to make them enjoyable. 

Once again, The Masons Arms came up trumps with the children's menu. The Toddler had a choice of 5 meals and had her own little menu handed to her. We chose Chicken Goujons for her and she had the choice of beans or peas. We supplemented her meal with some of the vegetables from other peoples meals as well. When the Chicken Goujons came we impressed that they were homemade, quite large and contained proper pieces of chicken breast. I had a taste and they would not have been out of place on an adult menu. Often when a place offers children's meals, it's of substandard quality to the adults fare, so we were quite impressed with that aspect of our family meal. 

The rest of the family opted for Sunday Dinner. 

The meal was of the average size you expect from a pub in Northumberland. It was pretty standard - average sized yorkshire pudding, a couple of small boiled potatoes, a roast potato and a large side dish of fresh vegetables - namely carrot, broccoli and cauliflower. The veg had been cooked to al dente, but didn't offer much depth of flavour. The portion of beef however, was quite generous and cooked really well, it wasn't at all tough and almost melted in your mouth. 

None of us had room for a pudding, so we paid the bill and left. Outside The Masons Arms they have a small menagerie of animals for the children to visit. There are chickens wandering the outside seated area and the car park. In the fenced off enclosures are Alpacas and Pigs. The Toddler enjoyed this unexpected addition to her excursion out for lunch and would have watched the Alpacas all day. The addition of the animals added a little novelty value to the place - another example of how child friendly The Masons Arms is. 

Overall, our experience of The Masons Arms was quite mixed. The menu was not consistent, with some things being undercooked and others being perfect. Portion sizing was not consistent either - with some starters being the size of a dinner plate and others being less than the size of your palm. On the plus side, The Masons Arms is one of the more child-friendly establishments we've come across since we've lived in Northumberland - we felt very comfortable bringing The Toddler here and the staff made you feel welcome. They make it very attractive to bring your toddler here - with free kids meals, child-sized cutlery, a good quality children's menu and animals to visit. I would say, ultimately, that this  is an establishment we will bring the Toddler to again for the atmosphere and novelty, but that its menu is not up there yet with the better eating establishments of Northumberland. 

ATMOSPHERE - 7/10

SERVICE - 7/10

PRESENTATION - 4/10

FOOD - 5/10

PRICE - 5/10

TOTAL - 28/50

Alnwick Olympic Torch Relay Celebrations

On June 14th 2012 at 4.30pm, The Husband and I made our way to the Alnwick Olympic Torch Relay Celebrations. They were held at The Pastures in Alnwick, which a fantastic and very photogenic venue for such an event. It was Day 27 of the torch's journey - travelling down from Edinburgh through the borders, passing through Berwick and Bamburgh before coming to rest for the night at Alnwick. 

Gates opened at 4pm and we'd been informed that gates closed at 5.30pm, so we were surprised to find that it wasn't that busy. The event had sold out, even though it was a 12,000 capacity. As the evening wore on, however, people started to arrive, clearly only interested in the main event rather than the provided entertainment.

The torch wasn't due to arrive till about 7pm so we had a long wait. We decided to have a hot dog from one of the stalls optimistically situated what seemed like a mile away. We then headed down to see what stalls had been set up nearer the stage, expecting there to be enough to entertain us until the proper entertainment started. The event was sponsored by Coca Cola, Lloyds TSB and Samsung, so the stalls were representing them. There was also an official Olympic merchandise stall. The Husband was pleased to find that Alnwick was one of the places where Coca Cola were giving away their limited edition aluminium olympic themed bottles. I think he was more excited about that than seeing the torch!

The Lloyds TSB stall had plenty of photo opportunities, including the chance to pose with a replica Olympic Torch and have your photo taken. These were then uploaded by Lloyds TSB at the end of the night on a dedicated Facebook page. We didn't have the opportunity to look at the Samsung stall because the queue was quite large, but it must have been something special to have gained so much interest. 

I must admit, The Husband and I initially felt very bored and debated going back to the car to wait until the torch was due to arrive. To be honest, I think we expected a few more stalls and a little bit more of an atmosphere. I think maybe the celebrations on the night of the torch relay had been diluted by the weeklong Festival of Alnwick, which had the town centre littered with stalls and fairground rides. However, I'm sure there were few venues as picturesque as Alnwick's, with the castle being the backdrop to the stage. 

We changed our minds about sitting in the car once Twist and Pulse came on the stage. We made our way into the crowd and from here onwards, we enjoyed our evening. Twist and Pulse were highly entertaining and were an apt support act. They got the crowd psyched enough to take part in Mexican waves and shouting games. 

The younger members of the audience seemed to be mostly there for "Little Comets" - an indie rock band from Newcastle upon Tyne. We had not heard them before and thought that although they were a good example of their genre in music, that they were a little downbeat for the celebrations. There were a proportion of the crowd who seemed very happy and teenagers jumped up on each others shoulders and sway to the music.

There was also a display by the future athletes and the Olympic Relay road team. "It was quite entertaining watching them roll around the stage for a bit" - in my Husbands own words.

At approximately 7.30pm, the last torch bearer for the evening came onto the stage brandishing the torch. The crowd broke out into applause and the young lad seemed to have a group of admirers very near us in the crowd who were whooping and catcalling his name. He was called Lewis Denny, a 16 year old native of Alnwick. He is well known in the community for his charity work and for winning the Child of Achievement award at the Pride of Northumbria awards. 

After the closing speeches and an interpretive dance act, we made our way into Alnwick town centre. The pubs along the route seemed to be benefitting from the Festivities, as people left the crowds into various establishments. The fair was starting to wind down in Alnwick town centre and the traders were packing away, which was a little bit of a surprise as we expected Alnwick to be busy for most of the night. However, an hour after the event and the streets were almost empty, obviously it being a weekday night meant that people just went home. 

Us? We went to The Three Wise Monkeys for a post event Ginger Beer and Thistly Cross Cider.