Dining in the oak room

Constitutional

Having failed to take a walk at Hillbrush, or visit the museum there, on our way down, we started off the proceedings by taking a stroll along the beach from the Royal Lion to the Cobb. The sea looked quiet enough, but there was enough swell for it to be breaking over the Cobb from time to time. Far too often for me to want to venture onto the top of it.

Dinner gong

Followed by an aperitif in our hotel's downstairs bar, complete with beams, panels and a handsome log fire.

The wine

Onto the Oak Room where we wondered whether the nicely toned gong had started life as a shell case and then dined in some style. A chicken starter (in lump form, possibly grilled, spot of salad), a lamb main course (in the form of rare, fat slices) and some sort of almond flavoured tart. All very good. Washed down with a spot of 2013 Saint-Aubin from Louis Jadot, with our first having come across the wine last year, albeit the 2007 version, in the very same restaurant. 2013 good too, I am pleased to be able to report. See reference 3. We had not taken it in the meantime, although we had had a couple of entirely satisfactory goes with Chassange-Montrachet from the same stable, probably via Waitrose.

Entertainment provided by a large group - perhaps as many as forty of them - celebrating someone's birthday - with at least some of them staying the weekend and spending quality time in the bar. We never got to the bottom of it despite some interaction and I forgot to ask at reception when we checked out.

Downstairs to the bar to take a little something, where the fire had died down: clearly burning logs in a large open grate was not really on, all day every day. On this occasion, rather than finishing off their Calvados, which they had not replaced, we finished off their Bowmore, rather peaty, but I rather liked it. Nothing like as fiercely peaty (not to say reminding one of mescal) as Talisker. And last thought of at reference 4. All of which resulted in the world being thoroughly put to rights by the time we had finished.

The hinge

And on our way to our room, we came across this provincial version of the very grand hinge at Hampton Court, noticed at reference 6. As can be seen in the snap above, not cut into the timber of the frame or the door, which would not have done at all for the monarch. Not as strong either; the cutting in adds very useful backing to the screws.

PS: and while we are on the subject of food, I ought to mention a tea shop in Crewkerne which sold us some good cakes with our tea. Almond tart for him, chocolate brownie for her. I don't suppose the cakes had been made on the premises, but they were well above average, so perhaps not made that far away. With the tea shop seemingly being something to do with the outfit at reference 5.

Reference 1: http://www.royallionhotel.com/.

Reference 2: http://www.visit.hillbrush.com/. 'At our visitor centre, 'Visit Hillbrush', you can take a look around our museum and discover the history of brush making and the company. Many of our displays are colourful and tactile, and there are areas especially designed for children, so bring the whole family'.

Reference 3: http://psmv3.blogspot.com/2018/01/royal-lion.html.

Reference 4: https://psmv4.blogspot.com/2018/12/trolley-200.html.

Reference 5: https://thedeliatno5.co.uk/.

Reference 6: https://psmv4.blogspot.com/2019/01/cold.html.

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