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Morning all. Bit of a wild card. Heading to Saffron Walden area at the weekend. Cottage rental and its Mrs FCs 60th. Looking for local knowledge for recommendations for a decent restaurant for an evening meal.
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Can't help you with Saffron Waldon apart from a decent burger bar in the town centre, but if you nip down the former A11 to Newport there is a pub on the left just before you get to the railway bridge that always did some very decent grub. The name escapes me but it is easy to spot.
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"but if you nip down the former A11"
But, if you nip up the A11/14 for a short distance, you will come across the incredibly delightful small market town of Bury St Edmunds - the jewel in the crown of East Anglia.
Within a very short distance, you can find every sort of restaurant your stomach could desire from the historic Corn Exchange tastefully redecorated by Tim Martin's lot, to the tastefully tasty (but not cheap) 'Maison Bleue' so beloved by CGN. We've got it all from Taiwanese to Chinese to Mexicanese. My personal favourite is the No4 Bistro that is part of the arty Abbeygate Cinema in Hatter Street; the two for one burger deal on Tuesdays is especially recommended.
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Not a restaurant, but a pub, a very nice pub with great food.
The Flitch of Bacon - Dunmow
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Here you go. The Temeraire:-
tinyurl.com/lb44xsr
Always pleased to help.
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What you going to do when the Spoons in Walton changes hands?
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>> What you going to do when the Spoons in Walton changes hands?
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It's already happened. It is now a Stonegate group pub. (It ain't the same.)
Even more bad news. The Aldi across the road is closing on May 31st!!
Oh woe, woe and thrice times woe.
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>> It's already happened. It is now a Stonegate group pub. (It ain't the same.)
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>> Even more bad news. The Aldi across the road is closing on May 31st!!
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>> Oh woe, woe and thrice times woe.
I know, its going to be an M&S food store. They are trying to drive you out.
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Don't read too much in to the arrival of a M&S Food store - they opened one in Bognor a couple of years ago ;)
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>>The Aldi across the road is closing on May 31st!!
Insufficient business or some other reason?
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Here in Wokingham we have M&S closing and a new Aldi being built...
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>> Here in Wokingham we have M&S closing and a new Aldi being built...
I think that called social mobility downwards.
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Similar thing happened in St. Awful ... Homebase shut up shop and B&M took over the gaff.
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>> Similar thing happened in St. Awful ... Homebase shut up shop and B&M took over
>> the gaff.
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B&M are a damn sight better than Homebase.
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The local Homebase has improved since it's takeover, unfortunately for both them and the other nearby DIY sheds there is a very good independent trade Aladdins cave nearby.
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>> B&M are a damn sight better than Homebase.
And a lot cheaper, even like for like products.
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>>B&M are a damn sight better than Homebase.
Really, in what way?
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>> Really, in what way?
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As VX Fan said, cheaper prices for similar products and in the one I use in Cardigan the staff are more knowledgeable and there are more of them. In the traditional DiY sheds what few staff there are spend the day walking round steadfastly trying to avoid eye contact.
Last edited by: Robin O'Reliant on Wed 24 May 17 at 14:19
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>>As VX Fan said, cheaper prices for similar products and in the one I use in Cardigan the staff are more knowledgeable and there are more of them.
They don't appear to stock the wide range of products which Homebase did, unless one wants a bottle of Jim Beam @ £8.25 or some Maynards wine gums @ £1.99 for the teatotal.
Fortunately, there's a Wilko over the road from where the ole woman works so most DIY stuff is sourced from there.
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>> or some Maynards wine gums @ £1.99
Ach, was in a Waitrose last week and they had bags of sweeties, which I never buy, at two for £2 or some such. Being on holiday and knowing how to live, I got some liquorice allsorts, which were nice enough, not having had them for years, especially when discovering nobody else in the family liked liquorice, the odd lot.
But they also had Waitrose own really sour gummy fruit things, which were eye wateringly delicious. Seriously sour. Recommended if you need a real kick.
Trouble is I want more now.
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We've one near us, a b&m that is, sells all sorts of things. No end of interior diy stuff, plants, sheds, gravel. Sells beds, rugs, booze, food etc. Its a proper warehouse job.
Last edited by: sooty123 on Wed 24 May 17 at 16:11
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>> B&M are a damn sight better than Homebase.
Do you mean B&M or B&Q?
Comparing a DIY store with a stack it high bargain basement supermarket is apples/oranges territory.
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>> Comparing a DIY store with a stack it high bargain basement supermarket is apples/oranges territory.
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B&M have a reasonable range of DiY stuff. Not specialists by any means but you can get a fair amount of stuff in there.
Last edited by: Robin O'Reliant on Wed 24 May 17 at 14:23
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IMO Bracknell Homebase has dropped standards considerably, it is now a junk shop with piled high bins. On the plus side I don't think it is quite so expensive compared to other sheds as it once was.
I'm spoilt for choice really, Wickes, Toolstation, Screwfix, Travis Perkins and a couple of more specialist sheds (e.g. uPVC bits, tiles, plumbing) all on the same estate plus some indies in easy range. The Range is also quite close, they have a reasonable decorating and diy dept. B&Q is a bit too far to be bothered with, and I joined up to Selco the other day thinking that their prices looked good but it's a 20+ mile round trip and it's not often I'd buy enough to save the cost of the fuel to go there.
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>> B&M have a reasonable range of DiY stuff.
There are 3 B&M's within a 10 mile radius of me.
One stocks a limited range of DIY stuff. It's more of a food and seasonal store. The 2nd stocks around 30% of DIY stuff. The 3rd one in Abingdon has an upstairs area that is full to the rafters of nearly every DIY tool, paints and wallpapers one could possibly need, along with car stuff, and furniture too.
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>> The 3rd one in Abingdon has
>> an upstairs area that is full to the rafters of nearly every DIY tool, paints
>> and wallpapers one could possibly need, along with car stuff, and furniture too.
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Similar to the one that opened in Cardigan earlier this year when the B&Q store closed. Good quality stuff at reasonable prices, I'd class it as an upmarket Wilkinsons. They have a fantastic range of lighting.
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>> >>The Aldi across the road is closing on May 31st!!
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>> Insufficient business or some other reason?
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Two reasons.
Current building is owned by M&S. They are not renewing Aldi's lease as plan is to use the space for M&S Foodstore.
Aldi had plenty of business at this location. They looked for a local option but couldn't find anywhere suitable in town. Now moving to a bigger purpose built store in Chertsey.
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>> Here you go. The Temeraire:-
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.....good for a fight?....
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>> decent restaurant for an evening meal.
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Nearby thecricketers.co.uk/ (run by Jamie Oliver's parents)
Trevor and Sally Oliver have owned this 16th century inn since 1976, winning awards for both its food and accommodation along the way.
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No idea re the eateries FC but Happy Returns to the Mrs and hope you both have a wonderful time!
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Shows how often I eat out. I thought this would be easy, and had three recommendations.
Then I thought I'd just check them before posting, and blow me they've all changed hands/closed down, and are now look pretty ordinary fare.
So, as a reverse, Fullchat, let us know what you do end up with - might go out to eat once or twice more in my lifetime perhaps.
For any interested, those I would have recommended were
Red Lion Ickleton
Eight Bells Walden
Pink Geranium Melbourn
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We're back. Best wishes passed on Zippy :)
Not a part of the world I've spent any time in other than passing through on the M11. How lovely!
Stayed in a very period Airbnb cottage with low beams - oouuch! at Duddenhoe End. About 7 miles west of Saffron Walden.
Many lovely pubs in the area with superb food. First night - The Red Cow at Chrishall. Second night for the big meal King William 1V at Hayden. Both equally good with the King Billy probably pipping the post with its interior setting.
Of course the weather made it :)
Thanks for all recommendations and input.
Last edited by: Fullchat on Sun 28 May 17 at 23:30
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Restaurant Recommendations Saffron Walden ? - Robin O'Reliant
