We’ve never been in Spittalfield before and knew nothing about it. Having said that, it is obvious for all to see that it’s a charming little place built around a lovely village Green’.  The Walkin’ Cafe is opposite a little car park on the main road.

Close knit

When we entered, we were told to take a seat anywhere. We sat beside an elderly couple, and when we asked if they were local, the response from him was “been in Spittalfield 87 years”. After a quick inspection of the speaker, we interpreted this as “all my life”.  When we asked if she was from Spittalfield as well, she replied “no, no, no, I’m from Glendelvine“. Glendelvine is an even smaller village, just a few hundred yards further along the road. From this brief encounter, we understood that Spittalfield and its surroundings form a very close-knit community. We also found out that Spittalfield is a former weaving village dating back to 1766.

As its name suggests, the cafe caters to hordes of walkers and cyclists who come here to enjoy the beautiful quiet countryside. There are pheasants and red squirrels everywhere!

We asked for tea and a couple of sultana scones. The young girl who was looking after us was a delight. Later, however, she came and explained that the sultana scones had gone, but they did have blueberry scones. No problem!  It was all nicely presented with plenty of butter, a large pot of cream and a choice of strawberry or rhubarb jams. Blueberry scones are not our favourite, though these were very nice. Not topscones but a great attempt.

Conclaves and card games

Our Spittalfield man was obviously in better shape than Pope Francis who has died. His lavish lying-in-state with everyone taking selfies seems strangely at odds with what the church should be about. Nowadays, like all churches, the Catholic church, rather than leading, simply seems to respond to public opinion.  Let’s hope that if a new Pope has to be found that he (it will definitely be a he) will be ahead of the curve rather than behind it.

Trump claims to have negotiated a deal that will see the end to fighting in Ukraine. A two-year-old could easily have negotiated this deal. It gives everything to the illegal aggressor and virtually nothing to the innocent victim. More worryingly, it indicates that the US, which equates everything to a card game, has lost any sense of right and wrong.  Not good for the rest of the world, but excellent for Putin, who plays Trump like a fiddle.

PH1 4JT           tel: 07824 398378            Walkin’ Cafe

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