Category Archives: Ordinary

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Ordinary, Scones, weird

Not the Smiddy

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Okay, this is a weird one in several ways – weird scone,  weird  circumstance  …  just weird! The other day we were visiting Doune and on the way we popped into the Smiddy to get some stuff in the farm shop. Short on time, we didn’t bother with the café and anyway we had reviewed their scones previously. When I asked Pat when she thought that was she thought that it must have been last year sometime.

External view of the Smiddy
The Smiddy

No, it was 2016 when we last reviewed a scone at the Smiddy …  unbelievable how time passes when you are enjoying yourself! Anyway, as we approached the checkout we spotted this packet (title picture) of banana and chocolate scones. What? As ever, of course, we are willing to risk life and limb in order to further our reader’s sconological knowledge, so into the basket they went.

Pre packed

Scones in packets are usually to be avoided. We don’t think of ourselves as scone snobs but, having said that, there are limits. However, we hadn’t ever come across this particular combination of ingredients before so obviously, they could not be allowed to escape our customary rigorous testing.  It would have to be done at home, however, hence the “Not the Smiddy”  title. 

A chocolate and banana scone for the SmiddyThe big test took place the following day while watching the tragic events unfold in Ukraine. Pat whipped up some cream and served them with some of her own plum jam. Dilemma, what do you serve with chocolate and banana scones? They looked deceptively like fruit scones but what appeared to be fruit was in fact chocolate chips. We like a bit of crunch to our scones but these ones were very soft all over but not unpleasant. We won’t be rushing back to buy more but overall they were surprisingly nice. All we can suggest is that, if you ever come across chocolate and banana scones yourselves, don’t be frightened! And the plum jam went fine!

The government

Today the government announced a new approach to the UK’s energy problems. North Sea oil is going to be fully developed to alleviate the  economic crisis. Could this be the same North Sea oil that, according to the same government in the 2014 Scottish Independence Referendum was at an end, only a dribble left? They’ve also hiked up National Insurance contributions for all employers and employees to help pay for the NHS. Could this be the same NHS that was supposed to benefit to the tune of £350 million per week as a result of Brexit? At the same time Rishi Sunak’s wife has registered for non-dom status to escape taxes.

The plight of the people in Ukraine is heart rending. We’ve volunteered to take refugees but due to the government’s opaque immigration system our chances of getting any are slim to say the least. Could it be that our UK government is devious, dishonest, sleazy, self-serving and incompetent? Perish the thought! Remember, these days everything is Putin’s fault! However, he’ll be relieved to hear that we’re not blaming him for banana and chocolate scones.

Ordinary, Scones

Royal Station Hotel

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All good things must come to an end … why oh why does that have to be true? But they do and after a wonderful few days here in Newcastle, we are heading for home. We arrived back in the city centre having been pampered for a few days in Jesmond Dene House. Our train wasn’t due for another hour so time to squeeze in another scone maybe? We ended up here at the Royal Station Hotel but it wasn’t our first choice.

Sound advice

You know how lots of pubs are called “something and something” e.g. the Hare and Hounds, the Rose and Crown etc etc. Well we were aware of a place called the Dog and Scone which was not far from the station. We ended up getting a bit lost, however, and had to ask a chap manning a fruitstall. “Dog and Scone“, he said, shaking his head “nae man, never heard of it“. He consulted with a couple of colleagues and that resulted in a kind of mass synchronised head shaking. We told him the street name “ wey aye man, that’s just doon there and alang yon lane on the right but ye don’t want to be gaein’ there man, it’s rubbish! There’s dogs everywhere on the floor on the tables, ye really don’t want to be gaein’ there, ye definitely won’t like it, there’ll be hairs in the scones!“External view of the Dog and Scone, Newcastle

Limits

That’s the second ‘rubbish’ thing we’ve been told about in Newcastle. The first ‘rubbish’ thing was the Metro which turned out to be great so we thought we should still go and investigate. The friendly fruit man was spot on! We looked in the window of the Dog and Scone and true enough, there were people lying on the floor with their dogs, people sitting with dogs on their tables, dogs everywhere. Presumably they had scones but we decided there was limits to our dedication after all. We don’t even know if we would have been allowed in without a dog! We moved on and the next place we came to was the Royal Station Hotel. It’s a huge Victorian pile that forms part of the station.

Internal view of the Royal Station Hotel, NewcastleNo dogs here but not much joy either. There were signs for afternoon tea all over the place but they said they didn’t do scones, eh? When we asked how they did an afternoon tea without doing scones our waiter looked at us quizzically “ well I suppose I could ask the kitchen for a scone“, he said. The temptation to give a round of applause was almost overwhelming.

Is this cream?
A scone at the Royal Station Hotel, Newcastle

They probably thought we had a bit of a nerve because we only wanted one scone to share. To give them their due they did come quite smartly with our order. It was all quite acceptable except the cream which was just a bowl of runny stuff … completely unfit for purpose. No topscone here unfortunately but it did allow us to kill some time in more comfortable surroundings than we would have had at the Dog and Scone.

Internal view of the Royal Station Hotel, NewcastleThere were some interesting quotes painted onto the walls; “Whisky is by far the most popular remedy that won’t cure a cold” was one by Jerry Vale. It does make it much more bearable though … I can vouch for that! Sometimes I drink it even if I don’t have a cold.

Judgement?

Another quote by Ukranian philosopher, Dagobert D Runes was perhaps more topical. “Dictators long ago found that it is easier to unite people in common hatred than in common love.” Putin has certainly managed to do that. Now, however, he may be slowly beginning to realise that he has bitten off more than he can chew. Hugely overestimating the capabilities of his own forces and underestimating the bravery and resolve of the Ukrainian people. Hopefully, before long, someone will put him out of his misery.

Soon we were back on our LUMO train and heading back north with very fond memories. Newcastle itself was great but its people were fantastic. Without fail we were welcomed  by the Geordies who proved to be unstintingly helpful and  friendly. Apologies for our attempts at imitating the accent.

NE1 5DH        tel: 0191 232 0781        Royal Station

///went.list.mile

Ordinary, Scones

Olivers Bistro Café

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Logo of Olivers in Grainger MarketNormally, when we go to London we get the East Coast line which is operated by LNER. Somewhat unexpectedly however a new kid has appeared on the line …. LUMO. They don’t do as many stops as LNER but we thought we would give them a try. So here we are in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Way aye man, welcome to Geordieland.  They speak differently down here and have a whole vocabulary all of their own … would we manage without an interpreter,? 

We were too early for our hotel so we walked up towards the Monument and ended up here in Olivers Bistro Cafe in Grainger Market.

The Monument, Newcastle
The Monument to Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey built in 1838. He was Prime Minister from 1830 to 1834 but more importantly he invented tea for posh folk?

No one could ever say that Olivers Bistro Café is fancy. The roof appears to be held up by scaffolding but it’s practical and honest … a bit like the Geordies themselves.A scone selection at Olivers in Grainger Market

The lady who took our order for a fruit scone to share and two coffees was lovely, she made us feel very welcome. After a wee chat she set off to get our order and within the blink of a eye, we had it … two coffees and one fully loaded scone … argh!

Decisions

You all know our thoughts on this unseemly practice. How much cream, how much jam … someone else had decided on our behalf. We felt disempowered! A bit like Scotland does when Westminster makes all the decisions to suit England. A scone at Olivers in Grainger MarketAnyway, we cut it up so that we could both have a piece … damn it, it was really good! And our total bill came to £5.50! We have a cheek to complain! No topscone but if you don’t mind being disenfranchised and feel an overpowering urge for a fully loaded cream scone then Olivers is definitely the place to be.

Stotties

Recovering from our scone trauma, we carried on round this vast market. You can probably get anything you can imagine here. We bought a stottie cake, a local delicacy that’s nothing like a cake but more like a big fat girdle scone. When we asked our taxi driver what we should do with ours, he said “aye man, ye can dae onythin’ ye like … ye can slice it in half and pit a full English breakfast in … that’s guid like!“

Stottie cakes and double yoker eggs
Stottie cakes and double yolker eggs

We also bought some double yoke eggs. When we asked how they knew they were double yolked it threw the two ladies behind the counter into a huddle of intense discussion. Eventually the answer came … “we think it’s a special chicken!” We thought about telling them about a special loch in Scotland that has a monster, but didn’t bother.

Difference a few years makes

The last time we were in Newcastle was back in 2019 when we were catching a ferry to Amsterdam. Only a few years but it seems like an age. No COVID, we were still in the EU and there was no war in Ukraine. What’s happening in Ukraine is unbelievably awful. The fact that, in Russia, the word ‘war’ cannot be used in any publication (presumably including scone blogs) about Ukraine,   without the authors getting fifteen years jail time, kind of says it all. If you don’t hear from us for a while you’ll know what’s happened.

NE1 5QF         tel: 7944 680959.        Olivers FB

///catch.awake.causes

ps: since then we have tried two of the eggs and only one was double yoked … chicken fail! We did have the stottie cake with some fry … excellent!

Ordinary, Scones, self-service

Klondyke Garden Centre

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It’s that time of year again! Although we have reviewed Klondyke Garden Centre several times before, it has changed so much that we feel another review is justified. We’re not apologising … Boris doesn’t have to apologise for anything so why should we? 

Choice

It’s our annual compost fix we’re after. If we don’t get it the rest of the year will definitely not go as well as it would have done otherwise. We try to restrict it to once a year … we’re not addicts … it’s for the garden. Actually, it’s for our rhubarb which we are in the process of transplanting from the garden into large pots. Reminds me of one of my dad’s favourite stories about a man passing a mental hospital pushing a barrowload of manure. An inmate pokes his head through the railings and asks him what he is going to do with it. “I’m going to put it on my rhubarb” he replied. “Oh” the inmate said “You should come in here we get custard on ours“. Okay, okay! It remains to be seen how well our rhubarb will do in pots … it’s a high risk strategy!External view of Topiary restaurant Klondyke

Anyway, over the past year or so, much work has been done at this garden centre. The car park is now vast and the centre itself is much bigger than it used to be. As well as a huge area dedicated to plants there are gift shops, clothes shops, a shoe shop and even a car wash. All this choice can be kind of bewildering and choosing  compost is no exception … ericatious, John Innes, Miracle Gro, peat free, big bag, wee bag … argh!

Internal view of Topiary restaurant Klondyke
Just part one section of the restaurant/cafe area
Technology

Unsurprisingly perhaps, it wasn’t long before the lure of the cafe became overpowering. Crikey, it’s. gone huge as well. Order and Pay at Topiary restaurant KlondykeIn our previous review we tried to use their new fandangled phone ‘Order & Pay’ system. It seemed to work but after waiting for twenty minutes for our order to appear we realised something had gone wrong. When we asked a member of staff she just said “no problem,  I can take your order” … argh! This time we ordered at the self service counter but they still seem to be using the same phone system at the tables. It must work sometimes so might try it again next time.

The  scones were quite big so we decided to share. Expectations were not exactly high but we were pleasantly surprised. A scone at Topiary restaurant KlondykeIt tasted remarkably fresh and came complete with some English jam and Danish butter. The cream was whipped and nicely presented in a little glass jar. We actually swithered momentarily about a topscone but decided that the complete package just wasn’t quite right. But a bIg improvement on previous visits. Keep up the good work Klondyke Garden Centre … it’s all very impressive.

Wallpaper at restaurant Klondyke
Wallpaper in the cafe area

Also impressive is the new Falkirk Distillery which is right next door to the garden centre. External view of Falkirk distilleryIt’s due to open its doors for the first time later in the year and who knows it may even serve scones in its restaurant. Exciting or what?

Trumpian?

Last time we were here in 2020 Boris Johnson was visiting Scotland. He reminded us how grateful we should be for the block grant … a gift from England!? He also said he had an “oven ready deal” for Brexit and Gove was proclaiming Brexit as the “easiest deal in history”. We all know that now, as we did then, they needn’t have bothered wasting their breath. With his administration still deep in the proverbial doodoo his latest imbecilic utterances about Keir Starmer and Jimmy Savile do not bode well for how any upcoming elections will be conducted. Looks very Trumpian to us! 

All is not lost though, just as we were all about to lose faith in government of any kind, up pops ex PM and arch Tory, Sir John Major, to tell it like it is … or rather, how it should be! A Tory with a brain and a heart … whatever next?

We’ll keep you posted on the rhubarb!

FK2 0XS          tel: 01324 717035          Klondyke

///staple.reap.rooms

And just when you thought the world could not get any crazier, we came across this car with a banana stuck up its exhaust. What’s that all about?Banana in car exhaust

Later still, I watched as a flock of siskins fought and squabbled over a load of sunflower hearts. Totally illogical because there was more than enough for them all. Unfortunately though, when it comes to our planet’s resources, we are all just siskins. That should have been a Tweet really?

Ordinary, Scones, self-service

The Bothy Braemar

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Most people only know Braemar through pictures of the Queen sitting with her family, swathed in tartan, watching big hairy men in kilts throwing tree trunks around. Because Balmoral is less than a mile away, the Royals usually visit the Braemar Highland Gathering every year and, of course, their attendance draws thousands of Royal watchers. There is no doubt that the village  and places like the Bothy Braemar prosper because of these regal connections but it also does well from the nearby Glenshee Ski Centre. But first let me tell you a story from that part of the world. Prepare to be shocked!

No room at the inn

Many years ago myself and a couple of friends were heading for Braemar to climb in the Cairngorms mountains. By the time we got to Glenshee it was dark and there was blizzard conditions.. Although we were still making good progress on the snowy roads in our trusty little Riley Elf, it wasn’t long before we came on a minibus full of youngsters that was stuck. The south side of Glenshee is unrelentingly uphill! The piles of sand at the roadside were frozen solid but our ice axes soon sorted that out.

We spent the next couple of hours following their bus and every time they got stuck we went through the same procedure. Late in the evening we reached their destination, a huge mansion house which served as a Church of Scotland Christian Centre. Because we just had a tent and were unsure if we would ever get over the summit of Glenshee in the awful conditions they invited us to stay overnight. We gratefully accepted.

The manger

However, they hadn’t reckoned with the management of the centre. When they discovered we were there they made no bones about it … we had to leave. The youngsters pleaded but to no avail. We offered to just put our sleeping bags down in the porch outside but no, we had to vacate the premises completely. Back out in the snowy darkness and getting in to the car, a man appeared and, immediately seeing the problem, said that he would put us up in a nearby manger. Okay, just kidding about the manger, it was just an outhouse! That’s what we did! We stayed at his place and eventually made it to Braemar the next day. Make of it what you will. I, however, will never be able to understand why a lighting bolt from someone all-seeing didn’t obliterate those management folk right there and then.

The one that’s open

No such problems this time. We sailed over Glenshee where there was hardly any sign of snow. Not great for a ski centre at the end of January but very good for us. Braemar has a lot of quite large Victorian hotels and, for its size, a plethora of restaurants and cafes. The hotels were open but the Bothy Braemar was the only cafe doing business. Internal view of the Bothy in BraemarConsidering, its external appearance it’s actually quite large inside and is fairly obviously geared up to cater for a clientele of climbers, walkers and skiers. Best of all, they had what looked like nice scones… hurrah!

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A scone in the Bothy in BraemarIt is self service but the staff were were very warm and friendly. We ordered a couple of fruit scones. Compared to the scone we had had in our previous post from the Moulin Inn, this was a huge improvement. Still not good enough for a topscone award, unfortunately, but enjoyable nevertheless. Overall, we really liked the Bothy Braemar and it was great to be back in this part of the world.

View from the Bothy in Braemar
View from the Bothy

Who is the most famous person you have never heard of? It surely has to be Sue Gray. For the past couple of weeks no journalist or politician has been able to utter a sentence without mentioning her name at least once. Now we hear that her report into partying in 10 Downing Street may never see the light of day. Apparently, because it has now become a police investigation it may be so redacted it wouldn’t be worthwhile. Oh my gosh, isn’t it just as well we aren’t cynical!!

AB35 5YP       tel: 01339 741019        The Bothy FB

///depths.aviation.fired

Ordinary, Scones

Moulin Inn

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Back in 1695 when this placed opened its doors for the first time things were different.

Old photo of Moulin Hotel
Moulin Inn prior to 1886

For one thing, Scotland was still a proud independent nation. Though as we all know that all changed in 1707 when a handful of corrupt aristocrats ( a parcel of rogues) sold the country down the river. In 1715, James Edward Stuart (the Old Pretender) made his ill fated attempt to regain the Scottish and English thrones and reverse the Act of Union. Incredibly, the Moulin Inn had been going for fifty years before Bonnie Prince Charlie (the Young Pretender) tried again in 1745, marching his army past these doors on his way south. If only the walls could talk, what stories they could tell?External view of the Moulin Hotel

Shenanigans

Over the years the Moulin Inn has expanded and is now the Moulin Hotel … the bit to the right of the picture I still the original Inn. We are staying here for a few days. As many of you know retirement means you get no time off and weekends just blend in to the rest of the week, so wee breaks like this become terribly important. Anyway, you know Tina Turner’s song “Steamy Windows” that alludes to shenanigans on the back seat of a car? Well, the theme song for this place should be “Squeaky Floorboards”. Couldn’t find a single floorboard that didn’t squeak! Not much chance of creeping around here in the middle of the night undetected … but given its age perhaps that’s not entirely surprising.Internal view of the Moulin Hotel

Customer care

We asked our lovely landlady, Jill, if we could get a scone and some tea. Her face said it all, they didn’t do scones “We’re really just a pub with rooms … no call for scones” she said. Then, suddenly, she said “But if you come in tomorrow I can probably organise something”. The following day we did indeed go back and within a few minutes Jill had us settled down with some tea and scones. A scone at the Moulin HotelUnfortunately it then became apparent what she had done, she had gone out and bought some scones … probably from a supermarket! This was super impressive  customer care! The scones themselves, however, were not impressive … acceptable but nowhere near a topscone. Well done Jill, if it wasn’t for you we wouldn’t be able to write about this place! Don’t come here for a scone though … they don’t do them!External view of the Moulin Hotel at night

Moulin is a beautiful peaceful little village but it also has a lot going on. There’s a brewery run by the hotel (tried the Ale of Atholl several times) and a lovely little distillery at Edradour. It produces a special whisky for Westminster, however, given the newly introduced ban on ‘business meetings’, it may well see a sharp downturn in sales. 

External view of Edradour distillery
Edradour distillery

 

Don’t tell Boris

The Black Spout waterfall
The Black Spout waterfall just beyond cattail Dhub

On the outskirts of the village there’s an ancient and rather overgrown ruin. It’s all that remains of Caisteal Dubh (The Black Castle of Moulin). Built in 1326, it was set on fire in 1512  because they feared it was contaminated by plague. It’s been a ruin ever since. Imagine if Boris cottoned on to this as a new way of controlling COVID? “If you catch coronavirus you must isolate for ten days but not in your own house which you must burn to the ground!” It would certainly divert attention away from ‘partygate‘ so don’t be surprised if it actually comes to pass.

Thoroughly enjoyed our stay here, it is a fantastic part of the world. Hopefully it won’t be too long before we can do it all again. 

PH16 5EW       tel: 01796 472196       Moulin Hotel

///swelling.pylons.spans

Ordinary, Scones

Cafe Circa Abernyte revisited

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Don’t worry, we haven’t taken leave of our senses completely. Although we did a Cafe Circa Revisited, only a couple of weeks ago, this is not the same. That was at the Scottish Antique and Arts Centre at Doune whereas this post is from its sister operation at Abernyte. They are about fifty miles apart. Goodness knows why we are here? When we visited Doune we bought a whole lot of stuff we didn’t need. We should really stay away from these places.

A feature wall at Cafe Circa Abernyte
A wall featuring Luskentyre beach on the Isle of Harris at Cafe Circa.
Sucked in

Doune is big but Abernyte is even bigger … there’s bound to be something we don’t need here but would we be able to find it? About half way round, however, and suffering from bric-a-brac blindness, we felt ourselves being inextricably drawn towards the cafe. Internal view of Cafe Circa AbernyteThe cafe is also bigger than the one at Doune. These antique centres are so large they really do need a restaurant or cafe where weary rummagers can rest and recharge.

Trauma

The very attentive staff found us a table and took our order for some sandwiches and a fruit scone to share. Cheese scones at AbernytePat had actually wanted a cheese scone she had spied on the way in but she was overruled. Now, far be it from us to inflict the deep trauma of our lives on you dear reader but I don’t see how we can protect you from this. Our sandwiches were excellent but, would you believe it, by the time I had finished mine Pat had absentmindedly cut our scone in half and had started to eat it … before I had taken a photo … what??

Apologies

Bear in mind that this is in spite of years of training … unbelievable! This photo of a decapitated scone is all we can offer you. However, Pat did apologise sincerely unlike some others we could mention. Nowadays, hardly a day goes by without an apology of some sort from the government. Mind you they do have much to apologise for.A fruit scone at Cafe Circa Abernyte

Over the past year so much has puzzled us about Boris Johnson’s premiership. How did he get there, what on earth goes on in his head and why can’t he string two sensible words together? Well, now that he has admitted he cannot tell the difference between a boozy party and a business meeting, it explains soooo much! Honestly when was the last time you went to a party that was so bad you thought you were at work? Only in Downing Street! 

Never learn

Everything was very good at Cafe Circa, we thoroughly enjoyed our visit. Unfortunately the scone didn’t quite make the topscone grade but was very nice nevertheless. In case you’re wondering if we found anything we didn’t need, we eventually left with a tea set (we need another tea set like a hole in the head) a sink without any taps (don’t ask) and a Lazy Susan! We didn’t need any of them!.

PH14 9SJ       tel: 01828 686401          Abernyte Cafe Circa

///computer.health.radio

Ordinary, Scones

4 Coo Wynd

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Although 4 Coo Wynd is only a few minutes walk from our home it’s three years since we were last here. Goodness, a lot has happened since then! Back then we were bemoaning the fact that businesses in Falkirk didn’t seem to last. This place was called Cafe Trio back then and before that it was Sorocha’s and before that it was Mathiesons and before that, in 2003, it was Sleeves … a record shop – remember them? Having said all that, 4 Coo Wynd is right next door to Thomas Johnston Butchers, established in 1861, so what on earth are we going on about??

A view of the Cow Wynd, Falkirk
Cow Wynd with Santa overhead

Three years ago we were debating the important issues of the day e.g. what jam to have with a treacle scone and would Brexit have an effect on the scone supplies. The answer to the first question was ‘none’, just butter is best. Brexit hadn’t yet happened but we were looking forward to the promised sunny uplands. Still waiting! Didn’t bother discussing COVID-19 because we had never heard of it!Logo of 4 Coo Wynd

Back to the present. For the benefit of our far flung readers we should perhaps explain the name “4 Coo Wynd”. Artists impression of a highland cowIt is simply the address of the cafe which, more accurately is 4 ‘Cow’ Wynd. Coo is simply Scottish pronunciation of “cow”. In the 18th century, Falkirk Tryst was the biggest cattle market in the country. The town was a rumbustious place in those days. However, there is more to Falkirk than just cows … much more.

  • This was as far north as the Romans got. They liked it so much they decided to settle here, a sort of shangrila. Emperor Antoninus even built a wall across Scotland and through the town to protect it from less civilised influences. Traces of this period can still be found with the ice cream parlours scattered around the town?
  • Falkirk has seen two major battles. The first, in 1298, was one of the major battles in the First War of Scottish Independence … can you believe it’s still going on? The second was in 1746, the penultimate battle fought on British soil but fought for the same reason as the first.
  • In 1565 the marriage agreement between Mary Queen of Scots and the Dauphin of France was signed at Callendar House. She would become Queen of France as well as Scotland.
  • In the 18th century the town became the heart of the iron industry with 61 foundries. Starting with munitions for the Battle of Trafalgar to the famous red telephone boxes still found all around the world. The inventiveness of these foundries making baths, stoves and sanitary ware led to massive increases in public health and comfort.
  • Now the town has the Falkirk Wheel and the Kelpies and shortly, two distilleries … what’s not to like?
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A scone at 4 Coo WyndOkay, okay, the world owes a great deal to Falkirk but can we just get on with scones, we hear you cry! We decided to start with a bacon roll from their all-day-breakfast menu, followed by a fruit scone. Probably the best bacon rolls we have ever tasted … excellent! The scone was very good too but, unfortunately just not quite good enough to make the topscone grade. Shame, the service was warm and friendly, we thoroughly enjoyed our visit to 4 Coo Wynd.Internal view of 4 Coo Wynd

Predictions

Given the current fiasco that passes for UK government we, perhaps, shouldn’t be all that surprised at the predictions of a recent  poll. It says that, at the next election, ALL Scottish MPs at Westminster will be from the Scottish National Party. We did mention earlier that the first battle of Falkirk in 1298 was during the Wars of Scottish Independence. Soooo, do you think that, if this prediction actually came to pass, it would make any difference? Of course not!

Falkirk High Street
the High Street

Three years ago we also reviewed a scone from Passiontree Velvet in Toowoomba, Queensland. These were the heady days of unrestricted travel and bountiful scones all over the world … ahh, the memories! Once again it looks like our scone adventuring has been brought to a shuddering halt by COVID-19. 4 Coo Wynd will probably be our last for a while. That means we need to take this opportunity to wish all our readers a very merry Christmas and a happy, healthy and prosperous 2022 when it comes. You have put up with our rants for a very long time, best wishes to you all!

FK1 1PL       Tel: 07477 173117        4 Coo Wynd

///deep.tricky.shower

Ordinary, Scones

Cafe Circa revisited

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It’s almost six years since we last reported from Cafe Circa. Have we really been doing this for that long?? Definitely confirms our state of mind?Logo of the Scottish Antiques & Arts Centre, Doune

Doune is not far from home so sometimes, if we have a few hours to spare, we come here to the Scottish Antiques & Arts Centre. It’s full of totally random stuff. This is definitely the place to come, to buy things you didn’t know you needed or even wanted. Today, for instance, we bought two coffee cans (one missing a saucer), a Venetian masquerade mask (don’t ask) and an 1893 book “The Tillyloss Scandal”. No idea what the book’s about but it sounds interesting. We’ll let you know!

Obviously, we don’t visit the cafe every time we are here. In the interests of expanding your sconological knowledge  we would normally try and go somewhere else in the vicinity. At this time of year, however, the days are short and it was already starting to get dark as we entered. And, after six years, it needed to be re-reviewed anyway!

Internal view of Cafe Circa in Doune

Nice and cosy in here though. It still occupies the same footprint it did six years ago but the decor has changed considerably! Instead of the usual COVID perspex space dividers they have voiles of thin translucent fabric that create quite a pleasing effect.
Internal view of Cafe Circa in Doune

Recycling

A scone at Cafe Circa in DouneThere were many things we liked about the Cafe Circa scones. The service was great and the presentation with little pots of jam, cream and butter was excellent. We will never know why more restaurants don’t do this! The glass pots (probably recycled from the Tiptree jam you get everywhere) can just be washed out and refilled. A little extra work perhaps but much better for the planet. Unfortunately, the scones themselves (£3.50), although very good, didn’t quite make it as topscones … pity.

Cafe Circa, like everywhere else at this time of year, has their Christmas tree up and the place bedecked in an attempt to engender festive cheer. It’s usually full of people like us trying to figure out why they bought the stuff they’ve acquired a few minutes earlier. Elsewhere, however, Christmas cheer is in short supply. Omicron is on the rampage and has thrown Christmas into doubt yet again. England, at last, has followed the more sensible countries of the UK and reintroduced face masks, social distancing and may even go as far as vaccine pasports. Downing Street frowns on Christmas parties though they see to be okay with it all as long as they are termed “gatherings” or “business meetings”. Look out for mistletoe at future business meetings!!

FK16 6HG       tel: 01786 841683      Cafe Circa FB

///anthems.ourselves.ordering

Ordinary, Scones

Westerton Arms

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When Robert Louis Stevenson wrote “Treasure Island” he may have been thinking of the place we are in today. He certainly was when he wrote “Memoirs of an Islet” and the poem “A Good Boy”. We know this because his ill health meant he spent much of his childhood years in this small spa town. Later when he was living in Hyères in the South of France he wrote “I shall never forget the days at Bridge of Allan; they were one golden dream”. Yes, we are in Bridge of Allan, not to take the waters but rather the scones at the Westerton Arms.

Footballers

How times have changed! Seems odd nowadays to think that, in Victorian times, whole towns grew up around a spring. There was nothing particularly special about the water apart from the fact that it was clean; something we now simply take for granted. Wealthy Victorians would flock to these  towns for their health benefits. You can see echoes of this past everywhere in Bridge of Allan. Lots of green spaces and grand mansion houses that, nowadays, are largely the preserve of obscenely overpaid footballers. By the way, if you look to the left of the title picture, you can see the Paterson Memorial clock … nothing to do with us! The Paterson in question was a local doctor who served the local community for many years.Internal view of the Western Arms

The Westerton Arms began life in 1831, almost twenty years before Stevenson was born. He, like us, may well have come here for a scone? Although almost 170 years old it is surprisingly fresh and modern inside and would appear to be undergoing still more refurbishment. The staff were very welcoming and soon had us kitted out with some excellent lunch.

Reasons to go to Samoa?

Henry's Coffee Co coffee cupThey brought our coffee while we waited for our scones and lo-and-behold it was our favourite from Henry’s Coffee Company. It doesn’t get much better than this so things were looking very promising.  Unfortunately, it didn’t continue. A scone at the Western ArmsThe scones (£2.95 each) were decidedly average and served with American jam and French butter … quelle dommage! The scone itself was a fairly lifeless affair. When we expressed our disappointment we were told that all the other cakes were made in their own kitchen but they didn’t know where the scones came from?? Maybe this is why Robert Louis Stevenson left Scotland and ended up in Samoa?

Holding your breath

The Pope, on his recent visit to Greece, has scolded almost all western leaders over their treatment of immigrants. Likewise Tony Blair has been scolding the same leaders over their handling of the coronavirus pandemic. Neither Tony or Francis have the power to do anything about anything so it’s easy for them to go off on one! Will their words  effect any change? Don’t hold your breath!

FK9 4HR        tel: 01786 200545.      Westerton Arms  

///honest.tucked.boots

ps: The next day we got a lovely surprise when one of our neighbours popped in with some scones. If only the scones the day before had been as good as these they would have been topscones.Ann Style's scone