The hunt for the perfect pub, Part 2

After a very lazy start to the day (it was heaven!) we went to The Red Lion at Thornby for lunch. This was another contender for the perfect pub and we had fond memories of visiting it years ago when there used to be a huge Great Dane in residence.

Our first impressions weren't great as there was a lingering toilet smell as we walked in, but the inside of the pub hadn't changed much since we were last there: lots of low beams, brasses, pottery, vases of flowers and plants, a log fire (unlit) and some squashy leather chairs. Keith wasn't too happy with the beer selection, though, as there were no strong beers so this was a disappointment for him.

The man behind the bar was very friendly and took our order for food: sausages and mash, battered haddock, chicken risotto and steak and ale pie. The food was very good. Keith said his fish wasn't as good as our local but the chips were homemade and Mikey ate every scrap of his pie. I'm not sure Sophie was keen on her risotto (I did warn her about the spinach) but the meals were plentiful and well-cooked. Three of us found room for pud (I love having my main meal at lunchtime!) and I had a delicious coffee afterwards, something I can never do at night as it keeps me awake!

So is this the perfect pub? In a word, no. The beers were the one big drawback and the Landlord explained that they don't do strong beers as they are right on the main road through the village. At night I should imagine it would be very cosy with the log fire but I can't see us going back.

We dropped the boys off at home and Soph and I drove over to Tesco as Mikey is at a Birthday Party tomorrow and, of course, it was down to me to buy the present and card for his friend. I also needed cards for my Nan who will be 91 on Monday and I wanted to get another artificial tree for the living room. Tesco was manic as usual and we beat a hasty retreat to Focus where we managed to get a 6ft tree and some lights for under £20!

Back home at last, we decorated the new tree with my "Scandanavian" decorations, little wooden figures that I bought at a Christmas Market in Arras a couple of years ago. It all looked very pretty and I think we are finally done!