At last, a messenger arrives hotfoot from Bloomsbury with an advance copy of Cross Country. This is the latest from the typing room at Ashley Towers, and so celebrations are in order for the next few weeks. I shall now be locking myself away with the book, my only company twenty Capstan Full Strength and a bottle of Baillie Nicholl Jarvie. I shall be like a dog with a new bone, growling when anybody comes up the spiral staircase to the turret room.The areas covered in my Cross Country ramblings are: Southwest Cumbria, Herefordshire & Shropshire, North Norfolk, Romney Marsh & Dungeness, North Cotswolds, Essex Estuaries, Wiltshire-Dorset Borders, North Cornwall Coast and High Leicestershire (of course).
14 comments:
Oh a delightful list of unmitigated tours: several of Wilko's Favourite Parts, and a few areas that I'm not familiar with that I look forward to getting to know or to know better. I await the postman with impatience.
In this case I think you can tell a book from its cover - it looks like its going to be a jolly good read full of glorious pictures. Just my sort of tome!
Hello Peter
Have just got round to reading your interview with Jon Welch in the EDP and am now really looking forward to getting hold of a copy of the new book. As an inhabitant of deepest darkest Norfolk (actually just North of King's Lynn) am particularly looking forward to the report on North Norfolk - was pleased that in the excerpt in the paper you name checked the Campbell's Tower as well as Custom's House.
DW x
http://digyourfins.wordpress.com/
The head on the ale in the glass looks short enough to be a St Peter's Best Bitter. Am I right or am I right? Good luck with the book old bean!
Sorry Ron, it's an Adnam's Broadside. But thanks.
Well done that boy.
Ooh Adnam's Broadside - one of my favourites...
This talk of beer (I had an Adnam's last night funnily enough - out of a bottle as I'm far away from Southwold, but lovely anyway) leads me to a challenge. Can you recommend a suitable local beer for each of your itineraries? Or have you pre-empted me and done so in the book?
Looks delicious!
(And the book....)
Seriously, congratulations - another one to add to the bookcase in my English pub deep in the heart of Germany.
Why would you lock yourself away with the book? You know it better than anyone! It falls to us to do that.
As to beers, surely we can all join in? Woodefords for North Norfolk; Adnams for Essex Estuaries; Hall & Woodhouse for Wilts/Dorset; Shepherd Neame for Romney Marsh are my starters for 10. Everards for Leicstershire? It would have been Hartleys for Southwest Cumbria, but my spiers say Robinsons have ruined it. Sob.
Thankyou all for your good wishes.
Now, the beer debate:
Phil: As you can imagine, beer runs throughout the book in spirit if not by name. But in your neck of the woods, the North Cotswolds, there is passing mention of Donningtons. Which I can't get enough of.
DC: You've made some interesting connections, but for High Lecestershire it has to be Caudle or Bowler from the Langton Brewery; Crouch Bitter for the Essex Estuaries. Sharp's Doom Bar does it for me in North Cornwall, which is interestingly, and perhaps slightly alarmingly, the session bitter in my Leicestershire local.
More power to your pen and camera Mr.A. In worthy fashion I shall support my small independent bookshop and make a purchase there. Congratulations!
I have been known to drive more than 90 miles on the mere promise of a pint of Harveys best in the Duke of Cumberland on Henley Hill near Fernhurst.
That bloke Michelin doesn't know the half of the meaning of "Vaut le Voyage".
Congrats on yet another book. I shall look for it in a real bookshop when I am home in Blighty next month.
Peter: Many thanks for the beer notes! I'll be looking out for Doom Bar, of which I'd not heard.
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