BITE user comments - Ditchcrawler
Comments by Ditchcrawler
The Hero, Burnham Overy Staithe
New management - re-opened after closure for refurbishment. Dining area much extended: some accommodation over what used to be the adjoining art gallery. Bar area much the same as before. Called in briefly Saturday last for a (very good) glass of house white. Was intending to eat but - despite the time of year - the bar was very crowded and noisy (so it's obviously doing well!) and I suspected the (totally empty!) dining rooms would have been a touch pricey for the kind of lunch-time snack I was after. So I walked on to the ever reliable White Horse at Brancaster Staithe.
I must call again out of season, but on a week day when the bar ought to be less frenetic. Didn't get a chance to find out if the fish roe (or anything else) is still "pan fried"!
All in all it looks good and I wish it well.
8 Feb 2017 17:56
The Crown and Mitre, Kings Lynn
Tried to call in last Saturday at about 4.00pm but - despite a board outside saying "Hot Food Now Being Served" (or something to that effect) it was actually shut. Opening times always seem a bit vague here, but it's worth it if you can get in!
23 Jan 2015 20:06
I was shocked to read on this week's Lynn News Website that the Lifeboat/Chequers set-up is up for sale YET AGAIN! It would appear that the "Wheeler's" group is in receivership. How can this be? The Lifeboat is packed to the rafters whenever I visit, regardless of the time of year now, as it certainly was last (freezing!) Saturday lunchtime. Or is it because - contrary to my expectations - they did actually manage to keep their prices reasonable compared with a number of other comparable establishments hereabouts?
At least they say they'll keep on trading during the interim, which is something.
Where I live (Yorkshire) a number of "failing" but otherwise excellent pubs have been saved by local buy-outs. Any chance of that here? Sure it would be expensive, but if (as is so often asserted) the so-called "locals" are actually members of the Chealsea Tractor Brigade, they ought to be able to afford it. A second pub to go with the second home, so to speak!
23 Jan 2015 19:20
I stumbled upon this one quite by chance on Boxing Day whilst walking out from Wokingham. I had no idea it was here and was delighted to find it open following my disappointment in finding the nearby White Horse shut. Delightful: must try luch hee next time in the area.
1 Jan 2014 17:19
The Garrick Inn, Stratford Upon Avon
Contrary to the conclusions drawn by many below, I was served food quickly and efficiently, having pointed out that I was on a limited time schedule. This was at the height of the Season, too. Not massively expensive either. A stunning building, of course ... without and within.
12 Aug 2013 21:53
The Dirty Duck, Stratford Upon Avon
Sorry about the double-post ... but we Thesps do tend to go over the top ...
12 Aug 2013 21:45
The Dirty Duck, Stratford Upon Avon
Hang on a minute ... this pub is WORLD FAMOUS as Stratford's Actor-Luvvies' bar: that's what makes it what it is! 99.9 per cent of its clientele surely know this before they cross the threshold. My dear old drama tutor used to hang out with Olivier and Gielgood here back in the 40s for heavens' sake! As an "Associate Luvvie" ( thanks to the RSC's wonderful Open Stages scheme) I'm more than happy to hold court here at least once a year!
That said: there is better beer available elsewhere in town ... but that's not why one patronizes the Mucky Duck, is it darlings?
12 Aug 2013 21:42
The Dirty Duck, Stratford Upon Avon
Hang on a minute ... this pub is WORLD FAMOUS as Stratford's Actor-Luvvies' bar: that's what makes it what it is! 99.9 per cent of its clientele surely know this before they cross the threshold. My dear old drama tutor used to hang out with Olivier and Gielgood here back in the 40s for heavens' sake! As an "Associate Luvvie" ( thanks to the RSC's wonderful Open Stages scheme) I'm more than happy to hold court here at least once a year!
That said: there is better beer available elsewhere in town ... but that's not why one patronizes the Mucky Duck, is it darlings?
12 Aug 2013 21:42
The Ancient Mariner, Hunstanton
Natwest: Glad you liked it ... but surely "being cut off" is what this part of the world is all about? It's why I visit/stay as often as I do!
14 Feb 2013 20:28
As a newcomer to Wokingham (albeit from that great tradition of Yorkshire beer) I'm inclined to agree that this one is pretty good. I still live in York, most of the time (Thank God!) but it's nice to know the old South Country (where I was born) can still hack it in the ale stakes when push comes tom shove!
9 Jan 2013 21:22
I have very mixed feelings about this establishment.
First, let me say how impressed I was by the individual attention I was afforded by the young man at the bar. At about half my age, he nonetheless ministered to my needs without fault, and we exchanged some suitable banter. He was entirely polite without irony, and deserves a pay rise, I'm sure.
The decor was interesting: reminding me of the the kind of (super-hip) cafes I used to frequent as a teenager in Reading in the late 1960s. That said, in my middle age, Im probably prefer horse brasses and chintz ... so you see my dilemma ...
9 Jan 2013 21:09
Seems like a good spot. Called in just after Christmas 2012 and found it friendly enough if a bit "shouty" regarding a televized darts match. Funny, isn't it? Had it been a real match, I wouldn't have been at at all bothered! Anyway, my mum's just settled in round the corner off Easthampstead Road, so I expect I'll be an at least an" occasional" regular when I'm down from York!
9 Jan 2013 20:54
The Hope and Anchor, Wokingham
Thanks to a sudden and unexpected change in my domestic history, I find Wokingham is now a kind of "Home from Home". I normally live in York, which is, of course, "Heaven on Earth" so far as good pubs are concerned, but I do find myself looking for a "local" when in Royal Berkshire. The Hope and Anchor (along with several others) might just make the grade!
9 Jan 2013 20:43
Yes indeed. Very good, but very expensive. Where will it end? The current Recession forces prices up and demand down. At what point do running-costs and demand cancel each other out at some sort of happy medium? Like the refurbished Ship at Brancaster, this is a really nice eatery/gastropub, but who - other than "pre-retired" baby-boomers such as myself (and I suspect Firedrake) could ever afford to use it? (And even we can only manage it once or twice a year!) When I first came here (1977) it was both a real local AND a quality pub-grub watering hole for visitors! Have those halcyon days really gone forever?
10 Nov 2010 20:10
Passed through on the Coasthopper last week and noticed refurbishment well under weigh. Shocked by absence of the eponymous ship from the gable end I hope she's returned full restored!
28 Feb 2010 18:37
Hoped to have lunch here last Saturday - I'm unclear as to whether food is still available but there was a suggestion that it might do outside catering these days: funerals and so on. However, there was a notice saying that it didn't open until 7.00 PM ... on a SATURDAY!!!!! Went to the Spoons over the road - okay if a touch bleak.
28 Feb 2010 18:28
Hear, hear! I will endeavour to visit at the first opportunity next spring!
27 Oct 2009 21:10
Firedrake is, as ever, spot-on. Yes, it's tasteful, elegant and well worth a visit, but not quite the "local" it was in the late seventies/early eighties! I think the Lifeboat still has the edge ... just!
27 Oct 2009 21:07
Agree with Firedrake. This place has hardly changed in decades: a rare and precious thing these days!
27 Oct 2009 21:04
The Berney Arms Inn, Berney Arms
Like Firedrake, I've made it twice on foot: once from Yarmouth and once (I think) from Acle. Well worth it on both occasions. Interesting collection of old boats (in 2005) moored against a rickety staithe outside the pub - one a Victorian steam launch obviously awaiting restoration. On my first visit (mid eighties) I was astonished to find an oil lamp actually burning on the crossing-gates even in the middle of a summer's afternoon! Who on earth kept it trimmed and filled? Do they still?
27 Oct 2009 21:01
Yes indeed. The Minerva is back "on stream" at last: absolutely unchanged - except that they don't have facilities yet for payment by debit card, which was something of a blow because I only had enough change for a pint and I was hoping for lunch! Thus repaired to the Mission where all was well.
Seriously - great to see a good pub back from the dead!
18 Oct 2009 19:04
planespot - I'm sure we would find your old etching interesting, but how do we access it?
6 Aug 2009 18:14
The Ancient Mariner, Hunstanton
Called in for lunch on Thursday last, after another failed attempt to try the controversial Ship at Brancaster!
Enjoyed a good meal on the terrace (between showers) watching a spectacular weather front pass down the Wash and oblitorate Skeggy! Arrived before noon so had no problems getting served even in this peak season.
2 Aug 2009 14:45
Wash and Tope Hotel, Hunstanton
I've stayed here a couple of nights this year: perfectly adequate if a bit scruffy. This time they'd got me booked in for the following week, but fortunately there was a room available. Breakfast okay - typical "full English". Seems to specialize in "Steak Nights" and "Curry Nights" etc. Didn't eat here PM - went to an excellent little Bistro nearby!
Looks like there's some work going on at the moment - so it may smarten up a bit.
2 Aug 2009 14:38
Last week I thought had a chance to visit this controversial establishment and draw my own conclusions, but t was closed when I arrived at just after 11.00 AM and apparantly not opening until twelve. Unfortunately, time was pressing and I went elsewhere for lunch so I'm still none the wiser!.
I did notice, however, a large "To Let" sign on the front of the building, so it looks like it's changing hands anyway: for better or for worse remains to be seen Though - if this site is anything to go by - reactions and opinions will continue to be varied and contradictory regardless of change!
2 Aug 2009 14:28
The Hope and Anchor Hotel, Alnmouth
Lunch here on May 15th. "Irish Mussles in White Wine Source": okay but source too thin and a bit gritty. Nice beer though. Not much atmosphere: all opened up with tacky fake ceiling beams etc. Unrealised potential.
17 May 2009 20:44
The Schooner Hotel and Restaurant, Alnmouth
Interesting. I, too, had a good time here about seven years ago - but share Firedrake's reservations about the "haunted" decor etc. Called in Friday 15th this inst. and found it much improved - but didn't eat having already done so at the Hope and Anchor. At least, now, the decor relates to the name and setting! Lots of nautical information, prints and paintings etc. (No longer are we invited to buy the notion that "toad in the hole" was conceived locally when a golf ball struck a toad in its hole on the local links!) And whatever became of the vicar with the beer-bung embedded in his forehead? (Don't ask!)
17 May 2009 20:38
Called in one sunny lunchtime about twenty years ago and found myself to be the only customer. The landlady was a little surprised when I asked if she did food, but nonetheless made me a basic (but perfectly acceptable) cheese sandwich for 50p ... which was cheap even in the eighties! As I was eating it, she suddenly looked up from her paper and said: "It sez 'ere there's a pub doon Lon'on wheer a glass o' orange costs �5.00 an' a sandwich a tenner!"
Suitably shocked, I asked her which one.
"'Ang on, Love," she said, glancing back at her paper. "They call it t'Ritz."
I do hope she's still there!
16 Apr 2009 11:20
The Hope and Anchor, Blacktoft
Visited yesterday for the first time in years - much improved in terms of furnishings, menu and beer, and clearly thriving. Shame about the horrible plastic conservatory facing the river - I can see that it's practical, but how it ever got planning permission I can't imagine! It's completely ruined an authentic late Georgian facade unchanged since c 1830! Still well worth a visit though, especially when walking the floodbanks.
16 Apr 2009 10:58
The Hero, Burnham Overy Staithe
Called in at lunchtime on Saturday. Very quiet due to time of year. The Wherry was "off" but the Adnam's was fine.
31 Mar 2009 17:31
So far, I've only managed to call in once and drank orange juice because I'd already had enough beer elsewhere. It seemed nice enough, and I keep meaning to come back and try the beer/food etc. The extraordinary range of opinion expressed here only serves to harden my resolve to do precisely that! However, since I live in York and don't drive, it may be some time before I get the chance!
6 Mar 2009 19:38
The Butt and Oyster, Chelmondiston
A shame this one is causing such dissension! I had the best garlic prawns EVER here (the second best were over the river at the Ship in Levington). Mind you, this was in 1985, after a frozen thrash down from Hull on a square rigger ... so, "any port in a storm" I suppose!
10 Feb 2009 18:54
According to the York Press, it's just re-opened as a Real Ale pub. I intend trying it soon.
18 Jan 2009 19:45
When I did my final teaching practice at Whitby School in 1975, this was the "teachers' pub" ... back in the days when teachers were still instinctively bohemian, and I do recall some very convivial evenings here. Later, c 1981, it must still have been fairly bohemian because somebody complained to me in the street that she'd once seen someone "reading a book" in the bar! (I couldn't help point out that I regularly read in pubs!) Called in last night, though, and found it rather dreary. However, my instinctive nostalgia ensured that I was thrilled to find that the decor was just as shabby as it was back in '76! Something's missing, though. Teachers, probably.
18 Jan 2009 17:19
Called in last night and was very pleasantly surprised. Sad to see a "Tap and Spile" go, of course, but it's been very well dome out and the service was excellent. Had wine so coment on the beer.
18 Jan 2009 17:09
I have always been led to understand that the lack of hand-pumps is due to the absence of a cellar ... for obvious reasons! However, why can't they rack up barrels behind the bar with spiggoted delivery? Yes, it's in a fantastic location but its failure to provide Real Ale is a crime. There is also a sense in which it is a victim of its own pupularity though: more often than not you simply can't get in!
14 Jan 2009 23:10
The whole building was moved a couple of hundred yards - lock, stock and (er) barrel in the 1960s. Interestingly, Buckingham's ghost moved with it! Said to be very anti-student in the 70s but on the couple of occasions I visited I wasn't made to feel too unwelcome.
14 Jan 2009 22:58
Used to be a great pub before they "opened out and knocked through" about twenty-five years ago. It had a wonderful little snug with a good set of old "Spy" cartoons and a gaudy print of the battle of Colenso. I'd love to know what happened to them!
14 Jan 2009 22:52
The Ancient Mariner, Hunstanton
Agree with Fierdrake - this is a very creditable effort. Hunstanton is indeed bereft of "proper" pubs, as someone else has already opined. This is probably as good as it gets until you reach the real old inns of Thornham, Titchwell, Brancaster and the" Severn Burnhams by the Sea" etc etc etc!!!!
8 Jan 2009 20:51
Black Horse Inn, Castle Rising
I'm afraid I haven't been here since I called in with a girlfriend 1977. Even so, I remember it well and will pass on the following dialogue with the landlord of the day.
Me: Do you do ploughman's lunches?
Landlord: I'm afraid we don't get many ploughmen in, these days, Sir.
Me: Well - do you do sandwiches?
Landlord: We do very good sandwiches, Sir.
Me: What kind of sandwiches ... ?
And so it continued. Anyway, we got our sandwiches - quite adequate as I remember , and I think the beer was okay, though - at 23, I was only just beginning to understand the difference between Real.Ale and anything else!
Subsequently, I've passed this pub on the bus to Hunstanton and beyond many, many times. I'd love to think the landlord is still as witty, but of course the only way to find out is to call in and see!
8 Jan 2009 20:44
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The White Horse, Brancaster Staithe
Walked here from Overy Staithe on Saturday last: great oysters as usual! Good house wine ... excellent, quick service and a cheerful ambience.
8 Feb 2017 18:11