Register Club

Pat with Johnnie Walker
Pat and Johnnie on the rooftop

We didn’t set out for the Register Club today. On the contrary, our destination of choice was the Johnnie Walker Experience in Edinburgh. In the last few months we have had rather a lot of experiences with Johnnie. Our first encounter was at the Glenkinchie Distillery. The second was at the Dowans Hotel in Aberlour, where he lived, and the third was at Piershill House in Troon, where his descendants lived. Weirdly, all of these encounters were purely coincidental. We had no idea of these Johnnie Walker connections until we arrived at these locations. Today, we thought we should try the official “EXPERIENCE” in Edinburgh. It’s housed in what used to be Binns Department Store on Princes Street. Spread over four floors, it’s big, and it only sells whisky?

Johnny Walker Experience
One of the event areas on the 4th floor of the Johnnie Walker Experience; Fabulous views over the city towards Edinburgh Castle
Too jazzy

In the ground floor shop, there are lots of people taking pictures of bottles of whisky with different coloured labels. It is a triumph of marketing over substance. I consider myself a reasonably experienced whisky officianado but I doubt I could tell the difference in any of these. It’s all very well done, if a little too jazzy for our taste. However, one thing you won’t get at the Johnnie Walker Experience is a scone … boo! So, you find us at the Register Club.Internal view of the Register Club

It started life as the Royal Bank of Scotland, when banks concerned themselves with flaunting their wealth. No expense was spared. The exotic wood panelling was sourced from countries around the globe. Now, the Register club occupies what used to be the board room on the 4th floor.

Stairwell at the Register ClubView from the 4th floor down to reception

Reception at the Register Club
Reception at Cheval Edinburgh Grand Hotel
Service

On arrival, we were warmly welcomed and shown to a secluded little window seat. Our server explained that when ordering a scone it comes with a partner. In other words, they come as a pair … one fruit and one plain. However, if we wanted to share and have one scone each, we could choose which kind. We decided to have two fruit scones. This level of service bode well.Scones at the Register Club

Two fruit scones duly arrived, lovely and warm and dusted with icing sugar.  There were also pots of jam and clotted cream and a little pat of individually wrapped butter. These scones were just the right size, just the right amount of fruit, just the right crunchiness and just the right soft centre. Perfect topscones.

Oh joy

Logo of the Register ClubIt’s been a day of delicious cocktails, topscones and warm hospitality in a beautiful city on a lovely day. What could make it even better? Well, the news that Trump, in the tradition of all megalomaniac dictators, might run for a third term … maybe a fourth … and probably even a fifth. Only in America! We brimmeth over with unbridled joy!

 

EH2 2AD               tel: 0131 230 0570                Register Club

///corner.crops.jacket

The Grove

You never know with scones; sometimes, they turn up unexpectedly. Just when you least expect them, there they are! Our visit to the Grove was typical.

sign for the Grove

A funeral is often followed by what is commonly referred to as a “funeral tea”. In days gone by, in the Highlands, it would normally be held in the deceased’s house. Friends and neighbours would rally round to provide refreshments for attendees, many of whom had travelled long distances. More recently, however, such events tend to be held in places like the Grove, here in Lenzie.  That’s why we are here.Internal view of the Grove

It’s a purvey!

Lenzie is on the outskirts of Glasgow. In this part of the country it is slightly different. The “funeral tea” is generally referred to as “a purvey”.  At any gathering of mourners after a service, you could often hear kind words said about the deceased followed by a comment on the purvey, usually on the quality and quantity.Internal view of the Grove

A purvey can be anything from a full-blown lunch or supper to a simple selection of sandwiches and cakes. Normally there’s liquid refreshments available for those who want it. On occasion, this can lead to a rather sombre event ending up anything but.  Today’s purvey was a two-course lunch. Afterwards, tea and coffee were served, and you could help yourself from a table of cakes – and scones!

Spooning

We can’t say if scones commonly form part of such purveys – thankfully, we haven’t been to enough of them. A scone at the GroveBut since they were there, they had to be sampled. The jam and cream were supplied in large bowls. You just had to help yourself with a large spoon. Flaws in presentation are entirely down to our lack of spooning finesse. It may be churlish to criticise a ‘free’ scone but ignoring the pathetic presentation, “perfectly adequate” might best describe our scones. Not topscones but perfectly adequate.  Great purvey, though!

Rooftop terrace at the Grove
Rooftop terrace
Odder

Lenzie is a well-to-do, pretty little town where nothing of particular note ever happens. Boring? Not a bit of it! It’s a blessing when you consider the effects of the earthquake in Myanmar. How many little towns throughout the world would give their eye teeth for nothing to happen?  While  Western countries divert ‘overseas aid’ finances to the production of armaments, it does make you wonder. Because we humans seem to prefer expending our valuable and finite resources killing rather than helping each other. It’s odd! It’s even odder when you’ve just come from a funeral.

G66 5JB           tel: 0141 777 7611           The Grove

///hawks.tripled.drips

Rumblin’ Tum

Nowadays, Ardrishaig, on the shores of Loch Gilp, has a population of about 1200, but before the opening of the Crinan Canal in 1809, it was just a tiny fishing village. The nine-mile-long canal joins Loch Gilp to the Sound of Jura and cuts off a long, hazardous journey around the Mull of Kintyre. Ardrishaig is at the eastern end, and Crinan is at the other.Internal view of the Rumblin' Tum in Ardrishaig

Over the years, we have sailed through the canal several times. It’s a lovely experience. However, the charms of the canal were best eulogised in the comedy TV series “The Vital Spark”. Dan McPhail, chief engineer aboard the Vital Spark puffer, famously sang:

Oh! The Crinan Canal for me,
I don’t like the wild raging sea,
It would be too terrific to cross the Pacific,
Or sail to Japan or Fiji.
A life on the Spanish Main,
I think it would drive me insane,
The big foaming breakers would give me the shakers,
The Crinan Canal for me.

Internal view of the Rumblin' Tum in ArdrishaigFrom the title picture, readers can see that when we pulled into the car park in Ardrishaig, it wasn’t the Rumbling Tum that took our attention but the Ritz. Tea at the Ritz? We were excited.External view of the Rumblin' Tum in

We were crestfallen, however, to find that the Ritz wasn’t even a café but had converted to some sort of bric-a-brac shop. Argh! All thoughts of finely cut cucumber sandwiches under extravagant chandeliers were dashed as if on the jagged rocks of the nearby loch. Our rather raw emotions were somewhat salved, however, when we realised that, almost next door, there was the Rumblin’ Tum.  “Tea at the Ritz” would have to be “Tea at the Rumblin Tum“. Not quite so splendiferous perhaps, but of course this is Ardrishaig, not Piccadilly.Logo of the Rumblin' Tum in Ardrishaig

Squidged

We got a warm, friendly welcome and were soon sitting down to our fruit scones. A scone at the Rumblin' Tum in ArdrishaigThere was no shortage of fruit, but unfortunately, a little too long in the oven had baked them hard. The jam came in a long sachet affair that we had to squidge out directly onto the scone. It didn’t do anything to improve the overall situation.  No topscone for the Rumblin’ Tum, but they do have lots of other things on offer.

Emboldened?
Sometimes, the ornamentation says more about the owners than anything else

Far from the west coast of Scotland, news that President Erdoğan of Turkey has just thrown his chief political rival, Ekrem İmamoğlu, into jail is disturbing. Over the past twenty years, Erdoğan has been systematically dismantling the secular legacy of the country’s founding father, Atatürk. This latest move is deeply unpopular and hopefully can be reversed. The thought occurs to us, however, that the bully boys of the world, for some reason, are feeling emboldened.

 

PA30 8DX          tel: 01546 606039             Rumblin Tum

///tribes.eagle.scooters

Pierhouse Hotel

The Pierhouse Hotel is in a lovely spot on the coast of Appin between Oban and Fort William. It’s at the end of a few miles of single-track road so the only way out is the way you went in. However, there is an alternative! It’s the little ferry to the Isle of Lismore but it doesn’t take cars!

Internal view of the Pierhouse Hotel, Appin
The dining room but everyone is sitting outside

On a day like today, however, it is difficult to imagine a more idyllic location to while away a few hours. Also, the Pierhouse has just been awarded Scotland’s Chef of the Year. Cloudless skies, not a breath of wind, and Chef of the Year—what’s not to like? Can you believe that we reviewed this place back in 2015? It seemed perfect then and today it’s as if nothing has changed.

Artist impression of the Pierhouse Hotel, Appin
An artist’s impression of the Pierhouse Hotel

In glorious Spring sunshine, we took our seats on the deck overlooking Loch Linnhe and waited for our coffee and scones to arrive. There were lots of other folk doing the same so we were fortunate to get a table. Some, like us, were just on a day out, others were hotel guests and yet others were killing time waiting for the ferry. A scone at the Pierhouse Hotel, Appin 

Accident?

Our scone soon arrived and to say that the presentation was a little surprising would be an understatement. The scone just sat on the plate but by its side, there was what looked like a very generous quenelle of clotted cream covered in a red preserve. Either that or our Chef of the Year had had a serious accident in the kitchen. Anyway, it was great! The scone was perfect. And the cream and jam presentation meant that you could scoop both up at the same time … brilliant—another easy topscone.Internal view of the Pierhouse Hotel, Appin

Halcyon days

Given that it’s been a decade since our last review of the Pierhouse it’s tempting to look back at what must have been halcyon times compared to now.

The Appin ferry
The Lismore ferry on a mirror-like Loch Linnhe, We once spent a lovely few days on the island staying with the Abbot of Lismore and his wife

In 2015 David Cameron swept to power in the UK. Obama was US President and for the first time, Trump announced he would run for the Republican nomination. Things weren’t perfect but no one had yet envisaged a global pandemic, that Russia would invade Ukraine or that Israel could so graphically demonstrate man’s inhumanity to man. In all of these ten years, this little ferry has quietly gone about its business several times a day every day. It’s always hard to leave this place.

PA38 4DE           tel: 01631 730302              Pierhouse Hotel

///thumb.calms.fats

Callendar Coffee House

Some folk say nothing ever changes while others famously say that change is the only constant. When it comes to Falkirk’s café scene we would tend to think the former is true but then we realise there has been a change. Today’s scone comes from Callendar Coffee House, which was called the Riggs Coffee House the last time we looked. Mind you that was about eight years ago. It raises some questions: is it just a change of name or a complete change of management? Would the scones have changed as well?Internal view of the Callendar Coffee House, Falkirk

Well, yes they had because we had a cheese and bacon scone. That’s a first! It does, however, follow a kind of pattern of late. On our recent travels on the Isle of Arran, we had a “very cheesy cheese scone at the Old Pier Tearoom in Lamlash. A scone at the Callendar Coffee House, FalkirkThat was followed by a cheese scone with extra cheese on the side at Janie’s café in Brodick. Now it’s cheese and bacon … what is happening with cheese scones? It has to be said that although a wee bit on the weird side it was delightful. Nice and cheesy with the bacon giving extra texture and a hint of saltiness. The combination worked very well.

Television first

Callendar Coffee House is located directly on the corner of High Street and Lint Riggs. This rather grand building used to be the Temperance Hotel and on the High Street side, you can find this very modest plaque. John Logie Baird plaqueIt is high up on the wall and seemingly placed so that no one will ever notice it. It does, however, commemorate what was probably the first public demonstration of television. Okay, the broadcast was only from one room to another but still. Why does Falkirk not make more of this momentous moment in history? After all, television went on the become quite popular,

Wimps

Popular is not a word we could associate with Elon Musk these days. But we’re fed up moaning about him so let’s celebrate the return of the astronauts stranded in space for nine months. Being stranded on Arran for one extra night was a bit testing for us so hats off to them. Maybe when they take a look around they might want to get on the next rocket back up to the space station. And now the whole of Heathrow Airport has been knocked out by a power outage. We were upset by a single cancelled ferry … okay, we are wimps!

FK1 1EY          tel: 01324 627028          Callendar Coffee

///smart.cares.goat

Janie’s

When Robert Burns said “The best-laid schemes o’ mice an’ men gang aft agley” he was apologising to a mouse whose house he’d just destroyed with his plough. Our “scheme” was to complete a circuit of Arran, spend one night in a hotel then return to the mainland the following morning. A whistle-stop tour to give our Canadians a flavour of the island! However, on the morning of our departure, as we sat in Janie’s cafe scoffing scones we were blissfully unaware of the significance of Burns’s words.

External view of Lagg Distillery
All the Lagg whiskies are very young but having sampled them all I can verify that despite their lack of maturity they are all fine and full of promise.

The previous day we had arrived on the Isle of Arran. After visiting the Old Pier Tearoom in Lamlash we continued on our circuit of the island. At the most southerly point of the island, we came to Kilmory and the brand-spanking new Lagg distillery. At 20×9 miles Arran isn’t very big and already has a distillery in the north of the island at Lochranza. But let’s face it, you can’t have too many distilleries. 

Outlander?

We continued round the coast to Machrie where we visited the Machrie stones. Part of a stone circle much older than Stonehenge, these stones have been standing here in solitary splendour for 4.500 years.

The Machrie stones
When we placed our hands on the stones hoping for an ‘Outlander’ type transportation we didn’t realise that might be the easiest and quickest way to get off the island.

Eventually, we completed our circuit of the island and were able to book into our hotel. The following morning, we ended up here at Janies while we waited for our ferry.Logo of Janie'sIt’s a small friendly cafe situated in Brodick’s Duchess Court – an amalgamation of small businesses. External view of Janie's

Pat and I opted for a fruit scone but the Canadians went for cheese. 

Scones at Janie's
A cheese scone with extra cheese and a fruit scone with jam and cream

Arran must have a thing with cheese scones because, unusually, this one came with extra cheese on the side. It was good but not as good as the previous day’s. Our fruit scone was nice as well but disappointingly did not come with any local produce. Lots of food items are produced on Arran so this seemed slightly remiss. No topscones today.

The MV Glen Sannox in Brodick
This was as close as we got to our ferry the MV Glen Sannox

Soon it was time to go for the ferry, the latest addition to the CalMac fleet, the MV Glen Sannox. We arrived in time for boarding but half an hour later we were still sitting there. Eventually, they announced that it had been cancelled due to a technical fault. No more ferries today … argh!

Best-laid schemes

Our booking was switched to the first ferry the following morning. That meant, however, we would have to stay another night. Fortunately, our hotel was able to take us back. Not long after we settled in, however, we were notified that the morning ferry had also been cancelled. Our booking was now switched to the 4 pm sailing. Suddenly we were concerned that our fellow travellers wouldn’t make their flights back to Canada. The significance of Burns’s words about “best-laid schemes” suddenly became blindly obvious!

View of Lochranza castle
Lochranza Castle dates back to the 13th century

We decided that we couldn’t risk missing flights so the following morning we decided to take our chances on the early morning Lochranza ferry/Cloanaig boat to the mainland. It would mean a three-hour drive to get home but at least we would get home. The MV Catriona is a much smaller turn-up-and-go ferry. You can’t reserve a place. Considering a lot of other stranded people would have the same idea, it was a bit of a gamble. It worked! We were able to drive straight on to the Catriona and half an hour later we were back on the mainland … hurrah!

Tents

However, news that the Trump/Netanyahu combo is resuming their obliteration of Gaza by sending over F-16 and F-35 fighter jets to bomb people in tents, does make us wish we could return to the much pleasanter world of Arran.

KA27 8DD             tel: 01770 302874                Janies TA

///sporting.dumpling.itself

Old Pier Tearoom

Today, with our Canadian family in tow we have taken the ferry from Troon to the Isle of Arran. Our means of transport, the catamaran MV Alfred is on temporary loan from Pentland Ferries based in Orkney. Us on board the MV Alfred

On a very sunny but fresh day, it took just over an hour to reach Brodick, the capital of the Isle of Arran.

View of Goatfell from the ferry
View of Brodick and the almost 3,000 feet high Goatfell from the ferry

It was mid-morning and so far breakfast had eluded us. We were too early for our hotel so we drove a few miles to Lamlash where we came on the tiny Old Pier Tearoom … breakfast at last!Internal view of the Old Pier Cafe, Lamlash

Natives and locals?
Graphic showing Old Pier and Holy Island
graphic of the Old Pier looking across Lamlash Bay towards Holy Island

Normally we wouldn’t go for scones this early but they had what they called “very cheesy, cheese scones”. Scones with extra cheese. Instinctively we knew that readers would find it unforgivable if they missed out on a very cheesy cheese scone report. So after our breakfast, duty dictated that they had to be sampled. The things we do for our readers?

As we ate we got chatting to a couple of ladies who, seeing that all the other tables were taken, invited us to join them at theirs. When we asked if they were from the island the answer was a little unexpected. One was a “local” and the other was a “native”. The “local” was from Birmingham but lived on the island while the “native” was born and bred and could go back five generations of her Arran family. This was presumably a clear and important distinction for islanders.  They were lovely and the chat was great!A scone at the Old Pier Cafe, Lamlash

Predictably, our very cheesy, cheese scone was indeed very cheesy. With just a little butter, probably the best cheese scone we have ever experienced. Since we don’t have a separate category for such scones we felt this one was sooooo cheesy that we could give it a topweird scone award. Well done the Old Pier Tearoom! You may be tiny but you punch above your weight.

The old pier at Lamlash
Just to prove there is an old pier
Unexpected consequences

Arran is often referred to as “Scotland in miniature“. It has a higher life expectancy, low unemployment, and much lower rates of crime. Even with a large proportion of retired folk living here, it still has a vibrant, independent but Scottish feel about it. It’s odd being on this beautiful island alongside Canadians and seeing the pushback against Trump’s well-thought-out 51st-state/tariffs idea. He may be dividing Americans but he certainly knows how to unite Canadians.

a glove pointing to Ailsa Craig
Someone has very helpfully placed this glove to point out Ailsa Craig in the Firth of Clyde, the source of the world’s best curling stones

KA27 8JN             tel: 01770 600249             The Old Pier

///driveway.depths.creamed

Kingshouse Hotel

Back in the good old days, as aspiring young rock climbers we regarded this end of Glencoe and the Kingshouse Hotel as “a bit posh”. People up at this end had cars and things. We, as impoverished hitchhikers, hung out at the lower end near the Clachaig Inn where you could camp anywhere for free and the beer was a bit cheaper. From time to time, however, we would come up here to climb on the only hill with a guidebook all to itself, Buachaille Etive Mòr.

View from Kingshouse Hotel, Glencoe
Buachaille Etive Mòr (the big shepherd of Etive) from the Kingshouse Hotel.
Remote

The hotel was built in the 18th century and was used as barracks by the Westminster government to keep the unruly locals in check after the 1745 Jacobite Rebellion. However, back when we used it the hotel was much smaller. It consisted mainly of the white building in the title photograph. Nowadays that’s simply the bar and the accommodation is in a large new extension. High up on the edge of Rannoch Moor, it’s very remote.

External view of the Kingshouse Hotel,
On a day like today all the outside seats were taken so we had to go indoors.

Although it remains a climber’s hotel the expansion has been caused by a couple of developments. Namely the advent of the Glencoe Ski Centre just a few hundred yards away and the introduction of the West Highland Way walking route that passes by the door.

Internal view of the Kingshouse Hotel, Glencoe

Scones and coffee were the order. We were with family from Canada so it was great to sit at a table where we could look out onto the picture postcard views outside. A scone at the Kingshouse Hotel, GlencoeIt was busy inside as well but it didn’t take long for our scones to arrive. They were square! We couldn’t remember if we had ever had square scones before. Was it something to go with that other great Scottish delicacy – square sausage? Apologies, this next bit might be a tad technical. When the already slim scone was sliced in half, each half became quite delicate. This, of course, led to spreading difficulties. Scone breakup was a constant danger. Suffice to say, none of these problems were insurmountable. We could rant about all the non-Scottish produce in such a Scottish place but why spoil an otherwise enjoyable experience?

Rough and ready

After the Kingshouse we drove down to the lower end of the glen to the Clachaig Inn. The Clachaig InnThis was our place! A corrugated iron shed around the back functioned as a bar back then. Rough and ready it was but ideal for clientele like us. Meeting other hitchhiking friends and exchanging tales of new routes conquered. All over a few beers, of course. Afterwards, there was dancing in the local village hall. It felt like complete freedom. Returning to work meant five days of dreaming about returning the following weekend.

View from Clachaig Inn, Glencoe
View from the Clachaig Inn towards Aonach Dubh
Transactional

The world seems idyllic when viewing it from places like this on a beautifully warm Spring day. Everything is in the process of being renewed. So why is the rest of the world in such a mess? The current US administration is often reverentially referred to as ‘transactional’ Gods, by its supporters. Able to conjure up the best deals out of thin air. The world, or at least America, should be sitting pretty! But it isn’t!

We don’t want to disparage good honest idiots by attaching that sobriquet to Trump and Musk but it’s almost impossible not to. There’s the idiocy of what they are doing but then on top of that, you realise what’s missing from their supposedly super-negotiations. It’s morality! In the US’s unequivocal backing for Israel and Russia, it’s morality that’s missing.

Notice at Clachaig Inn
Notice at the reception in the Clachaig Inn
Hospitality?

Of course, here we are in a place that epitomises what happens when morality goes out the window. In the Massacre of Glencoe in 1692 a party of 120 soldiers under the command of Robert Campbell were billeted with the McDonalds of Glencoe for several weeks, eating their food and using their shelter. One night, however, a signal from Campbell saw the soldiers rise and murder their hosts in their beds. To this day Campbells aren’t welcome at the Clachaig. Perhaps today’s US administration should bear in mind that sometimes folks have looong memories!

PH49 4HY            tel: 01855 851259             Kingshouse

///riding.speared.ghost

River House

Today we are at River House on the outskirts of Stirling. A lot has happened in the few days since our previous post from the Seagull Trust.Logo of River House

 America’s reputation as the leader of the free world lies in tatters on the Oval Office floor. Oh dear, oh dear, the spectacle of Trump and his rottweiler pals trying to humiliate the defender of the Western world, was shocking and profoundly embarrassing for everyone unfortunate enough to have witnessed it.  And then after a passage of Trump waxing lyrically about his many highly dubious attributes, came “Why do you not wear a suit?” Surely destined to go down in history as the most cretinous thing ever said to a world leader. It was, however, indicative of the hillbilly level of understanding in the room. It was left up to the good people of Vermont to restore some faith by letting JD Vance know he wasn’t welcome in their part of the world.Internal view of River House

Now they want Zalensky to make a groveling apology for not sufficiently appreciating the US and the American people. Have they forgotten that unlike them, Zalensky has some semblance of intelligence and will doubtless grovel like a superhero? Internal view of River House

At last, we made it

We feel confident the American people will eventually come to their senses and sort out this Muskesque Presidency. In the meantime, let’s get back to the serious business of scones. River House is a place we have been meaning to visit for years. We keep seeing the signs but never actually follow them. It is beautifully situated on the shores of a tiny loch with views of Stirling Castle.Internal view of River House

It’s spacious and beautifully themed in the same style as other Cawley Group restaurants. It has a nice relaxed ambience.A scone at River House After a delicious light lunch, our nicely warmed scones were duly presented with a jar of jam and whipped cream in a little ladle thingy. Although not quite the consistency we normally go for they were very enjoyable nevertheless. Salutary to be able to sit in such comfortable surroundings several thousand miles away from the diabolical situation in Ukraine.

Beware of crocodiles at River House
DANGER!
Guarantees?

Ukraine used to have the third biggest nuclear arsenal in the world until, in the 1994  Budapest Memorandum, it was persuaded to give it up completely in exchange for international guarantees that its borders would be respected. We don’t think they would have signed had they known that a bunch of muppets would be their guarantors in 2025.Garden deco at River House

FK9 4TW           tel: 01786 465577           River House

///clasps.duties.daylight

Seagull Trust Cruises

Falkirk High Street is not what it used to be. Like many other High Streets, it has been hit hard by out-of-town and online shopping. On top of this, the High Street’s east end is currently being demolished to make way for a new town hall. Charity shops proliferate so it was no surprise to find that the premises previously occupied by Topshop had been taken over by the Seagull Trust Cruises Bookshop. What was a surprise, however, was that the bookshop had a cafe … and the cafe had scones!Internal view of Seagull Trust Bookshop

Seagull Trust Cruises, a registered charity,  with a dozen boats operating across Scotland providing canal cruises for the elderly and infirm. It’s run entirely by volunteers.

Two of the Seagull Trust canal boats
Two of the Seagull Trust boats on the Union canal
The Marion

A few years back Pat managed their residential boat … the Marion. It had seven berths so that wheelchair users with their carers could take it out for a week at a time. Unfortunately turning the boat around between cruises became a problem. Cleaning, changing beds and laundry just became too onerous. Reluctantly she had to give it up. Now the Marion only does day trips just like the other boats.

In common with most charities, they are forever trying to raise funds. Hence this bookshop selling second-hand books. A scone at the Seagull Trust BookshopWe didn’t buy any but thought the least we could do was buy some coffee and scones. Two very chatty women behind the counter had us sorted out in no time. They even supplied us with some delicious homemade blackcurrant jam. The scones were segment-shaped. I asked if they had been made as a large round and then cut into segments. She said “No, when I make them they all tend to run together then I have to cut them like that.” Whatever she did they were really good. Not a topscone but pretty close.Internal view of Seagull Trust Bookshop

Contrasts

Logo of the Seagull TrustThe fact that these ladies volunteer to run this cafe on behalf of the Seagull Trust Cruises is a testament to the willingness of people to selflessly help those less fortunate. In contrast, this week we’ve found that the US and the UK, two countries that traditionally have been pretty much joined at the hip no longer seem to share the same interests or values. Here’s us thinking that Ukraine and Volodymyr Zelenskyy were making huge sacrifices trying to stop Putin’s advance across Europe and eventually America. How wrong could we be? Turns out that Ukraine is the aggressor and it’s all their fault! Who knew?

FK1 1ES          tel: 01324 612777             Seagull Trust

///grain.modern,stage

by Bill and Pat Paterson and is about finding good scones throughout the world, with a little bit of politics