Still using our cheap Northern Rail tickets, we decided to have an overnight stay in Manchester. Brief highlights were:
Champagne Afternoon Tea at The Midland Hotel
Peveril of the Peak pub (revisit after a long hiatus)
Gas Works Brewbar, just by our hotel Innside Melia and always worth a visit to try the selection of their own and guest beers.
Another day escape courtesy of Northern Rail‘s limited number cheap ticket scheme. As we had only previously visited Silverdale by car, we had an impromptu mystery tour from the station via the woods before reaching the shore. It was a perfect day for a walk with the water sparkling in the sun. After taking in the views and working up a sweat, we were ready for a gill sitting outside The Silverdale Hotel before walking back to the station.
A short but sweet escape.
Still using our cheap train tickets, we visited J’s old Salford haunts, including the University of Salford where he studied engineering in the Adelphi Building and ate chips and beans washed down by half a mild in the Lima Arms on Peru Street. The Lima Arms is long gone and the Adelphi Building is in a sorry state, although the university has acquired a New Adelphi Building on the main campus. Lots of rebuilding has gone on, possibly with the aim of a more consolidated central campus.
We walked on, passing scenes drawn by Lowry and Salford Cathedral before drinks in the New Oxford on Bexley Square and a locally brewed ale in Seven Brothers Media City.
An interesting day in sunny Salford
Still using our cheap train tickets, we headed to Lytham for an overnight stay at the Clifton Arms to celebrate a birthday. The weather was glorious and we walked along the newly laid prom past Fairhaven, then back to Lytham Green and on to the Taps for a well-deserved pint.
Back at the hotel, we enjoyed the view from the room with a glass or two of champagne. We ate at the hotel, the food was good but the service slightly Fawlty Towersesque both at dinner and breakfast. Still, the room and champagne were excellent!
Lovely Lytham.
Post release from lockdown, Northern offered train tickets from £1 for a limited period so … have ticket, will travel!
The first trip was to Blackpool, where we immediately boarded a tram to Fleetwood, and thence the Knott End ferry, a short trip available according to weather conditions. It was a lovely day and we had a walk along the Wyre estuary before the return ferry and tram back to Blackpool. Having done our real ale research in advance, we managed to fit in a couple of pints at The Brew Room on Church Street (Wonky Donkey and Blackpool Blonde from the on-site West Coast Rock Brewery) and the Cask and Tap on Topping Street before a short walk back to Blackpool North station.
There wasn’t much luck in lockdown for anyone. The good weather prompted us to start daily walks we could do from our front door, and this is something we have continued. A few pictures from around our local area and slightly beyond …
At the start of the year, we had no way of knowing we would soon be in lockdown, so we were lucky to have already planned two escapes to one of our most favourite cities – yes, you guessed it, Nice! We set out in December 2019 on our first visit and should have been travelling by train, but cancellations due to the French strike meant we had to go by plane from Gatwick, so arrived a little earlier than planned (every cloud …) and were soon checked in at the Ibis by the railway station (booked when we thought we would be travelling by train)  and having a beer in a nearby bar whilst semi-watching English football. It had been many years since we stayed at this Ibis and we were slightly dismayed by the disappearance of the restaurant and thus the ruler-measured wine.
In January we should have been running in the PromClassic, but due to injury, only one of us made it … and finished in a very good time for someone with an injury who wasn’t intending to run and thus consumed lots of beer and wine the previous evening! I did manage to hobble around Nice on a few walks but it was a pleasant relief to return to the balcony. The first apartment we stayed in was in Lenval, just near to the hospital, with a sea view, and conveniently close to the tramline, the bus routes, the Prom and a few shops. We enjoyed staying there, although most of the restaurants nearby were closed for New Year, but a few days later we moved further up the Prom to one of our favourite apartments, Savoy Beach. We like staying here – it’s on the Prom, close to the pedestrian zone, the old town, the port, the tram, the buses, lots of shops, restaurants and bars within a minute’s walk. We visited some of our old favourites, Les Distilleries, Le Trimaran, Le Prom and for the first time went to Le Grand Café de France, a brasserie in the pedestrian zone. We had a reasonably priced lunch, but the star of the show is aperitif time (early evening) when with your drink (beer of the month usually available) you are supplied with large amounts of olives, nuts and pissaladiere.
The weather was fantastic, we loved walking on the Prom every day and visiting places we knew and ones we didn’t know as well – St Jean Cap Ferrat by bus on a grey day and the newly opened Parc Du Ray (on the site of the old OGC Nice stadium) on a blue sky day. Â It was so good we stayed an extra week.
By the time of our next visit in March, the coronavirus was making its presence felt in Europe. Our plane to Nice from London City Airport was almost empty as business travel was halted. In Nice, life went on. The sun was shining and we were able to enjoy most of the same activities as in January, with more walking this time. Service at Le Prom just down the road was dismal, so we did a little cooking at home supplemented by wines from Caves Capriogolio, always worth a look. We returned to Cap Ferrat, and visited St Laurent Du Var for the first time (not as nice as Cap Ferrat!), but both very easy to get to by bus.
As our favourite apartment wasn’t available for the whole of our stay, we had to move, but were looking forward to discovering the bars and restaurants around the port. On the day we moved, we did have a couple of drinks in Le Café du Port and were looking forward to returning and to discovering the other local places. However, due to the lockdown, the day after we moved all bars and restaurants were closed – fortunately the supermarkets and boulangeries were still open, but it was a slightly sombre ending to our trip. The flight home was packed, we were glad we had decided to upgrade – champagne all the way, thank you British Airways! We stopped a couple of days in London on our way home and were able to walk around Battersea and the park and pop into our London local, the Cask Pub and Kitchen in Pimlico before the pubs closed and life as we knew it was put on hold.
We have been to Edinburgh a few times before, but never climbed up Arthur’s Seat due to lack of time or inclement weather, so this time we made it. The top was a bit of scramble and very crowded, but the views were good. On the way back, we revisited Calton Hill. After all that, we felt like we deserved a beer! We enjoyed a few in the Fierce Beer Bar as well as the Hanover Tap and the Guildford Arms. There are (flatter!) walks around Holyrood Park just below Arthur’s Seat. The weather was even good enough to sit out on our balcony at the Ibis Styles St Andrew’s Square and enjoy the views. The next day we walked down the Water of Leith to Dean Village and Stockbridge. It is probably quicker to walk via roads but it was a pleasant walk.  Surprise bonus –  when we came up to the main road from Dean Village, we saw the Queen and her entourage on the way to Holyrood Palace.  After returning to explore the quaint Dean village, we returned to Stockbridge and a refreshment stop in the Stockbridge Tap before getting the train to North Berwick.
The train from Edinburgh to North Berwick takes about half an hour, and then it’s a short walk to the High Street. We stayed there for a few days by the beach, exploring bits of the John Muir Way, a coast-to-coast path, and walking up North Berwick Law – it’s not a hard walk, apart from being uphill! The Lodge Grounds are public gardens which are interesting to explore and peaceful to sit in. Although the flat had a large TV, we found the views of the beach, waves, dogs, people and ships proved to be more interesting. The pubs were nice enough, the beer not real ale enough for our taste though we did enjoy the restaurants, especially breakfast in Tea at Tiffany’s on the High Street, and evening meals at The Puffin and Cucina Amore. Although busy on the High Street and the beach, especially at the weekends, North Berwick was a beautiful, friendly and relaxing place – well worth a visit.
So it was time to pack the case again for a roundabout trip to some old favourites. First to the Pullman St Pancras in London for a couple of nights before catching the Eurostar to Marseille. We were upgraded to a vast junior suite which was a nice surprise, but were soon heading out for a wander and beery refreshments in the Euston Tap just along Euston Road followed by our London local, the Cask Pub and Kitchen in Pimlico. We enjoyed seeing the ongoing changes around King’s Cross, remembering those dark and distant times when it was deemed to be a sleazy area to be avoided unless catching a train, and walking along the canal to/from Camden.
Soon we were on the move again, enjoying the scenery between London and the South of France over breakfast, lunch and a glass of wine or two. Although it takes a bit longer, it is much more enjoyable and relaxing than air travel. After checking in at the Ibis Gare St Charles on arrival, we had a wander down to the port and back. We always go a different way and get semi-lost on the way back, beer tastes so much more well-earned after a minor panic and uphill slog! Another day, another train … just 3 and a bit hours to Nice where we collected the keys from Riviera Pebbles for one of our favourite apartments, Baie des Anges. We were fortunate to stay one last time as the owners are now selling the apartment – wish I had a few million euros to spare … the location is great and the views are mesmerising. We did all our favourite things – walk/jog/run along the Prom (there is an exhibition commemorating the Tour de France which starts in Nice in 2020), eat and drink at all the usual places (Les Distilleries Ideales and Creperie Le Trimaran are our perennial favourites, but we also enjoyed Le Romarin, Restaurant du Gesu and Brasserie Les Ponchettes after the market). Best of all we enjoyed sitting on our balcony with that view of the prom, castle hill and the sea. It was before the start of the Women’s World Cup so we saw lots of publicity for it, but we left just before the England/Scotland match in Nice. Our next stay was on Rue Gioffredo, just across the Promenade du Paillon from the old town. The apartment had a large wraparound balcony, was handily placed next to a good boulangerie (Multari) and had great views of the hills and the terracotta rooftops.Â
As always, all too soon, it was time to leave Nice and return to London to attend the Cask Pub and Kitchen 10 year anniversary. We had been there for the 5th anniversary so decided to go to the 10th and sample the beers which had been specially brewed for the occasion. All I can say is we weren’t disappointed! The day of the month’s rainfall in one day was our last in London, and needed for recovery time before our next train journey. Whilst in London, we watched the D-Day remembrance events and even saw the Red Arrows fly past our apartment window, very special.Â
Sort of on our way home, we caught the train to Bangor, via Chester and then bussed it to Menai Bridge where we were staying again at Milverton, a beautiful cottage with an awe-inspiring view of the Telford bridge. We visited Beaumaris, but otherwise stayed in and around Menai Bridge village, eating and drinking in the Liverpool Arms, Tafarn y Bont, Dylan’s and a new and welcome find, Harri’s Portuguese Kitchen on the High Street – great food and evening gin at the weekend. Even though we have been to Menai so many times in the past, there are always new places to discover.
‘Part of me is still in Bradford, can never leave it … something at the core of me is still in Market Street hearing the Town Hall chimes …’ J.B. Priestley
Perhaps the subtitle should be ‘escape to the distant past’ … I lived in Bradford many years ago whilst at university so a long overdue revisit was in order. Of course I knew things would have changed – although rundown, the area by the university was full of pubs and clubs and vibrant with students (it was the era of the full student grant … ) but it was still sad to see said once-frequented pubs and clubs closed and either vacant or turned into madrassas or mosques. Even the university has closed the real-ale serving Steve Biko bar and turned it into a student eatery – but what can you expect when the modern languages department is also only a memory. So we wandered as ghosts of the past along once-familiar streets via defunct landmarks (McCrory’s, Polish Club serving strong or extra-strong vodka, Mannville Arms, Shearbridge, Pickwicks, Tumblers …) but did find a pre-loved gem more or less as it was, and still serving great beer – The Fighting Cock on Preston Street. On the way back into the centre of town, we called at Jacob’s Well Ale House which also had a good beer choice, and the National Science and Media museum, which I think once boasted the largest IMAX screen in the UK.
Back down in the city centre, things started to look up. The area around the town hall is now City Park with a mirror pool with water jet fountains. It is a vast improvement, and would be a pleasant place to sit for a while in the warmer weather. Near to there is Sunbridge Wells, an underground development of bars and eateries which is very interesting to visit. Further into town and further uphill (a feature of Bradford) we visited the Sparrow Bier Café  on North Parade, which had a friendly barman and clientele and a good selection of local Kirstall beers as well as guest ales, we were even offered a sample of a strong stout, lipsmackingly tasty. Just further along North Parade, the Record Café also had a super choice of beer, charcuterie selection, interesting chat and another friendly barman who was good enough to call us a taxi when the heavens opened.
We stayed one night at the Holiday Inn Express, very reasonably priced and just up the hill from the station (or £4 for 24 hours parking), on the Leisure Exchange – 15% off at the chain restaurants there (except Nando’s) for Holiday Inn residents.
Thank you, Bradford, still as friendly as you ever were. A great place to visit to discover the city and use as a base to visit the local area. We will be back for another voyage of discovery.
Escape from work 