Quality

will always make itself felt. Recently I was at the Waitrose store in Milnegarvie and was trying to buy some unusual and different wines for a gift. I was beginning to exhaust my knowledge when an assistant asked if she could help. I've never really thought about supermarkets employing wine experts in the store but this lady (who wasn't the store's main wine person - he was away learning about new wines) certainly knew her stuff. I can't imagine Tesco stores providing that service.

Yesterday Anna wanted to take me for lunch at one of her 'finds': The Côte Brasserie in Glasgow's West Nile Street. Good choice! I have to say that it was one of the most contented lunches I have had: quality company, quality service, quality food and wine. For what more can a person ask? I shall be on the other side of the globe for six weeks but when I return and pass through Glasgow for a few days I expect to have more meals here. I was, I have to admit, astonished to find that it's a chain restaurant.

I think even Cro would have enjoyed it.

Talking of Cro here's a picture I took yesterday in Glasgow's Buchanan Gallery which you/he might appreciate

Ah well. In a little over an hour the car comes to collect me and I shall be Emirates' problem. Storm Henry may rage but, hopefully, I shall be on my way to the other side of the world.

Le Camélia

Friday night seven of us went to Auriac-sur-Dropt to Le Camélia restaurant.  What a superb place with friendly unfazed service of good food and excellent local wine all at a very reasonable price.  A sign of its popularity was the number of people who were disappointed having been turned away because they had no booking.

Houses in Llangollen

Llangollen is the sort of place which one could photograph for ever and a day and still come back for more.  I confess that I am biased.  One day I shall find all my old photos - I'm talking about 50 years ago - and you will doubtless be subjected to a few of them.  In the meantime I thought that the following houses were worth a posting:

 The house in the arch was, presumably, built in the entrance to the courtyard to the building on its left (as you look at it).

 

Another interesting - and small - one up and one down cottage

The restaurant where we had an excellent lunch is a converted Victoria Town House

The flags on the wall on the right are Australian - one of the owners is an Aussie - they get everywhere (just like the Welsh).

They Laughed At Me!

CJ, Jo and I went out today to Llangollen, a small town in North Wales about 50 miles from where they live. I have always loved Llangollen. My Dad lived there for a while when he was a young man and so did Jo (not that she was ever a young man!). We arrived at lunchtime and decided that, before we went to see where Jo had lived we would have lunch which we did at the Greenbank Hotel. The service was first class and friendly and the food was plentiful and very well cooked. After the meal CJ and I decided to have a coffee. As I looked down into my cup I pronounced that this was a very happy cup of coffee. It just looked happy. Don't you agree? Now you wouldn't have laughed at me, would you?

The Second Day: Result

Well the tournament ended today.  I had a thoroughly enjoyable couple of days ending up runner-up.  The winner of the Scottish Golf Croquet Opens Championship this year was James Hopgood.  Ranked 200 in the world out of 2000 (against my 537 at the moment – I was, I think 267 at my best) he defeated me 7:3 and 7:4 and I, if not at my best, was not playing badly!

Jamieson Walker presenting the Walker Cup to James Hopgood

To round off the day one of my dearest friends (who, 35 years ago was the originator of the boring old fart comment and more recently rescued me with home truths) came over from the Edinburgh side of the country and we met in town and went to Café Hula for dinner.  If you are in Glasgow and going for a companionable meal before the theatre or any time really then it’s in Hope Street opposite The Pavillion Theatre.

Ayr

I stayed in Ayr overnight on Thursday.  Ayr is a small town of 46,000 with a long history (it was created a Royal Burgh in 1205 – 705 years ago) on the coast South and West of Glasgow. It’s an hour’s flight and an hour on the train with intervening car/bus rides from my house in Eagleton.

More specifically I was staying in The Ayrshire and Galloway Hotel.

 

It turned out to be a much larger hotel inside than the small frontage suggests.  Adjacent to the hotel is it’s restaurant (there is also a bistro in the hotel itself) called The Meridian.

If you want the perfect chip that’s the place to go.  I don’t eat many chips but when I’m eating out I often treat myself.  The food looked excellent and the menu is quite extensive.  Despite the wide variety of things on offer I decided to have fish and chips: a very good choice as it happens.  The batter was as light as a Japanese tempura batter and the fish was cooked to perfection.  Add to that the excellent and friendly service and if I lived in Ayr I know where I would be spending a few evenings!

Why was I in Ayr?  I was due to see the oncologist yesterday morning at the Ayr Hospital.  After the blood results which I mentioned a few days ago the Consultant was absolutely delighted.  For the first time in 12 years I have been moved from 3 monthly monitoring to 6 monthly.  In future they will have an annual phone consultation unless I feel that I need to see them for any reason.  How good is that?

I may never go to Ayr again!  For that reason, if for no other, I feel that I should say something about the place.  Yesterday evening I walked down the main street and was very distressed to see that there are dozens of shops vacant and for sale. 

 

There seemed to be a lack of 'quality shops and a greater than usual number of betting offices and cheap dress shops.  There is a general air of commercial despair in the evening when the shoppers are not there.  This morning I have to say that it seemed a lot more alive.  It would seem, however, that there are just far too many premises for the catchment area.

In amongst that the local Council has obviously tried to introduce an air of hope by some attempts to brighten the area up.  Unfortunately they are fighting  a losing battle. 

Catching Up

Proud Dad

Well it was an interesting day yesterday. Gaz returned to Glasgow and collected me and my luggage from a friend's and we went back to his flat to spend an evening catching up. We went to The Rogano for dinner. It's certainly one of the most expensive restaurants I've eaten in. Whether it's one of the best is a very moot point. As for value for money: not really. But then perhaps I'm spoiled. In New Zealand I would expect food at that level in many restaurants around Hawkes Bay some of which are modest and some of which are very much more upmarket. None are anywhere near as expensive.

A Night Out With Gaz (Part One)

After a lovely lunch at a café near the flat we spent the afternoon in Glasgow so that I could get some odds and ends. We walked from the Tollbooth end of Argyle Street to John Lewis (got what I wanted) and then set off up Sauchiehall Street until we hit the motorway and then returned. Quite a good walk. In the evening we decided to go out to the Corinthian (worth a blog posting all of its own) for an aperitif and the Rogano for dinner. I've tried to eat at the Rogano many times but never managed it. This was a Tuesday night at 2030 - surely no problem. Wrong. Full. So we set of for Babbity Bowser in the Merchant City. It's a gastro pub (don't you just love the jargon) but it doesn't have a website. I've lunched here many times but had never been upstairs in the restaurant. It was well worth it.

Afterwards we returned to the Rogano for a digestif. On the counter were bottles of Champagne (a fair number of glasses were being poured) including a pretty large one. We discovered that a 4.5 l bottle was a Rehoboam (of which neither of us had heard) (after Rehoboam, son of Solomon, King of Judah, 922-908 BC) but the largest they had on the counter held 6 l and was a Methuselah (after the Biblical patriarch who lived to the age of 969).

An excellent night out.

Ready for the off

A few of the many cocktails at the Corinthian

We chose this bar - one of many.

Gaz with his Mojito (the barman visibly blanched when Gaz asked for one - it's the most timeconsuming of cocktails. I just had Campari and Soda (V P E!)

The Corinthian's entrance hall

A Night Out With Gaz (Part Two - Babbity Bowster)

The Babbity Bowster. Superb food. Excellent friendly service.

Panseared Scallop on Stornoway Black Pudding

Monkfish in Bacon on Basil with Marsala Sauce

Creme Brulée - what else?