EDitorial ± 21-Nov-2011

TT1112, Week 10

Another brief tweeted review from Boyton Boy:

7-3 win against Sidegate takes #defiants TT to top of div 3

Enough said.

EDitorial ± 18-Nov-2011

Ipswich Lunches: St Nicholas Stores

Consecutive light lunch trips on two days? Are we not men? Yesterday was down at the Maltings. Today is way more central in the racing heart of that Ipswich metropolis. Well, maybe a street or two away from the shopping centre, but crucially it's on the preferred route from town to waterfront. Down there a bit is trendy St Peter's Street. Up here on saints row is St Nicholas Street with handy (though pricy) parking on Franciscan Way, overlooked by Obolensky.

Last time I was in number 7, this was an Italian deli: chap was good enough to sell me a crate of Chinotto. Now it's St Nicholas Stores, a mostly takeaway joint for "quality products from quality producers". Bland name, bland tagline. Step inside, though, and the bland stops playing. Rejigged interior, mahoosive glass counter and a blackboard offering ciabatta, wraps, etc. Plus one communal table, thereby satisfying a key light lunch requirement.

Andy chooses chicken, chorizo and chutney in ciabatta. He *chose* that initially, changed his mind, then dumb bunny me forgot that fact so that's what he got. For me, the irresistible-sounding sticky Thai pork in a wrap. Good to see a selection of local-boy James White juices. I'll take a pineapple and lime Manic Organic. Bench has a couple of 40something spaces for us. Bonus points for providing the "i" newspaper, Private Eye and regional listings mags. Time for a chat with the lady next to us whose hubby is running the place. Six or so months into the new business and going well, which is nice.

Ooh, ultra freshly prepared food is ready for us. My pork wrap was phenomenal. Andy spoke highly of his too (though he's have preferred what he thought he'd ordered). We both had flashbacks to the highly original Cook's Shed. Those regulars are queueing up and heading off with their food packets of pleasure. I'm told that even the sausage rolls are to die for.

Friday and a man must make time for cake, if there's any left: it's atop the counter, and when it's gone, it's gone. Slab of banana and chocolate cake, like the accompanying latte, is really good. Yet another one of times when we'd all much prefer to flick open the paper, order another coffee and gently sigh. Go: it's great.

If it was a car -- Maserati Sebring.
If they were passing by -- Jimmy Doherty.

EDitorial ± 17-Nov-2011

Ipswich Lunches: Tastyfill, Felaw Maltings

You're WFH in The 'Swich, I'm picking up a parcel near IpCity, let's do a none too lengthy light lunch, proposed Andy. I have a venue, he added. See you there for 12:45ish. All good. So 12:50ish I'm enjoying a pleasant cycle along Stoke Quay on the less glamourous side of the waterfront. Lock bike to a post outside The Steamboat and hop over the road.

This landmark building is the Felaw Maltings, as seen in Lovejoy (that Mega Byte Cafe connection) but we'll deal with that some other time. Once a hive of industry, then left to rot, now a centre of hi-tech gubbins. Plus a cafe, says the sign outside. In, head down and straight up the stairs. Up four flights and it ain't here. Odd. Back down, ask at reception this time: you'll be wanting those, she says, pointing at the stairs not taken. Another quartet of ascension and phew, gasp, pant, I'm here at Tastyfill, the in-house eatery. I spy Andy.

Peculiar little place. Sloping roof, fridge in the corner, windowlight, the odd print on the wall and a sizeable serving hatch stroke counter. Laminated list lists mostly sandwich combinations, though there's also salads, lasagne, etc. Large bap, please -- last bit of French stick will do nicely -- with sausage and egg. Obviously such a place is mostly if not entirely for the Maltese workers. Must help trade with the town centre being a fair stroll away. Here's my lunch, hand delivered to table, and it's bloomin' 'normous. That'll take some eating, as will Andy's full English.

No time for coffee nor cake: ouch, it even hurts to write it. Mind you, we're both stuffed to the AA Gills. Tastyfill: bit off the beaten track but tasty, filling and very good value.

If it was a car -- Volvo 265 GLE.
If they were passing by -- Chris Jury.

EDitorial ± 16-Nov-2011

TT1112, Week 6

It's late and we lost, those unbeaten records tumbling like so much tumbleweed in the Manor Club. In brief:

  • Andy was first in and first out, leaving with zero points: not his night
  • Kennedy did well for his brace but fell to quiet man Michael
  • Ed also got a brace, also getting nowhere (as usual) against Michael, also taking five ends to get past ever-improving Martin

Winsley was bemoaning his luck having had two nasty knee operations this year, then slipped on the net partition and hit that same knee. Match temporarily postponed. Luckily he wasn't too bad.

With Andy off on his Brompton, up to Kennedy and Ed to land that 5th point and claim a draw. Didn't happen. Slipped through our fingers like a broken Isle Of Wight souvenir.

EDitorial ± 9-Nov-2011

Light Lunches: Cafe 66, Kesgrave

Many's the time I've turned left into Twelve Acres And A Mule Approach, glanced up to check the time on the KCC clock -- yep, 8:50am -- then wound / wended / whizzed my way past the library into the decoratively painted John Foxx underpass. Not once did I realise that I was within 50 of your metric meters of an undiscovered caff.

Admittedly, it's the Brigadoon of tea rooms, manifesting only on certain days of the week. Such as today, Tuesday. Tons of free parking thanks to avuncular Mr Tesco and the shortest of short-trousered strolls to Cafe 66. There's their US-style board, outside the scout hall, luring us in with a crimp and the promise of a reasonably priced bacon roll. You had us at "bacon".

Being an offshoot of Poppy's Pantry, Cafe 66 is another USS Social Enterprise and thus "staffed by people with learning disabilities". Help yourself to a seat, study the straightforward menu of toasties, salads and sandwiches, tick a box on a little slip to make your selection and hand to waiter. Probably where Milsoms got the idea.

Quick service and barely time to flick through today's Evening Star: lunch is served, a well-presented plate of tuna & mayo jacket with side salad. All good and a bargain price too. Not many places where a stranger will sit down at your table and enquire if you (or your relatives) have bare feet. Quite the most bizarre conversation I've had in a while.

Tidy away these tables and this hall would be ideal for a quick knock, up to 11, best-of-5. Another day, perhaps. Meantime, a palatable mug of coffee in a Kesgrave 2000 mug and a wedge of flapjack: oats are good for you, after all. So, not the most obvious eatery in the area but well worth your support.

If it was a car -- Volvo 66.
If they were passing by -- Billy Connolly.

EDitorial ± 8-Nov-2011

TT1112, Week 9

Pithy tweeted review from Boyton Boy:

TT: slow yet strong & steady start to season with first 10-0 win over Britannia Wrens (keep on practicing boys)

Less is sometimes more.

EDitorial ± 4-Nov-2011

Light Lunches: Poppy's Pantry, Melton

Me and that Andy fella, we're so garishly green that we don't need to prove it each and every week by riding our bikes to an eating establishment. Not when we can walk to the electric vehicle charging point (one of two at Adastral) before jumping into a VW BlueMotion with a start-stop system. None greener, my friends, like two peas in a pod.

Fuel-efficient foot-down past pile-'em-high Wyevale and revvin' right-turn past the sublime Cook's Shed, over the lights and here we are, downwind of Five Winds Farm. Big flappy sign shouts Hot Snacks outside Poppy's Pantry, a brightly painted burger van sitting out front. While the short order chef was prep-ing our ADB orders, time for a nose in the eco supply store. Joe Jackson would have observed the "soul food, good food, whole food" on every shelf and in every fridge. Simply walking around that place has been known to reduce your bad cholestorol.

Talking of which, and temporarily ignoring yesterday's free NHS healthcheck, here's our baps of locally sourced bacon and egg: smells and tastes mighty fine. Internal seating area has odd toys, art equipment, books, you name it, and, handily, a bunch of chairs. Hadn't realised that Poppy's, like Jamie Oliver's 15 and the Co-op Education Centre, is a social enterprise, offering job training for folks with learning disabilities. Makes that bacon slide down even better.

Laminated A5 slip on our table is crying out for our attention: tea and homemade cake for two, £2.50. Bargainous. Sorry, says Mr Poppy, all out of cake today, but please choose a flapjack or something else instead. Eat Natural cranberry and chocolate bar, times two. Lack of sponge is more than compensated for by the presentation of china teacups and a teapot on a tray. Our late friend Grenvyle would have very much approved.

If it was a car -- Ford Popular.
If they were passing by -- Andrew Poppy.

EDitorial ± 2-Nov-2011

TT1112, Week 8

With Kennedy MBA-ing and will-he-won't-he Andy finally declining, it was left to the backbone of the Defiants -- Steve and Ed -- to continue our fine start. Conquered the Cormorants. Now to antagonise the Avocets. You're a long way from home: welcome to the Britannia thunderdome.

Wielding his awkward bat awkwardly is James, and lobbing them high is nice guy Kevin, both of whom we've seen before. Good to have a chat with getting-on Don. Is it really 20 years since we -- well, Ed -- first played him in SCC's canteen on Rope Walk? Scary. In brief:

  • Steve went down in four ends to Kevin in a well-matched game, then dug deep to win in five ends against James
  • Ed got all three -- that's the headline -- but left it late to scrape past Kevin in a tough match, and nearly lost an end to Don

Doubles team picked itself. Poor, poor start, losing first two ends, before we rallied (!) and applied ourselves via a few edges. We'll take the 6-4 win.