A Trip to Taunton

Aside

I was staring in a shop window - mesmerised – decided it wasn’t relevant to my shopping list and, reaching out for my husband’s hand I looked in to the eyes of a startled, large, grey haired woman. MTL had wandered off. Why do men do that?

It was quite a long walk from the car park to Marks and Spencers so we decided to have a coffee once there. The French had had a good shop there and extolled the virtues of the cafe which we had never noticed – hidden as it is. They did say it was very popular and we may have to queue. It was, so we continued shopping and bought a classic grey cardigan for the birthday boy and some attractive blue slippers. That was all I was allowed to buy for him, in the clothes line although he did find three knives he couldn’t live without. I refused to buy them for him – not that I’m superstitious – I just don’t believe in taking chances. He bought them himself so all was well.

This all took much longer than it sounds what with the wandering off and the male reluctance to try anything on. BTW M&S it behoves you to have a seat where you are selling footwear. It was lunch time so we tried the caff again and spotted two ladies about to leave their table. They confirmed this and said the waitress would clear their crocks and I stood politely by to allow them to vacate and the waitress to clear the table. Just as I was about to sit down, a woman appeared from nowhere and plonked herself down.

I told her politely that this was our table and we had been waiting for the waitress to clear it. She said she HAD to sit down and we knew how she felt, so I asked her if she would mind sitting at the next table which had a vacant seat. No she said she needed this table as her friend was coming. The waitress and I stared at each other and I think both realised that it would take a big ruckus to move the woman. If she had had the courtesy to ask it would have been different but I told myself maybe she was ill.

So we carried on with our shopping and left the delights of the café for another day. I wonder what you would have done? The good thing was I managed to get every thing on my very varied list and wasn’t tempted to buy any fripperies but I did treat myself to a red handbag to joosh up my muted winter wardrobe. On the way back we had lunch at the Inn at Crowcombe which was better than any crowded café.

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Farthings.

Aside

This is the hotel in Hatch Beauchamp near Taunton, where we spent our 28^th wedding anniversary. The original building dates back 200 years and used to be called ‘Templemore’- no-one knows why or when it was renamed ‘Farthings’. A farthing is an old coin of the realm and I think two made a halfpenny, so clearly there were four in an old penny. The farthing was first made in 1279 on the orders of King Edward. He ordered a round farthing to replace the practice of giving change by cutting a silver penny in half to provide change in pennies or cutting it into four to give change in ‘four things’ or farthings.

It is an elegant Georgian building on a quiet road which used to be the main road. There are large grounds with lots of unusual species of birds or fowl. The weather was cold but sunny so we wandered round the grounds and admired the turkeys.

‘Are they for Christmas?’ we asked a lady who was putting fresh plants into the many pots.

‘I don’t think they will be able to eat them - they talk to them.’

The hotel was warm and welcoming with fires and comfortable furniture. MTL had done the booking and we were in a Master bedroom – named ‘Garden’ – which was one of the nicest rooms I remember. Perhaps because it was November we got an good deal but I maintain it‘s because the booking was made by a man.

After an excellent dinner we chatted to two Welsh ladies – a mother and daughter. The daughter shared my love of mountains and told me of a haunting book ‘Menlove Edwards’ by Jim Perren which I didn’t know of and in return I told her of two of my favourites –‘The Last Blue Mountain’ by Ralph Barker and ‘The White Spider’ by Heinrich Harrer which have always fascinated me.

The next day the weather was bitter so we had a super breakfast to try to nail the rest of the Christmas shopping in Taunton. By lunch time it was done but neither of us could face lunch so we went to one of the many coffee shops that have sprung up (I blame ‘Cheers’). I had my sunglasses on – in spite of the rain- and managed to read that a cappuccino was £1.80 for a regular and more for a large. It was all very slick and most of the names were Greek to me so I very carefully asked for a regular cappuccino. Then another chap asked for £2 or whatever.

‘Why isn’t it £1.80 like it says on the wall?’

The whole place froze and everybody stared at me as if I had just kicked a cat.

Of course it was explained that (as it said on the notice but I hadn’t spotted it) there were two prices – one for taking away and one for drinking in. Was my face red? MTL was highly amused. You can take the lass out of Lancashire…

A New Venture

Story contd

Mary and I agreed a date to go down to Worthing to visit her old friend Ellie. They had known one another for years and Ellie, whose husband was a master at a renowned public school, had made a nice little earner for herself over the last few years. She had started a shop with a partner, based on the old thrift shops out in Germany, where I think the partner had been an army wife. The idea was you had a shop and accepted children’s outgrown clothes and sold them for the client who then received payment - with a percentage going to Ellie and partner. Basically it was school uniform but as time went on they included all children’s clothes especially ski and riding attire.

Ellie took us to see the shop which was bustling with mothers and children and was obviously providing a deep felt need. Like us they had many schools in the area from prep schools, grammar schools and public schools all of which demanded a uniform. No way was it an old clothes shop – the key was quality and the clothes should be in perfect order and dry cleaned. At half the original price customers realised what a good deal it was and, as I already had discovered, many of them were struggling to pay the fees to educate their children privately.

Over coffee I told Ellie that as both of us had large houses we could have the shop at home and cut out the expense of premises. Ellie was horrified.

‘Are you serious about running a business or are you just playing at it? You have to have premises and run it as a business. And are you sure you can run it together? You are working happily together now but you Mary are working for Pat. Are you planning on being equal partners?’

We assured her we were.

‘Well get yourselves a partnership agreement then.’

It seemed that Ellie and her partner of a good few years were now having difficulties which were beginning to seem insurmountable.

‘It’s when you start being really successful the trouble starts.’

Back at her house she showed us some of the lovely things she had bought recently but she was nervous and worried and I thought what a pity that success had brought two friends to the point of litigation.

It was time to leave as we both had to pick up our children from school. Another thing Ellie had pointed out was that she and her partner were older, with their children off their hands.

‘You need a third partner who has no children. Your business needs to be open normal shop hours and she can do the hours when you have to pick up your children.’

Somewhat chastened we contemplated running a business form 9.30am to 5.30pm, six days a week with a complete stranger. A bit daunting but I could see Mary was as excited as I was. I knew we could do it and couldn’t wait to get started but Ellie had given us excellent advice and we needed to give the whole project a lot of thought.

I picked the boys up from school and after I had given them tea and bathed them there was just time to have supper with William and give him a brief outline of what we planned. He wasn’t sure how I would be able to manage but it was a rehearsal night at the theatre club so we postponed the discussion.

Pete the director worked in television and was often late for rehearsal and I was deputed to be acting director. I really enjoyed this and had bought a whistle to get the cast to quieten down when I wanted to give direction. Much more fun than props and I determined to learn as much as possible about putting on a play. The leading actor Alan Burns was a solicitor and during a break I asked him if he had much dealing with partnership agreements.

‘All the time - in fact if more people had them from the beginning half my work would be cut out.’

I told him what we were contemplating and asked if he would be prepared to act for us and he agreed.

That’s the solicitor sorted now all we needed were premises, a third partner, a name, stock… oh and some capital. No problemo!

The Castle of Comfort
Aside

I was going to drive to the hotel – to celebrate our anniversary (we have about six a year) and it was the first time since my refresher driving lessons that I had driven with anyone but Pete –the instructor - in the car. I had become accustomed to unstinting praise and encouragement; I thought a few ground rules were required.

P If you want to make any helpful, constructive suggestions, please wait until we have reached our destination.

MTL Grunt.

We had only got half way down the lane when I realised that MTL’s breathing was worrying me.

P Please breathe normally and don’t sigh.

MTL I have to breathe!

P Yes but please breathe evenly and quietly.

I did a bit of deep breathing myself and tried to relax my tense hands on the steering wheel. After we had gone through the first town I began to relax and realised that my companion also was loosening up – in spite of the notoriously bendy road between Williton and Bridgwater. I said I needed plenty of warning before turning right but fortunately the road was very quiet and we had an easy turn into the hotel grounds. I waited until a delivery man had vacated a space and then slowly but surely parked to MTL’s satisfaction.

We were greeted by a jolly lady who asked if we were Mr and Mrs A or B. Then she said we had been upgraded to the Bridal Suite.

‘It’s OK! ‘she reassured us, ‘You don’t have to do anything’.

The room was lovely with a door into the garden and a large bathroom with double hand basins, roll top bath and splendid separate shower. Sweets, a tiny box of chocs, still and fizzy water and a carafe of sherry. Everything you expect in a luxury room and all the sweeter as we had been awarded it. I couldn’t wait to investigate the garden which rises up behind the hotel giving fine distant views. I knew the woods behind would be full of our wonderful red deer but unless I got up at crack of dawn I would be unlikely to see them. They are very shy.

Walking up to the woods I realised that I had walked nearby in the early part of the Coleridge Way. The hotel was a coaching inn in the 17thcentury and at other times has been a coffee house and a cider house. In 1789Jane Walford of Over Stowey was sent by her husband to buy cider at the Castle of Comfort and later her body was found on Dodington Common- having been murdered by her husband. I remembered seeing the Gibbet in the road behind the hotel on the way to Dead Woman’s Ditch.
Coleridge and Wordsworth lived nearby and Dorothy Wordsworth mentions calling in for refreshment at the Castle of Comfort on their walk to Lynton. That really is some walk and makes me want to read her diaries.

The food was excellent from the first bon bouche to the last chocolate with a decaf and liqueur (excellent for the digestion). The lady who greeted us was Carol who does the cooking. She is a gifted chef and really understands how to make food delicious and satisfying without causing any discomfort.

Only one small disaster. Whilst eating my steak in a delicious red jus I missed spearing a mange tout and was splattered with the jus all over my pristine white top. The ambience was such that I didn’t feel at all embarrassed and we all admired the startling sun burst effect it had made. In the end we agreed it would be better to go and change and happily I can report that my top is pristine once more thanks to lots of cold water soaking and Vanish.

It was a short but sweet break; we would definitely go there again and feel fortunate to have such a place within easy driving distance. The next day we went to Taunton and bought a hat and shoes for me and a shirt and silk tie for MTL. We have our step- grandson’s wedding in July. Yippee!


Castle of Comfort
Dodington,
Bridgwater
TA5 1LE
Somerset
www.castle-of-comfort.co.uk