Well here we are in 2023. We hope that all our readers had a great time over the festive season. Here’s to you all having a happy, and above all, healthy year. The first scone of 2023 comes to you courtesy of Forth & Co in our home town of Falkirk. Perhaps, at this point we should just mention that it’s quite a sinful one!
We came into town early and decided to have breakfast out. Forth & Co has recently opened having replaced Johnstone’s Bar & Bistro which we reviewed back in 2016. We thought we should give this new place a whirl. In my teenage years this was the Temperance Cafe, a place to hang out with all the other cool cats. The coolest cats (such as myself) met upstairs on the balcony where we could look down on ordinary folk and talk about girls, politics and the price of milk. Okay, mostly girls … certainly don’t remember any in-depth discussions on scones! Six decades later there are some pretty obvious changes but in essence it’s amazingly the same.
Sinful
What we are trying to explain is that we came here for breakfast and did not expect scones to be present so early in the day. But there they were and after coffee and a lovely breakfast roll we found ourselves tucking into a scone … can’t help ourselves! And it was still early morning! Not absolutely sure what the correct time for scone scoffing is but we do know it’s not this early. Hopefully, we’ve not upset any of our more delicate and genteel readers!
Half expecting to be struck down by a thunderbolt we cut our scone in half and proceeded to spread the Irish butter and the French jam … argh! There was also a generous bowl of whipped cream. It was all rather nice though fairly obviously not freshly baked on the premises. Service was very efficient and friendly but there’s some work to be done if they want a topscone award.
Forth & Co is part of the Bow Hospitality chain of about ten similar restaurants around Scotland. It was quiet when we arrived but thankfully it was busy by the time we were leaving at 11am. We’re sure it will be just as successful as its predecessor.
The Falkirk Televisor
No need to remind avid readers but this building was the scene for the world’s first ever TV broadcast. It was conducted by local boy John Logie Baird as he broadcast an image of a dummy named Snooky Bill (no comments please) from one room to another using his ‘televisor’ invention. It did work, though the pictures were extremely fuzzy! The equipment is now in the local museum.
Extremely fuzzy could well describe the political picture for 2023. Both here in the UK and in the US, politicians seem to be held to ransom by far right extremists. Fortunately we have Harry and Meghan to take our minds off all of that.
Harry’s book ‘Spare’ has occupied the news for the past week. Our own family seem like paragons of virtue compared to the Royals so it is perfectly understandable that Harry wants to put some distance between them. Considering what we the public subject the Royals to, it is hardly surprising that they are dysfunctional. Amidst all the people struggling with utility bills and food banks the tone deaf Charles is busy with the Queen Somesort organising his coronation. A brand new eatery like Forth & Co is definitely more worthy of celebration.
FK1 1DG tel: 01324 646758 Forth & Co
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