Lovely Food In Elegant Surroundings at The Old Bridge Hotel Restaurant, Huntingdon, England

Problem
Where can you eat and park in Huntingdon?

The Old Bridge Hotel Restaurant
The creeper-clad Old Bridge Hotel is my favourite place.

The car park is free and large. Our favourite parking place is in the section where you can park facing the river. The derelict building opposite looks like a haunted house.

On our most recent visit we walked across the pedestrian bridge.

We found a new development. We were pleased to see the sign that plans are in hand for more development, so perhaps the derelict building will be refurbished or replaced.

Although the hotel car park is often nearly full, we have always found a space somewhere.

Answers
If you want a good meal, or a special meal, The Old Bridge Hotel restaurant is the place to go. Inside the hotel you have plenty of choice.

The Pub
The wooden-floored pub has traditional character combined with modern comforts.

The old-fashioned pub with a log fire and bar has charm, if that's your sort of thing. The bar stools have sensible high backs.

If you prefer, little tables for two. You can lean close. Talk intimately.


The Lounge

If you don't mind low tables, the cosy lounge with sofas is ideal for a quick coffee and cake for a business meeting.

It's also good for a girls' get together lunch. I met one group of former colleagues who gather here once a month.

We ate for the first time in the lounge, where I discovered the sandwiches. I still like the chicken and avocado sandwich.

The Restaurant
But my husband usually chooses a cooked meal. So now we go for the restaurant for more comfort and elegance.

Arrive early to get a window seat or better still book one. I think the window seats are the best. Nearer to the bar to catch somebody's eye for instant attention. Views over the garden. If you have your back to the outdoor, you still have sunshine from the outside.

If you miss out, never mind. You are likely to get more privacy at the back banquettes against the wall away from the windows. The overhead skylight, is pretty and pretty unusual.

Wine Shop
Afterwards the wine shop is always an entertainment. See the bathroom and kitchen hand gels at the doorway.

Read my post on wine souvenirs including candles, wooden candel holder and display, magnetic paper holder, kitchen ware.

Useful Websites
visitbritain.com
visitbritainshop.com

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer.

Memories Of Old Huntingdon, Ivy-Covered Old Bridge Hotel, Walls, and Three Bridges

The river Ouse with traffic hurtling across the new bridge past the peaceful swans below.

The Old Bridge Hotel.

The Old Bridge Hotel Wine Shop.

The pedestrian only bridge.

The swan swims towards us.

The swan passes under the arch of the old bridge.

The River Ouse risen in the rain under the old bridge's arches in April 2018. We drove to see the flooding and found the roads closed.

The sign telling you that the A1 takes you to Huntingdon, which also has a mainline station, and that the Huntingdon area was chartered way back in the thirteenth century.

Useful Websites
To visit the Old Bridge Hotel wine shop and restaurant and hotel:
http://www.huntsbridge.com
To buy their wine online:
http://www.oldbridgewine.co.uk
http://visitbritain.com

Author
Angela Lansbury, Travel writer and phtographer, author and speaker. Please share links to your favourite blogs.

Memories Of The Walls At Huntingdon And The Couple Beyond The Wall

Walking Around The Hotel Car Park in Huntingdon.

The couple watching the clouds go by.

The Couple Seen through the trees.

A couple in silhouette and tree with shadows.

The Hole In The Wall Frames A Distant Object.

Hole in the wall with shadow.

Trees beyond the hole in the wall.

Growing A Climber On Supports. All photos by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Author

Angela Lansbury, Travel Writer and Photographer, Author and Speaker.

Where Can You See The Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race And The Harvard-Yale Regatta - Book For The Next One

Problems
Who will win the boat race?
Where can you see it?

Answers
Where can you see it? The race takes place not in Cambridge nor Oxford but in London, from Putney to Mortlake.

? 

Map from Wikipedia.

The rowing race takes place along the Thames, and can be seen from bridges from several riverside pubs in London.

I missed it this year because my internet was down. Better be ready for next year.

Swans at St Ives, Cambridgeshire. Photo by Angela Lansbury, copyright.

This year was pretty cold - it's still freezing in London, and predicted to be equally cold next year. Not ideal for outdoors, unless you come from a cold country and have proper outdoor clothing. This means get out your ski gear. In the UK people dressed for the office think it's cold outside.

However, cold weather doesn't stop people going skiing, in Canada, or the USA, or Korea, or Italy, Or Switzerland, Or France, Or New Zealand, because they are dressed for it.

Cambridge
Why did Cambridge win? Was anybody surprised? I was not surprised. I would expect them to win. Cam bridge - the name means bridge over the river Cam. It's a beautiful city with waterways always inviting, especially in summer.

However, looking at the statistics, the result is not predictable. It's a close run thing. I see that Oxford and Cambridge have both won about 80 times since the race was started in the 1800s.

British Weather in March
This year, if I had been out at a pub, I would have spent most of the time indoors watching on the pub TV. Unfortunately, the summer weather wasn't with us this year. Snow isn't unknown in Britain in March. In 1979, when a member of my family was born, I recall looking out of a hospital window in Watford at the snow. On the other hand, on another birthday, in the 1960s, I have photos of the family in London sitting in a back garden in Edgware, Middlesex, NW London, in summery sunshine.

Three City Circuit
Think now about a holiday including London and then Cambridge for this time next year. Three places to put on your itinerary, London, Cambridge, Oxford. Meanwhile, what can you do in Cambridge in summer? You will want to see the river and the university colleges.

All three destination, London, Oxford and Cambridge, offer sport, culture and history. You could make a three-city circuit.

Old Bridge Hotel
I will tell you about Cambridge in a later post. Come back. In fact, I have already written a lot about one of my favourite waterside restaurants, The Old Bridge Hotel, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire.

You can watch the men's event, the women's event or both. They take place on the same day, the women's event first.  If you don't make it to the area, the race is shown on TV. Also look at YouTube. 

In America a similar race takes place between Harvard and Yale. It is called the Regatta. Notice the doubte T. 

Where? On America's The Thames River, involving New London, Connecticut. The colours are blue for Yale and Red for Harvard. How do you remember which colour is which team? Easy. LE in both Yale and blue. RD in both Harvard and red.

UK

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/othersports/article-5539949/Cambridge-win-2018-Boat-Race-Oxford-dominated-gloomy-Thames.html

https://www.standard.co.uk/go/london/bars/boat-race-2018-route-where-to-watch-oxford-vs-cambridge-go-headtohead-a3797986.html

https://www.visitbritain.com/gb/en

USA
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvard–Yale_Regatta

visittheusa.com (Note the double T.)

author
Angela Lansbury
Travel writer and photographer, author and speaker

Tasty Tapas at Old Bridge Hotel Restaurant, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire and Cromwell Museum

Problem
Where to eat In Cambridgeshire?

Answer
First the bad news then the good news. Sorry to say although we looked for somewhere new, we went back to our favourite, the place I have reviewed before, The Old Bridge Hotel restaurant at Huntingdon. The decor no longer strikes us as new and exciting.

But it still has eye-catching features.

However, the food and drink still provides non-stop pleasure.

Story

First the bread, with salted butter, came up fast. I like salted butter. I kept the wrapper. It says: Netherend Farm. Est 1936.

Traditionally churned in Gloucesshire.

The richest dairy pastures lie

Betwixt the Severn and the Wye

The menu had Prosecco by the glass for me. This week there's a huge fuss in the papers because a British dentist has said Prosecco rots your teeth and naturally the Italians are cross. (The same could be said for Coca-cola and ice cream, both of which are still selling like, the cliche is 'selling like hot cakes', but one might say selling fast like Coca cola and ice cream.)

Sorry, I want to keep my teeth but the argument against Prosecco is not going to sway me. I don't drink it every day. My husband is going to order dry red wine or dry white wine whatever anybody says; and I am going to order sweet white wine (or medium sweet), my current favourite being Prosecco, and that is that.

The glasses for serving wines are a lovely shape.

We were not desperately hungry because on the way to Huntingdon, driving up from London, we had stopped for coffee and a sandwich for elevenses.

Tapas

We opted for the tapas menu and chose four dishes. The waiter pointed out that we could have three dishes each for their reduced inclusive price for three dishes.

We decided to stick to the four, not being as hungry as usual (last time - see my previous revue of The Old Bridge hotel restaurant), we had three tapas plates each). We asked: "Since we are ordering four dishes, could we have the discount on the three tapas plates and just pay the full price for the extra one?"

"Yes."

I liked three of the four tapas plates, the ones I would have chosen. I liked the chicken kebab, the potato tart, and the rissole containing ham and peas. I would not have chosen anchovies. I managed one anchovy, in what to my taste is sharp pickle or vinegar, and mixed it with the bland potato.


Dessert - Bread and Butter Pudding
I had decided that since I had apparently exceeded my ration of sugar with the Prosecco, I would forego the dessert. However, when offered the chance to share, to have half a dessert, I promptly and enthusiastically agreed.

The debate was between the summer pudding and the bread and butter pudding. Summer pudding has fruit, is seasonal, a stronger flavour, a bridghter colour (red fruits). However, we buy a very good summer pudding from the supermarket. So our choice was bread and butter pudding.

What a great choice. It is flavoured with orange. Divine. Add ice cream and a teeny jug of creme fraische. Every mouthful lip-smacking good.

"Perfect, just perfect."

Coffee And Biscuit

Espresso coffee for one comes with a biscuit. Seeing us dividing the biscuit, our server suggested I should have a biscuit all to myself.

My first thought was, "Ooh - I'm going to get a free biscuit without ordering coffee. My second thoguht was, that's a quick way of getting a customer to order a biscuit because they charge for biscuits.

I don't know what the bill said. Only that the person paying thought that under fifty pounds for two people, in effect alcholic glass of wine for two, main course for two, shared dessert, coffee for one, in a restaurant of that class was very reasonable.

We came away with the Christmas menu. We don't have a reason to drive all that way from London. But you never know. We might find a reason.

Wine
Look around the wine shop in the Old Bridge Hotel.
At weekends visit the winery and café, New Lodge Vineyard, Earls Barton.

Anybody famous and historic around here?
Samuel Pepys (1673-1703) the diarest who recorded the Great Fire of London went to the local grammar school in Huntingdon which is now the Cromwell Museum.

CROMWELL MUSEUM
The museum is small, one room, free, donation of £2 suggested. You might buy a book about Cromwell.

Oliver Cromwell (1599-1658) won battles in England's Civil War and was one of the people who signed the death warrant for the execution of Charles I. Cromwell was asked to be king but refused.

Xmas banned
From 1645 and during Cromwell's reign Christmas was banned and the feast replaced by a fast. The restoration of the monarch in 1660 reulted in the restoration of Christmas as a celebration.

What else to do and see?
1 Statue of the Thinking Soldier, war memorial on Huntingdon Market Square.
2 Cromwell Museum.
3 Houghton Mill, National Trust.
3 Visit: Cambridge; Ely.
Drive through small villages with yellow brick houses and thatch rooftops.

Tips
The Old Bridge Hotel Restaurant
1 High Street, Huntingdon
PE29 3QT
Tel: 01480 424300
email:oldbridge@huntsbridge.co.uk
www.huntsbridge.com/index

www.netherendfarmbutter.co.uk
https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g209939-d213736-Reviews-Houghton_Mill_National_Trust-Huntingdon_Cambridgeshire_England.html
www.visitbritain.com
www.cromwellmuseum.org
http://www.historyextra.com/feature/no-christmas-under-cromwell-puritan-assault-christmas-during-1640s-and-1650s
http://metro.co.uk/2017/09/01/italy-hits-back-over-claims-prosecco-will-rot-your-teeth-6896469/
www.newlodgevineyard.co.uk

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.
Photos by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.
Please see my previous posts on this restaurant and others around the world and destinations. Share links to your favourite posts. You can read more about me and by me on Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube and books on Amazon and Lulu.com

Wine and Beer at Hotels and Wine Hotels & Restaurants in England

Restaurant at The Old Bridge Hotel.

The Wine Shop at the Old Bridge Hotel.

The Wine Shop at The Old Bridge Hotel.

Problem
What was the name of that hotel with a fine wine cellar and knowledgeable sommelier?

Answer
Let's just make a list. I thought there were just two or three. I have found several more. Here are any favourites and wish lists:

Hotel du Vin
York
Yorkshire
Several more hotels du vin.
https://www.hotelduvin.com/

Huntsbridge Ltd
The Old Bridge Hotel
1 High Street
Huntingdon
Cambridgeshire PE29 3TQ
Tel: 01480 458410
emails:
oldbridge@huntsbridge.co.uk
jh@hunstbridge.co.uk
Website: www.huntsbridge.com

WINE
Introduction to wine tastings, £44 per person: Sauvignon Blanc, Monday Aug 7, 2017 at 7.15 pm; Washington State Monday 9 Oct 2017; to book ring wine shop tel 01480 458410. Tapas and Sherry, Saturday 26 Aug, 2-5 pm. tutored tasting of sherry or Spanish white wines, £48 per person.

BEER
Old Bridge Beer Celebration, Sunday August 13th, 11.30-3.30 pm. Must book. Entry fee of £18 includes Old Bridge glass to take away and a lamb or pork roll snack you can munch as you walk around. (Vegetarian on request must be ordered in advance. In addition budget for the 9 or 10 beers which cost £1.25 for a half and £2.50 per pint.
***
Same management as the Old Bridge Hotel:
The Three Horseshoes at Madingley (near Cambridge)
www.threehorseshoesmadingley.co.uk / Facebook / Instagram (madingley_3hs)

***
Wine at Hotels in Hampshire
http://www.hotelterravina.co.uk

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.
See previous posts on The Old Bridge and other wines and wineries worldwide. Please share links to posts.

The Old Bridge Hotel Restaurant, Huntingdon

Creeper clad Old Bridge Hotel, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, England, is even more interesting inside. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

Problem
Where to eat driving north of London towards Cambridge, near Huntingdon and St Ives?

Answer
The Old Bridge Hotel. Perfect. Great food. Entertaining.

Stories
We had already eaten twice at the wonderful Old Bridge Hotel, so we scoured around the internet for something new. We found the pretty area of St Ives on the river. Was it the same river, the river Ouse? Oozing charm?

St Ives
After you have tried the Old Bridge Hotel, pretty St Ives is worth a look on a good sunny day. We tried booking lunch in St Ives online. We found the Amore restaurant by the riverside. We assumed we had a reservation. Alas no.

Worse still, we arrived in pouring rain at pretty St Ives, near Cambridge, north east of London, an hour and a quarter from Harrow in north west London.

(St Ives near Cambridge is not to be confused with the other St Ives, another pretty place in Cornwall. Your internet search may bring up the Cornish St Ives first.)

We saw signs saying the area had won an award for blooms. I spotted flowers in a boat.

St Ives is a pretty old place, with narrow streets, nooky shops and swans on the river.
















Swans on the river at St Ives, Cambridgeshire.

Flowers on the riverside at St Ives, Cambridgeshire.

Alas the Amore restaurant was closed on Tuesday. (That's the second time in the last two weeks that we have been caught out on Tuesday. The first time was in Romania where the ski lift doesn't operate in summer in Tuesdays - see previous posts on Romania.)

St Ives, in our experience, is not car friendly. We passed the pedestrian area entrance, the narrow old bridge, Poundland, and a museum which is being renovated. We drove round and around trying to get in and trying to get out. We tried to get back again, then tried to get out again. By now we had not found a parking place next to a nice restaurant. The driver and passenger were both unwilling to park miles away and trudge up and down pedestrian only streets in pouring rain looking for a restaurant.

What about the Old Bridge Hotel? That has lots of tables and lots of parking.

Great light and lighting in the restaurant at the Old Bridge Hotel, Huntingdon.

The modern restaurant. at The Old Bridge Hotel. I loved the mirrors.

Downstairs to the cosy old fireplace and red chairs.

In the other direction is the clean, well-kept bar.

The Old Bridge Hotel, Huntingdon
You have a choice of three seating areas. This time we chose to sit upstairs in the restaurant at proper tables.

You can also sit at low tables in a lounge area.

The third choice is the bar area which has tables for two and a fireplace. Or the bar, where the bar stools have proper high supportive backs.

The bread and butter is free. The still or sparkling water is also complimentary.

The Old Bridge Hotel has scarily high prices on the a la carte menu. If you want to book a birthday or special occasion as one group did you can order an expensive meal.

However, if you are careful you can have a very good meal at more moderate prices.

Drinks

Sweet white wine. Loads more choices. Prosecco. Rosé. Kir Royal.

Red wine by the glass

Wines are offered by the bottle and lots of wines by the glass. I could have had a Prosecco. I found several sweet wines on the dessert section.

Sandwiches
Take a look at the sandwich menu. I had chicken and avocado sandwich. I was offered a brown or white bread. You can also have your sandwich hot or cold. Mine came up with crisps and very elegant.

Chicken and avocado sandwich, comes with great crisps and salad.

Pork pie with hard Lord Of The Hundreds cheese.

Lord Of The Hundreds Cheese

The Lord of the Hundreds cheese is made in England. The cheese is made from ewes' milk. A ewe is a female sheep. Only females produce milk. Ewe's cheese is more frequently found in Italian, Spanish and Basque areas because sheep tolerate heat whereas cows don't like heat and are more rarely found in hot countries.

Afterwards we shared a dessert.

Finally coffee comes with a biscotti. (A hard, thick, crunchy Italian biscuit.)

Finally, what makes a classy, comfortable restaurant and hotel? A ladies toilet with matching bottles of hand wash gel and moisturiser so you come out with soft, sweet smelling hands. Really puts you in a good mood.

Tips
Look around the wine shop. They have an Enomatic machine which enables you to try small tastes of several wines for lower prices than for a full glass. Lots of wine bottles are stacked in clearly labelled in easy to find sections.

E n o m a t i c machine for tasting several wines in small quantities at reduced prices.

Cricket ball key fobs. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

The small number of novelties included cricket ball key fobs.

We chanced upon the hotel owner, John Hoskins, who is a master of wine. I had noticed a lot of well spoken people who I assumed were locals.

The English owner of The Old Bridge Hotel and Restaurant.

He told us that in addition many people stop at The Old Bridge Hotel, as they drive through. Why? Because Huntingdon is in the heart of England, at a crossroads. People stop as they drive east from Birmingham. Or north from London. Or south from the north of England to London.

The Old Bridge Hotel
1 High Street
Huntingdon
Cambridgeshire
PE29 3TQ
Tel: 01 480 424 300
Email: oldbridge@huntsbridge.co.uk
www.huntsbridge.com (For the restaurant and hotel.)
www.oldbridgewine.co.uk (For the wine shop.)

Photos by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.
Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. Please share links to my posts.