One doesn’t go to Coventry as often as they should. This exceptional city is close to my heart and home to many hidden wonderful. One such gem is Fargo Village. Tucked away in a dangerous part of town, this creative hub hosts some of the most exceptional drinkeries in town.
Twisted Barrel Ale exists to create great tasting beer for great people. Our working brewery at FarGo Village opens it’s doors to the public each week to bring you the freshest, most local beer in Coventry. Fargo Village
Stepping in, one can see to their left a set of large fermentors where the beer is left. One sits so far away from them is that these often explode. He went on to say at this distance the shrapnel loses sufficient velocity so as to not be penetrative. Heaven help(ed) the brewer who stood too close to it once in what I can only presume was America.
We offer quiz nights, a home brew club, brewery tours and the odd theme day where games are played and costumes are encouraged! Event day or not, the Tap House is a fun place to be, with friendly staff, excellent choice of drink and great music! Fargo Village
I prefer to remain slim and hairy so try to avoid beer. The Hogan’s Elderflower cider there is excellent. So sweet one does not realise how drunk they are until they wake up in Sweden wondering what their mother will think. St Nick enjoyed his fifteen pints so much he even threw up at home rather than in his shoes, as is customary.
Truly, Fargo is exceptional and I expect you all to go there forthwith!
Rolling Stones Magazine cleverly point out that The Royal Scam’s tracks, with the exception of ‘The Fez’, concern escape from some recently committed crime or other. The subject of outlaws drug dealers and cheaters is rich for exploration and Steely Dan do so immaculately. This was one of the most enjoyable albums of the month to date. The sheer variety and innovative sound which expanded on an already great roster of albums (this being their fifth) created something truly special.
But the Dan’s outlaws are also moral ones, guilt-ridden over comparatively minor sins. (Last time out, remember, Katy’s chief offense was that she lied, after all.) “Kid Charlemagne” is a selfish egotist, and suffers for it; “The Fez,” a sort of Dan-esque answer to Randy Newman’s “You Can Leave Your Hat On,” concerns a rather pathetic, if kinky, megalomaniac. At their best, these songs yield up concise surrealist introspection; at their worst, they suggest a paranoic death wish that is very amusing, if a bit unnerving. Rolling Stones
To keep you enthralled, I shall not write a song by song guide to this album. Instead I shall tell you about the ones I enjoyed most. Kid Charlemagne kicks off the album in style. It is my understanding that the track was written with Owsley Stanley, an acclaimed LSD maker in the 60s, in mind. This is shown in the exceptional guitar solo. As with most of the tracks on this album, the guitar leads and the other instruments follow.
All of the songs were written by Walter Becker and Donald Fagen, who remade Steely Dan as a duo when they dropped the five-piece lineup of previous albums. Acclaimed session players like guitarist Larry Carlton and Chuck Rainey on bass contributed to many of the tracks. Ultimate Classic Rock
Haitian Divorce is an excellent track. Of course it covers the subject of an acrimonious divorce. This is yet another example of how the tracks on this album are constructed around the lead guitar. The excellent lyricism is not lost on me here. There is wonderful talk of defiance and preparation to fight which speaks to the nature of violent divorces, of which I am an expert, clearly.
Finally, I would have to say Everything You Did and Sign In Stranger are the highlights for me. The former is about a woman cheating on the protagonist. The latter features pianist Paul Griffin going on one of my favourite piano solos of any pop song:
On “Sign In Stranger,” as on that song, his touch even as he’s running his right hand rapidly across the keys is deft and light. Always keen on riding the hot hand, Becker and Fagen gave him a piano solo that was essentially just a continuation of the busy comping he was doing throughout the entire song. Something Else Reviews
All together, this is a wonderfully structured, cohesive and impactful album which merits more praise than it received at the time. Donald Fagan explains this being borne from the fact The Royal Scam was their fifth album and critics like albums less and less as the band succeeds. I hold this in very high esteem and hope you shall enjoy it as much as I do.
And now, a piece from the Saint Mother, Mrs St Nick
We arrived at the Aiolos restaurant after dark on a balmy evening during our stay in Nafplio, on the East coast of the Peloponnese. It‘s one of the most popular restaurants on the Odos Vasilissis Olga, a lovely marble paved street typical of the old town, with bright blossoms climbing up the sides of the houses.
We ordered a local red wine, from nearby Nemea, dry but very smooth. Our starter, following an amuse bouche of home made hummus, was called Bougiourdi, a piquant combination of baked feta cheese with sliced tomatoes, onions and peppers.
We had Beef Stifado to follow and one of the specials, Chicken Mavrodafni (featured image). Both were served with fried potatoes.
Stifado is a favourite of the Greek menu – a casserole of slow cooked beef in a tomato based sauce with whole small onions. The onions created a sweet taste complementing the tender meat.
The Mavrodafni consisted of chicken breast cooked in the eponymous red wine with cream, perhaps more inspired by french cuisine but equally delicious and tender.
We ordered two Greek coffees, medium sweet which were the best we had on our trip – strong but not too sludgy at the bottom! The restaurant gave us a small complementary bottle of grappa and desert – ravani, which is a sponge made with semolina soaked in an orange flavoured syrup. To make it well you need to let it soak up all the syrup slowly until it is completely and evenly absorbed. I wonder if they guessed we were doing a review! The desert was delicious and just the right side of something sweet to end the meal.
All in all a very friendly and relaxed atmosphere- including traditional musicians to entertain. The price was very reasonable. I would definitely recommend a visit if you are passing through Nafplio.
You know I lived in Coventry for three years. Not sequentially, of course. But in my time there, I had been to the Cathedral countless times. The more devoted Cedric Suggestibles among you will recall that I reviewed Rising Cafe very early on in the Cedric Suggests archives. This was in fact the first place I reviewed for food, despite being the second eatery on the blog. I remember it fondly and was glad to eat there again this weekend with my closest friends and confidants.
The original St Michael’s Cathedral in Coventry was built between the late 14th century and early 15th century. It now stands ruined, bombed almost to destruction during the massive attack on the city by German bombers on the night of November 14th, 1940. AtlasObscura
Little remains of the original Cathedral except the tower which emerged from the bombing relatively intact. It is now open to those who wish to climb the 106 steps up to have one of the finest views of the city I have ever seen. See of the views pictured below.
One can see Holy Trinity Church in its splendour, the Cathedral Lanes Centre, which is home to the Cosy Club, part of Godiva Place and the Lower Precinct shopping centre. If you have spectacles, or if you’ve decided to come from Hull and not bring your spectacles, squint, you’ll see Coventry Market. This is home to Ed’s Coffee and Vinyl Destination where I bought Abraxas by Santana – a superb album. Listen especially to Black Magic Woman, if you have ears of course.
The view from another side of the tower(apologies for not giving you these in the standard North/South binary, I wasn’t wearing my hearing aids so I forgot to bring my compass. Silly of me, really. One can see the corner of the Transport Museum (now £14 entry!), part of Coventry University and a lovely urban sprawl of purest green.
The final side I shall be sharing with you showcases the hull of St Michael’s Cathedral. We discussed the architecture while there, concluding the Romans did a good job in setting out the layout of most modern Cathedrals. Of course the question then asked was “Where did the Romans get the idea to do that?”. Perhaps this is too great a question for this humble blog.
One can also see the Hubert Art Gallery, which is free and delightfully well thought out, as well as FarGo Village. The latter deserves a post all by itself, and may well get one.
I really recommend the St Michael’s tower to you. It’s a fantastic way to get a great view of the city as well as some exercise. You can even see the mechanical bells which St Nick lectured me on at great length, being a bellend of some repute himself.
It’s been just over one year since I arrived in the wonderful city of Birmingham. This city which has in so short a time, done so much for me. Not by itself of course, cities are not sentient beings (Coventry being the exception). The amalgam of my experiences here cannot be distilled in 300 or so words. When I think back on the eateries which have been the stage for the most progressive conversations I have had this year, BTP Harborne comes out on top. I should say the cover photo is unrelated to Boston Tea Party or indeed Birmingham at all. It is a wonderful park in Bearwood called Warley Woods, which I do recommend.
Tucked away in plain sight, this wonderful restaurant (for want of a better word) has been a frequent haunt for me. Living in Harborne for the whole of my time in Birmingham, aside from a brief period where I was seconded to Selly Oak, I have always been within walking distance of BTP and have used this to my advantage. This is a charming and peaceful place to have a coffee or a good quality meal for a relatively small fare. In addition, it is a Midlands based chain which does not rankle my objection to spending loadsamoney in places which already boast fat pockets.
One of my BTP highlights was the cheese and pine nut scone which they, alas, do not produce any longer. The sweet scones are almost equivalent in their deliciousness, but nothing will beat a savoury treat, for this reviewer at least.
On my most recent visit, Louise & I had a rather very profound discussion which altered my world view, as so many of our talks are. Between pronouncements, I ate the Boss Burger which consisted of breakfast in a bun, essentially. This included hash browns, bacon and avocado. As you can see from the excellent photograph below, this proved quite the treat. Often one does not come to expect excellence from chains but this burger was bursting with flavour as it bursted from its containing buns. Every morsel was a treat.
Louise in her ancient wisdom opted for the Breakfast. We discussed her upcoming autobiography “Breakfast Food at Lunchtime and Other Assorted Scandals”. No I jest, her autobiography’s title is so rude it wouldn’t be fair on my readers to write it here. I sampled her roasted saussie and it was quite delectable. I would recommend this substantial fare to anyone with a mouth.
Now, in closing, it would be remiss of me not to note the kindness of the waiters at BTP. They are always rushed off their feet but very attentive and will seldom let you finish your food without taking your plate away and taking genuine interest in your level of enjoyment. Perhaps this is a Harbonian trait and aimed at the vast wealth contained in this square mile of Birmingham in the hope of a tip, or perhaps it is simply good manners. Who is to say?
In any case I am continually impressed by the quality of BTP Harborne and advise you to have a tall Americano there. the ensuing panic attack is well worth it.
Some of you may recall that I have extolled the virtues of Legoland last year. I’m not in the habit of repeating myself consciously but this place is really worth talking about. As per, I was invited to go to the Adult Night at Legoland. One can compare the different themes by reading both posts. Or just looking at the pictures if you can’t read, no judgment here.
The fabulous above picture is in the building room adjacent to the Master Builder’s Office (featured image) I imagine this is in connection with the Sealife Centre which is just around the corner. I recommend this place also, just not on a weekend. There are only so many screaming toddlers one should tolerate at once.
What amazed me most about this month’s theme is the references to cult films scattered around Miniland. Observe the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man from Ghostbusters and the little Ghostbusters themselves tending to him lovingly by the Birmingham Library.
Observe the angry Octopus coming out of Edgbaston Reservoir heading straight for the Waterworks Tower (which was Tolkien’s inspiration for Sauron’s Tower in Lord of the Rings franchise.
Observe the frightful spider’s web on the Wesleyan Building in Snow Hill. Even the detail of the authorities at the foot of this building is well thought out. I am thoroughly impressed with this month’s display.
I really hope you will go to Legoland this month. Therein lies a feat of the imagination which few places in this town can boast.
