MEAL OUT: The White Lion (North Kilworth)

Our third meal at The White Lion, and once again the main was perfect. Rose and I both had steak, different cuts cooked different ways, but both absolutely lovely with perfect chunky chips. However...

On the menu there was a Blackberry Cheesecake that was described as being served 'with' biscuit crumb. Now to my mind, a cheesecake is cream cheese on a biscuit base. So to describe it as 'coming with' biscuit crumb should have sounded an alarm. But it didn't. Furthermore, when Rose asked if the cheesecake came with ice cream we were told that it didn't. So we decided to give it a miss. Unfortunately the waiter scurried back to the table, desperate to save the sale and offering ice cream on the side... and we caved in and ordered two (actually my fault, we could have shared one, which would have been better in hindsight).

First of all it has to be said that had it not had the ice cream on, it would have been even less exciting than it actually was. And it wasn't very exciting at all. Basically it was cream cheese with a hint of blackberry, with some blackberries on a biscuit crumb. Which for £5.75 was as near to taking the piss as makes no difference really. A bit of coulis would have helped, but really the main issue was the cream cheese which tasted like it had been stored in a fridge next to a punnet of blackberries.

But to be fair, when the owner asked me for my feedback she took it on the chin, and we really couldn't fault the mains which were absolutely gorgeous.

MEAL OUT: Coal (Sheffield)

A return visit to Coal at Meadowhall, our waitress forgot our garlic bread starter... but the chicken burgers were excellent. We decided to share a Sticky Toffee Puding, which was REALLY nice actually...

SHOPPING: Meadowhall (Sheffield)

Christmas shopping time, and this year it was a long time. We arrived at 10:40am and left at 5:40pm, spending about an hour in Coal for lunch. Meadowhall is bigger than it appear as it has various spurs off the sides of the main drag, some of which contain three or four big shops. 

Aside from a mountain of shopping, we also visited Goldsmiths so that I could get the link put back in my F1 Kirium, and grill the lady in the shop about when the new TAG Carrera 01 will be available. Next year it seems... 

Wingfield House (Pickwell)

Our first visit to Lee and Su's new house in the country village of Pickwell. On arrival we presented them with my ridiculously overdone Wingfield House brochure, which took far too much time, but gave us (and hopefully them) a lot of chuckles.

After a brief dilly-dally in the (very warm indeed) kitchen, we completed a tour of the interior, which is in various stages of renovation, and much more generously proportioned than it seemed from the photographs. Upstairs one bedroom has been decorated and shows that when completed the house will be a very nice place to visit indeed.

We were in the master suite for the night, complete with en-suite, walk in wardrobe and a fragrance counter. Unfortunately there was no mirror so Rose had to creep along the hall to the bathroom to get her contact lenses out. A minor quibble and not something to mark them down for really.

After a lovely meal at the Fox and Hounds in Knossington, and a few hours of chatter, we went to bed about 2-2:30pm and woke up at 6:30am. By 7:30am we were out of bed and formulating a 'Four in a Bed' style questionnaire, which gave us the opportunity to leave our half of the restaurant bill on the bedside table. 

:)

After a pleasant breakfast (no bacon, tsk tsk) we had a walk around the grounds and were shown the satellite dish that has caused such consternation in the locale. The stables, though run down at the moment, are solid and it's really cool how the kitchen faces onto them, making it a very private, enclosed dwelling that enjoys a verbose dialogue with it's surroundings. Once the stables roof is replaced and the buildings converted, this really will be a wonderful country retreat that anyone would be pleased to visit, especially with such genial and welcoming hosts.

MEAL OUT: Fox and Hounds (Knossington)

With Lee and Su having moved to a new area, a whole slew of new dining opportunities have opened up. And all things considered, it seems we started on something of a high. The place is a bit flipping small really, and it was a bit of a pain having to stand at the bar for 20 mins before being led to our table. But once there all was forgiven as a delicious slab of bread slices and herby butter was presented to the table.

Service was good and friendly, and slightly bizarre as the landlady (played by Honor Blackman) asked Rose if she wanted her usual table. Errr.... okay then. 

I had fillet steak which was absolute perfection, and a pepper sauce which tasted a bit odd on it's own, but absolutely gorgeous on meat and potatoes. Parmentier potatoes were awesome and even the veg with bits of bacon on was fantastic. Rose's duck also met with approval, and Lee and Su enjoyed their food too.

Puddings were not quite as good, Rose said her brownie was a little bit disappointing, I had profiteroles (no idea why) filled with ice cream (which was colder than I thought possible) which was complimented by a lovely butterscotch sauce. Unfortunately the ice cream soon cooled the sauce down and I could actually only manage two of the three huge profiteroles.

All in all though, a splendid meal, which is more than can be said for the parking. When Su and Rose went to the toilet, Lee asked for the bill and insisted on paying for all of us, but I quickly formulated a plan to circumnavigate his generosity!

GIG: Paradise Lost (Nottingham)

This was my thirteenth time seeing Paradise Lost and once again continued the theme of them being good again (after a period of being a bit naff live around 2007-2009). Rich and I arrived just fifteen minutes before the band came on so we didn't get to see 'Lucifer', still, never mind. 

A good portion of the set was culled from the new album and the albums just prior to that (not entirely sure) with only Say Just Words, As I Die, Enchantment, The Painless and Widow from prior to 2000. Erased (from 2002's Symbol of Life album) was the only other old-ish track.

I didn't mind the focus on the newer songs as having seen them so many times it was more interesting to hear tracks from the newer albums than hearing the same old songs yet again. 

Nick told us it was the last date of a seven week tour and he was 'fucked', he looked a bit fucked actually, but then Nick has never been one to fake enthusiasm.

Nick dedicated a track (Faith Divides Us - Death Unites Us) to Phil 'Philthy Animal' Taylor, who I didn't actually know had died...

SETLIST: PARADISE LOST

No Hope in Sight / Widow / The Painless / Terminal / Erased / Praise Lamented Shade / Victim of the Past / Enchantment / Flesh from Bone / Beneath Broken Earth / As I Die / Requiem / Return to the Sun / Faith Divides Us - Death Unites Us / An Eternity of Lies / Say Just Words