We had planned on going to Whitby today as Keith's favourite meal is fish and chips, but we agreed that it was an awfully long way to go for one meal so we came up with another plan. We would visit the Princess Alexandra pub in town, followed by a new place for us, The Old House, which is opposite The Lighthouse, a bar/restaurant specialising in fish and chips!
Going out at lunchtime gave us all the opportunity for a lazy start to the day and after Keith opened his presents and cards we all showered and set off. As forecast, it was a beautiful day with plenty of sunshine, blue skies and warm temperatures.
We parked easily opposite the Princess Alexandra and we were the first customers in when they opened at midday. Keith was disappointed with the beer - they only had one real ale available, although they stocked loads of "craft beers" which seem to be taking over these days but are very expensive!
I had half a pint of Stout while Sophie had a lager and was asked for ID, which meant that Mike had to go without! We stayed for just the one drink and then drove to the Wellingborough road and where we were very lucky to secure a parking space in a small car park behind the street.
The Old House used to be called The Old House at Home and has undergone a transformation, making it quite stark and bare with no real ales on draught at all, much to Keith's disappointment. There was lots of wood, exposed brickwork and tiles and it was very quiet indeed! However, I am sure the place is very popular on Friday and Saturday nights!
We all sat in the garden and Keith and Mike enjoyed a pint of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. I sipped on an orange juice while Sophie tried a Brooklyn Lager. It was lovely to sit in the sun and it made me realise what a bonus a day like this is!
Again, we only stayed for one drink and then made our way across the road to the Lighthouse, a quirky bar/restaurant in the same family as The Old House. There were more white subway tiles here, as well as metal chairs and a red, blue and white theme. It took ages for Keith and Mike to decide what to drink, but in the end they settled on a pint of Sam Adams each.
The seating area for food is at the back of the pub and our menus were printed on the placemats. Keith, Sophie and I opted for cod and chips while Mike had a Mexi-cow pie which contained chilli con carne, beef and cheddar cheese. The food was very good and plentiful. I tried the pub's sauce with my meal which was spicy and delicious and went very well with the fish. Mike had gravy (he's mad about it) while Sophie had a curry sauce. Yum!
None of us had room for dessert so we paid the bill (the food was far better value than the beer) of £36 and waddled back to the car. Keith wanted to watch Newcastle play at 4pm so he settled himself on the sofa while Sophie and I relaxed in the conservatory with Monty cat (he's allowed in as long as he stays on his bed!). It was lovely to not have to worry about cooking dinner!
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