G’Saturday, young buddy! And best you hold tight to your wheelchair!
When, sadly, Ross,
Our meet at Alton’s Swan Hotel in Greater Cressroads within the next six hours is made a non-starter on account Blogsbody’s website host Sy1nePrizebyte, son of one of the most renowned Court of Appeal judges in the land, threatens to put a filial corporate cyber axe to our otherwise endless, three-year-old saga of the self-styled watercress capital of the world.
In quintessentially rural Hogshire life, our IT wizard is better known as Cllr Simon May and he is found to lend his experienced hand on the pull to the pumps behind fellow parish councillor blonde, vivacious Nicky Roper’s bar of the Arms at Tichborne.
Sy1ne is creator of www.tichbornearms.co.uk - notable for its absence of humans - linking to the Hogshire Chronic’s glowing review of so thatched a watering hole appearing like a welcome beacon to lonely travellers driving down a narrow country lane en route to Alresford-on-Arle.
Senior Winchester reporter Ash Bolton explains: ‘Landlords Patrick and Nicky Roper display their menu on a large blackboard by the bar. It changes every week and features dozens of examples of homemade, locally sourced, rustic-style food from the kitchen of former trapeze artist chef Stu Colborne.
‘Sat down at a cosy, candle-lit table in a snug corner of the dining area, we felt we were sitting in someone’s living room rather than a pub … relaxed ambience … laid back, friendly staff … roaring log fire kept us feeling snug … and while the landlords’ four dogs Archie, Honey, Nelson-on-account-of-his-one-eye and Rosie slept in front of it.
‘For starters my partner chose chicken liver, watercress pate and red onion marmalade - and, come again, I would opt for it over an alternative order of baked brie and cranberry sauce with French stick.’
It was recommended Chronic Bolton try an 8oz rib-eye steak, grilled tomatoes, mushrooms and potatoes for his main course, while his partner’s preferred taste ran to pork medallions with a pear and cider sauce.
‘Lavished with vegetables and potatoes,’ notes the gourmet scribe.
‘Minus drinks, our tab ran us up to around £50 for three scrumptious courses - and, in my reporter’s notebook, that ain’t over the top.’
We wait to learn what Hogshire Chronic makes of some light editing by Cressroads’ Word Factory to one of its weekly eating-out reviews.
Home, too, of course to HostYour Say for some of the 69 going on 70 blogs and 35,000 illustrated words so far in the Continuing story of Cressroads - www.blogsbody.co.uk - and with as many more blogs, words and pictures yet to create for publication of the stocking filler Too Many Birthdays in September 2011.
Pledged, as you know, Ross, to donate profits from sales of first editions of the book to the charity of your choice - and who knows, but a publishing project destined to receive the vital pro bono support of Sy1nePrizebyte’s board of IT directors for a remaining nine months.
What evening do we next meet for supper in the loving Arms of Tichborne?
You tell me, Mike-the-Blog
