Eating and Shopping Locally - Yokel has been out and about!

[Yokel]

Here’s a selection from the last couple of weeks, life with a baby does make your view on things different!

FOOD – OUT TO LUNCH:

The Mash Tun – North Bradley -  Sunday 5th April
Turned up “on spec” not knowing its now so busy you need to book for Sunday lunch – but they found us a table.  Great, excellent food, great value, can see why it’s now so popular and successful.  Polite, helpful staff.  They don’t provide a baby chair (thankfully we have a folding one in the boot) and so lose points for that – a very good 8 out of 10.  Recommended.

The Longs Arms Beer Festival – Steeple Ashton– Saturday 4th April
Arrived with children, woman behind bar (Short hair, glasses) didn’t seem so happy to see us and wasn’t proactive in terms of options – saying the barbeque wasn’t being lit til 1 in a “go away and come back later” fashion – seemed to be anti-children in stance.  Which is completely the opposite to the festival itself – great customers, kids, dogs, everyone having a good time, good music laid on, great beers, and the rest of the staff delightful.   Dropped points for the greeting and the toilets so 7 out of 10.  Cautiously recommended. 
Ended up later at night at THE BELL at CHALFORD – Good beer, nice and busy, how a local pub should be – 8 out of 10.

The Thai Barn - BradfordonAvon - Sunday 12th April
We are regulars and well known here so are a bit biased - It’s moved to their other place (the old Rialto) – the original Thai Barn (where I asked B to marry me) is possibly becoming a noodle bar.  Lovely, welcoming staff, brilliant food, but not cheap.  Dropped point for lack of baby chair, and it’s not the cheapest, but still a good 9 out of 10.  Highly recommended.

Chicago Rock – Trowbridge – Saturday 11th April
This is definitely not the type of place we would chose to go for lunch but everywhere in Trowbridge was packed.   £7.95 for two meals, and they forgot to charge us for the drinks, which was kind of just as well as my Guinness was in a plastic glass – what are we, children?  That said, the food was great value, they had clean baby chairs, the staff were exceptionally friendly and made time for you.  Dropped points for the terrible baby changing facility in the disabled toilet.  A good 7 out of 10 for value and staff.


SHOPS – OUT TO, ER, SHOP:

(remember for a major purchase tell the shop if you can find it cheaper on line and they’ll usually match it)

TROWBRIDGE – TROWBRIDGE – SATURDAY 11TH APRIL
It startled me how low the standard of people generally is as I was walking round Trowbridge on Saturday – I am sure that it’s the same everywhere of this size but simply the number of people swearing in front of their children, smoking carrying babies, looking scruffy and dirty,  throwing down litter, drinking from tinnies walking down the street, shouting at each other, showing, sat round on benches lardy, scruffy, smoking, stuffing junk food in their faces and spitting food as they talk with their mouths open, with no respect for themselves or the world around them ….this isn’t a slice of the sort of society I would really choose to be part of.  I ventured to comment it to B thinking she’d say “ah, it’s just the richness of everyday life”, but, no, she just agreed with me.   Please don’t put me on a slow boat to Trowbridge, or anywhere else like it for that matter.   Compared to this, little, quiet, Westbury feels like pure class.  Have we missed a trick?  Are we failing to teach people to have pride in themselves as the cornerstone of their view to the bigger world?

SAINSBURYS – FROME - FRIDAY 10TH APRIL
Just one comment really – the difference between the sort of customer who typically shops at Asda and the sort of customer who typically shops at Sainsbury’s is that in Sainsbury’s the customers KNOW they are being rude and ignorant.

THE BABY CARRIAGE – TROWBRIDGE – SATURDAY 11TH APRIL
Shopping around for a buggy for Mimi the woman in there didn’t hesitate in slagging off our preferred brand (Silver Cross) and decided to use that its made in China as a slagging point. To which I said “Isn’t MaClaren, too, in fact aren’t they all?” to which she conceded then the older bloke came out and was equally eye rolling – you see, they can say what they want but if you like it (we have a Silver Cross already) and it’s been good to you the need to change brand isn’t there.  So, we played about with the MaClaren, decided it wasn’t worth the money, and we didn’t like it in there so we left.  2 out of 10.  Avoid.

NURSERY THYME – DEVIZES – SATURDAY 11TH APRIL
Completely different – friendly, welcoming, wider range of brands on display.  Was able to make a direct comparison between 3 brands we were interested in and ended up going for, and taking away from stock, the Silver Cross.  9 out of 10 – point dropped only because the shop itself isn’t the easiest to get round and if anything they are a bit too friendly!!!  Highly recommended.

CLARKS SHOES - TROWBRIDGE - SATURDAYTH APRIL
Excellent fitting service, friendly and attentive staff.  Points dropped cos its so ruddy expensive at £28 for a pair of childrens shoes!! 8 out of 10.

WADWORTHS BREWERY – DEVIZES
Years ago – about 15 years ago – went on a tour of the Waddys brewery and it ended up in a small downstairs bar for a pint then we had some vouchers to go next door for some food, I even left with some yeast in a bag.  Now, it has a visitor centre and it’s like the “WADWORTHS EXPERIENCE”!!   Nicely laid out, obviously to capture the shoppers at the end of the brewery tour, and, popping in to get some bottles, I couldn’t believe the number of products they ahd for sale that weren’t actually beer – tea towels, bath towels, tea shirts, sweatshirts, glasses, key rings, clocks, washing machines (ok, lying on the last one).  Is it a good thing to brand themselves like Guinness do?  If it makes the brewery successful so we can keep drinking their brilliant beers then great – but I do feel we may have lost something in the process.   10 out of10 for the beer, 5 out of 10 for the soul.

[cuthbert-murray]

nothing for westbury then :-

[Clevercat]

Yokel, I must say, I always genuinely enjoy reading your contributions on this Forum.

It is always good to read of peoples experiences locally and compare them at times to others, I am particularly struck by your comments about Trowbridge and the people in it.
I must say I genuinely believe there are good and bad in all of us, wherever we are etc, and I try hard not to judge people, but I am struck also by the lack of regard for manners, and for others, and indeed for the environment.
The whole littering subject is something that makes me see red, and I am always drawn to it if I see someone throwing their rubbish down as they walk, or drive along.  There is simply no need for it, and it is pure ignorance and laziness with a complete lack of thought for anything and anyone.
The whole dog mess issue grates on me wildly as well.  It is the same mentality as the litter dropper, just the lack of respect for this potentially beautiful place in which we can all live.
I abhore swearing in front of children, and will remind anyone near mine to watch their language, there is simply no need for it, and it does not bode well for future politeness or respect.
It is a shame that some people have lower expectations or limits, and it is sad that this goes full circle and children are a product of that, but thats life I guess, and you know what they say, ''there's nowt so queer as folk''

When we were in Devon I twice visited a ''family friendly bar and restaurant'' with my children.  The first time no problems, fantastic food, cheap, good local produce, fresh etc..... fantastic service etc........ took them in a second time as had been so impressed, but this time we were not alone in the restaurant.  There were two men who came in after we ordered and sat swearing loudly completely oblivious to my children sat there near them.   I looked round at them a few times, hoping they would realise, but their obscenities continued and we had to tolerate it really (did not want to cause a scene!)   so that was a shame to say the least.

I wish generally people gave a bit more thought to others.

[Yokel]

Huge UP to westbury - i love the place 
Problem is I cant buy a pram, childrens clothes or baby shoes in westbury - if Deans was in  Trowbridge we would have eaten there on Saturday!!  ALso, we are struck by the absence of a decenbt beer garden in Westbury....

I think what struck me in Trowbridge was how frequently the lower standards were presenting themselves - maybe the higher values have just given up and gone out of town?

[Clevercat]

Considering some other points you make, I have wondered what the Mash Tunn is like these days, have never been in for a drink or meal, but obviously now it is fairly local.   Also, I have never been to the Rising Sun but am equally as intrigued as both seem to be selling themselves well lately, good adverts outside regarding food offers and entertainment.

I have only ever had poor experiences at Chicago Rock concerning food, do not think I would ever go back to try it again, poor quality and lack of concern from the staff.  Shame because it is quite spacious and family friendly.

The Thai Barn was a favourite of ours for a long time, but it is a bit expensive so not been recently, but would always recommend it, food 10/10 for quality and presentation, and staff very friendly and efficient.

The thing that annoys me greatly when eating out as a family is the childrens Menu and the generally poor choice, unless you want them to have ''chicken nuggets and chips'' sausage and chips etc, so the thing that strikes me when I eat out with the kids is if they can choose a pasta dish or similar, that always impresses me.

[Clevercat]

Yesterday a friend and I went to the Kicking Donkey in Brokerswood for a quiet drink.   Ended up turning into a bit of a knees up cause the world and his wife turned up which was fabulous, completely unplanned, very sociable, kids had a great time building a den (their own museum actually they corrected me) and a good time was had by all, in the sun, wine flowing, good old natter, and life was good, hahaha.

In Westbury there is now no real choice for a beer garden.

Have to agree that Deans is marvellous, love the place and the owners, and of course, The Lock Inn is my favourite eating place too.

[Yokel]

At the thai barn and the mash tunn we had a plate of steamed vegetables for Mimi (she's 16 months) and she loved it, and made nice food collages on her "Plate"!   At Chicago,  we gave her stuff from home although we did note they now have Annabel Karmel recipes on their menu so its not all chicken nuggets and chips (but I 100% agree with your general comments ref Chicago Rock, so Saturday was a nice surprise).
We go to the Donkey infrequently - its a good place for a pub meal but always feel it needs a bit of a clean.  Cracking beer though.

[Yokel]

Went to Wetsbury at lunchtime - the ladies in the AIr AMbulance shop are really sweet!