When Sophie returned at 11am, we sat and had a coffee and toast in the kitchen and decided to pop over to Smith's Farm Shop at midday. We needed jacket potatoes for tonight (we had so much chilli left, we decided to finish it tonight with baked spuds), and we both fancied having a cup of tea and a slice of cake.
The weather has been grey and overcast today. I can't remember the last time we had blue skies and abundant sunshine. It has certainly been very Autumnal. Sophie ordered a scone for me and a cake for her, accompanied by a cup of tea each. My scone was nowhere near as moist and delicious as the one I enjoyed at Farndon Fields a couple of weeks ago; it was dry and crumbly, and there was no cream!
The café was full of people with dogs; it seems to be taken for granted now that dogs, like children, can go everywhere, and most places have special treats and water bowls for them. It's fine if they sit quietly under the table, but sometimes we've witnessed fights breaking out between dogs, and a relaxed snack or meal is blighted by yapping, snarling and barking!
After we'd eaten, we had a look around the shop and I picked out some baked potatoes, oatcakes, and a new gonk for Christmas. I think he will blend in perfectly with the others! Sophie picked out sweet pickled gherkins, crisps and hummus.
Rather than go straight home, I took Sophie on a little mystery tour. The new road bypassing Chapel and Church Brampton is still not open, but we headed through the two villages to Harlestone, and I pulled into the car park to have a drink at The Fox and Hounds. Whenever I've driven past, it always looks cosy and welcoming, so I thought now was the perfect time to test it out!
I really should have carried on past, as we were ignored by the young staff behind the bar, and Sophie was on the point of walking out. We eventually ordered two halves of Guinness and took a seat, and I was dismayed to see the dark painted walls chipped and unsightly. The decor reminded me of a seedy nightclub, and if you're going to have such dark paint on the walls, they need to be maintained!
We chatted and did some people-watching, but I was disappointed with the visit and doubt I'll ever feel tempted to go back. Sophie suggested another drink at The Althorp Coaching Inn, so we drove over and joined the crowd of people in the bar area. I paid for two halves of Guinness and two bags of crisps, and we settled at a small table in a little nook by the fireplace. Our table had been reserved for 3.15pm, but there was no sign of the occupants.
This is one of my favourite pubs and has almost everything I'm looking for: flagstone floors, low ceilings with beams, a huge real fireplace, and dimly lit little nooks. The staff are friendly and there's always a lovely, relaxed atmosphere. There were several dogs here as well, but they were on their best behaviour!
We had a drink, munched on our crisps and then made our way home through the Autumnal countryside, the trees wearing their gorgeous colours of red and gold. I just wish we'd had a blue sky as well! Back home, we fed Mooney and enticed him out for a walk. Gomez was still asleep on Sophie's bed, absolutely zonked out from his wanderings, so we left him in peace.
We took Mooney to the green, but he seemed nervous and jittery, so we came home to relax and put the fire on in the living room. Gomez went out, refreshed from his sleep, and Mooney went off again, to who knows where! Sophie and I enjoyed snacks with a whisky and ginger ale, and watched Bridget Jones's Diary, which was lovely. I will never tire of the film!
After we'd eaten, we settled in the living room and, at the house opposite, where a party had been going on all afternoon, a series of loud fireworks were let off, some of them terrifically loud. We tried to get the cats in, but even Mooney didn't appear, which was very unusual for him. He's normally in by 8pm and curled up on his bed. We were annoyed that nobody had said anything about the fireworks, as we now let other residents know if they're going to be let off, especially if they have pets.
We tried in vain to get the cats in all night, and I was worried about Mooney because he is never far away, and this behaviour was out of character for him. We watched two episodes of The Vicar of Dibley, some of the BBC music from 1975, and then retired for the night, still without any furry babies in the house. They are such a worry!
No comments:
Post a Comment