After a not very filling meal at Grassington House, we headed to the wonderful Forester’s Arms where we enjoyed a single pint, well I did anyway, being ever fearful of the next days’ cycling. Once we had drunk enough sugary liquid calories and yeast water (cider and beer), we headed to Linton Falls, which is a popular attraction in Grassington / Linton.
The popularity of the waterfall is no doubt due to it being an easy stroll from the National Park car park in Grassington. A footbridge leading from Grassington to Linton spans the fall. It is the fourth bridge to be located in the this spot. The original Tin Bridge was built in 1814 for workers at Linton Mill, the current bridge was built in 1989 after the previous incarnation was closed for being unsafe the previous year. My Yorkshire Dales
The way to Linton Falls from the National Parks carpark
We visited at a time where there was neither great rainfall or great drought. The weather was also free of wind hence our sighting of the falls was serene. See it below from the aforementioned bridge and from below the bridge.
We were extremely lucky with the weather throughout the Way of the Roses. Our evening in Grassington was no different. Quite spectacular.
The walk from the falls back to the Craiglands was equally spectacular. See below the bridge before the hotel on the left. Really beautiful evening.
Overall this was a wonderful evening. We were alone in this beautiful place and were able to enjoy it to the fullest extent. Cannot recommend enough.
Oh me oh my, this was probably the best meal on the Way of the Roses trip. We arrived to the Craiglands hotel in Grassington, unpacked and cleaned up then headed to dinner. Our fellow guests were shocked that we were eating there, as it seems to have a reputation for exorbitant costs. The costs were certainly close to budget but not excessive I found. Portion size could be described as minimalist but certainly the flavour is concentrated in each beautiful morsel!
Grassington House? I didn’t know we were staying with millionaires!
We skipped the starter to concentrate on the main and not overload ourselves for the ride in the day to come. Nick went for a vegetarian dish, the spinach Spätzle. Spätzle a type of small noodle or dumpling made with fresh eggs. Typically it is served with meat but this time it was served with breaded goats cheese bon bons. This was also served with pickled beetroot and fresh rocket. I had a small part of the bon bon which was cooked beautifully, as you would expect. The batter was the crispiest possible without being brittle. The pasta itself was cooked well and seasoned intelligently.
I had to have the Yorkshire Lamb. Seared loin with a lamb wellington (thank you very much), broad beans, peas and a wild garlic pomme pureé. This was possibly the smallest meal I have ever had but also ranks among the most flavourful. The quality of the food at Grassington House cannot be overstated and was reminiscent of the meal I had some years ago at Kampa Park in Prague.
This was a dish which was levels of spectacular. Fantastic consistency on the lamb, on the brink of being fondant but still tough enough to have the consistency of well cooked lamb. The pastry on the wellington was feather light and the filling balanced the lamb against what I believe was mushroom quite beautifully. The garlic pomme pureé was also sensational, light, fluffy and so flavoursome. A small meal even by flea standards but one of substantial beauty.
The cheese course consisted of Tunworth, Dale End Cheddar, Fellstone and Leeds blue, the only one on the list made form sheep as opposed to cow’s milk. Those who have been within 4.5 miles of my location will be aware by favourite cheese is Roquefort. The Leeds blue was the closest in terms of flavour to this so was of course my favourite on the plate.
A very creamy soft cheese which is fresh like their Pecorino, most similar in texture to a Gorgonzola. A gentle mild blue aged for 30 days with savoury notes, a little bitter with some sweetness that lingers in your mouth. George & Joseph
Overall, a staggering restaurant even if the portion size were more fit for a door mouse than a 6 foot pedant. We will most certainly be returning in future.
Prior to an astonishing hill coming out of Settle, we ate a lovely lunch at the New Inn in Clapham, in the Craven district of North Yorkshire. The lunch itself was high quality and we were very grateful to the staff at the New Inn for letting us faff about with our bikes before the huge hill out of Settle. For a combination of the above reasons I must recommend this charming place.
The Ploughman’s lunch was absolutely lovely but a little too ambitious for us. We were cycling machines at this point and had had a fulsome breakfast which did not leave much room for an extravagant lunch. Nonetheless we ate at least 60% of this delicious dish. I should say the Wensleydale was a little dry for my taste.
Nick opted for the ham and cheese panini which I understand was wholly satisfactory. I went for the pastrami, pickle and mayo panini which was excellent. Pastrami has quite a unique flavour including smoke, spicy black pepper, and the sweet citrus tang of coriander. The original process involved placing meat in saddle bags, where it was pressed by the riders’ legs as they rode. Thankfully Health and Safety have since frowned upon this practice.
Overall this was a lovely lunch break and very welcoming place. I understand one can book a room there which we may choose to do down the line. I am most grateful to the staff for allowing us to tinker with our bikes (outside of the view of fellow diners it should be added, which made the bitter hill out of Settle less frightening.
See below a photograph taken on a road being newly relayed. I did not realise how newly until my tyres were coated in yellow paint (which dries very quickly indeed). A minor set back saw us slightly delayed into Grassington but more on that in a later post, perhaps.
Those in close contact with me will be aware that I am squarely in Africa musically. I have been there for some weeks and am having trouble leaving the Lagos rabbit hole but I shall endeavour to provide a wider ambit of beautiful covers. Some of these will of course reflect where I am musically at the moment but I will make a special effort to cover a range of covers.
Fela Kuti – J.J.D – Johnny Just Drop – 1977
In his lyric for ‘J.J.D. (Johnny Just Drop)’, Kuti lampooned Nigeria’s “been-tos,” people who had been to Europe or America to work or study and then returned (“dropped”) home with European pretensions and an inferiority complex about African culture. Lemi’s front cover portrays a suited-up been-to, dressed like a cartoon British toff, as he parachutes into a Lagos street to the bemusement of the locals. Vinyl Factory
This is both an amazing record and amazing covers. On the back cover, the plane company of the plane from which Johnny drops is called ‘Ofersee Hairways’, a stab by Fela of the change in hairstyles which ‘been-tos’ espoused on their return to Africa. Just excellent this cover. The ‘been to’ sweating in his nice suit is a reference made in an earlier album, Gentleman, where Fela derides westernised locals for, as he saw it, having delusions of grandeur which cost them dearly in perspiration.
Transmission – The Music of Beverley Glenn Copeland 2020
Before my Afrobeats phase, I was squarely in the camp of the wonderful Beverley Glenn Copeland. Copeland’s ability to weave together beautiful harmonies with minimalist elements kind of melts my brain. I sent the live version of Erzilli, the final track of Copeland’s self titled debut album, Nick commented that the album art work of this album is very nice. and he is quite right of course. The stained glass window effect of this bird flying towards the light is gorgeous. This is a very pretty album cover indeed and an extraordinary album overall.
Bjork – Vespertine 2001
Bjork is bizarre in the most wonderful way. Her 2001 album Vespertine is no exception. The dress on the cover will be recognised from her unforgettable 2001 Oscar ceremony red carpet look, which remains one of the most famous Oscars looks of all time. The album also features an overlaid swan which has been deemed so excellent that it has been tattooed on numerous of her fans. Also seeing her in a state somewhat similar to that experienced by St Theresa in the famed Bernini sculpture is a lot of fun.
Bjork’s famous Oscar dress
Rush – Hemispheres – 1978
The album’s cover depicts the conflict between the two gods, represented as men atop opposite halves (hemispheres) of a large human brain. Apollo is on the left side, wearing a black business suit and bowler hat and holding a cane, while the naked Dionysus beckons to him from the right side. Rush Fandom
What more is there to say? This 1978 Rush offering is among my top three Rush albums. I love Rush and will always have a place for them in my musical pantheon. The fact they have used Greek mythology and created a frightening brain straddling story from this is very impressive to me. The album is also an astonishing feat and I recommend you listen at once!
Fame – Grace Jones – 1978
This was the third album in the Grace Jones / Tom Moulton disco trilogy, released when she was starting out in music. The cover art features a drawing of Grace along the lines of some of Issey Miyake’s sketches, Issey being a close friend of Grace at the time. I think it’s quite beautiful and of course, Grace can do no wrong in my eyes.
The back cover is excellent also and inspired me to get a tattoo in the style of this signature, eventually. See this below:
I shall see you again for Five Favourites August edition.
Let it be known that I adore Kevin Bacon. This film is perhaps not his best (Footloose might qualify), but it is the only one which he has watched again, according to the man himself. This film follows the story of handymen Val (Bacon) and Earl (Fred Ward) who find themselves embroiled in an extra terrestrial – or should it be sub terrestrial – attack on a town called Perfection. The ridiculousness is almost unpalatable at times but the film is overall a funny, accessible treat which I recommend.
Unsuspecting handymen Val and Earl pass though a sleepy, dusty town called Perfection, and end up being handier than they thought as they help rescue the inhabitants from a plague of giant underground worms who keep popping up and picking off the populace. Empire
This was director Ron Underwood’s first feature length film and was produced by Gayle Anne Hurd who was involved in Aliens. I must say he made a great attempt at it. This is at once a fun film in and of itself as well as a pastiche of 1950s monster horrors and Jaws style films – the unseen monster lurking beneath the surface. But instead of showing a determined organised fright fuelled rebellion, Tremors utilises two cowboy builders to battle the beasts.
Why do I recommend this film? It is silly, it is funny and it is inoffensive. You have a group of dim witted builders trying at once to fend off a hoard of earth worm-esque monsters and at the same time trying to make money off of the situation. The crescendo of the film, if that is the correct term, is when the villagers of Perfection all huddle on their respective roofs and bombard the monsters with a series of increasingly impressive firearms and explosives.
Overall, this is a fun, unobjectionable film which will have you sat down for a very enjoyable 90 minutes.
