I’ve taken a bit of time out to travel slowly through The Fens, en route to my Amazon delivery shift. And I’m sooo glad I did. I’ve had a whale omelette of a time!
Hi llamas!
My first stop was at a small-holding type place that I often pass. I knocked on the owner’s door, and asked could I feed his llamas an apple. No! They have a very specific diet. Ok.
They – the llamas, not the smallholder – then treated me to an impressive display of bodily functions. The darker one did a wee that seemed to last 20 minutes. Followed by the tiniest poo conceivable. Yoiks!
A view on Cock Bank.
The landscape and vistas around Cock Bank are fab. Well, they certainly are on a sunny day like today.
The wee bridge.And the lovely waterway. Tried to capture the vista with a pano’.Nice abstract patterns on a nearby barn.
This little jaunt, preceding my Amazon delivery route, was an absolute treat. I’m so glad I took the time out. Very invigorating and rejuvenating. Makes me love where we live all the more. A very large part of that is no doubt down to this terrific ‘Indian Summer’.
I didn’t really want to work today, after the pure unadulterated pleasure of lunch at Elsie’s. But needs must. Indeed, going out like that necessitates more work, to fund the indulgence. Particularly right now, alas.
So, hey-ho, tighten the ol’ belt, and shoulder to the whatsit. Off to work, delivering for Bezos’ evil empire.
One thing that continually strikes me, as I do a lot of delivering in and around Peterborough, is what a well designed and very green city a lot of it (admittedly not all of it) is.
Hopefully the following series of images, admittedly all blurred, shot in low light, and not great as photographs, nonetheless convey something of the verdant cosiness some of this greenery creates?
I think all newly built streets – well, a lot more, at the very least – should, by some flexible and sensible application of planning laws, be required to be: 1) nice and wide, 2) heavily planted, with some variety of green living stuff.
Just after snapping this leafy lane, as I finished my shift, I passed the Cock Inn. Being as I am, a bit Finbarr Saunders, such pub names always make me smile and chuckle…
Having discovered Elsie’s on Thursday, it was almost more than I could manage to keep from blathering about it to Teresa. But I wanted to treat her to a surprise.
So Saturday morning we I drove us to Fotheringay, near Oundle, Northamptonshire, where we stopped at the funky little bridge over the River Nene, to enjoy the idyllic weather and beautiful views.
St Mary & All Saints, a flock of the faithful.
I’d booked us a table for 1pm. And we were rather early. I very nearly blurted out where we were headed several times. But Teresa was enjoying the scenic B-road trip. We had a flask of coffee. All was well!
We arrive… the secret still safe.
Nassington village, like many in this neck of Northamptonshire, is gorgeous. Fashioned in local stone. It seems to have sprung from the ground.
The view above is more or less exactly what I first saw, when I took a wrong turn on Thursday, and espied a flash of my favourite shade of green!
What fun!
As I parked Teresa saw a signboard outside the tea room. And finally twigged. I’d suggested we get all togged up, smart and a bit ‘40s-ish. She thought we were off to a ‘40s show, or modelling or wargaming event!
I was pleased to see she was as gobsmacked by the exterior as I had been. And like me, she wanted to photograph the fabulous exterior. A regular patron spotted us, and popped out, offering to photograph us (see above).
Graham, one half of the husband and wife team who run the place, had reserved us a table in a perfect spot. And attended to us in an unhurried manner, befitting the relaxed mood of the place (great period music playing in the background!).
As Teresa and I basked in the ambience of the place, we chose baked potatoes from the humble and affordable menu. And a pot of tea for two; a blend of Earl Grey and Lapsang Souchong (what Teacock’s Pearoom call a ‘?’).
Lovely chinaware.Teresa enjoys a refreshing cuppa!
It was very gratifying to observe Teresa’s rapt and enthusiastic response to the place. She, just as I did, was entranced, and blown away by the attention to detail.
The food was hearty and delicious. As well as the baked spuds, and fillings (tuna mayo’ plus cheese, for; ditto for the mrs, but with added beans!), there was a small ‘slaw, and a nice salad, with vinaigrette dressing.
Beautiful glassware!
The tea was lovely, as was the bone China service. And the water came in a gorgeous period set that I covet deeply!
Although we were both snapping away merrily, once the food came I forgot all about that, and tucked in. So no pics of the grub by yours truly!
Likes the whole experience… just, wow!
But I wasn’t going to omit getting pics of the famous knickerbocker glory dessert!
Our helpful local pal snapped us together again.
As well as chatting with the very sociable chap, who lives just a few doors away – and, he told us, met his wife at Elsie’s – we talked with Graham (I’ll come back to that!) and several of the other customers. The whole thing was wonderfully peasant, facilitated by the exquisite and meticulously curated ambience.
Chock a block with period furnishings.Right down to fab old books, like this.
It turns out Graham, the patron, was formerly a DJ, and gigged with many bands I love, including Thin Lizzy. Even taking tea with Phil’s mum, Philomena! We had a good chinwag about music.
I was out delivering for Amazon/Morrisons today, around Peterborough, when I stumbled upon this place, Elsie’s Vintage Tea Room. In a little out of the way village called Nassington.
Wow!
‘Wow!’ was exactly, and all, I said, on stepping inside. After admiring the superb exterior, I really wasn’t expecting the interior to trump it. But it does.
For me the cheeky cherubs are perfect…… as this really is heavenly.
Amazingly, I was heading the wrong way, in my dinky little motor, thinking about how I might execute a u-turn, without also executing some Lycra clad oldies, all togged up for cycling. And, just as I made to go into the turn, I spotted – at an acute angle – a flash of my very favourite shade of green.
What’s more the sublime green adorned what was clearly a nicely formed wooden shop front. Even though I could only see it as a thin foreshortened sliver, it really drew my eye.
I tried to capture the whole, pano’ style.Dig the gorgeous rug!Olde-fashioned tuck-shop bliss!The attention to detail is nonpareil!
I grabbed a hasty lapsang souchong and battenberg slice. Both lovely. And then had to resume my rounds. But I made a promise to myself – and the proprietor – amidst fulsome gushing praise for his wonderful establishment, that I’d be right back, with the mrs.
And so it we’re booked for lunchtime tea this Saturday coming, at 1pm. I’m so excited. Particularly as I’m keeping it all as a surprise for Teresa. I hope she’s as blown away by it as I am!
Gotta love this little fiddler fella!
The devil’s in the detail. SndGraham and Clare clearly understand and appreciate that. What a job they’ve done!
This is where I sat. Taking in the sun!
Blah…
I’m so glad my timing was spot on.
Very often I discover places like this either when they’re shut. Or, worse still, when they’ve permanently closed. To stumble upon something so pitch-perfectly delightful, and it be open both there and then, and as a going concern to be returned to, and thereby savoured and enjoyed?
We had thunder, lightning, and heavy rain, around 2-3am, last night. I went out at about 8am this morning, and the above is what I saw, pond wise.
Will it stay away, or gradually fill up and settle? I have sealed the liner. So I kind of expect it to slowly drain. It’d be fab if it didn’t require sealing.
Here are four images derived from the 360° snaps I took on my Ricoh Theta. I love these! In the first, the camera’s on the table by the window, and I’ve opted for a ‘looking back towards the door’ view.
I also wanted to vary the lighting of the room plenty. Above we have just two sidelights. Below, even cosier, just a single bedside lamp, and some strings of LEDs.
Here the camera’s perched on the TV.
I shot more photos from the next position, with the Theta precariously balanced atop the TV. And in the one below, the overhead bed light looks almost aggressively bright! Might need to make a shade for it?
Strangely, the embedded 360° pics I put up using Algori 360 only allow for a ‘flat’ spin around the image, on a horizontal plane. Whereas, within Theta’s own software (Theta+), the images can be looked at fully in the round, zooming in or out – the more you zoom out the more fish-eyed it gets – and at various aspect ratios.
All of which makes for a great deal of fun!
Looking down… a good view of the bed!
The view above is great for seeing the LED light strings, and the bed. Whereas the image directly below is a good way to appreciate the irregular shape of this room. Oh, and the safety feature, that is the CO and smoke detector.
As mentioned above, already, I tried to vary the lighting. And in the final shot of this post, this helps accentuate the cosy string of LED lights on the bed-head. All in all, I really love these images. I think they make the room look nice.
Looking up… note the smoke alarum!
Or perhaps it’s just that they capture qualities of the room that are nice!? Whatever! I do love what the Theta brings to the photographic party.
All these pics are possibly going to useful if/when we decide to let this room. Teresa’s v keen! I don’t really want to do it. But economic pressures may force my hand.
