Saturday 24 January 2015

A quality day...


I managed to drag Chris and our grandson Owen out for the morning in the icy sunshine.

After meeting a customer in the Lamb Inn in Ely last week and glimpsing a nice looking market  in town I thought a return trip would be in order.
Once again, I got stuck behind someone in a black Merc. observing every speed limit to the letter.  I think someone was driving Miss Daisy.

Finding the last spot in the Short Stay Car Park, we strolled down High Street, taking in some wonderful old independent shops.
Then came the market and the quality side of things.  I didn't know it was a Farmers' Market.  And one the like of which I've never seen before.  There were stalls selling gorgeous food with a banner up giving the Farm name.  Almost immediately a stall selling pies made from local Longhorn beef and local Beaver Ale, with or without a bit of Stilton.  Chris isn't big on cheese so she opted for the basic Beef and Ale.  We're having pie tonight!  Then some big fat organic fruit scones.  A man was making spicy samosas in front of us.  And Ely Gin in every conceivable flavour, distilled locally.

Then there were the cheeses. Oh Goodness.  I had to have a small wedge of soft cheddar with grated Horseradish, but next time, I might go hog wild there.
The fish stall!  Oh, Lordie.  Chris bought herself a bag of cockles and I had two kippers for lunch tomorrow.
Organic artisan breads.

Little Owen got a tiny aeroplane with a watch in the front, from a quality second hand bits stall, "so I'm never late for school", he assured us.
The inevitable bag of fresh cooked doughnuts finished off the buying spree, whereupon Owen accused, "Grandad, you're spoiled rotten".  Then got a clear plastic, gold handled sword full of jelly beans from Nanny, which he immediately insinuated into parts of me I'd have preferred he hadn't!

I picked up a copy of Model Railway Journal, which I shall report on later when I've read it.

So, there we are.  A sunny but very cold day in the undeniably posh and expensive, tiny city of Ely, but a joy, nonetheless, visited just because it was there, finished off with a Burger King lunch because kids don't do tea shoppes for lunch, let me tell you.

4 comments:

  1. A lovely description of your visit to Ely. Makes me want to go there on market day, when I've saved up enough!

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  2. Thanks, Lloyd. Exactly, you need to save up. The wild Beaver Pie, btw, was excellent. Beaver ale with longhorn beef, that is. Not....beaver!

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  3. I was very envious of the organic artisan bread...you have to really hunt for organic produce in North Wales. Especially now Tediousco have stopped selling the excellent Calon Wen products. I've never been to Ely, (well, the English one anyway) it sounds like a lovely place.

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  4. It really is, Iain. And that stupendous cathedral in the background all the time, PLUS, it has a lovely riverside, ending in the Maltings for tea and the Cutter Inn for inebriation!

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