A Taste of Wetherspoons

I don't normally write about just one eating venue, but as we will shortly be welcoming a branch of Wetherspoons to my hometown of Bexhill, I thought the following information might be of interest.
When Chris and I go travelling we often eat at Wetherspoons. This is not because it is especially appealing, but we do think it offers exceptionally good value. The service we have received there has always been excellent, the atmosphere feels family friendly and safe, and the quality of food is consistently acceptable.
Please note that all opinions in this post are my own. To check accuracy or get more details, readers should refer to the Wetherspoons website.
In the past few years, we have visited several eateries in the Wetherspoons chain. Each has a similar feel, but is named and decorated after a local venue or event. The one in Bexhill is destined to be be called 'The Picture Playhouse' after the cinema which was originally housed in the building in Western Road.

I remember going there about twenty-five years ago with my daughter to watch 'The Muppets Christmas Carol'. At that time it was poorly heated with worn uncomfortable seating, It was desperately in need of investment, and the cinema closed a few years later. It will be interesting to see how Wetherspoons choose to revive the old place.

This post contains no 'insider' knowledge about the Bexhill Playhouse. It is based on our recent trip to Leicester. There was a Wetherspoons just down the road from our town centre hotel. The weather was very hot, and the choice of local restaurants was limited, so we found ourselves in the Leicester Wetherspoons more than once. In recognition of King Richard III, who was recently exhumed from underneath a nearby Social Services car park, the Leicester Wetherspoons was called 'The Last Plantagenet'.

  

It was very spacious inside.

I have no idea if the menus and prices in Bexhill will be identical, but I'm assuming that they will be similar. Tuesday was 'Steak' night.

   

 £6-75 purchased a main course and a drink.

Chris ordered an 8oz steak. I had the chicken and ribs combo.

The following day we went back for breakfast.

A full English cost £3-30. We opted for a generously filled bacon roll with unlimited coffee for £2-75 each.

Thursday was curry night. Not our choice, but it looked okay, if you like curry!

Their burgers were very good.

 Or you could select 3 'small' plates for £10.

Having a Wetherspoons finally invade Bexhill is a big event for our town. We don't take easily to change and would have loved the cinema to have retained its original purpose. There are concerns about parking and the impact on other traders. But I'm rather hoping that Wetherspoons will bring more trade and investment to our lovely town. It certainly looks impressive, when you sneak a look inside through the barriers. Only time will tell. In the meantime, see you there next month?

Azura: A Trip Around the Upper Decks

This is my last blog post about our cruise to Norway on Azura. So far I have concentrated on the ports of call, and the spaces inside the ship. So I will finish with a short tour of some of the outside spaces.
For those passengers who enjoy or feel in need of exercise, Azura has a well resourced gym (not photographed) and a variety of spaces for sport.

On the cruise we were on there were also training sessions for all ages of young people on the upper decks from Arsenal football coaches.
For the walkers there is a jogging circuit and, on Deck 7, the promenade. Sadly, not entirely wrapped around the entire ship, but the promenade deck does provide long spaces for walking, accompanied by sea views.

  From here passengers can take the lift to decks 14 and 15 to see the three heated pools.

Above is a photo of the 'adult only' terrace pool at the back of the ship. It is a good spot for a peaceful swim.
Below are the other two family pools. Both are situated on deck 15 and close to a variety of bars, fastfood venues, and the buffet.

One of the pools hosts the large cinema screen which shows popular films and occasional sporting events. Blankets are provided for passengers who wish to watch on colder days and evenings.

To discover some of the most magnificant views from the upper decks, it is best to walk to the back of the ship and take the lift or climb the stairs to deck 18. Here you will find the Planet Bar which has 'wrap around' windows. 

You can sit in the peaceful atmosphere and enjoy a cocktail while watching the foaming wake of the ship.

If you step outside of the Planet Bar, the views are even more spectacular.

So I have chosen the sunset which I watched from the viewing deck outside the Planet Bar on the final evening of our cruise to be the final photo of the holiday. We had a fabulous week, and hope to return to Azura soon.

The next blog post in www.bitsandthepoetgotravelling.blogspot.co.uk will be about the city of Leicester, so I will not be putting links on any facebook cruise groups. The next cruise post will be from Arcadia in September. If you would like to receive alerts of new posts before then, please 'follow' using the G+ link at the side of this blog.
For details about my other writing go to www.clairebaldry.co.uk . See you in September (if not before).

Inside Azura

This post about our Norwegian cruise consists of a series of photographs of the inside of Azura with occasional commentary. The photos are of mixed quality, but I hope they help to give a flavour of the ship.
So let's start with some of the public rooms and spaces.

 

The atrium spans several decks and is used as a multi-purpose space. The circular staircases and glass lifts are good places for people watching. Many activities, including dancing are held at the base of the atrium. There are several bars, seating and coffee shops surrounding the main area.

The art gallery, library/internet centre and future cruise area also have seating and are well lit.

Brodie's has an English Pub atmosphere, and is used for watching sport, some quizzes, team games and bingo as well as pool and computer games of bowling.  

The casino area is next to Brodie's

  If you go to a religious service or wedding onboard, it usually happens here.

Below is a photo of the seating in the buffet

The photo gallery

The outside of the children's clubs

 And the lifts!

For those who like shopping there is a good variety, including tax free perfume, alcohol, watches and cigarettes.

The tax free shops are only open when the ship is at sea, but the Emporium, which sells sweets, batteries, toiletries, and other useful items is also open on port days

There are several other inside spaces, including the Playhouse, which I didn't capture. Despite the signposting, many passengers frequently lose their way. All I can say is that Azura is a very pleasant ship to get lost in.

I have purposely saved my favourite space 'The Planet Bar' until last. In my next and final Azura blog post, I will take a brief tour of some of the outside spaces finishing at sunset in the Planet Bar on deck 18. See you again very soon!

Bergen, Buses, and 'The Great British Sailaway'

Bergen was our final port of call in Norway. It is Norway’s second largest city, and offers a good variety of activities for tourists from shopping, boat trips, museums and a mountain cable car. The city has an average of 231 days of rainfall in anyone year, so we were not surprised to see grey skies on arrival. Nevertheless, the ship provided good views of the river and old town.

We decided not to attempt the cable car, as the queues opposite the fish market for non-ticket holders were long. And yes, you probably guessed, we caught the Hop on Hop off tourist bus instead. At £25 each it provided good views and comfortable shelter from the murky skies and occasional drizzle.

We did actually have a choice of vehicle, as there was also a ‘Noddy’ bus!

The Ho Ho Bus gave us a good feel for the city. As well as shops, there were a number of parks, and we caught a glimpse of Ibsen, as we drove past the theatre.

My favourite part of Bergen is still the old wooden quarter with its hidden alleyways, cafes and shops.

It was an ideal place to spend my last few Kroners on some Norwegian Christmas decorations.

Then it was time to return to the ship for the final time, before heading home to Southampton. Which brings me to the subject of ‘TheGreat British Sailaway’. This is a tradition on many ships, but especially P&O.
At this point I need to confess that I normally avoid sailaways on the public decks, preferring to enjoy the views from the quieter atmosphere of our balcony. But my daughter had asked me to come…..and I did have two vouchers for free glasses of champagne! So I left Chris sleeping and climbed the stairs to deck 15. I couldn’t believe how I had missed this onboard event on so many previous cruises! It was pouring with rain, but in true Brit style, the crew and passengers had gathered to entertain the port of Bergen with a loud rendering of ‘Land of Hope and Glory’.

We clutched our free flags, I drank my free champagne, and the swimming pool was filled with brave flag wavers.

It only goes to prove that the Brits do rain in just as much style as the Norwegians!!!

             Sailaway Video (featuring my grandson)

And that was it! After a completely bizarre, but thoroughly enjoyable and very wet hour on deck, we set sail for our final sea day before returning to Southampton.

My next blog post will be full of photos of Azura and any random shipboard tips I wish to share. See you again soon!