Cold snowy day in Lincoln

Last night it was snowing. I awoke to the ground covered in snow. I set off for the bus. Luckily an earlier bus was a running a few minutes late, not long to wait for a bus.

On the bus journey, into Lincoln, the countryside white with snow, the roads though clear.

Very quiet, not a lot of people about.

I had a chat with the lady running the whole food stall in the Central Market. I commented on flyers for Pimento Tea Rooms and the evening with Karl Svarc, for the lady to tell me it was her husband and she had his CDs on sale. I was talking to a man running her stall a few weeks back, but did not recognise him. She dug a handful of CDs out of a drawer. I asked did she know what automatically played on his website as it was very good, but no, she did not. I took a chance and bought one of his CDs, Strong Foundation. I suggested he uploaded his music to bandcamp. I did wonder, why hide the CDs in a drawer, not going to lead to many sales.

I went down the stone steps in the narrow alley at the side of Stokes on High Bridge. Very cold walking along side the River Witham to Brayford.

The Brayford is unbelievably ugly. One side is lined with ugly office blocks and high rise apartments. Another side is lined with ugly tacky fast food joints. Across the water, ugly university buildings.

Up until the 1960s, the Brayford was lined with old warehouses and mills. A council with vision would have these restored and made a very attractive area, somewhere to be proud off just off the High Street. Instead, the council allowed their demolition.

There used to be a lovely view across the water of the hills of South Common. Now obscured by ugly university buildings.

Jamie Crofts is composing 5 Diurnes, subtitled the Brayford Pool by day. This is a counterpoint to 5 Nocturnes, a refection on Foss Dyke at Night. It will have to be very very brash, loud and discordant if it is to reflect the ugliness of the Brayford.

Finished the 3rd of my new Diurnes for piano today. Subtitled the Brayford Pool by day. #Lincoln #Piano—
Jamie Crofts (@soundkiosk) February 10, 2013

Excellent pea and mint soup at County Restaurant I should have stayed and had the beef, but decided to have main course at Olibers Coffee Shop.

I go on a detour. I decide to check out The Joiners Arms, which I had spotted last week a little way up a narrow street of Victorian terraced houses. It is closed! I look through the windows. Old oak panelling (or what I think is oak), old wooden seats, not dissimilar to the dining floors at Stokes on High Bridge. I wonder has it closed down? I note it a a Free House, free of greedy pubcos that are putting so many pubs out of businesses. I ask a passer by. I am told no, they keep strange hours. He points to writing on the wall, 1.30 to 12am.

I decide to carry on up the street a steep climb as it is literally straight up the hill. I get to the top, a dead end, then I notice an alley to the right. It intercepts a path that literally goes straight up the hill. It curves around and turns into a lane that slowly widens. I find myself at the foot of Lincoln Castle in a part of town I am unfamiliar with.

I follow the lane around and find I will either come out at the top of Steep Hill in Castle Hill, or part way down opposite a Norman building now housing Imperial Teas.

Now I have to walk all the way back down to Olibers for lunch.

Last week I enjoyed gammon steak at Olibers, Not today. Nothing wrong with it, just too much and when a meal is too big, it is oppressive.

Long chat with the owner. She used to have ten staff working, now down to three. Everyone is struggling, many have gone under, losing their house, some days not worth opening.

I am curious about the stone steps, well worn with age. She tells me it is a listed building, with a 16th century cellar. I resist the temptation to seek a guided tour of the cellar.

On leaving, I bump into the owner of the building who I have known for many years. He has the deeds lodged in a bank and will check the history of the building. He tells me he knows there was a gunsmith sometime in the 1800s.

I wander to The Collection. Last week I inquired about a Tennyson exhibition that no one is aware of. I drop off a cutting from the Lincolnshire Echo that mentions the exhibition. They are not aware either of an art exhibition that was mentioned on BBC Look North last Friday. Unseen Art, Hull and Lincoln but no mention of the location. The Usher Art Gallery is the obvious location, and yet no one at The Collection is aware of it, let alone knows of its location.

A mystery. Two exhibitions mentioned in the media the last couple of weeks, and yet no one knows anything about them.

I walk up The Strait and Steep Hill. My second trip up the hill today.

I look in the Harlequin bookshop. I am interested in antique maps. I wait and wait. Eventually I rudely interrupt, state what I am looking for, and that I will pop back.

On and up Steep Hill. I had no intention of stopping in Pimento Tea Rooms, or at least I had if I had the time, but I have no time, but their tea is so good, I stop anyway for afternoon tea in Pimento Tea Rooms.

I had wanted to go on up to Lincoln cathedral. I wanted some information on wooden sculptures, stations of the cross, but no time.

Around five to five, I have to go all the way down the hill, to the bus station and catch a bus at ten past five.

Harlequin now closed, virtually everywhere closed, but no time.

I make it to the bus station at ten past five. Luckily passengers are still getting on the bus, I catch it in time.

Travelling out of Lincoln in the gathering dusk, I notice all the snow has gone. Alighting from the bus, the first time it has not been pitch black, still not yet dark.

Afternoon walk past Washingborough

Washingborough tractor and plough

In the morning I had walked from Washingborough to Heighington.

This afternoon, I walked part of the route, but instead of cutting through the village, I continued on up Church Hill past Washingborough Hall, to the main road, over the top, then along Cliff Lane as far as I could go.

On my way up, an enormous tractor with a plough on the back. The tractor had tracks like a tank.

Although a chill in the air, with the sun, it felt like a spring day, except the trees were not in leaf and the ground was carpeted with snowdrops and celandine.

Washingborough is a small Lincolnshire village not far outside of Lincoln.

Stations of the cross in Lincoln Cathedral

—- more soon —–

Morning coffee at Stokes on High Bridge

morning coffee at Stokes on High Bridge

tomato and red pepper soup

Rather late in the morning, but as I was walking up The Strait and Steep Hill to Pimento Tea Rooms for lunch, I decided to pop in.

I usually have a cookie, but as late, limited myself to coffee.

I was tempted by tomato and red pepper soup, and popped back.

A mistake, it was not very good. What was needed with the soup was a hunk of rough wholemeal bread, not a soft bap.

Pimento Tea Rooms

Pimento Tea Rooms

Assam tea served in unusual glass spherical tea pot

Pimento Tea Rooms is located near the top of Steep Hill in Lincoln. Entry is unusual, you enter through a fashion shop. Well actually a choice of two fashion shops. You enter through the street door, then have a choice between two different fashion shops, each of which leads into the tea rooms.

I commented on this unusual arrangement to the pleasant girl serving. She said she was aware of something similar in Devon. I asked Totnes, but she was not sure.

A large choice of teas, which ironically come from Imperial Teas of Lincoln, which until they relocated across to the other side of the street, used to be located beneath the tea rooms.

I commented on the contrast with the rude old crone across the street. I was told she was actually quite pleasant, but they do not like photos being taken as they are paranoid, they think people are going to steal their business ideas!

The tea rooms consist of a parlour, and two room which are more or less one room, with a very tiny open kitchen at the end.

Pimento Tea Rooms was one of the places I had thought of having lunch but I did not want to climb all the way up the hill, only to find it was not to my taste.

The kitchen is vegetarian and vegan, with a few choices gluten free, home made, locally sourced, they can tell you what is in the food, as they make it. A baker comes in and makes their cakes. From what I saw, it looks worth visiting one day for lunch.

Newspapers to read, local newsletters.

On a nearby table, I got chatting to an attractive female who I thought was a waitress writing out menus. No, she was a regular who came in to relax and read a book. She was writing out 40 invites for a kids party. I suggested BookCrossing. Both her and the girl who was serving thought an excellent idea.

I ordered tea. Assam tea, a blend of three different teas. It was served in a very unusual tea pot, glass, almost spherical. I was given precise instructions, to operate a lever to withdrew the tea. I lost track of time and forget how long, but I think it was four minutes.

My new found friend on the adjacent table said she operates the lever after a minute, unless I like my tea strong. I do not, I prefer it weak, and so I operated the lever.

It was excellent tea.

I had intended to have a cake, but had a large lunch, and I noticed it was already 3-30am and I was not going to make the market down in town as everything in Sincil Street seemed to shut at four o’clock.

My new found friend suggested I tried The Shed in Bailgate. I not heard of or seen. She told me to walk through a shop and it was out the back. The Shed was my next port of call. I popped in the butcher first and he confirmed The Shed.

Pimento Tea Rooms is well worth the climb up The Strait and Steep Hill.

Synchronicity: My new found friend was from where I live!

Imperial Teas of Lincoln

Imperial Teas of Lincoln

Imperial Teas of Lincoln

I do not believe I have ever met a woman as rude as in this shop.

Imperial Teas of Lincoln, located in a Norman house c 1170-80, halfway up Steep Hill, used to be the other side of the street.

I thought they were closed, as very dark inside, if so, a wasted climb up the hill. But no, I tried the door and they were open. A slim woman, dark skirt, white blouse, could have been straight out of a Victorian photo, was serving what I assumed to be two Americans.

I had a wander around the shop. Quite literally, hundreds and hundreds of jars or tins of different sizes labelled with the tea they contained, and dotted around what I took to be Japanese or Chinese cast iron tea pots, very shallow and large diameter, the like of which I had not seen before.

A photo looking through the door of the woman serving, of the containers of tea, of the tea pots, but best ask.

Will have to ask. No, you cannot, but I will ask the manager. This surprised me, but I patiently waited.

An old crone came out from the back and started ranting and raving at me: You would not expect to take photos in M&S, why do expect to take photos in here? She was sick and fed up with people poking around in the shop, video cameras being stuck in her face, of people poking their noses into her tins and business rivals stealing their ideas, and on and on she ranted and raved.

I was astounded by her outburst. Maybe she wad mad, not just unbelievably rude.

I said I could see no harm in anyone setting up a rival shop, and that pictures were helping to put her on the map. But she was having none of it, it merely set her off again, or maybe she had only paused to catch her breath.

What is anyone going to steal? Unless they work there or hack into their computers, only thing worth stealing would be suppliers, blends they use.

I could understand no flash, no people in the pictures.

How long does tea keep before it loses its freshness? With so many teas, unless they have a massive turnover, do business on the net, very questionable how fresh.

I asked did they not serve teas or have tasting, as I had heard they did. She said no, only in the summer, and if I wished to try their teas, she suggested I visited Pimento Tea Rooms as they supplied the tea.

I then left. Had I been about to make a purchase, I would have walked out, leaving it on the counter.

I would have liked to have asked her about their teas, where they sourced them from, but I was not going to waste any more time with this unpleasant crone.

I contrast her rudeness with Stokes, who have gone out of their way to be helpful.

Small businesses cannot compete on price as they lack the buying power. They can only survive on offering quality and service. Service and politeness in Imperial Teas of Lincoln obviously in very short supply. If they treat everyone like this, I am surprised they remain in businesses. It is one thing being quirky, but not outright rude.

I have visited many indie coffee shops and tea shops. All have been only too happy to explain to me what they are about, they take a great pride in what they do, they are happy to share, for photos to be taken.

It begs the question: What has Imperial Teas of Lincoln got to hide?

Lunch at Olibers coffee shop

Olibers coffee shop

Olibers coffee shop

gammon steak

Usually when I walk past Olibers coffee shop it is empty. Today not so, it was busy.

I was on my way to lunch at the County Restaurant. I had excellent pea and mint soup, but did not fancy anything else on the menu. I decided to go to Stokes at The Collection.

Passing by Olibers on the way, I looked at the boards outside. No, change of mind, I would try their gammon streak. I like a good gammon streak.

It was a wise choice, the gammon steak with a slice of pineapple on top was served with a little salad, peas and chips. The gammon was excellent, but at 8oz, too much, I would happily have shared.

I commented on the boards outside, which I thought was a good idea as it would bring people in and that it was usually empty. The woman said it was her idea, and yes it did make a difference, as often sat there all day and no one came in.

I asked where was the attractive blonde? She was helping out, and now back at university.

From the front to the back maybe two or three well worn stone steps. That of stone, and well worn, gives some idea of the age of the building.

There are not many good places to eat. Plenty of good indie coffee bars and tea shops, home made soups, cakes, but not a meal. Olibers seems to be the exception. Far better than the Dambusters Inn at Scampton or the Butcher and Beast at Heighington. And at £6-50, reasonably priced.

They serve tea, coffee and cakes in Olibers, but make the mistake of not having the cakes on display. Nothing is more tempting than seeing a delicious looking cake on display.

On leaving, continue on up The Strait and Steep Hill, as I wished to try Pimento Tea Rooms and look in Imperial Teas of Lincoln, but very very slowly as a steep climb, as I was feeling very full.

Top Story in The Waverley Daily (Tuesday 5 February 2013).

Windy day in Lincoln

The Joiners Arms

Andy Neal playing on Castle Hill

Today very strong wind blowing. In the sun pleasant, in the shade very cold. Walk down the wrong street and barely able to stand.

I had wished to drop off at Revival a copy of 5 Nocturnes, as they had an unplayable copy, but forgot, not open on a Monday.

Last week I picked up a real gem, Poetry by Lord Alfred Tennyson in Lincolnshire dialect. This was from Society for Lincolnshire History and Archaeology. I had suggested they uploaded to bandcamp, it would then be available to students, scholars and academics worldwide. I popped in today, they agreed an excellent idea and thanked me.

An exhibition entitled The Most Picturesque Figure, an exhibition of the clothes and belongings of Alfred Lord Tennyson in the Central Library. The title from a quote by Nathaniel Hawthorne.

Passing by Central Library, I popped in. No exhibition, no one knew anything about it. They suggested try The Collection where they had a fashion exhibition.

The Collection knew nothing about it either. They did a search, asked around a few questions. They drew a blank. But one of them said he too had heard there was an exhibition, but not sure where.

I had meant to enquire Society for Lincolnshire History and Archaeology but forgot.

All very odd as mentioned in the Lincolnshire Echo last week (Thursday 31 January 2013).

Where to lunch? Stokes at the Collection or the County Restaurant? I decided to walk to the County Restaurant, if nothing else, see what was on during the week, and if I did not like, walk back to The Collection.

On my way, walking past a narrow street going straight up the hill, a row of Victorian terrace houses, and part way up, The Joiners Arms, a lovely old Victorian pub. I did not look inside, maybe I should. We are losing pubs at the rate of 18 a week (the rate of attrition has actually slowed). I wonder of Lincoln has adopted a pub protection policy, as required by national planning guideline, and has a list of of buildings of historic interest, again as required by national policy? I must make enquiries.

• Last orders? How councils can protect local pubs from closure

Excellent pea and mint soup at the County Restaurant, but I did not like the look of what was on at the County Restaurant for main course, nor what was on the rest of the week. It was therefore walk back to The Collection.

On my way to County Restaurant, I had passed Olibers coffee shop, one of many indie coffee shops in Lincoln. It was busy. First time I have ever seen it busy. It is usually empty. I never made it to The Collection, I was tempted by gammon steak at Olibers.

It was delicious. I commented that they were busy and maybe that was because they now had boards outside listing what was being served. The lady agreed, she said it was her suggestion and seemed to be working. She said she is often sat all day and no one comes in. I asked where was the attractive blonde. Only helping out and now back at university.

I decided to carry on walking up The Strait and Steep Hill, only very slowly, as full after my lunch.

Talking to a very pleasant couple from Nottingham, I donned my tourist guide cap and explained some of what there was to see en route.

They told me that Costa was now trying to bully their way into Bakewell. When is Costa going to learn?

I popped into Imperial Teas of Lincoln. A wide section of teas, but an extremely rude woman. She ranted and raved, you cannot take photos. Her loss, I walked out.

I went across the road to Pimento Tea Rooms. Very unusual, you walk through a fashion shop into the tea rooms, even stranger, a choice of two different fashion shops to walk through. An excellent selection of teas (ironically from Imperial Tea Shop), and in contrast very friendly.

An attractive female on a nearby table, I though was a waitress writing out menus. No, 40 invites to a kids party. Rather her than me. She said she was a regular, she liked to come in and relax and read a book. I suggested to her and the plesant girl serving, BookCrossing. Both though an excellent idea. She was shocked to learn Readers Rest, further down the hill, was closing down. We both agreed a crying shame, as an excellent indie bookshop.

To my surprise, 3-30pm already. I was not going to make the market back down in town. Female I was talking to said try The Shed in Bailgate. Never hear of it, but apparently walk through a shop and in their backyard, a large shed.

This is like Sincil Street. Many alleys between the shops, but also many people walk through the narrow shops and out through the back. No one seems to mind.

In Castle Hill, an excellent guitarist playing. Andy Neal. We had a chat. I suggested he uploaded the album he had for sale onto bandcamp. He was aware of bandcamp, and already had music there, but had not yet uploaded this album. He said he liked to sell on the street first. Quite reasonably price, £4, worth a chance. I only had £2 in coins, which he accepted and gave me a CD.

Too many street artists try to sell CDs for £10. Get real. Charge a fiver and people will take a chance, charge £10 and people will say forget it.

He said he had to get back to playing, as he had a living to earn. He played not only around Lincoln but around the country. Now a different style, Spanish guitar.

I checked out bandcamp, but all I could find was one pretty awful track, Endless, which did not do him justice.

I looked in the butcher. Surprised you don’t know about The Shed Keith ain’t you got eyes? He confirmed where it was.

There used to be opposite the butcher, one of the best in the county, an excellent greengrocer. Sadly gone a number of years ago.

With some change in my pocket from a visit to the butcher and The Shed, I told the guitarist it was his lucky day, and gave him two one pound coins. He was chuffed.

Waling back down the hill, gone 4pm, nearly everything was closed. It seems most of these little independent shops are open from ten until four, and even then it seems open on a whim.

Looking in one of the charity shops, I was talking to a literature student who could not find a book he was looking for. I said try Paulo Coelho and The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón.

I popped in Stokes on High Bridge and said hi to Jemma.

Appalling service in M&S, only one cash till open in the food hall, and they wonder why they are a failing retailer.

Sincil Street apart from folks scurrying home, all but deserted. Most of the shops seem to shut at four, those that do not shut at five.

To the bus station, I ran as I thought a bus was about to leave as it was 5 o’clock and people were getting on the bus, but no, leaving in ten minutes.

Long slow grind out of Lincoln. Rush hour as everyone leaving work.

Sincil Street

Sincil Street

Running north-south and bounded to the north by the River Witham (bridged by a footbridge), this area was originally wetlands reclaimed sometime late Anglo-Saxon or early Medieval. The river flowed just south of the wall of the Roman City Lindum Colonia. The present course of the river dates from the 12th century.

Sincil Street is the only remaining heritage outside the Central Market in Lincoln (ironically older than the Central Market), parts dating from 1840, home to many independent retailers, the street more popular than the High Street demolishing the myth shoppers prefer the sameness of High Street retailers (Sincil Street is busier than the High Street).

Little alleys run between the shops, some run to the back of the shops, others run through to what used to be workshops, but now an ugly bus station.

At either end there are two indie coffee shops, Café 44 at one end, Revival at the other.

All that remains of heritage of this period in this part of the town centre.

And yet the City Council wishes to see Sincil Street destroyed. Revival to be demolished to make way for a soulless shopping centre.

No one wishes to see Sincil Street destroyed, it gives the area character, the local businesses recycle money within the local economy.

Why is the City Council hell bent on destruction?

Lunch at Café 44

mushroom soup

carrot cake

Lunch at Café 44. Great for tea and coffee and cakes, but not for lunch, though the fresh mushroom soup was excellent.

For starters fresh mushroom soup, served with a few slices of bread. Very dark, I did wonder had the mushrooms been grilled first, plenty of mushrooms. I should have asked.

Unless you have a breakfast, nothing really for a main course, snacks and sandwiches. I tried roast pork in bap. Nice piece of pork.

Followed by tea and carrot cake. Carrot cake was good, but not as good as carrot cake from Café Mila in Godalming, but then would be hard pushed to find carrot cake that good, and Godalming a long way away.

Spoilt for choice for cakes in Café 44. These they source from Greenhouse coffee shop on Burton Road up past Lincoln Castle.

The only other place in Lincoln for cakes of this quality, apart from that is Greenhouse coffee shop, would be Stokes on High Bridge.

Café 44 is misleading. From the outside it looks small, but inside it extends a long way back, though very narrow, and there are rooms upstairs, up very steep, narrow, winding stairs.

Very pleasant staff. The owner when not busy always has time for a chat.

In many ways Lincoln spoilt for choice with many indie coffee bars serving quality coffee, in Café 44 the coffee is from Stokes. Also spoilt for choice as many of the indie eateries are using fresh ingredients, locally sourced, soup will be freshly made.