The closest pub to my gaff had already ceased trading by the time I rolled into town a couple of years ago. It wasn't alone either. Two more former hostelries also stand abandoned and forlorn within a mile of my front door. I quickly became convinced that my would-be local, in spite of its listed building status, was destined to eventually become a residential property. So imagine my delight when, out of the blue, the old place was purchased and reopened as a boozer in the Spring of 2022. Since then the pub has become something of a bolthole for me on a day off, a place to while away an hour at lunchtime with a book, either indoors, or, during the heat of the Summer, out in the yard (it can't really be called a beer garden). The pub was open for a couple of hours on Christmas Day, allowing me the perfect opportunity to stretch my legs, enjoy a pint and have a bit of a chinwag with a group of friendly strangers at the bar, before returning to the solitude of my flat.
As I mentioned previously, I didn't do too well on the eating front during the busy run-up to Christmas, variations of toast and porridge mainly, so I was determined to enjoy a decent meal on the big day itself. When I got home from the pub I roasted every vegetable I could find in the fridge, threw in a few pieces of Quorn, piled the lot onto a monster Yorkshire pud and doused it all with lashings of gravy. It may not look (or sound) that appetising to most readers, but my goodness it was welcome, delicious and filling. The only problem was that following the long, exhausting festive period at work, the bracing wander to the pub, a midday pint and such a hearty repast, within a very short time I could barely keep my eyes open. Long story short, I was in bed by a little after 6pm and didn't stir for a full eleven hours. What a glorious and much needed lump of sleep that was.
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5 comments:
That looks quite a feast
Your pub sounds enchanting. Have you read George Orwell's essay The Moon Under Water?
So glad you managed to get a well-deserved breather over Christmas and a proper meal inside you too! That looks yummy and Mr SDS and I are going to try something similar now. The only thing I'd have to miss out is the Quorn, though - I am one of quite a few people apparently who have an adverse reaction to it, and unfortunately it makes me actually physically throw up, very weird. I'm always disappointed when I look at the vegetarian option on menus and find they do Quorn alternatives rather than just something veg-based!
Hope work will be slower and easier for you now the festive madness is over.
A mighty feast indeed, TS. Like C, I’d swap out the Quorn, but thankfully not because I have an adverse reaction, I’m not a big fan. Baked Tofu would be just the ticket!
Ernie: It was!
John M: It's a good local - the landlord greets me by name, Cheers style! I haven't read The Moon Under Water, I'll add it to the list.
C: I'm usually relieved to find a Quorn based item on the menu if I'm eating out, as any other veggie option is invariably mushroom based...and mushrooms effect me in very much the same way as Quorn does you!
Khayem: I've always been put off by the texture of tofu, until quite recently anyway. Not that long ago, after many failed attempts, I mastered a wicked tofu scramble.
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