EDitorial ± 5-Feb-2020

Light Lunches: The Edge, Saxmundham

Both Rio (2016) and Russia (2018) have been and gone since we last set foot in "the well-built unsophisticated small market-town" of Saxmundham," as Norman Scarfe described it in his Shell Guide to Suffolk. Ex-eco warrior Andy, potential Parkinson's Ping-Pong pontiff, believes he's spotted some new, er, spots. Off we pop.

Solid 25 minutes travel time from Martlesham Heath to Seaxmund's estate, especially when pootling along at Fiat Panda black box approved speeds. "Pleasant to walk the length of the High Street," added Norman -- yep, the crinkle-crankle wall still stands -- and sharp left into Market Place. Easiest to head for the pay & display where we can nick a 30 minute place. That'll be plenty. Humbled to be standing within yards of where the rainbow-attired Michael Portillo strolled from the Saxmundham train on the telly-box recently.

Not Trinity's today but left to The Edge, name perhaps Springsteen inspired. Until recently a charity shop, it's now big on delicious fresh thick milkshakes, or so says their board. Dogs are welcome so in we go. I'm taken by the Excel-style board displaying the complex pricing structure of their snacks. Whether it's prawns, tuna, egg mayo, cheese, ham, beef, fried egg, bacon, sausages, corn beef, pulled pork, chicken tikka, Mexican chicken, coronation chicken or chicken & bacon, baps are £2.80, sandwiches are £3.00 and a baguette is £3.50. Some poor soul has had to write those prices for each of those fifteen fillings.

L-o-n-g wait for our two not-so-small breakfasts though worth it, both featuring freshly prepared mushroom, egg, bacon, sausage, black pudding, toast, beans, tomato and a cuppa. Time for other punters to appear and to admire the big screen telly news: David Cameron's bodyguard's left something he oughta not in a plane toilet. Passable Happy Shopper brown sauce -- would have preferred HP -- but The Edge is up there with the likes of Kenny's or the Rendezvous, both of which I've revisited in the last couple of months. Completely out of time to try a coffee and a slab of cake, and lucky to avoid a car park ticket.

If it was a car -- Ford Edge.
If they were passing by -- David Evans.