Having not met up with the Scots since goodness knows when (June we think, Olympics and other things just got in the way). We decide to have a pre Christmas get together.
Venue – Fox Cottage Tetbury.
When - Friday 7th Dec
This really quaint old cottage sits just out of Tetbury’s main street. It is a really quirky place with rickety stairs and uneven wooden floors and Brass beds (I am not mentioning the stinky sheets) – beautifully decorated, just as we like it.
Friday night sees us rammed into the bijou kitchen, Playing share the wine glass and champagne flute. We had an enjoyable evening just eating drinking & generally catching up.
A very cold Saturday morning beckoned us out of the cosy cottage & up to the main street to marvel at the wonderfully decorated shops. Such fantastic wreaths adorned the beautiful warm Cotswold stone buildings. It was very Christmassy indeed. Mulled wine & cider was on sale and although I was savage for a mulled cider I did not manage one the whole weekend.
We warmed up in a couple of hostelries and back to FC for a bite of lunch. Saturday night saw us dining at the Snooty Fox which held great promise upon reading the menu but failed to deliver on quite a few points.
Sunday we went to Castle Coombe, it was a rather damp chilly day with none of the bright sunshine & blue sky of Saturday. We walked around cameras at the ready but were soon walking the steep & steady walk back to the car. We were in search of FOOD (and drink). After a lovely drive around we happened across the trouble House just outside Tetbury.
It was so good I decided it was worthy of a tripadvisor review.We pitched up here on a busy Sunday lunchtime with no reservation. They bent over backwards to accommodate us. Whilst we waited we had a glass of mulled wine which was delicious sweet, aromatic and thoroughly warming. Four people ate their way through Duck livers, Spanish meats and light cheese beignets for starters. Followed by 18 hour slow cooked Pork, Skate, braised blade of Beef and Duck confit for mains. The pork was accompanied by beautiful creamy, cheesy and crispy browned potatoes which were coveted by the rest of the table.
The star of the show was the salted caramel ice cream and tart tatin. This food was so good we were talking about it the next day and the day after that!
For more information about the history of the pub go to.
http://www.cotswoldhistory.com/2010/08/trouble-and-strife-at-the-trouble-house/
Jon & Sarah left us on Sunday evening as someone had to go to work the next day. On the Monday after packing the car (why so much stuff for 3 nights?) we set off for Cirencester. It was freezing cold; chilled to the marrow we took refuge in the church. It was a lovely light church and upon opening the door we were presented with lines of Christmas trees, lots of them & all decorated by different schools, shops & local organisations. It really was very lovely.
It was too cold to dawdle around the Christmas market in the main street, so we had a quick coffee and then set off for Fairford to meet with my uncle that I had not seen for some 17 years. It was nice to meet up. It also gave me the oppertunity to show Ian some of the places that Dad & I used to go fishing on a Sunday morning or a summers evening.
It was a real trip down memory lane for me and despite losing my lovely orange scarf we had a very nice and long weekend, and only 15 sleeps left untill Santa comes. Sleeps that are filled with dreams of delicious salted caramel ice cream and tart tatin.
