The Golf Trip - First Impressions of Northumberland

Growing up in close to Manchester in the industrial North West, I guess my first recollection of Northumberland was hearing of the famous Charlton’s of Ashington. It seemed a dour place, more redolent of industrial hardship and Billy Elliott than anything. Indeed, in his autobiography Sir Bobby tells of enjoying playing schools football for Bedlington Grammar because the post match meals were better than those he was getting at home! But of course the past is another country; they do things differently there…

Wind forward some forty or so years and my affection transferred from Football to Golf and my first real golfing partner was a son of Morpeth, who had settled for work reasons in Manchester. Yet he always spoke fondly of home. Eventually we made the journey North together to play a couple of rounds and for him to proudly introduce me to East Northumberland. My pal’s mother lived in Morpeth, but we lodged with his close friend and amateur Northumbrian golf legend Sandy at his home in Pegswood (Sandy’s wife and child were away). I hadn’t ventured North of Newcastle before, and trips to Scotland from the North West were always via Cumbria, so this was new territory.

The weather that weekend was glorious. April warmth and perfect sunshine made our hour long trip to play an Open Competition at the Roxburgh, Kelso a wonderful journey in itself. The countryside was stunningly beautiful, and its role as border country brought home. Less wild than the West coast roads, more ordered, more scenic and all the better for it. The trip back in late afternoon sunshine brought home the glory of these surroundings. We spent the evening in Morpeth, visiting the superb pubs and bars in this pleasant, historic market town and enjoying a Chinese banquet too. A sporty gang, I was told of fierce local rivalries against Scottish opposition. Their pride in their home county was clear. Why, the place was so magical that even Harry Potter had been filmed at Alnwick!

Their evangelism appeared to grow at the sight of this willing convert. So the following morning we drove to the coast at Seahouses for a breakfast fry-up before they took me onwards to Bamburgh. The castle looked spectacular. Who were the Kings that built such a magnificent place? When did they do it and why didn’t I know about it? I was told of the heroism of Grace Darling and shown Holy Island (admittedly more of a fixture in my school history books). These experienced and well travelled golfers took me to Bamburgh Golf Club, which they said was their favourite and though we couldn’t book a tee, we took photos to record the trip with the superb beach and castle as our background.

For Golf that day we travelled a few miles north to Goswick Links, like Northumberland itself this is a hidden gem. From 2008 the course had become an Open Qualifier and no wonder. This was a pure golfing venue with superb greens. I was told the Goswick greenkeeper George Thompson was so highly regarded he was drafted in annually by the Royal and Ancient to prepare the courses for the Open Championship. Indeed, there was photograph of him in the Club House, head down and mowing a green at an Open venue with Tiger Woods in the foreground playing his practice round.

Modest – understated - excellent, for me this image was a metaphor for Northumberland itself. Whatever they taught Harry at Hogwarts, it would still fail to match the magic of this spectacularly beautiful part of England.

Guest Blog post by Michael Sweeney

Three Star Sustainable Restaurant Rating For Battlesteads Hotel in Wark

Battlesteads Hotel and Restaurant in Wark, near Hexham, has been awarded a three star rating from the Sustainable Restaurant Association (SRA). The SRA Rating System involves restaurants completing a rigorous survey, providing answers and evidence to 70 questions across 14 areas of sustainability. The SRA then assesses the results and rates the restaurants accordingly with one, two or three stars.

One hundred and fifty restaurants completed the SRA Star Rating in 2011. A further 300 restaurants are currently going through the process or are booked in to complete it in 2012. Battlesteads has achieved Three-Star Sustainability Champion status, which represents demonstrating exceptional all round sustainability, scoring consistently well across every category. The SRA is a national, not-for-profit membership organisation providing more than 600 restaurants with expert sustainability advice through a team of specialist account managers.

Judges commented that ‘Battlesteads is truly exceptional in its efforts towards integrating sustainability throughout all aspects of the restaurant.’ They also noted that ‘Battlesteads also works with local primary schools in the area to teach students about sustainability and has recently begun to provide lunches to the local school.’

This is yet another accolade for the Battlesteads Hotel after they won our campaign to find Northumberland's Best Sunday Lunch late last year. We can't recommend them highly enough and would like to extend a personal congratulations to owners Richard and Dee Slade who have worked so hard since they bought the Battlesteads in 2005.

Review: Jolly Fisherman, Craster

PLEASE NOTE THAT IT HAS COME TO OUR ATTENTION THAT THE JOLLY FISHERMAN HAS CHANGED HANDS SINCE WE WROTE THIS REVIEW - MANY THANKS.

The Jolly Fisherman is located in the beautiful fishing village of Craster, which just happens to be the starting point for one of my favourite walks. Nothing can beat a ramble along the rocky outcrops to the majestic ruins of Dunstanburgh Castle and on to the beautiful sands of Embleton Bay. On a crisp day the views are simply stunning, but you'll probably need to sit by a roaring fire afterwards to help thaw out your limbs.

This is where the Jolly Fisherman comes in, it's right on the harbour and has fantastic clear views out to sea. When we arrived the fire was indeed roaring and there were many walkers warming themselves (and their dogs - allowed in the bar) with a hot drink and a meal.  The menu, as you would expect, consists mainly of fish dishes and seafood. If you're not a lover of the fresh catches from our great seas I would recommend you look elsewhere, I counted two options that didn't contain fish. We were looking for a light lunch so we ordered fish goujons with chips (£8.50) and the pea and leek soup (£3.95) with a side order of chips (£2.95) and took a seat by the window to admire the sea cascading over the rocks by the harbour.

It genuinely is a wonderful vantage point and we did enjoy the uninterrupted views, unfortunately the food couldn't quite live up to the surroundings. I'm afraid to say there is no other way to describe the soup presented to me other than 'poor'. It was essentially a bowl of what tasted like luke warm tinned peas with two strands of leek running through it, it even tasted as though the tinned pea juices had been used as stock. The chips came in a separate bowl, were meagre in portion size, slightly undercooked and oily. The cost for these two items alone came to £6.90, simply not good enough quality to justify half that price tag.  The fish goujons were a vast improvement over the soup and were tasty, but did come with the same oily (and often black) chips.

Unfortunately after a few mouthfuls of peas I couldn't stomach any more and had to leave half the bowl (and I really hate to leave food to go to waste). I can only hope that the other fish specials on the board are of a much higher quality than the food we were given. We went to the bar to pay and I was ready to give honest feedback about the quality of the meals we had been served. The bar staff however didn't ask if we had enjoyed our meals or if everything had been OK, they seemed very keen to take the payment without conversation. We left still hungry, with a slightly bitter taste in our mouths and a much lighter wallet.

Highlight: The wonderful vantage point that the Jolly Fisherman offers and the warm and cosy (dog friendly) bar area.
Lowlight: Disappointing food quality and service.

The Jolly Fisherman’s Scores
Venue: ***1/2
Ambience: ***1/2
Service: *
Presentation: *
Taste: *
Value for Money: *1/2

Overall Score: I would recommend the Jolly Fisherman as a brilliant stop off point after a bracing walk along the coast. A warm drink by the fire or sitting and watching  the waves crash over the harbour walls with a pint, it doesn't get much better than that. However, based on what we ate I couldn't honestly recommend the food, it was in my opinion of poor quality and didn't represent good value for money. *1/2

My scoring system explained:
***** Outstanding **** Excellent *** Good ** Average * Poor

New Year, New Events and What's On Section

As promised we are in the process of completely revamping the way we organise our Events and What's On Section on the main website. This will include a page for each month of the year, listing all the main events and festivals for the year ahead. Hopefully this will help people plan their holidays and spare time so they know exactly what's on when.

We are also launching a monthly newsletter. This will cover the month ahead, giving a full listing of what's on the following month, have a few stories of interest and give our advertisers more opportunities to reach their customers. In the next few days our first Newsletter will go out to:

• All our Social Networks (Fast Approaching 4,000 people)
• Our Mailing Lists (Currently 2,000 people and businesses)
• Visitors to What's On Section of the site (Currently up to 4,000 hits per month)

As an introductory offer we are giving away advertising in January's newsletter absolutely free to any Northumberland business. The advertising spaces are limited and the deadline is tight, so if you run a business that would like to reach up to 10,000 potential customers absolutely free then get in touch ASAP!

Advertising rates for February 2012 onwards will start from just £10 which is excellent value for money. More information about advertising in future newsletters will be released later in January.

Contact us on enquiries@yournorthumberland.co.uk if you'd like to take us up on this offer.

2011, our launch year and looking to the future...

It was in June 2011 that the idea for Your Northumberland Guide appeared in my mind. At the beginning of the year I bought a Cottage in rural Northumberland as an investment for our future, a pension of sorts. Through setting up the Cottage I realised that there simply wasn't the information available online that I wanted to point prospective guests to. A detailed guide to the area, things to do, where to go and visit, the best places to eat and drink and all the local knowledge that I (and my family and friends) have built up over the years. I started putting all this information down on paper (of the digital kind) and before long I had quite a comprehensive guide to the immediate area surrounding the Cottage. From here the idea of Your Northumberland Guide was born, a free resource for anyone living or visiting the area, a way to promote all the things I love about the County and a way to share information.

It's been a long slog since then, writing each area guide page by page in what little spare time I could grab. Undoubtedly there is still a huge amount of work to be done before the whole County is covered to the depth that I am determined that it will be covered. The site has grown organically with many businesses contacting me and the level of support and the feeling of 'need' for such a site has just been huge. I've been overwhelmed by the response and how quickly the site has grown from being a simple idea to a site visited by thousands each month and a social network fast approaching 4,000 wonderful people. All in such a short space of time as well, since writing the first words in early July the sheer size of the task in hand has become extremely apparent!

Looking forward I will continue to work hard on the site through 2012 and develop the huge number of ideas I have to move things forward. New features and guides coming early in 2012 include:

• A completely revamped 'Events and What's On' Section
• A monthly newsletter covering the major events in the coming month (including cost effective advertising opportunities for local businesses)
• Complete area guides for all the County's main Towns and Villages
• Develop fully the 'Things To Do' section of the site
• Continue to promote and push Northumberland as an amazing place to live and visit

Lastly I would really like to thank everyone who has contacted me and got involved with the site so far, I always welcome feedback and ideas so please do get in touch if there's something you'd like to be included! It's been quite the unexpected journey so far, here's to 2012 continuing this exciting trend and to building new contacts and making new friends in this great County.

Wishing you all a very happy and prosperous new year!

Andrew
Your Northumberland Guide Creator

Number 19 at The Close House Hotel, Heddon on the Wall - Best Sunday Lunch Campaign Review

Number 19 at The Close House Hotel, Heddon on the Wall
As we approached the entrance to the Close House Hotel, the location of Number 19, it was late afternoon and the low winter sun was just above tree level with a gentle mist starting to form. The beautiful half mile tree-lined driveway certainly gives an air of exclusivity to your arrival for Sunday Lunch. We parked in a car park full of very expensive cars and suddenly wondered if we had come under dressed for the occasion! As it happens we hadn't, the venue was relaxed and friendly, and without exageration absolutely stunning.

The approach to Number 19, which is a separate building entirely to the Close House Hotel, opens out to reveal an uninterupted view of the Tyne Valley. The low afternoon sun highlighted the forming mist in the Valley, giving it an ethereal glow. We stood and took in the glory of this view for a while and as we were a few minutes early had a walk around to the front of the building. You really couldn't ask for a better location, the flocks of starlings were in their pre-roost dance of murmuration above the surrounding fields which provided a magical natural spectacle. It was almost a shame to go inside, however one of the main strengths of Number 19 came in to play when we were seated at our table by the huge wall of glass - the glory of the valley was still perfectly on display from the inside, too.

Inside Number 19 the bar area and restaurant are split into two by the bar itself, with the restaurant area large enough to be used as a function room. The decor is modern and the chair covers gave the feel of an evening wedding function, if anything it felt a little on the corporate side. Perhaps the interior was left this way to provide a more plain backdrop to the amazing view, my gaze was continually drawn outside. We almost forgot we were there to eat! For our starters we chose the twice baked cheese souffle and the smooth chicken liver pate with a pear chutney. Both were of a very high standard although for the very generous portion of pate there wasn't quite enough bread for me. The pate itself was incredibly smooth and the pear chutney beautifully spiced, the mix of flavours were considered and well balanced, this is clearly a chef with a delicate hand. My dining partner enquired as the plates were cleared as to which cheeses had been used in the souffle, the waitress returned from the kitchen to let us know it was a Northumbrian Cheddar and a parmesan.

For our main course I chose the roast leg of Ingram Valley lamb and my dining partner the red onion tarte tatin. The dishes quickly arrived on extremely hot plates, so hot that the waitress couldn't pick up the dish from the tray she brought it out on. She fetched a serviette and quickly placed my main course in front of me.

There was again a very generous portion of lamb which included a large dark piece from the outside of the joint which didn't improve the presentation of the dish. It did however provide a good kick of flavour. The vegetables came in a bowl of their own, carrots, peas, boiled potatoes and braised red cabbage all simply cooked to allow the full flavour to shine. I don't think that my Yorkshire pudding was reflective of the standard that the restaurant usually delivers as we saw so many towering puddings go by. Mine was unfortunately smaller and still a little doughy in the middle, a real shame. I would also have liked a little more gravy but there were no staff around and I didn't want to leave my meal to go cold so I tucked in. The red onion tarte tatin was presented beautifully and was a light and welcome alternative to the standard roast.

After finishing our main courses we decided to end the meal there so that we could more easily compare the dining experience with the other three finalists. We eventually got a member of staff's attention to let them know we had finished and asked for the bill, which we paid at the bar. Two courses at Number 19 cost £15.95 and three courses £18.95, which was slightly more expensive than the published price on the website. A pint of lager cost £4.50.

Summary
A stunning location for a meal, simply breathtaking. An excellent use of local produce throughout the menu celebrated the best ingredients that Northumberland has to offer.

Highlight: You simply won't dine with a better view anywhere.
Lowlight: Service throughout the dining experience was a little sparse.


Contact Details
Close House Hotel
Heddon on the Wall
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE15 0HT
Sat Nav – NE41 8BL

TEL      01661 852255
WEB     www.closehouse.co.uk/golf/the-clubhouse/
EMAIL events@closehouse.co.uk

The Running Fox, Felton - Best Sunday Lunch Campaign Review

The Running Fox, Felton

Located in the lovely Village of Felton, fairly central in Northumberland between Alnwick and Morpeth, The Running Fox occupies an enviable position overlooking the River Coquet. It is a small and chic country-style cafe that also has an on-site artisan bakery making a wide range of artisan breads, pies, cakes and scones. All of which are beautifully displayed in the window and behind the main counter and entice you into the cafe with their aroma and appearance. The nomination process revealed an amazing passion amongst the local villages for the Running Fox, many saying that it had 'transformed the Village' since it was taken over by the current proprietors at the start of the year. 

Having booked well ahead, we were shown to our table which had our name and time of booking written on a small chalk board. A very efficient idea for a venue that's on the smaller side compared to our other finalists, as it allowed the table to be used prior to our arrival, whilst still letting people know the table was booked. The Cafe was buzzing with energy with a lot of the tables chatting amongst each other, it was obvious that a lot of clients were regulars and knew each other and the staff very well, there wasn't a free seat in the house. The menu had a good choice for each course and we were very plesantly surprised with the value for money the lunch menu offered, just £10.50 if you wanted to have the full three courses! We also really liked the idea of being able to have a 'trio of meats' for a main course, giving the flexibility and choice akin to a carvery, with just a 50p supplement on the price (and at no extra cost if taken with two, or three courses).

We chose our starters which included the Leek and Potato Soup and the Smoked Salmon and Brown Bread Platter, both of which were delicious and came with a large portion of home-made bread. After a short while our main courses were ready, I had ordered the lamb and my eating partners the beef and the chicken breast with sage and onion. The meat and Yorkshire puddings were brought out on each plate surrounded by a dark, thick gravy. The vegetables were next, a mixture of roasted veg served in a lovely Le Creuset style pot, a bowl of sugar snap peas and french beans and finally a large oval dish of cauliflower cheese which had been nicely browned on top. It was good to know all the meat and veg on the plate had been locally sourced.

All were beautifully presented and the portion sizes were more than enough for our group to have a good second helping of veg. The lamb I had was wonderful, a really nice strong flavour which was enhanced by a rich, thick gravy and a good lashing of mint sauce. The other members of the group also reported tender and flavourful meat with one remarking that 'I couldn't have made it better myself', high praise indeed! The only possible piece of constructive criticism we could think of was that the plates the main course were served on could have been hotter, to help keep the food warmer for the slow eaters amongst us. This was not an issue for me personally, the food didn't stay on the plate long enough to go cold!

The staff were incredibly friendly throughout, checking everything was OK and if we needed more drinks, you certainly got the feeling that they cared and nothing would have been too much trouble for them. While we sat contentedly letting our main course settle the chef came out into the shop and gave a toddler a bag of stale bread to go and feed the ducks with by the river. It's little things like this that give you that warm feeling inside about an establishment and make you want to come back. As was the trend throughout our visits to the four finalists we didn't have room for dessert! I can however attest to the quality and excellence of the cakes (and artisan breads) from subsequent visits.

The price for their Sunday Lunch is £6.50 for a main course, £8.50 for two courses and £10.50 for three courses. They also offer a small portion of each main course for just £4. The Running Fox does not serve alcoholic drinks, but has a nice range of unusual soft drinks, teas and coffees and is also a newsagent.

Summary

This Sunday Lunch was the cheapest of our four finalists, in one case almost half the price another. We are thrilled to say that this was in no way reflected in the quality or quantity of the meal. We now understand perfectly why the locals are so ecstatic to have The Running Fox in their Village.

Highlight: The excellent value for money and friendly atmosphere.

Lowlight: Not being able to take the entire cake and bread counter home with me!

Contact Details
The Running Fox
2-4 Riverside
Felton
Northumberland
NE65 9EA

TEL 01670 787 090
WEB www.facebook.com/therunningfox
EMAIL runningfoxcafe@gmail.com