Men who do

Returning from holiday after a hellish journey and finding our chimney had deposited a pile of soot and two bricks into our living room during our absence, was not a great welcome home. We then discovered the central heating boiler had broken down leaving us with no hot water.

It could have been worse. Thank goodness for efficient local businesses who turned up the same day to help.

Hats off to Phillip Maggs -
Chimney and TV aerial specialist:

01284 764158 / 07738 595187

Click here to email us And Martin, from Stratton Heating and Gas Services: 01359 235089 | Email: info@strattonheating.co.uk I can't praise both 'rescuers' highly enough for their efficiency, knowledge and sound advice.- although maybe the advice is yet to be tested

Market Day in Bury



 

These photos were taken after 11 am today.  The town seemed very quiet.- lovely to shop in but not encouraging

for trade. This is a shame, given the great new stalls in the market these days.  But, it was a miserable morning weather-wise so hopefully by Saturday everyone will descend upon the centre again. The addition of  'street food' stalls seems to be popular, and the street theatre/arts add further colour. 

 

If I want a coffee in town now (and don't pick up a freebie in Waitrose) I tend to go to the Apex. Truth be told I don't generally frequent it otherwise, but the coffee bar facility is excellent. The rolls and sandwiches today looked superior to any I have seen  elsewhere in similar outlets. I was nearly tempted to have an early lunch. The bonus is that it seems cheaper too. But people still continue to cram themselves in Costa next door. But maybe stranger was the amount of people eating in Burger King  before 10.30. Brunch?  Well, an odd distribution of Bury visitors anyway.
 



Sand Sculpture in market square
 

Cakes (left) Caribbean Food (middle) Fish (right)
Quiet everywhere.
 

Lime - 'Authentic Indian Takeaway', St. Olaves Precinct, Bury St Edmunds

I have to put a good word in for this business - their service was brilliant tonight. More importantly the food was delicious - one of the best Indian meals I have had for some time - very fresh tasting and excellent value for money.    01284 700 080,  01284 727 757

The Organic Cafe, Bistro and Bar, Fornham All Saints



 

OK, so I went to Jamie Oliver's Italian, but that was way on the other side of Bury.   I do try to support local businesses if I can, especially this side of Bury. But on the whole, it's certainly no hardship to go without the cheap and often not-very-cheerful meals of the chain gang (which in Bury we seem to drown in). Good value food is a must for me, but I would rather pay a little more for something special than 'make do' elsewhere.  Well, guess what? I can pay reasonable prices for organic food in my latest find - the Organic Cafe/Bistro/Bar in Fornham All Saints (tucked behind the Organic Shop on the main street).

Some of us would shy away from buying organic food ourselves because we know it is invariably more expensive than non-organic.  Miraculously it seems, that the owner of this business is intent on keeping prices competitive in the restaurant.  My friend and I spent a while talking to him on our last visit.  Providing beautifuly prepared organic food appears to be his passion.  Eating it is one of mine. Shame about the drinking, but I do believe organic wines do not have the detrimental effect on your mind and body that many non-organic have.  In this restaurant, their wine prices are comparable with most other local restaurants, although there is limited choice. I would normally say it's preferable to have more choice to include organic and non-organic wine,  but not necessarily when prices are as competitive as these.  But if you visit don't expect organic gin and tonic. In fact, don't expect any gin and tonic (at the moment). They pride themselves here on providing 95% organic products.  I asked the head chef John, what the other 5% was, and he replied 'Wild!'.  I resisted saying  'Calm!'.

And talking of the head chef, John worked at the  Leaping Hare for two years, which is qualification enough for me.  The Leaping Hare near Ixworth has always been one of my favourite restaurants, although maybe a bit too pricey for me these days.  But so popular, not just with me but celebrities (well, I once saw (or heard) Griff Rhys Jones there)  and with several people I know who travel from Essex to visit.  Well, I now like to think, as John remarked, that there's now a little Leaping Hare nearer town. A  more affordable one, more importantly.

Certainly the lunches my friend an I ate (this was my second visit this month) were delicious. When I saw the chicken dish she was served, I immediately wished I had ordered the same. However, I didn't begrudge her every mouthful because my salmon fish-cakes were the best I can remember.

I do hope this restaurant gets the success that so far it seems to deserve. And I hope it keeps up its high standards and reasonable prices.  A Sunday lunch there next!



Butternut squash and green vegetables alongside a super chicken dish.







St. Edmundsbury and the Olympics

The saying 'You want to get out more' might have applied to me over the last few weeks.  Normally I'm not a great lover of sport on the TV (or 'live' come to that), but Olympia-mania overcame me for the duration - as it did with so many, and I became something of a couch potato as a result. Any outdoor activities were executed swiftly so that I could return home to witness the latest triumphs. And triumphs they were. I was bowled over, not just by the competitors, but by London, it's happy thronging crowds and the glory of the whole event.  The effects on the population, young and old, were clear, and it is now time for the 'legacy' to be activated.  How best to 'cash in' on the wave of inspiration that flows across the regions will be high on the agenda of many borough authorities.

In this region I think we are very lucky with our local upper schools.  Opportunities not just for sports, but all manner of activities, are endless.  I'm not so sure about sport in our local community though.  We can visit a 'public venue' - The Apex, subsidised by the local tax payer to the tune of £800,000, but if we want to take our children to the local swimming pool during the holidays, we will be lucky if we can actually swim.

I'm not saying that the families using the leisure centre last week when I went, were not enjoying themselves, but the provision for local swimmers was woefully inadequate.  I could have travelled
12-15 miles either north or south for better, but that seemed an unreasonable journey to make given the size of this town.  And the local authority want to make it bigger by building more houses but strangely don't seem to give much thought to the infra-structure. I wonder why? No, I really wonder why.  Local politics leave me confused.  The words 'left hand and right hand' come to mind, and occasionally 'underhand', but hey, none of us are perfect.

Okay, I didn't do more than rush by Debenhams last week during the Olympics, but I don't remember seeing the highly subsidised Apex (and Debenhams come to that?) offering anything in the spirit of the Olympics. No fun activities for kids, no free entertainment, no flags even. Haverhill had the flags and maybe more, but then their Christmas decorations are probably better than ours too.  Yes, I'm going off the point .... but this town bugs me. Style over substance?  Well, maybe style is the wrong word.  I will stand corrected if word comes to me that there were Olympic tributes in Bury, but in my experience it's usually volunteer organisations that do all the good stuff (the 'alternative' olympics would be good but that's a big, big venture). 

I would like to see Bury St Edmunds pull a proverbial 'rabbit out of the hat' while the Paralympics are on (because it's too late for anything but a magic trick), but more importantly I would like to see some real thought given to the future well-being of young people in this town rather than to those 'grown-ups' who could probably afford to go further afield in pursuit of their interests.

Archley Landscape Solutions

                                                                                         

www.archleylandscapesolutions.co.uk

It occurred to me recently that I pass on names of local businesses that I think deserve a mention (or a moan about) but I have never included the family one.  My son-in-law and daughter own the above business which has been immensely successful over the years, winning national awards, and accolades from the numerous happy customers who have seen their gardens and drives totally transformed by Steve Bentley and his team (take a look at their webpage).

As Steve's success and reputation grows I cannot help but feel that many people with smaller gardens might have assumed that Archley Landscape Solutions (formerly Archley Paving) was aiming to capture the larger 'landscape' market....... leaving the town gardens behind. This is far from the truth. Despite much of their work being of 'landscape' proportions, Steve and Archley's garden designer Linda Munday take great pleasure in turning small gardens into little paradises.

Some years ago when I was holidaying in Greece I used to pass a garden regularly on the way to the beach. By the end of the week I so enjoyed glancing into the courtyard of the building, which had been transformed into an ornamental garden, that I resolved one day I would have the same. I know Steve could build me one but I think even at mate's rates, I could never afford the marble surrounds.  Not to be deterred, it is my ambition to have some modernisation with water features and lights in my garden. The present pond and solar lanterns do not count.

I don't know whether it's called taking the indoors outside but essentially, Archley has completed a number of projects to make gardens special enough to almost live in. Steve's own garden 'loggia' is a great place for adults and children alike to spend time in - room for entertaining, relaxation and 'sleepovers' (which is called taking the noise outside). There's no hot tub in it though (but I suppose there could be).

I always think it's a good sign when your friends employ you and Steve has worked for his friends and neighbours and my friends. Now if I could get a few more friends interested, I might get that mediterranean garden I want (despite living in the most un-mediterranean climate).

Cavern4, Whiting Street

Workwise is an organisation that helps people with mental health problems use their creativity to get into production. The arts and crafts (and furniture) produced across East Anglia are wonderful, and can be found in this really nice little shop. It is my favourite place to go to buy a gift, although I can't afford some of my favourite pieces in there.  A good cause to support - really worth a visit