EDitorial ± 29-Jun-2018

Light Lunches: Kesgrave Kiln Farm

Sometimes I'm stuck waiting at home for a parcel. Or a man that can. Or temporarily discombobulated by an inner ear condition. Otherwise, in all of the weathers you'll find my legs going seventeen to the dozen along the A1214. Did I know, said a colleague, about the cafe that had opened in the nursery? That place for plants that I pass every single day. To my shame, no, I did not.

Another day, another thiry degrees or thereabouts, yet are we taking the cycle-bycles to the nearby-ish caff? Nope, we're in the dogs-die-in-hot-cars VW. World Cup fever is in the air and, after Germany's sudden exit, Kev's the first to crack that "don't mention the VAR" gag. Here's the coffee shop sign that I've totally failed to notice outside Kiln Farm. Up the drive past the scary scarecrows and Andy jokes about having his own disabled entrance. We're laughing now.

Shop to the right and, having just opened their cafe to the left, this is understandably a modest menu. We'll have every last savoury option available, please, that being a cheese scone per head and a selection of lowercase fairfields farm crisps in pleasing blue, green and yellow packets. Scrubbed pine tables but a Wee bit stuffy inside so outside under the gazebo for the three amigos, sipping chilled Cawston, Bottle Green and Fentimans. Ah. In the heat and the colour, a very different proposition than the Kesgrave Kitchen.

Decent cappuccino and a surprisingly fine slice of carrot cake too. None for athlete Andy, note. This cafe venture is being trialled at the moment. Wasn't prepared, when settling up, to be asked "What sort of things would you like to see on the menu?" Must have a ready answer next time.

If it was a car -- Kia Venga.
If they were passing by -- Kate Malone.

EDitorial ± 28-Jun-2018

In The Kaliningrad Milkbar

There was me, that is TrentAlex, and my three delphs, that is Pope, Jesse, and Young, Young being really young, and we sat in the Kaliningrad Milkbar making up our rashfords what to do with the evening, a flip dark cahill winter bastard though dry.

The Kaliningrad Milkbar was a milk-plus maguire, and you may, O my brothers, have forgotten what these maguires were like, things changing so dele these days and everybody very quick to forget, newspapers not being read much neither.

Well, what they sold there was milk plus something else. They had no licence for selling liquor, but there was no law yet against prodding some of the new vardies which they used to put into the old moloko...

...so you could kane it with vivo or hisense or gazprom or one or two other vardies which would give you a nice quiet horrorshow fifteen minutes admiring Bog And All His Holy Angels and Saints in your left shoe with lights bursting all over your cheek.

Or you could kane milk with stones in it, as we used to say, and this would sharpen you up and make you ready for a bit of dirty six-one, and that was what we were kaning this evening I'm starting off the story with.

EDitorial ± 19-Jun-2018

Ipswich on Film: Requiem Apache

In 1994 Channel 4 broadcast a series of four TV films called Alan Bleasdale Presents.

One of these, "Requiem Apache", was shot in and around Ipswich & Suffolk.

See also Yesterday's Hero.

— Crown Street car park —

Written by Raymond Murtagh, film locations in Ipswich included the old Crown Street multi-storey car park that was knocked down in 2010.

— Hollywood nightclub —

Kenneth Cranham encounters Robin Lefevre, "The Juice Man", in what was then the Hollywood nightclub on Princes Street.

— Cornhill —

Ralph Brown and Andrew Schofield cross the Cornhill with Grimwades clearly showing in the background.

— King Street —

Getaway driver Alfred Molina stops his Volvo estate on King Street with a view through to Arcade Street.

— Felaw Maltings —

Evading the police, Alfred Molina takes the Vernon Street / Hawes Street roundabout near the Felaw Maltings.

— Cliff Quay power station —

Shortly before its demolition, Cliff Quay Power Station provides a memorable backdrop as Alfred Molina takes the money and runs.

— Arts & Crafts Shelter —

Alfred Molina meets Amanda Mealing in the picturesque Arts & Crafts Shelter within Christchurch Park.

Requiem Apache, featuring these Ipswich locations and many more in Suffolk, is currently free to watch on All 4.

EDitorial ± 1-Jun-2018

Ipswich Lunches: Salt & Pepper

Had one of those all too rare events at work where, due to enforced reboots (you know), we got told to head home at 4pm. Nice! I promptly pointed the pedals towards Futurama Park and the Waitrose cafe, mightily anxious to use my coffee & cake voucher expiring that very day. Made it, and that Marlborough bun had never tasted so sweet.

Zigzagging home past the very-much-still-there Rendezvous and Kenny's, I eyeballed a new 'un, and here we are. Opened on my birthday last month by enterprising Lucy, Salt & Pepper occupies an old Anchor Bakery site on arterial Nacton Road and offers:

breakfast — lunch — dinner — savouries — cake

Like old times, Andy's sat outside enjoying a sizeable sausage roll plus cheese straw when I eventually roll up, with a proper ice cream milkshake of which Richard and Maurice McDonald would be proud. Pizza slice for me with tomato & cheese & spinach and some Kettle Chips to offset that greenery. Very nice with a can of tropical Sunkist. Much activity either side with an impressive queue at Mann's, a local butcher for local people, and various vehicles entering and exiting Firman's garage.

Nip in for cakestuff and emerged with a superior toffee meringue and, for retiree Andy, an old style cream puff, both with frothy coffees. In the manner of these young people, Salt & Pepper already has a presence on that Instagram, and based on the launch leaflet should be open seven days a week. Gosh. Send your love to Lucy.

If it was a car -- NanoFlowcell Quantino.
If they were passing by -- Cheryl James and Sandra Denton.