While continuing work on the second part of Camilleri’s Snack Thief it is time to bring my weekend in the Midlands October 5th to 8th up to-date.
I enjoyed lots of good food, not Montalbano standard where the pay of Italian police Inspectors appears extraordinarily well, eating out at great food restaurants and flying to Genoa for regular weekends at the home of his long term woman and she likewise is able to fly to him and rearrange her occupation to suit his life style, work and other interests. I have never understood the quality of lives some people in reality as well as in fiction live when relying on one family income, even if that is at an above average level.
The food, the glorious food and I repeated the lunch of a chicken breast with barbecue sauce potato chips and salad with apple crumble on the Monday before departing as I had on the Friday lunchtime of arrival. On the Monday I decided upon custard with the apple crumble whereas on the Friday I had a dollop of plain vanilla ice cream. On Sunday I went for a walk in Rufford Park, grounds of the former 12th century Cistercian Abbey where the monks led an austere life of prayer and hard work. I eat a lunch of roast beef with horseradish sauce in a medium size crispy baguette and a trio or was it quartet of roast potatoes with a little gravy from the neighbouring table un a covered veranda outside the restaurant as that inside was fully booked and which my understanding is a regular situation at weekend where the roast meat buffet with good wines has become famed. The full roast meal was around £7.25 while the satisfying baguette £3.95 and the morning was pleasantly warn in the sunshine and OK to be outside when clouded. Only a week ago I cannot remember the evening meal for certain but chicken curry comes to mind while but on Sunday there was a salmon salad at lunchtime and a chicken breast in a delicious sauce with vegetables in the evening. It was during this weekend I discovered the art of preparing a toasted sandwich using what I call a sleeve although Lakeland sell as a bag and the writing of this at the early evening time of 4.30 this Sunday 14th stimulated me to making a cheese and tomato toasty using two thick slices of bread which had to be forced into the aperture but had sprung free ready when I returned after typing a few more lines. Apart from drinks and two packets of crisps, my other snack was part of a carton of grapes over three nights.
For breakfast there were mushrooms and tomatoes, with the addition of instant porridge one morning and a bacon roll with coffee from the bakery close to the Travel Lodge at £2.14 although afterwards I noted a breakfast sub with coffee at the new Subway for £2. The Subway is using the premises of the former betting shop and I noted it was open at 10pm when I returned on the Saturday evening. In rounding up the food remembered over the week it is only fair that I record again that on the Friday evening fancying an ice cream I purchased a pack of cornet wafer chocolate ices creams for only £1.20 and after considering offering two of the four to the receptionist or some arriving customer I consumed the lot although after enjoying two the third was more than sufficient and the fourth was definitely too much.
It therefore also seems appropriate to record my visit at this point to the former austere living Cistercian Monastery of Rufford Park now managed by English heritage although owned by Nottinghamshire County Council. It became a private estate in the 17th century with the fourth Earl of Shrewsbury, one George Talbot whose grandson converted the Abbey into a Country House. The sixth Earl main claim to historical fame is as one time keeper of Mary Queen of Scots and as the fourth husband of Bess of Chatsworth and Chelsea in addition to Hardwick Hall and who was previously married to the William Cavendish whose family became the Dukes of Devonshire and still are. A daughter of her marriage to Cavendish married the eldest son of the Duke by his first marriage.
The country estate then became owned by the Saville Family of Yorkshire including the sixth Earl of Scarborough who inherited when his brother died and who was part of the Lumley family whose home was Lumley castle, now a hotel, overlooking the Durham County Cricket ground and the town of Chester Le Street.
I have visited the park before one Christmas when for a modest additional charge the grounds were festooned with coloured lights and although I walked around the lake or at least part of it my impression was of a much smaller land area and I cannot remember seeing the ford which is known as the water splash and where one can stand overlooking as vehicles of different sizes go through, some cautiously while others travel with abandon The road is closed when the overflow from the lake is such that the ford becomes dangerous. The walled garden is well set out and there are three shops as well as an information centre staffed by Nottinghamshire County Council on Council services and issues together with an exhibition and a children‘s activity area. Two of the shops are on two storeys and sells a range of crafts and pottery artwork in one and outdoor clothing in the other while the third is a traditional gift shop including books, cards and a range of souvenirs. There is also a traditional cafe restaurant service hot food, snacks and afternoon teas. What was interesting is that here a filled jacket potato cost more than the hot beef or turkey baguette. There were a score or more of tables in the courtyard here and all occupied as the sun was out and seating well sheltered from a cool wind.
Both Newcastle and Sunderland featured on Sky TV as did Warrington in the Grand Final Challenge Cup. The successful English ladies cricket team played Australia in the Final of the 20 20 World competition
First off was Sunderland whose game away against Manchester City commenced while I was enjoyed lunch at Rufford Park. I did not anticipate a good result especially as the City start to season was not as good as might be expected from the current Premiership champions who secured their title in the final game of the season at Newcastle, a game where I was present. I was able to watch the second half with resigned masochism as City increased their first half lead of one goal to three.
There was a different expectation on Saturday evening when the bookmakers had Warrington to beat Leeds at odds of 8 to 15 against after they had won comfortably in the mid season cup at Wembley. However I was not convinced as Leeds who had finished the season in the lower part of the top eight as they have in many season yet not only make the Grand Final but had won more times than any other club, and had beaten Warrington in last year’s semi final on the way to take the Final for the fifth time. Warrington had fought back in the first half 14.14 and Leeds came out with a renewed determination which quickly gave them the edge gaining 12 points to Warrington’s 4 to take the title again as worthy winners 26-18. Warrington in their first event Grand Final appearance gave a good account but they and their supporters went home disappointed,
On Sunday morning it was also true that throughout I felt England also the favourites having beaten Australia by seven wickets already in the competition were chasing the game after the Aussi, put in to bat, had an excellent start and when the England team’s big guns went out early I feared the worst. In fact the game ended closer than expected only four runs short and six off the last ball would have won it. Newcastle had beaten Manchester United at St James’s Park last season and the way both teams had started the year suggested that whichever team took command in those opening minutes was likely to end the game victorious. They lost 3.0 and although they had chances as with the other matches over the weekend the result was never in doubt.
Just as well the food and the company were brilliant.
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