Reviews and Crayons of Wolfox Savoy Restaurant and Wetherspoons

How To Remember The Restaurant name, Wolfox

How do you remember the name of the Wolfox Savoy restaurant? The name Wolfox is a combination of wolf and fox. But which comes first? Is it wolf fox, or fox wolf which has the initials alphabetically? Shorten the name to one word by using the letter f only once and you get Wolfox. 

Good and Bad Reviews of Wolfox

Reviews from other people about the Wolfox Savoy restaurant were mixed. We ignored the negatives, and the positives. We liked the look and location and wanted to try the food for ourselves. Remembering that we might be ordering different food, at a different day or time, in less or more of a hurry, with diners who were more or less fussy.

Good and Bad Review of Restaurants

Speed of Service

Wolfox - No Crayons, Pencils, Paper

For us the main drawback was no free paper and crayon for kids. Our fault that we forgot to remind each other to always carry something to entertain our grand-daughter, aged four. The only nearby shop had only a plain, lined paper book. She was happy enough drawing letters of the alphabet.

You might think that's a good thing. An oasis away from tiny children, who might be making noise and running around.

On the other hand, providing crayons and paper keeps children sitting at the table, stops them running around.

Wetherspoons For Children

Website photo and click on link above for Wetherspoons.

Our family had visited Wetherspoons pub earlier in the day which provided drawing paper and crayons

If only the parents had saved a crayon or two. But would that be theft? 

Are the crayons re-used? Do you want your small children sharing germs on crayons used by others? The company ought to put their names on the crayons so even if you take them, you are carrying their advertising, so  that taking the items is expected?  

Although you might not take the coloured pencils. the activity paper has the Wetherspoons logo. If you have written on it they cannot give it to anybody else, so it is ok to take it.

Parents Props from Souvenir Shops

The souvenir shops had lots of pictures and dolls with heads of royalty and UK and London symbols, but no games or notebooks and pens or card games for children. You could buy items aimed at smokers of cigarettes - or anything else, somebody explained to me. (I am not a drug taker. My expertise is only food and drink.

So, when all else fails, buy a large notebook and pen. 

Where To Buy Kiddie Entertainment

The mother and daughter left the Wolfox restaurant before ordering, looking for some kiddie entertainment to buy. Luckily the mother had already told us what they wanted to order.

Kiddie Food Options at Wolfox

Kiddie food options were the tea time circular spiral pastry. Chips. Olives - mind the stones!

For kiddie entertainment look in the big bookshops. Or toyshops such as Hamleys in Regent Street, walking down south from Piccadilly Circus station. On our last visit we did not see nor buy any small gifts. Our grand-daughter spied a Pepper Pig Dolls House, at vast expense, a two figure sum, more suitable for her upcoming birthday than a souvenir of the day, or entertainment over tea or dinner in a restaurant.

Wolfox

https://www.wolfox.coffee/buyonline

Wetherspoons

https://wetherspoonmenuprices.co.uk/children/

https://globetotting.com/best-bookshops-in-london-for-kids/

Hamleys Paddington tea set in mini suitcase from Amazon

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rainbow-Designs-Paddingtons-Toy-Tea/

https://www.hamleys.com/

https://www.foyles.co.uk/category/childrens

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Talking-Tables-Questions-Travelling-

Please follow my blog and share links to your favourite posts.

Bright Lights And Delightful Decorations In Hatch End

 

|The Moon and Sixpence pub, with festive decorations. All photos by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Please follow me and share links to your favourite posts.

Where and how to celebrate St Patrick's Day - Belize, England, Ireland, Montreal, New York, Singapare

St Patrick's Day. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.
 

You can watch the parades in New York and Montreal. Visit the Leprechaun museum in Dublin. (Watch the videos.)

Or visit pubs worldwide, in Ireland, England, Singapore, Belize (on the British army base). 

At home you can make your own green beer. You can take a pale beer and add green food colouring. Or use powered green tea (matcha), or spinach. 

You can make bread with a green marble effect using colouring. Or make cupcakes with white icing and green dots. Use food colouring or look for green foods in shops.

Green items to Eat or drink

Artichoke

Avocado pear

Courgettes

cress

cucumber

Food colouring

Gooseberries

Green apples (eg Granny Smiths)

Greengages

Green ice cream (order in advance - in Hatch End England if you make a big order they will do ice cream and an ice cream cake in the colour and flavour of  your choice

Green Icing

Green Marzipan

Green pepper

Kiwi fruit

Ladies Fingers

Lettuce

Limes

Mint

Parsley

Pears

Pistachio nuts

Pistachio ice cream

Spinach

From the New York parade website you can buy packets of pins, from this year or previous years, scarves and ties, all at about 50 dollars, which does not sound cheap to me.

Montreal's parade will be smaller this year, with no floats, although there will be bands. The audience will be asked to space out, social distancing, a small crowd but not crowding.

Useful Websites

Images

https://www.dreamstime.com/photos-images/saint-patrick.

OUT AND ABOUT NEW YORK

https://www.nycstpatricksparade.org/

STAYING HOME

https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/food-recipes/easy/videos/a37082/how-to-make-green-beer/

Links from this website to buy green powders from amazon dot com and another source. Matcha green tea is only about 10 dollars.

Ratskeller and Rathskeller in German, Switzerland and the USA; Pubs in the UK, Pousadas in Portugal,and Paradores in Spain

Problem
Ratskeller sounds like a rats' cellar in English.

Answer
So in the USA the Ratskeller, German style pub cum cafeteria or restaurant,  is called a Rathskeller.

You will also find them in Austria and German-speaking Switzerland.

We have done several drives through Germany and Austria. if you don't have any other plans for restaurants and you want somewhere historic or with a local flavour - in decor and food, park near the city centre and go to the Rathauskeller.

My favourites include the one in Bremen, Germany, which is one of the oldest.

Source: Wikipedia article on Bremen. Photo by

UK
In the UK the option is usually to choose a pub chain. I like Wetherspoons. They display newspaper cuttings and accounts of local history.

See my other posts on Rathauskeller in German, and Community Clubs in Singapore.

SPAIN & PORTUGAL
In Spain historic buildings converted into hotels and restaurants are called Paradores. (That's plural.)
In Portugal they are called Pousadas. (Again, plural.)

Useful Websites
SINGAPORE
https://www.pa.gov.sg/our-network/community-clubs
TOURIST INFORMATION
https://www.visitsingapore.com/see-do-singapore/socialiser/?cmp=SEM_LEISURE-EATDRINK-NIGHTLIFE
SINGAPORE AIRLINES
singaporeair. com

EUROPE:AUSTRIA, GERMANY, SWITZERLAND
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ratskeller

FRANCE
In France we looked at the Relais and Michelin guides and chose historic buildings.

CANADA
In Canada we looked for the Chateau hotels. If we could not afford dinner, we looked for a cheap season stay with a discount on the hotel meals. Or we went there for breakfast or dinner or just a coffee and cake or just a drink in the bar with a snack.

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer.

Open Air Dining in Hatch End, At Casa Mia and More Restaurants

Problem
It's too hot in London to eat a heavy meal. Holidays are taking up our budget on travel costs. How to eat in the open air and economically?

Answers
In London in July 2018 everybody is enjoying the heatwave. 78 F. 26 C. Light summer clothes. Light colours. Lightweight.

Easier to pack - sleeveless tops, shorts, bikis. You need sunglasses, sunshade or sunhat, and suncream. But in air con cars and hotels or hotel bedrooms you might want a long-sleeved night gown. You might also want a brimmed hat and long sleeves and leggings and socks if you are hiding your skin from damaging sunlight and mosquitos - or if you had to much sun yesterday and your skin now look like a pink and white cherry or a crumpled, wrinkled walnut. Now that we are dressed, let's take a stroll along the nearest High Street.

Indoor Open Window Eating
Hatch End High street (just down the road from Pinner and Harrow) is typically London, but more so, with about twenty eating places all in walking distance. The restaurants are on both sides of one short High Street. The two sides of the road linked by a pedestrian crossing in the middle, with lights to stop traffic. Along Hatch End High Street I found at least three restaurants with either windows or doors open.

Fish and chips, dine inside, dine outside, or take away, at Sea Pebbles. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

If you want to sit in the sun, try the sunny side:
Costa,
Mosfilo (Greek and fish),
Izgara (Turkish grills),
Steak restaurant (evenings),
Chuck (upmarket burgers and drinks);
Sakonis Indian, and on the corner
Porta Grande Italian in the former Fellini.

The front of Wetherspoons pub, The Moon and Sixpence, always celebrating something. I took this photo last St Patrick's Day.

Towards the railway station at the end, you will find outdoor seating at the front of the Wetherspoons pub. If you don't mind vehicles, you can watch passers-by and traffic. Alternatively, walk through the pub to the back garden for benches around tables amid grass and trees.

We sometimes have to yo-yo from one table to another to avoid smokers. We once swapped garden tables twice, then, having had enought sunshine, ended up inside.

Next door to Wetherspoons, a large pizza place also has a back garden often open (if they have enough staff).

Hatch End station with its clock and weather vane. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

On the other side of the road, you can sit in the shade indoors with cooling open windows and doors at several restaurants:
Black Pepper
Dona Teresa, Italian, or
Casa Mia, Italian.
For more on Casa Mia see my later post.

Useful Websites
visitbritain.org
visitengland.com
visitlondon.com
temperature in london
jdwetherspoon.com
casamiarestaurant.org.uk

Fish and Chips and What Else To Try in London, England

Problem
"What should I eat in London?" my Singaporean friends ask me. "Should I try fish and chips?"

Answer
"Yes, definitely."

Where?

Sea Pebbles
My local, Sea Pebbles, is miles out of town at Hatch End. But they don't seem as good as they used to be, although the same owners are there.

Streatham
Another good one is in Streatham, near the station.


But many must be equally good. Try two or three, and ask local people who live or work in the area. Look for the local free newspaper, at the train or bus station, at the entrance to a supermarket or newsagent or estate agent (in the USA called property agent).

Chips
What will  you get in a British fish and chip shop? The first thing is proper chips, large size chips. They should be soft in the middle and crisp on the outside, with a high proportion of potato.

Fish
The fish you are likely to be offered:
Cod (large flakes)
Plaice (thinner, more flavour)
Other fish, such as haddock.
Fish cakes (made from bits of white fish and potato) usually very filling and very good and cheaper, too.

Packets of crisps in supermarkets have little or no potato and lots of oil, not ideal if you are on a diet.

Fish and Chips
You can also get fish and chips in many restaurants including the pub chain Wetherspoons. Wetherspoons have offers on drinks and food according to the time of year, day of the week, time of the day. Look for fish and chips.

Outdoor seating and baloons and bunting to celebrate St Patrick's Day in March 2018 at the Moon And Sixpense pub, one of the Wetherspoons pubs in London. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Flowers abound and festivals are celebrated at Wetherspoons pubs. Smoke-free indoors by law. Smokers can sit at the front, or in the back garden of the Moon & Sixpence pub in Hatch End, north west London near Hatch End station. Other pubs are all over the country. The suburban and rural ones are more likely to have gardens. City centre ones in London include one near Madame Tussauds in Baker Street near Baker Street station.

Scotch Egg
Scotch egg (egg in a meat ball), is a quick and cheap snack, usually cold, so it's quickly served, no waiting.

Roast Beef
Roast beef and roast potatoes, especially on Sundays, often only on Sundays, or chicken and chips on Sundays, especially Sunday lunch - places run out by the evening.

Carveries
In addition to the chain pubs, look for the carveries which offer great value. Get on their mailing list for regular mailings of offers. They tend to be full of screaming children at busy times and school holidays. This is jollier. However, if you want a quieter time, and no queue and no wait for food and drinks, pick your day or hour accordingly.

B & K
Finally, fish balls. Read my posts on B & K which now has branches in central London. Fried fish balls or the moister fish balls. Chips or latkes. (Latkes and shredded, fried potato, like the Swiss rosti and the American has browns.) It is Jewish style food but it's not kosher and not run by Jews but absolutely the best filling, food. My local branches are Edgware and Hatch End. Nothing grand, just great food.

If you want big tables, alcoves, higher prices, consider the upmarket grill chains.

Useful Websites
visitbritain.com
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wetherspoons
https://www.jdwetherspoon.com

Author
Angela Lansbury

Royal Wedding Countdown - what to wear and eat, British style, out or at home

Windsor and Eton with crown decoration. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

This is the street decoration for Christmas. You can bet there will be street decorations just as fine for a royal wedding. At the end of the street you can see Windsor Castle.

Problem
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle wedding - what happens when? I don't want to miss any of it. Dress in your best to enjoy the day. What will you wear? The date is Saturday May 19 and in England we say, Ne'er cast a clout til may be out, meaning the sun may be out but it could still be chilly.

Answer
Windsor in Berkshire is expecting more than 100,000 people and if you go there security will be tight, so you may be stopped and searched or wait in line whilst others are checked. If you are not one of the 600 guests viewing the wedding in St George's Chapel, you could still see the carriage procession.

If you decide to go to Windsor before or after the event, you can see the wonderful castle which dominates Windsor and Eton which are two sides of the river.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, photo by Mark Jones in Wikipedia.

The Countdown
11.30 Sit down by the TV in a comfortable chair with a glass of Champagne, Cava or Prosecco, or something British such as cider, Scotch whisky, or an English white wine from one of England's many vineyards such as Denbies or Nyetimber.

What To Eat - Main Course
What could you eat? Something British. If you are out in the street, get a takeaway, fish and chips.

My favourite pubs/ The Wetherspoon chain. Lots of choice of food and drink. Lots of bargains.

My second choice? A carvery.

At home for lunch or supper? How about roast beef and Yorkshire pudding. Roast potatoes. Brussel sprouts.

Buy British
You should find something in Marks & Spencer, Tescos, Waitrose, Sainsbury's or Morrisons, all British. (Or, for cheaper prices, opt for Aldi, Lidl and sandwiches from Poundshop and Boots the chemist.

British Desserts
At a pub in Eton, I ordered a dessert called Eton mess, which is broken up meringues (looks a mess but tastes declicious) with strawberries and cream.

For less sugar, more fruit, after your main course, order or make apple crumble with yellow custard.

Between Meals
Perhaps a healthy snack of an apple, a British apple, Cox's orange pippin.

At tea time you could have homemade scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam.

Timing
12 noon, the Ceremony starts. This should take about an hour.

The wedding reception will take place in Windsor Castle.

Later that day there's a sporting event, maybe involving the royals. At 5.30 it's kick off time for the FA (Football Association) cup finals. Prince William usually presents the prize, but it's not certain where he will be.

However, you can bet the pubs with TVs will be busy with screens turned on and special flags and bunting and special offers on drinks and food.

You can't wait until May? The couple will be visiting other places in the UK, notably on Friday April 6th 2018 in Bath, England, at the trials for the Invictus games in Sydney Australia. HRH Prince Harry is patron.

Invictus, you may recall, is a poem, one of my favourites. (More Invictus games in Sydney, Australia in October 2018.)

Booking a British Break
You have still time to book a flight to England, or postpone a trip from England to elsewhere, or come home early.

Angela Lansbury at a souvenir shop in Heathrow airport, London, England, UK, standing behind a cutout of HM THe Queen. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright. 

Useful Websites

https://www.visitbritainshop.com/world/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwnfLVBRCxARIsAPvl82GP69PmU8JypOxaHH_UHQUjjtuE47vI1wGfGlU2pqkIdYBrRy3OpLgaAvT5EALw_wcB

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5558081/30million-ring-steel-protect-Prince-Harry-Meghan-Markles-wedding.html

https://www.invictusgames2018.org (Sydney, Australia.)

https://www.teambath.com/2018/03/28/invictus-games-trials/ (Bath, England.)

Author

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. Please share links to your favourite posts.

St Patrick's Day and Guinness - where and why and when to celebrate with hats and balloons

St Patrick's Day! You couldn't miss it, at the Moon and Sixpence pub in Hatch End. Photo from Josie, the pub manager.

I had to be in Watford for a Toastmasters International area competition. Before the doors opened, we met up at another pub, the Ember Inn. Inside I saw a hat.

Angela amused by the Guinness green-brimmed hat for Patrick's weekend. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Problem
It's St Patrick's Day. Where can I celebrate? Why do we celebrate? When should we celebrate?

Answers
If you can't get to Ireland, you can celebrate St Patrick's all over the world because pubs worldwide are promoting St Patrick's and Guinness, all weekend. Commercialism is so strong that just as you can celebrate Christmas without being Christian, you can celebrate St Patrick's without being Irish.

UK
Essex Arms, Watford's Hats
St Patrick's Day is March 17th, Saturday in 2018, but the staff at the Essex Arms in Watford, London, England, told me the pub is celebrating St Patrick's Day 'until Monday'.

They had hats for St Patrick's weekend, promoting Guinness, which is made in Ireland.

Door Display At Moon & Sixpence, Hatch End
In Hatch End, north London, England, a wonderful display of green and white balloons was across the doorway of the Moon & Sixpence pub on the Uxbridge Road which runs through Hatch End.

Beautiful ballons, in green, white and orange, around the doorway to the Moon and Sixpence pub in Hatch End. Photo from the pub manager, Josie. 

Bunting and balloons and flags celebrating St Patrick's day at the ever popular Moon and Sixpence pub, in Hatch End. Photo courtesy of pub manager, Josie.

The balloons all got popped on Saturday night, said shift leader, Ellen. But she and the pub manager, Josie, took photos. The moral is, save some balloons!

So, your next chance to see the Patrick's Day display is next year.

The hat sat at the Essex arms in Watford, England. Photo by Angela Lansbury, copyright.

The front of the hat shown here says: Guinness, good time with Guinness. Only when I looked at my two pictures, on Sunday, did I realise that the hat has two different messages, on the front and the back. This picture shows one message. Look back at the picture of me wearing the hat and you will see the other message. 

Essex Inn is part of Emberinns.co.uk

If you looked earlier, you will see a typo Embersinns! For my sins, I have now corrected it.

Speaking of Guinness, how about to trip to see Guinness in Dublin, Ireland.

IRELAND

The Guinness Storehouse is open for visits seven days a week, all year except Christmas Day and St Stephen's Day - check their website for the latest details or times and prices.

SINGAPORE

Singapore celebrated with a street parade. Since Singapore is about 7 or 8 hours ahead of the UK, depending on whether it's summer or winter time in the UK, and more hours ahead of the USA, you can see their entire day's celebrations on line when you are still enjoying the day in the UK.

https://www.facebook.com/stpatsdaySG/

Useful Addresses:

Moon and Sixpence

Uxbridge

Hatch End

Pinner

Middlesex

England

Essex Inn

Watford

England

Guinness Storehouse

Dublin

Guinness Storehouse, Dublin. Photo promoting visits, from Guinness, Ireland.

St Patrick Information

https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Patrick

Explains St Patrick and the shamrock symbol for St Patrick's day.

Visits

Pubs worldwide.

UK

UK Pubs

https://www.jdwetherspoon.com/pubs/events/st-patricks-day

https://www.facebook.com/HatchEndMoons/

https://www.emberinns.co.uk

IRELAND

Useful websites:

Official Republic of Ireland website

https://www.ireland.com/en-gb

Tickets to visit Guinness

https://www.dublinpass.com/dublin-attractions/guinness-storehouse.html

SINGAPORE

https://www.facebook.com/stpatsdaySG/

St Patrick's Day Offers

Trace your Irish ancestors through 

ancestry.com

Special offer ends Monday March 19 2018 11.59 p.m. ET (USA Eastern time)

Author

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. See my other posts on Ireland, UK, Singapore, USA and visits worldwide. Please share links to your favourite posts.

How To Create Art With Nothing But A Cup of Coffee - warning: watch for stains and insects

Problem
You arrive at your wonderful destination. Great view. But you left all your paints at home. Too heavy and bulky to carry. Or you just forgot.

Answers
1 Add paints and pad to your packing list.
2 Buy tiny colouring and painting sets to carry.
3 Look around for items you can use to improvise. Such as? Anything you could use to dye clothes. Anything which makes nasty stains on clothes.

Stories
I once sniffed a flower on the table at the Wetherspoons pub in Hatch End, London. I couldn't understand what had stained the front of my white blouse. I had not eaten curry. Then I returned a week later and sniffed the lovely white lily and got yellow on my face and fingertips.

I like the idea of using whatever is to hand to draw, coffee, chocolate, dust, charcoal. That's how art started, I suppose, on the walls of caves.

There's only one problem with using food and drink for drawing, especially in hot countries. I had a heart shaped red pendant made of painted dried dough from central Europe in my costume jewellery box in Singapore. I think the pendant was from the Croatia stand at the World Travel Market in London. A year later I discovered nothing but a red string and a box of ants.

Little Boxes
I am also fond of saving pretty chocolate boxes. I like the pretty decorative box, with the ribbons, the patterned paper, the gleaming gold paint. Open it and my eyes light at the sight of the handy dividers. I love the cute compartments. One could use them for storing ear-rings, pencils, whatever I might want to store for later.

Unfortunately, I just had to throw out the cardboard box which once held dates. It had acquired black dots of mould or droppings. The box is ruined, nasty to handle. If I kept it, in future I would be afraid to open it. What might I find?

I managed to salvage the see-through plastic compartment inside. I spent some time washing it out. Then I dried it. I shall watch it for a while. Suspiciously. Is something still breeding?

Tips
When handling clothes and foods which stain, wear gloves and a waterproof apron - or a cotton one which you want to look like an abstract painting.
a) Brown from coffee, tea, tights.
b) Pink, purple or red from red hand wash only clothes. Beetroot. Raspberries. Red currants. If you don't want to use leftover fruit, maybe the wash from what leaked into the box.
c) Black from newspaper print.
d) Dried out felt tip pens.
e) Yellow from stamens - watch out - terrible stains.

http://www.artistsandillustrators.co.uk/how-to/Contemporary/1712/how-to-paint-with-coffee

http://www.artistsandillustrators.co.uk/competitions/Unknown/1719/win-a-painting-holiday-in-italy?

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel photographer and writer, author, illustrator, speaker. Please like, follow and share my posts and blogs.

50p charge for toilets at Victoria ending

Problem
Two UK stations used to charge 50 p for toilets. (I recall seeing charges at Euston and Victoria.)
A family of five will not want to pay £2.50 to use the toilets once each. Even if you are willing to pay, you might not have the change and time to find somebody to give you change.

Answer
You used to have to use either Wetherspoons or McDonalds at Victoria. (Or pay or wait, or wait until you were on a train.) The charges are being withdrawn after complaints by the public.

This is good news.

Story
It was a real nuisance last time I was there. First a delay finding an alternative toilet. Delayed my arrival at an event. I was then annoyed with a coffee bar which had no toilet and wanted name to use the public paid for toilets.

Tip
Always go before you leave home, whether you need to or not. Same goes when travelling, any time you see a convenient and clean free toilet, use it.

Action
Ensure that pubs and stations have free toilets. Don't let councils shut toilets. Otherwise people are more likely to go on stairwells of car parks.

In Singapore they had problems with people going to the toilet in lifts (US elevators) in public buildings. Cameras were installed in lifts. Do what Singapore does, have the toilets on stations facing the ticket office so the toilet entrance is under observation.

Go before you need it. When?

Where Can You Find Toilets?
Railway stations.
Coach stations.
Larger Coffee Shops.
Pubs.
Restaurants.
Hotels.
Long distance coaches.
Long distance
Airport lounges.
Department stores.
Libraries.
Colleges.
Museums and art galleries.

On arriving in a foreign country, keep small coins in case you need them either to gain entry to a toilet or as a tip to the attendant.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4019380/Axed-50p-fee-spend-penny-stations-Network-Rail-ditches-toilet-charge-raking-37-5million-UK-stations.html

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer.

Flowers At the Moon & Sixpence Weatherspoon Pub

The flowers are out in London after a heatwave. I feel freezing cold, returning to the UK from Hong Kong and Singapore. The London temperature is now 20 degrees C, according to a handy kitchen clock which gives not only the time but all sorts of other useful information, of which the most useful is the temperature.

I went onto a temperature conversion website to find out what 20 degrees means in fahrenheit. It is 68 degrees f. I know sixty is chilly but 70 is warm. Why do I feel so cold at 20? Is it because I am tired?

The apples are dropping from the trees. The figs are not yet ripe. England's wine growers have had a great year.

However, parts of France have not been doing so well. Hail hits in the cooler areas of the cooler countries, not Italy and Portugal but Northern France. Where exactly? French areas of the Loire and Bordeaux are susceptible to hail which can arrive suddenly. Hail stones the size of golf balls can not only spoil the grapes. Hail stones can damage or destroy the support system, the roots of the vines.

So, as you sip your wine, beer, juice or water, or tea or coffee, just enjoy the picture of flowers in sunny weather outside the Wetherspoons Moon & Sixpence pub. This branch has tables at the from if you like to see and be seen, watching traffic and passers-by, or tables in the garden at the back. Several more restaurants in Hatch End and London have outdoor seating for eating and drinking.

http://www.rapidtables.com/convert/temperature/celsius-to-fahrenheit.htm
https://www.jdwetherspoon.com/pubs/all-pubs

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.

Real Ale Festival

Real Ale Festival, Friday 13 March to Sunday 29 March, says the poster. Flags of the world hang across the Wetherspoons pub, The Moon and Sixpence on bunting (flags on a rope). Wikipedia tells me bunting was originally the fabric used in flags for the navy, but now paper, plastic and other materials are used, and the pictures illustrating the article show that nowadays the flags can be displayed as triangular or oblong or scalloped.