EDitorial ± 23-Jan-2015
Light Lunches: The Diner At Bentwaters
Hard to imagine now what the skies used to be like in these parts. We're not talking The Orb's Little Fluffy Clouds as depicted by Gainsborough. We're talking planes, and lots of 'em. An F1-11 here, a C-130 there, though mostly A-10s. Tankbusters with in-your-face cannons capable of untold armour-piercing damage. I was quite the fan, building the 1:72 model and painting it light aircraft grey. It's probably very wrong to miss them.
Those Fairchild monsters are now, well, phantoms, shipped out along with their USAF masters. Head beyond Woodbridge, wave a wing at the Ruddy Duck and throw a pot at Jars Of Clay and you'll behold Bentwaters, the old airbase, featured in Bronhom's The Fourth Protocol. Eyes straight ahead at the entrance checkpoint and there's the diner. Need directions? Hangar left.
What would appear to be an out-of-the-way location is busy-busy with lads over there, mums and babes over here and Vin Diesel in the middle. See, there's filming goes on here, inc. stuff such as Fast & Furious 6. Check the DVD to see a beefed-up Andy drifting in his Zoe. Within the semi-permanent structure is a counter of cans and choccy bars and a huge Jacks-ian blackboard of sandwiches, jackets and main meals. They tell me I'm special so it's the Mexican bean soup for YT, a spicy bowl with a truncheon-sized warmed baguette. Both K&A play it safe with the breakfast bap. I spy a curious assortment of modern art on the walls and a disturbing number of day-old D*ily M*ils. Food is no-frills, filling and functional.
They're clearly serving The Right Stuff since The Diner was voted the best local cafe by the Suffolk Cyclists' Touring Club. Those spokesmen know their stops. I'd guess it acts as a community hub of sorts, playing host to loads of fliers (!) and business cards. Never mind the DMs, just count the therapies on offer from Heights of Tranquility to Maharishi Light Therapy With Gems. Area 51, anybody?
Cake, you ask? Of the takeaway variety this week, an absolutely stonking slab of sponge, lovely with a cuppa back in the office. That is the true taste of Friday.
- website -- The Diner At Bentwaters
If it was a car -- Acura NSX.
If they were passing by -- Ben Collins.