We have high pressure over the UK at the moment, meaning the weather is staying dull and overcast with heavy cloud cover. Trish navigated us to Oundle via the A14 and the A605, and it was great to be out and about rather than stuck in the house! The market town was somewhere I've always wanted to go, and I was hoping for a nice cosy pub to have lunch.
We had a little difficulty parking next to the Co-op, but we were soon walking into the pretty town and having a look at the shops. I spotted a brand new pair of slippers in the window of a charity shop, so in we went! They were perfect for Keith and just £5! What a bargain!
We noticed a few interesting-looking shops, and I might return with Sophie one weekend nearer Christmas. We had spotted The Ship Inn on our drive in and decided to have lunch as it was now almost 1pm.
The staff were lovely and friendly, and there was a real fire burning in the grate, emitting delicious aromas of woodsmoke. The pub was low-ceilinged with black beams and many pictures of old ships on the walls. We took a table by the window and had a look at the menu, which was in the process of being changed, so the lovely waitress explained everything to us. We both chose the steak ciabatta served with French fries and coleslaw.
The food was delicious and the service was friendly and attentive. Keith sipped a pint of Timothy Taylor Landlord while I enjoyed half a Guinness. More people came in, so that was good. I'm not a fan of sitting in an empty pub!
I managed to squeeze in a bowl of apple crumble with custard for pud, and then we paid the bill. Keith pointed out that we hadn't been charged for two drinks, and the barman was impressed with his honesty! We ambled back to the car, and I popped into a Tesco Express to get myself a sandwich for my lunch tomorrow.
We took a different route home, driving through the outskirts of Oundle and seeing gorgeous old buildings made from honey-coloured stone. We saw the famous school where the fees are about £19,000 a term for children who board! We had seen a lot of pupils walking about the town in their smart uniforms, and they reminded me of the Harry Potter films!
Once past Oundle, we followed signs for Woodnewton and Bulwick, and we were soon out in the wilds. The weather was still grey and overcast, but at least it wasn't raining. That's due to arrive later in the week when it's set to get wet and windy.
We skirted Bulwick and headed for the A43 and Corby, and then Kettering and home. It was lovely to potter about for the rest of the afternoon and do very little. Sophie had gone out to dinner with some friends at work and was dining at a fried chicken outlet at Rushden Lakes, called Wing Stop.
She arrived home as we were watching the second episode of a documentary about the evil Nazi doctor, Josef Mengele, so I was more than happy to hear all about her evening!
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