Afternoon tea at Henry’s

Henry’s is a lovely tea room, sits above Ruddock’s.

Afternoon tea at Henry’s https://t.co/bvWaRhgPaR #tea #Lincoln pic.twitter.com/pTSD2dgBQc

— Keith Parkins (@keithpp) April 14, 2017

Sadly, it closes Easter Saturday.

Henry’s has been open for four years. According to the staff, who will all lose their jobs, it was a very popular tea shop.

Henry’s will close, because Ruddock’s is closing after 163 years in business, and access to Henry’s on the first floor is through the shop.

But could more not have been done to keep it open?

There is a side entrance, thus access through the shop is not essential, and other tea shops mange this situation including deliveries, though access through the shop is required if require disabled access.

What therefore are the options?

If the ground floor is leased out as a shop, then condition of the lease access must be maintained.

This is not a negative, it would bring people in and through the shop.

Have any discussions been held with Madame Waffle next door to take on the running of the tea shop, if not, why not?

Ruddock’s blame lack of car parking in the town centre. This is nonsense, and do we really wish more cars to drive into the town centre to bring about gridlock?

There are people on the street. The problem is, Ruddock’s lost their way, changed from an indie bookshop to a shop selling rubbish.

Today Ruddock’s was busy, only time I have ever seen busy. Vultures picking over the carcass.

I was surprised reductions of only 50% with only one day to go, as will get far less for any stock left. If closing, shift the stock, even if selling at a loss, as will still be more than will get once the shop closes.

Ruddock’s claim to have the oldest telephone number in the country, the same telephone number for over 100 years. In 1905, the number was Lincoln 85, then Lincoln 285, then 28285, until today 528285. Could this be the oldest telephone number in continuous use in the world?

A very sad day, both for Ruddock’s, Henry’s and all the staff who will lose their jobs.

It is also a very sad day for the town, but the city council do not care, all they are interested in are greedy developers who are trashing the town.

• PHOTOS Afternoon tea at Henry’s

 

 

Afternoon tea en El Limón

te y florentina

El Limón

Te y florentina en El Limón.

Lunch at Italian coffee shop Bottega dei Sapori

steps leading into back garden

tree with spreading branches providing much needed shade

white trailing rose running along the wall

afternoon tea

Bottega dei Sapori is a lovely Italian coffee shop at the top end of Alton. Next door used to be the bank belonging to the brother of Jane Austen.

As it was a hot day, I sat outside in their lovely little walled garden, under the shade of a huge spreading tree. The table I sat at, I looked around, and a lovely white trailing rose was running along the wall.

Delicious lentil and vegetable soup, with which I assume was their own bread, or maybe sourced from a local baker. A winter soup, not a summer soup. Summer soup, pea and mint or watercress.

Tortellini stuffed with I think it said aubergine though it looked and tasted like pumpkin. Not what I had before, which possibly was mushroom.

Followed by a flapjack and a pot of tea.

Bottega dei Sapori source wherever they can locally. And most what they serve, they make themselves.

Integral to the coffee shop, is a little shop, with bread and many other products, including very delightful tea cups and pots.

The coffee is singled sourced. No freddo cappuccino.

The tea, teapigs. Not quality tea, nor is it the little indie company they pretend to be. It is Tetley’s tea.

Lunch and afternoon tea at Café Mila

pea and mint soup

Excellent pea and mint soup. I thought soup was off for the summer, as I have not seen soup since the spring. Pea and mint is a summer soup.

Followed by quiche and salad. The quiche I did not like and left it. First time I have not liked something at Café Mila. What I had my eye on had gone. My mistake, I should have ordered when I ordered the soup.

I returned later and had tea and a cake. As I was with friends, two cakes and we shared.

I really appreciated a zinger. Very refreshing drink on a hot day.

My guests were very impressed.

At a loss why anyone would frequent Costa or tax-dodging Starbucks.

Afternoon tea at Café Mila

Bakewell tart

For afternoon tea at Café Mila, a Bakewell tart and cup of tea.

The Bakewell tart was ok on its own, but it really needed cream or ice cream to go with it.

Followed by a zinger, which for some reason was a different colour to usual, red and yellow, not green, and tasted different.

Very amusing, a visit from one of the staff at fake indie coffee shop Harris + Hoole (aka Tesco) who thought after two days train, knew better how to make coffee.

I have suggested that for next Staycation Live Music Festival next year, Café Mila has a stall, as do not wish to see a repeat of this year, tacky ice cream, burger and doughnut vans. It would also be a good idea for Music in the Park, signs to Café Mila for afternoon tea.

Café Mila has books to read, books to take away. Usually I leave books. They must prove popular, as I never see them again. Today I picked up A Delicate Affair. I was quite pleased with the find, as I had intended to pick up a copy when it was half price, but now at a fiver off, too expensive.

Té de la tarde en El Limón

Té de la tarde en El Limón

I thought I would try the carrot cake, but nothing like English carrot cake.

I sat outside on some lovely very heavy and very unusual old wooden chairs.

Afternoon tea at Pimento Tea Rooms

Mercury Shoes

Mercury Shoes

I had intended to have tea at Pimento Tea Rooms, at least I had had I arrived earlier. But too late, absolutely no way am I stopping to have tea, not time.

I stop and have tea.

I drop of the BookCrossing code for The Shadow of the Wind which I had dropped off last week, and say I will register Pimento Tea Rooms as a BookCrossing zone.

I find a lady stood watching both shops. I ask is she a security guard? She says no, no one in the shoe shop, she is the book keeper who has climbed down from her garret. She needs to serve a customer in the shoe shop, ask the girl in the tea rooms, to go off and find a pair of shoes, I am promoted to guardian of the tea rooms and left in charge.

Pimento Tea Rooms appears to be a meeting place of the local literati, or what in Lincoln passes as the local literati, people chat about books.

I talk to two ladies about The Shadow of the Wind, BookCrossing, writer Paulo Coelho and read The Alchemist. All unknown to them.

On leaving I have a brief chat with a very attractive young woman in the shoe shop. She is the owner of the shoe shoe the tea rooms. Very upmarket shoes.

Pimento Tea Rooms has very interesting access. Either through a fashion shop or a tea shop. The owner of the fashion shop was the owner of the tea shop, now the ownership has changed hands to the owner of the shoe shop.

Excellent Assam tea.

I picked up a slice of their carrot cake to eat later, or to be correct vegan carrot cake.

Nothing like carrot cake. Interesting icing or cream on top, slightly spicy. The cake though is nothing like carrot cake. On display it looks like carrot cake, but when you eat it, you see it looks nothing like carrot cake. More like Christmas pudding in constituency. The taste nothing like carrot cake. If expecting carrot cake, then disappointing, but nothing wrong, just different. Needs to be called something other than carrot cake, or at least vegan carrot cake.

Pimento Tea Rooms has occasional evening music. Friday 22 January 2013, guitarist Karl Svarc.

Earlier in the day I was at a 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.

Synchronicity: This evening I added release notes for the book I had dropped off. As I do so my eye is caught by a quote on the page, it is from The Shadow of the Wind!

Carlos Ruiz Zafon:

Bea says that the art of reading is slowly dying, that it’s an intimate ritual, that a book is a mirror that offers us only what we already carry inside us, that when we read, we do it with all our heart and mind, and great readers are becoming more scarce by the day.

Stokes on High Bridge

Stokes on High Bridge

It is extremely rare to find buildings on a bridge.

Stokes on High Bridge in the centre of Lincoln is one of these rare examples. The road is the Roman Ermine Street, the bridge is Norman, the origin of the building dates back to medieval buildings on the bridge.

Stokes is also unusual in being a tea and coffee shop over a century old, and unlike Costa or tax dodger Starbucks, serves quality fair trade coffee and tea.

Stokes of Lincoln is a family business established in 1902, specialising in freshly roasted coffees and teas. From our early days we have occupied the fine 16th Century building, built on the medieval High Bridge spanning the river Witham, the only one of its kind in Great Britain.Our retail shop situated on the ground floor offers a wide variety of speciality teas, freshly roasted coffees & gifts. Our knowledgeable staff will be happy to help you choose a coffee or tea to suit your palate.You can enjoy a cup of coffee, a light snack or a good old fashioned home cooked meal, in charming surroundings, whilst observing the hustle & bustle of the High Street beneath you. Sit back and watch the people, the boats and of course, the swans pass by …

As you walk in the door, a very old shop, to one side a modern coffee shop. Up on first floor and second floor, very old, as would have been when Stokes opened in its present location over 75 years ago. Amazing old fires with copper canopies. Each floor has its own kitchen. On the stairs photos and paintings.

Back down in the shop, old coffee roaster which is occasionally used, delicious looking cakes, teas and coffees to buy.

When I walked in, the ground floor coffee shop was all but empty. To my surprise, first floor packed, by the time I got back down, the little coffee shop was packed.

It is difficult to see why anyone would wish to drink what masquerades as coffee in Costa or Starbucks when they have Stokes. Stokes is a little more expensive, but then you are paying for quality and atmosphere, something you would never get in Costa or tax dodger Starbucks.

Stokes supply their coffee to indie coffee shops, those that serve quality coffee that is.

I had hoped mid-morning to see coffee being roasted but they had roasted Monday and had finished by mid-morning.

At the side of Stokes a narrow alley, stone steps lead down to the river. Follow along the River Witham and it leads to the Brayford. An area that could have been very pleasant, had the old mills and warehouses been retained and renovated, but sadly destroyed by greed, inappropriate development and a council lacking in vision.

Black is the Colour by Helen Howe mentions Stokes on High Bridge.

If visiting Lincoln, Stokes is a must to visit. Then through the Stonebow, up the High Street, The Strait, a diversion to The Collection (Stokes run a coffee bar in The Collection with occasional live music), up Steep Hill, Castle Square, Lincoln Castle, Lincoln Cathedral, Bailgate.

Afternoon tea at Debenhams

Debenhams afternoon tea

I had eaten Sunday roast at The Keystone. A big mistake as it was disgusting. I was now in Debenhams for afternoon tea as hungry.

Service in Debenhams is appalling at the best of times, and today was no exception. There was few customers, and yet still the service was bad.

I do not know what the cake was, a strange cross between Christmas Cake and Christmas Pudding, erring on the side of Christmas Pudding. I was tempted to ask for cream. Washed down with a pot of tea.

I had a seat overlooking the River Wey.

Debenhams restaurant overlooking River Wey

Day trip to Guildford and Godalming

The morning started off quite cool, by midday turning hot.

Train to Guildford, and too my pleasant surprise I found St Mary’s open.

I lit a candle for Pussy Riot and my Russian friends.

Shocked to find the bookshop outside the church selling a Christian fundamentalist newspaper backing Assad and his slaughter of innocent Syrian people.

Lunch at The Keystone.

Last week I walked to Godalming along the River Wey, today I caught the bus.

Godalming is a small market town on the banks of the River Wey. Sadly the centre of the town has been despoiled by the same old High Street chain stores that rob every town of its character. Two Costa Coffee shops, one Caffe Nero.

What Godalming needs is a lovely old fashioned tea shop or coffee shop, it has neither.

I looked in Godalming Museum to find it was the same art exhibition as the least time I looked. They had had a small concert in the garden out the back for which they had had to pay £28 for a music licence, even though the concert was free,

Last year, in Church Street, the street leading down to the church, was a lovely little wholefood shop. It closed due to the greed of the landlord wishing to jack up the rent. The shop now lies empty, as I predicted last year. Yet another small business destroyed by a greedy grasping landlord.

I had hoped to look in the church, but now too late, closed.

I fancied a cup of tea.

The Bell and Dragon, a converted church, was offering tea and scones and cream and jam. I looked in, curious if nothing else to what they had done, I asked the price. £7-50 for cream tea!

6.25pm, last bus back to Guildford.

Then Eden People at The Keystone.

Luckily I got a lift home, but still did not arrive home until shortly before midnight.