Staffordshire Vineyard

This was a bit of a blip on the run, as it was a lovely busy day today.

Two great friends of mine were meeting me for lunch - one from Stockport and the other from Poole - and we needed somewhere nice to sit and chat, catch up .... and eat of course.

Fellow blipper Ken Petch had mentioned Buzzards Valley (near Tamworth) in the past and the bistro overlooking the vineyard seemed quite a sensible choice for a bright sunny day. I took this quick snap as we came out and it is straight from the camera.

Staffordshire (in the centre of the UK) is not well known for its wines or vineyards but a vineyard fairly close to here, also in Staffordshire, has just been hitting the headlines because of a very strong red they have produced as a result of the unusual growing conditions in 2011. They used the Rondo grape, one of the grapes featured in Buzzards Valley, too, but their wines are much lighter. And really rather nice.

The food was bright and cheerful - and the Jumbo Cod and Chips was indeed, jumbo size !!!! Not for the faint hearted. But we still managed a sweet - and coffees ..... and more catching up.

I love it when friends get together and share news. Somehow the years that have slipped away just do not matter