I count myself as a very fortunate man in many respects. I have a job I enjoy – most of the time, anyway. I am in decent health, have a lovely wife, no serious money troubles, and a supportive family. One of my greatest pieces of good fortune, I reckon, is to have been born in the county of Suffolk. Yes, it may not pulsate with the energy of London or New York, and East Anglia is a part of the world that is unlikely to become one of the great tourist sites of the world. But it has its charms: its ancient churches, pink-washed cottages, attractive seaside towns like Aldeburgh, and a heritage of art and literature that holds up well against all-comers. Gainsborough was a Suffolk man, while Charles Rennie Mackingtosh, whom one normally associates with the city of Glasgow, spent some time painting in Suffolk in the small seaside town of Southwold (which has a great little pier). I grew up in the country on a farm, and am probably the only person in my company who can claim to have driven a combine harvester, ploughed a 300-acre farm and shot game birds.
And of course Suffolk has the glory that was John Constable. There was a recent excellent exhibition of his works at the Tate. His Hay Wain (spellings of this picture seem to vary) is probably one of the most famous paintings of all time. Thousands of people have his prints on their walls and probably wonder what the scenes of Flatford Mill and the River Stour that Constable depicted look like now. The answer is that not much has changed in terms of the scenery, apart from roads and cars. The village of Dedham is pretty recognisable. One of Constable’s paintings is on the walls of the village’s main church.
It was a grand place to meet up with my parents for a pre-Christmas gathering in the area as I will be spending my Christmas in Malta. But one thing left a sour taste and that was the standard of service I received in a pub/restaurant in the area. It is fair to say that television chefs Gordon Ramsay or Nigella Lawson have no fear of competition from this part of the world. The food was indifferent, and the service and the staff so gormless that I began to wonder whether the old cruel saws about country folk being a bit simple might have some basis in fact.
U.S-based blogger Kim du Toit had a recent similar experience of British pub food and service. At a time when the pound is trading high against the U.S. dollar, it is already expensive for Americans to visit Britain on holiday so it hardly makes sense to make the situation worse by bad service. Constable Country, as the Suffolk-Essex borderland is known, is a well-trodden place for Americans, particularly older people who may have spent some time serving in the US Airforce during WW2 and the Cold War at the many bases dotted all over East Anglia. (The region was one big aircraft base, in fact. Here is a book I recommend for aircraft junkies.)
Anyway, Suffolk has that prince of beers, Adnams Ale. No further reasons to go there are needed, surely.
(Update, well, having thought this through I will name the establishment: The Marlborough, in Dedham high street. Let’s be clear, the place is fine in most respects, but the quality of service on Sunday was just not good enough.)
“I won’t name the pub – I have no wish to get into a legal spat – but places like that had better sharpen up their act to stay competitive. A shame.”
Johnathan, the shame is that you’re not naming names. It’s not like you’re accusing them of being child molesters or serving poison in their food; you’re just expressing the opinion (backed up, I would assume, by others in your party) that their food is indifferent and their service is lousy.
Now, if I go to Sussex (and by golly I plan to do just that), I may also suffer the slings and arrows of crappy food and surly service because you wouldn’t tell us the name of the pit?
Bah. I’ll just go back to The Owl, in Little Cheverell, Wilts.
Kim, well, I could let you know by email if you want the name of the place.
JP… speaking as editor, you are not accusing anyone of a crime, merely crap service, so please feel free to name names as if they threaten us legally, I shall invite them see see me, as editor, in court as what you are doing is not different to the sundry feral restaurant reviewers who do not hesitate to pillory those who deserve it.
Don’t you mean Charles Rennie Mackintosh?
I’ve never heard of James Rennie Mackintosh, and he doesn’t return many hits on Google.
When in Denham, we head to the Boathouse, the service is excellent, though no Adnams regrettably when we’ve been there. Oddly enough I can get this stuff in the local supermarket here near Florence. We’re near Dedham for New Year and will avoid the Marlborough, thanks for the tip.
Andy, thanks. Have fixed that snafu.
You had me worried for a while there JP – I thought you weren’t going to mention the Adnams!
Southwold is the perfect town.
Yes, the prolonged and unfavorable Dollar/Pound exchange rate is one of the material circumstances that prevent me from buying a ticket to return to my beloved (and now decommissioned) RAF Bentwaters for a visit. This Cold Warrior does indeed miss the many things that Suffolk has to offer.
Constable at the Tate. He gets about. It’s not a month since I saw a huge collection of his work in DC!
I can’t stick it mind. To my mind Turner was a much finer painter. I was also very impressed by Lowry’s landscapes done mainly on the NE coast. Much better than his Salford stuff. Although to be fair he didn’t have much to work with in that Manchester suburb (I know it’s technically a city in it’s own right with a University and a premiership team) but the only people who ever missed Salford were the bloody Luftwaffe.
Apologies for breaking into a frivalous post with something so serious, but for proper beer its got to be
Timothy Taylors Landlord (must be draught and hand pulled not bottled) buit it needs carefull looking after.
If you are ever in my Neck of the Woods give it a go
My wife grew up in Halesworth, so I’ve had the chance to enjoy some of Suffolk’s pleasures. There’s a pub in Walberswick (just south of Southwold, across the river) that has the best fish and chips I’ve ever tasted. And, of course, they serve Adnam’s. The service was fine, if brusque — they are awfully busy all the time. I suppose it might help to have one of the locals (ie. my in-laws) doing the ordering for you.
Alex, a small world. I was actually born in Halesworth and my folks live in a small village nearby.
Having enjoyed a few years of relaxing holidays in the Southwoldy, Walberswick, Orford part of Suffolk I feel I ought to warn anyone reading this that customer service at a leading holiday letting company (beginning with A, in Southwold was appauling. ANY complaint – mine was dirty clothes left in the cottage, uncleaned rooms and mould on the walls were met by the comment ‘we dont supply 5 star accommodation and I should clear off and go elsewhere. Considering it was £600 per week I thought it a bit of a cheek. They were rude, unhelpful and downright difficult. They should get back under their leaf!
For the best Fish and Chips ever… go to Mrs.T’s wooden shack on Southwold Harbour. You will get their fastest service, a snazzy box with the hottest, freshest fish ever