. . . . but it's still high quality at the Cavendish Tearooms. Taking one of the selection of lumpy routes to Cavendish (there is no other sort) and again climbing the Col de Poslingford, Ron Fisher mentioned that this was the fourth time that he'd climbed it on consecutive rides. He seemed to take it in his stride. At Clare we passed through in a westerly direction and turned left to follow the lanes eastward, roughly parallel to the main Clare - Cavendish rd. There was a call that there had been a puncture, it was Dawn's and TomTom went back to assist Dawn and Chris, and the message came through that they would follow the main road.
Our main group arrived first at Cavendish Tea Rooms, and the puncture party were about ten minutes later. The usual huge scones (though perhaps a touch hard from overcooking) and I went for a cappuccino (always a pricey option - but what the hell . .)
Service varies between order at the counter pay on exit and full table service, then pay on exit. Today it was order and pay at the counter, so I had my fiver poised between finger tips as the pleasant lady said
"£6.45 thank you"
OOps. I only had that fiver. However I did have TomTom who was at my elbow, in funds and feeling sufficiently generous to subsidise me in my extravagance.
I think that this is now the most expensive tea stop yet enjoyed. Normally, I am intensely relaxed about food prices when eating out, and am only very rarely caught out by a disconnect between expectation and reality. This was one of those rare occasions. A sharp-intake-of-breath moment, shall we say. This a beautiful space in which to spread ourselves out at large blond wood tables that can seat a dozen or more without a crush. A blazing wood fire when appropriate, views across a very nice garden all ease the pain in the purse that it seems to have become. When first discovered, this place seemed a bit too cheap for the amounts of food provided; as an ex-catering professional I thought that if it was to survive, something had to give, portions or prices. They've made the choice.
We toil back on the usual route from Cavendish, up water lane and via Glemsford. Always a challenging route and, as you get more tired, closer to Bury and need of some comfort - there is none. Whichever variation of the final run-in involves a succession of little ascents. But this is why we do this, why we are out on a Wednesday; pain and discomfort endured for the future benefit that it will bring. What future benefit is that? Feeling slightly less pain and discomfort on the run-in to Bury. If not next time, then eventually.
SJH
No comments:
Post a Comment