EDitorial ± 20-Jul-2011

Light Lunches: Domino's, Kesgrave

On the wooded estate side of the A1214 stands the majestic Milsom's, oozing class, money and peace. On the housing estate side of the A1214 stands the defiant Domino's, oozing cheese, mozzarella and pizza. One of these competing establishments is a tad more affordable than the other. Clue: it's the one with the phone number you can dial when drunk.

Overcast five minute bike ride brings us to Dobbs Lane and an enticing poster:

Lunchtime Special
Personal 3 Topping Pizza £1.99
Collection Only. Available Until 4pm Every Day.

Some menu selections pick themselves. Chicken, smoky bacon and BBQ sauce for me, aka the key ingredients to a Texas BBQ. Andy seems to get away with ordering four toppings, and we hand over our two quid coins. Then it's next door to the dead handy Dobbs General Store (ex-offy) for 330ml cans of fizzypop and a sub 10 minute wait on the wall outside. They're ready!

Over to the bus stop bench -- let's be civilised -- and let's dig in to our foodie frisbees. Hot, fresh, really tasty and just the right size. We've had far worse than this on our many travels and paid a lot more for it. Would it be so wrong to want a personal pizza for lunch every day?

If it was a car -- Daihatsu Domino.
If they were passing by -- Dave Spikey.

EDitorial ± 18-Jul-2011

Latitude 2011

Mid-July and the end to a logistically challenging week with Middler's daily dance rehearsals, Eldest's prom on the same day as Middler's birthday, Middler's actual dance show, and Eldest doing the full weekend at Latitude. Wanted to camp with her mates but one of the other parents wouldn't have it so we've agreed a daily late morning drop-off and midnight pick-up rota.

Going one better than last year, the seven seater is fully occupied for the Sunday shuttle to the Southwold-ish site. To a man, we're wellied up. Not too bad underfoot as we swap tickets for wristbands. That ethereal sound must be Scala, the Belgian choir who've landed the plum midday slot. They're doing Creep. They've very good. Naturally as they end their set with Have A Nice Day, the rain starts.

Managed to catch some jaunty Leisure Society and was enjoying These Are End Times until more wet stuff descended. Time for me and G to make a bid for the comedy tent: as big as it gets, it's still not big enough when a big name comes on, even more so when it's raining. We manage to squeeze in for the end of Paul Chowdry ("Does this one have bubbles?") such that we're better placed for the Izzardian Dylan Moran so that we're well situated for the heroic Mr Adam Buxton. Help The Police, indeed. Not enough space? Then maybe you shouldn't be sitting here!

Not only but also:

  • well received falsetto of Everything Everything,
  • not enough Ghostpoet,
  • acoustic track by Foster The People in the Sky front room,
  • full set by The Bees in the soggy Sunrise,
  • too much Hurts,
  • found that a little bit of Lykke Li goes a long way,
  • ending the night with a rocking Grinderman meets Blues Brothers set by the multi-bearded Eels
  • and with James Blake still playing as we came away

Thumbs up for the Sunday Times tent for providing some much-needed tea and comfy shelter; none of us dared ask Marcus Brigstocke if his book cost £1000.

... and still missed Luke Wright, Alexei Sayle and the Waterboys.

EDitorial ± 15-Jul-2011

Ipswich Lunches: Ladies That Lunch

Funny old street is Fore Street, home to such diverse elements as the slipper baths, A Passage To India and the Co-op Education Centre. If you need an LP, head to Out Of Time Records. If you need an MP, head to Gummer Jr's office. You want art? That Cor Visser was 'ere.

Down a bit from Martin & Newby's and opposite the Indian is a distinctive shopfront numbered 14-20. Was Sneezum's photographic for yonks. More recently a Thai restaurant, Top Banana, et cetera. Now it's Ladies That Lunch, a new "shopping experience" for female ladies. Professionally, we're less interested in the outfits and more keen on the bolted-on cafe next door. We'll take the seat in the window, thanks.

Inside are various mismatched tables like some sort of pop-up eatery. Fentiman's Curiosity Cola on the way, it's time to examine the laminated menu. Again, there's no great sense of style or harmony. Hot bacon baguette for me (comes with mini salad and ketchup) and a full English for Andy, a growing lad. When it comes, his classy oblong plate is a work of art and very well presented. Ditto his tea in a cute square china cup on a right-angled saucer. Such an odd mix of the ramshackle and the rarefied.

His belly still distended by last week's blow-out at Arlingtons, Andy goes for the cream tea. Does he get fed at home? OK chocolate cake for me and a posh cup of good coffee. Not sure about the decor but thumbs up for the food and service at LTL.

If it was a car -- FAB1.
If they were passing by -- Julia Sawalha.

EDitorial ± 7-Jul-2011

Ipswich Lunches: Arlingtons

I've got a window, said Andy: how's 5-7pm on Thursday? Er, OK. I'll be working from home anyway. Can start/finish a tad earlier. Tricky timeslot, that one. Cafes are closing, restaurants aren't open. Let me see what I can find.

17:00 and I'm first to arrive. I've been to Arlingtons before though not with Andy, and we're about to partake of a splendid offer from Ipswich Central:

Afternoon Tea For 2 For £7.50, Available 2:30pm To 5:30pm Until 31st July

That's the deal. Apart from a choice of cake, we don't rightly know what's going to turn up. Quick flick through a good choice of good papers -- nothing from News International here -- then our pot of tea arrives. As you'd expect from this place, it's in a classy pot with classy cups.

Oh my goodness, here's our food (pictured) on a stand of goodness. Bear with us as we greedily work our way through:

  • (from the top): smoked salmon sandwiches, crusts removed
  • (from the bottom): sizeable scone with Bonne Maman jam and pot of cream
  • (also from the bottom): slab of cake: vic sponge for me, coffee for him

Wow. Bloated. Creosote country. Excellent stuff. Lovely setting. Roll us home. Those saddles are in for a pounding.

EDitorial ± 1-Jul-2011

Light Lunches: Duncans Bakery, Martlesham Heath

First half of 2011 is behind us, nights are drawing in and there's a very English queue in the post office, occupying a corner of the newsagents in Martlesham Heath. Not the first time I've been here and not the first time I've been astonished at the sheer number of (largely ladies') magazines on sale: star-spotting, soaps, slimming, short stories, psychology and psychics. It's 12:50pm, I've got my proof of postage and that poor lady at the counter is never going to clear this queue before the 1-2pm lunch break.

Out to find Andy halfway through his light lunch, courtesy of Duncans Bakery (doubles as a butcher's). He recommends the hot bacon roll in a floury bap, with sauce, yours for a bargain £1.45. Can't go wrong though there's also hot dogs, pizza slices and my usual post 5-a-side order, the classic Cornish pasty. Plus I'll take a nostalgia bag of Walker's French Fries.

Over to the big verdant space, site of the annual Music On The Green, and there's a free bench. Adjacent seating is being used by the Houdini-esque P.O. lady. Temperatures are way up on last April when me and Grenvyle were over here to check out the chippy. Work matters seem to matter a whole lot less when you're sitting in the sun, eating a good bacon bap with a potato-based snack and sipping Yazoo.

There's a quick show of hands and the motion is carried to head back to AP for hot caffeinated beverages: we're gonna need some liquid to accompany these Duncans cakes. I've played it relatively light with the giant cookie but Andy's maybe overstretched himself with the chocolate biscuit cake. He'll be needing those calories on the long ride home.

If it was a car -- Ford BB Van as used by Jones Butchers.
If they were passing by -- Peter Duncan.