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FiveGoMad in… Edinburgh
Not that we needed an excuse, but Simon's birthday seemed like the perfect time to travel from one capital to another.
We couldn't have picked a better weekend to go, the weather was Winter perfect, sunny, cold.
After dropping off our bags at the Bruntsfield flat, kindly lent to us by Clare's parents, we hot footed it over to Prestonfield House, where Clare had booked the birthday dinner. It's quite an amazing place, perfect for Christmas, being the acme of Gothic luxury. We sat upstairs in their delightful sitting room, watching people enjoy the pretty fantastic looking Afternoon Tea.
Clare was especially taken by the kilted uniforms the (male) staff wore. A great look, she told me, somewhat made slightly sinister by the Matrix like earpieces everyone sported. On enquiry it was explained that this was to make life easier for the staff, as the house is big and rambling and people can be hard to find. Isn't technology wonderful?
After a couple of heart starters we headed downstairs to the Rhubarb restaurant.
It has a beautiful dining room, with big windows looking out onto the grounds. Not that we could see them, it being dark, but we could hear the cry of the peacocks that roam around the place. Boy, do they look much better than they sound! The meal was fantastic and the hospitality embarrassingly good. We'd love to return, but this time to stay at the hotel.
Saturday found us heading first for a bit of culture, searching in vain for a Dou painting which I swear I'd seen before at the National Gallery of Scotland. Oh well, in that case a fortifying Gluhwein was called for
from the Christmas market just outside. Top tip, whatever you do, don't breath it in. Started a coughing fit with me, which drew some very funny looks, not sure why. Maybe the locals aren't used to someone who can't inhale alcohol.
As Christmas was just around the corner we thought we'd have a look a Jenner's, the renowned department store.
We spent all our time there at the top floor, rummaging through the delicious goodies at the Valvona & Crolla concession. Fortified, and decidedly over ambitious, we decided to walk up to Arthur's Seat. Not the best of ideas given the time of year, day, cold and our footwear. Funnily enough it was harder coming down than going up! By now we were pretty shattered, but managed to drag ourselves back into town for dinner at The Dogs
Pretty friendly, but the food was unmemorable. Time to head home through the nighttime streets of Edinburgh, looking pretty festive, it has to be said. After a lie in on Sunday we popped round the corner from our flat to The Chocolate Tree for coffee. Interesting jigsaw puzzle on the wall. Now where have I seen that before?
We were going to have breakfast, but as all we seemed to do the previous day was eat, we weren't feeling too hungry. Worryingly so, as we'd booked into The Witchery for lunch! So we decided to walk into town to work up an appetite. Like it's sister, Prestonfield House, The Witchery is gothic in it's appearance with sumptuous leather seats and oak panelled walls. The atmosphere of the place was perfect for the time of year, and after a couple of glasses of wine we were ready for our food. They did a £35 a head deal for a Christmas 3 course menu. All in all great value. We loved it. By the time we finished it was getting dark and time to head home. The city looked beautiful, lit up for Christmas, so romantic, so festive. We were sorry to leave the next day. But we'll be back.
Autumn is finally here
Well it's been a funny last couple of months. The weather has been all over the place and even though we have thoroughly enjoyed the indian summer, we are sort of glad that Autumn is finally here and the leaves are turning brown.
We at FGM towers love halloween and it wouldn't have felt right if our mini heatwave had been over halloween. We will be definitely getting our mitts on The Kooky Cake company's yummy halloween treats. The spooky cake pops cost £12 for a box of 6. Order now before they run out.
http://fivegomad.co.uk/food/cakes/haloween-cake-pops
We have been really busy at FGM HQ. The national press are working on Christmas as we speak, so we have been mailing them a list of our top stocking fillers. We are only too aware of the economic gloom out there so we have chosen innovative gifts which won't break the bank. We have decided to list our twelve top gifts as a tribute to the twelve days to Christmas. We were going to feature a gift a week, but after poring over the calendar I have noticed there are only 10.5 weeks to Christmas. Yikes...
Top on our list are 1. Twisted Twee's liz pants. They were our number one best seller last Christmas so we had to restock them for this season.
http://fivegomad.co.uk/women/clothing/elizabeth-i-ladies-pants
They still make me smile. I wear mine around the house and with a vest as make shift pyjamas. We are also stocking santa gift bags and merit badges for total non achievements!
2. Another firm favourite are the crown head pillowcases. You too can sleep like a king or queen and wake up royally refreshed! 3. Corblimey's assorted biscuit brooches are flying off the shelves and make the perfect stocking filler. They really are good enough to eat. http://fivegomad.co.uk/design/gifts/british-biscuit-brooch-collection
4. Mug up on some history with the help of Cole of London's fab designs. We love the Queen Elizabeth one or get a momento of the Royal Wedding with the award winning Wills and Kate mug.
5. British Cream Tea's inspired felt food sculpture is totally amazing, from jammie dodgers to delectable mince pies they make the perfect stocking filler. And more importantly they won't break the bank.
6. Ella Doran's Sunlight through the leaves umbrella is a magical vision of spring to lighten winter days.. (we haven't had many yet, but fear not they will be fast upon us!)
7. Gorgeous candles by Pure Light. Choose from fragrant orange, clove, or pine for a touch of christmas cheer. 8. Yummy festive cake pops by Rhubarb and Rose. They are a real treat. Perfect for mums, mother in laws or er yourself! I definitely will be treating myself before christmas. Well someone has to try them!! 9. We love love Robert Archard's Deer Dear stamp. Humorous and perfect for writing to Santa!
10. Karin Akesson's Tomorrow will be a great day print is a little gem of positivity when the winter evenings are drawing in. Something to lift your spirits.
11. Delicious teas from the Sherston Tea company. Our clear favourite is the Paint Box Relax box set. 12. Treat yourself or a loved one to a crafty home spun course by Hope And Elvis. Go on unlock your creativity..
FiveGoMad in Paris
We took an early Eurostar to Paris for a sneaky investigation into what's happening in the city of light. We were particularly interested in what's new on the concept store side and, because we're that way inclined, also the new cooking that's transforming the once moribund gastronomic experience in Paris. We wanted to feel inspired for our next pop up supper club in September.
On arrival we headed straight for our hotel, the Philippe Starck designed hotel, Mama Shelter. We liked it, we didn't think we'd be comfortable in a concrete room, yes, the walls and ceiling were polished concrete, but, with the other touches like the Batman mask light, it works. Definitely a place to consider for taking your kids as they have a great pizza bar! Great shower too. We'd definitely go back. Fortunately for us the hotel is situated at the edge of what is fast becoming one of the more interesting parts of Paris, the area around rue de Charonne. So, as it was by now approaching lunchtime we decided to catch the 76 bus to rue Paul Bert to visit the eponymous Bistro Paul Bert. What a great start to our weekend. It's a fantastic example of something that's becoming increasingly difficult to find in Paris, a great value, privately owned bistro, serving excellent food. A three course lunch from the blackboard menu cost only €16.50. Bargain!
After a brief detour via the Isabel Marrant store we carried on into town to check out the concept store Merci. Very interesting, some lovely jewellery, and Clare fell in love with the muted tones of the linen bed linen, though not the prices. And you can buy a car with it's own boat too!
Dinner that night was at the restaurant of the moment Le Chateaubriand, this year voted best restaurant in the whole of France and 9th best in the world. Well, what can we say? It ain't! To us it was all experimentation and no refinement, sometimes giving the impression the ingredients were chosen at random and put together in the expectation that, hey, it might work! Unfortunately it never did. Bit too cool for school vibe too, which grated as the execution failed to live up to the overweening confidence. We kept thinking of Emperors and New Clothes. Clare did comment that all the staff were young, attractive with the east london bearded look! And after a few sparklies we stopped caring.
The next morning we trotted off to Rose's Bakery to see if it lived up to the hype. Well, where to begin? If Le Chateaubriand was overambitious Rose's was just shambolic. The interior looked decidedly tatty, there was a great big hole in the ceiling above our heads, the prices sky high, €14.50 for eggs Benedict!! They only cost £6.75 at the Wolseley! And €8.50 for a tiny portion of granola was rubbing fleur de sel into the wound! Most shockingly of all was the order of oeufs a la coque, that's soft boiled eggs in Blighty, which we had to send back twice, as they weren't cooked properly both times. They quite literally couldn't boil an egg! A disaster. The staff were rude and surly and after waiting 45 minutes to be served watery eggs we had to wait another 30 mins to pay our bill.
Oh well, at least the sun was shining. So we hot footed it over to Colette to stare slack jawed at the prices, before buying goodies for a picnic which we ate in the glorious sunshine in the Tuilerie Gardens.
Refreshed and relaxed we decided to undo all the good work by popping in to Angelina's, the ultra posh patisserie and cafe on Rue de Rivoli for one of their famous gloriously rich hot chocolates. Oh wow, sheer chocolate heaven, but boy don't you know you've indulged!
That evening neither of us were feeling particularly hungry and we were in two minds whether to go to the next restaurant we had on our list. After a brief discussion we decided that if we didn't do it now, when would we. So, for us it was back to the Louvre district to Spring, one of the most talked about restaurants of the 'Bistronomy' scene. The chef, Daniel Rose, is one of the pioneers of the concept of a fixed menu, offering seasonal food, or simply what is available in the markets that day. This wouldn't mean much if it wasn't for the confident, imaginative, and polished cooking. A real treat, and a bargain. So glad we went.
Sunday and more sun (getting hot in the city at 29º), so we decided to lounge around under that most Parisian of sites, the Eiffel Tower. As the day got hotter and hotter we definitely found ourselves slowing down. That evening, drained by the heat and the difficulty of getting anywhere on the metro (we had chosen the worst weekend for our visit, as all of Paris seemed to be on the move, trying to get away for the August holiday), we were again undecided about whether we had the energy to visit the last of the restaurants on our list. Deciding to make things easier for ourselves we cabbed it the embarrassingly short distance to Le Verre Volé. A gorgeous cosy unpretentious tiny wine shop that serves food. The service was friendly and the food was reasonably priced and delicious. We even spotted one of the waiters from the Chateaubriand there! Like Paul Bert, we chose our food from a blackboard menu. We loved this place and think it was our favourite of the whole weekend. And it was open on a Sunday when most restaurants close in Paris. A definite thumbs up!
Happy holidays
Clare and Simon
Hello Hello
We’ve had quite a good month so far which we are more than chuffed about. We got a fantastic bit of publicity in the Observer Magazine’s shopping section (May 29th) of Cor Blimey’s cool biscuit brooches. We love the jammy dodger one.
Interestingly enough we have a number of other suppliers who do variations on the biscuit theme.
British Cream Tea
Robert Archard
We were also thrilled to get a whole page in Elle Decoration (July issue) featuring the colourful Beach Hut mugs from The English Seaside Company. One customer bought ten of her mugs as she loved them so much. They are flying off the shelves so get in quick if you want to get your mitts on one. At only £10 they bring a lovely bit of sunshine to your life especially as we write this it is pouring with rain!!
We recently purchased one of Norfolk Boy’s funny and wonderful beach signs “ A Sunny day, a posh coffee & a sea view”
We have it on our desk at work and definitely cheers us up. Priced at £60 you can also choose from “Seagulls, Sunshine & Fish & Chips” in sky blue or “Sunshine & Cream Teas” in a warm yellow. It really does make us smile every time we go into the office.
Finally with the Wedding Season well and truly with us we have to mention our lovely supplier Rhubarb and Rose. Her delicious cake pops are a wedding must have and are available in a palette of sorbet green, rose and lemon. Priced at £16 for 8 they are a perfect bit of loveliness.
Talk soon fellow GoMadders xx
FiveGoMad in Yorkshire
The GoMadders took a break in North Yorkshire this Easter.
Arriving on Good Friday we wasted no time in driving up to Scar House reservoir, and walking across the Dam built to supply Bradford with water in 1936. The construction was actually begun in 1921. The place being so remote a small town was built to house the workers and their families, at it's height having a population of 1,250. Curiously once the dam was finished the whole town was demolished, leaving only the foundations remaining as a silent memory to the men and women who lived and laboured in this breathtaking landscape.  High on our list of favourite things was a day spent driving around the Dales on the Saturday, popping in first to Grassington, a delightful little town that serves as a gateway to the higher part of the national park. From there a drive uphill, through beautiful countryside to the village of Arncliffe. Stopping off for a pint in the eccentrically wonderful Falcon Inn. If you've never been go soon before it changes. It is a real throwback to a long gone age. No concessions to modernity here, the beer is still served straight from the keg to a jug and then to your glass. No pumps, just gravity.
Sitting out on the green, sipping our beer we gave in to a little daydreaming, fantasising about buying the lovely house which we noticed for sale opposite us. Curiosity got the better of us and we went to have a good snoop. Could we relocate to somewhere so remote?Perhaps we could run our business from there? It's amazing how a little sunny weather makes everything seem possible! From there we popped in to Settle and Skipton, about which the least said, the better.
Finally we ended our splendid day with a visit to Ramsgill and the fantastic Yorke Arms for dinner. We had obviously seen the TRIP and just had to check out where Steve Coogan had sat. Wow, what an idyllic place. Walking through the tiny village seeing the cherry trees in full blossom, the sun slowly setting over the breathtaking countryside, ducks ferrying their ducklings home for the night, and then in to the comfort of Francis Atkins's welcoming dining room to eat Michelin starred food; it really doesn't get much better. Sunday we pootled over to Helperby. Our hosts kept our thirsts at bay with copious quantities of Pimms and champagne, whilst giving us a leisurely guided tour of this picturesque N. Yorks village. We were really quite jealous as they bought asparagus fresh from a neighbours garden. We have to get ours from Waitrose!
We left with pretty long faces on Monday, to make our way back to The Smoke. We'll be back, soon we hope.
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It has a beautiful dining room, with big windows looking out onto the grounds. Not that we could see them, it being dark, but we could hear the cry of the peacocks that roam around the place. Boy, do they look much better than they sound! The meal was fantastic and the hospitality embarrassingly good. We'd love to return, but this time to stay at the hotel.
from the Christmas market just outside. Top tip, whatever you do, don't breath it in. Started a coughing fit with me, which drew some very funny looks, not sure why. Maybe the locals aren't used to someone who can't inhale alcohol.
We spent all our time there at the top floor, rummaging through the delicious goodies at the Valvona & Crolla concession. Fortified, and decidedly over ambitious, we decided to walk up to Arthur's Seat. Not the best of ideas given the time of year, day, cold and our footwear. Funnily enough it was harder coming down than going up! By now we were pretty shattered, but managed to drag ourselves back into town for dinner at The Dogs
