In between FAR too much Kantar work over the past few weeks (good in a way, as it means I won't have any to do in April/May/June when we're away a lot), I managed to get away with Nicky for a Sat night chez Sophie in Marlow. Started off with a bit of Martha time, who has already been excellently trained to hand the beers round – aged only two!
Then headed out for what was a really top notch meal the The Coach in Marlow, one of the Tom Kerridge nosheries. Had a couple of drinks each and shared 7 dishes, plus the recommended rhubarb & custard choux bun at the end, all of which was surprisingly filling. Every single dish was excellent both in terms of presentation and taste (and at that point we still thought England might somehow be winning the rugby against Ireland, so smiles all round). Amazingly for a meal out these days, the bill came with service included already and was a mere £66 a head – very surprisingly low and more than worth it for what we'd had. Nice one.
And this week heralded my birthday present from last year finally coming into play – a 2 nighter down in Dorset to go…. making willow hares! I know, words I never thought would pass my lips, but I actually chose to go and do this and Janine kindly came with me. And a very good day it was too. On the Symondsbury Estate, so we had night 1 and a pub dinner at the Anchor Inn in Seatown (which yes, is right by the sea, and blooming windy it was too!)
And then it was hare day! Lovely brick barn venue and a pile of willow whips on the table to greet us, plus tea & a rather early slice of cake (esp after a pub full brekkie). Even I didn't manage to shovel that in too.. And we cracked on with turning bits of willow into the various bits of a giant leaping hare's anatomy! The only frame was the metal bit for the front legs, so you could secure the eventual hare into the soil, the rest was all willow itself..
With just a spot of lunch (and a nip into the very nice farm shop / homewares emporium) we worked from 10-5pm and miraculously emerged with a willow hare each that even looked… like willow hares! Just a shame about the very BO-y man next to J, whose whiff filled the room by the end of the session – they did say wear old clothes, but not ones that stank!
Anyway – we filled the back seat of the car with new family additions Harry Capon and Hunter Hawkes and took them to Dorchester for a few cocktails and an Asian dinner (us only, they weren't peckish..) Hunter is now happily installed in the Dora garden, and Maddie – having had a cautionary bark or two at him – has accepted him as a new garden friend.
Where next – and what next? – the willow box has been beautifully ticked, I'll have to get Googling.. x