Today I went up to the cottage to verify that BT have indeed activated the phone line. They have, so I’m looking good actually be moved in a week from now. I also too the opportunity to have a look around Bath, and found some rather nice shops I hadn’t noticed before.
My first port of call was the Bath branch of Kitchens. Tom Abba had recommended their Bristol store at the weekend, but it is a bit of a way out of town and I didn’t manage to make it that far. The Bath store is fabulous and has some of the most helpful shop assistants I have come across in ages. I will be going there a lot.
Marjorie told me that she remembered seeing a cheese shop near there. I knew there was a cheese stall in the market, but I didn’t remember an actual cheese shop. Marjorie was right, it was there, and this being Bath they have apparently been around since 1797, so I have no excuse for having missed it (although that may only be their London store).
Paxton & Whitfield are serious cheesemongers. They are suppliers of fine cheese to Her Royalness, and to Charlie the Royalspawn. They sell only the best. This could bankrupt me. I came away with some Cornish Blue, which is indeed lighter and creamier than Stilton, as advertised. The star of the show, however, (and not on the P&W website) was an aged Mimolette. This is a french cheese from Lille that comes in an Edam-like ball but is absolutely nothing like the blandness we expect from supermarket Edam. The aged cheese is as brightly orange as the oldest Goudas and just as flavorsome. Recommended (if you can afford it).
Finally on my list of places to check out was Toppings bookstore. That was a recommendation from Colin Harvey, who is obviously a fellow of excellent taste. Toppings is a seriously good bookstore. The place is packed with books; they offer you tea or coffee; they do lots of readings; and they seem to know their stuff. This is an independent bookstore I’d happy to patronize (as opposed to rather too many of such places that are more interested in patronizing their customers).
Net result, very happy Cheryl. Bath is a good place to shop.
Yeah, P&W caused me some serious grief when I lived there.
In fact, that’s a weird little corner of excellent food and drink…
The Salamandar next door but one to P&W serve Bath Ales, the Raven across the road from P&W do superb pies.
And, finally, just around the corner is the Eastern Eye which is probably the best Indian in Bath.
Other places to hang out include The Little Green Tree which, in addition to excellent beers, has, or at least had, a great scotch selection.
ARGH!!! You’re making me (almost) want to move back to the UK – not London, but the west country. Sadism via blog……….