P&O Cruisers - What are things like where YOU are?

[AnnieC]

1 hour ago, Adawn47 said:

I've just read that Betty's tea rooms in Stoneygate, York won't be reopening after this lockdown. That's such a shame, it's a lovely place.

Avril

That's extremely sad, Avril. Hope the one at Harlow Carr survives - go there every time I'm up in North Yorkshire.

[Bloodaxe]

1 hour ago, Bloodaxe said:

It may be just the smaller one, that's in Stonegate, they have 2 in York.

Hopefully the larger one will stay open.

 

It is the Little Bettys in Stonegate that is closing, the larger one on the Square will be reopening.

[terrierjohn]

8 hours ago, brian1 said:

Sorry, it tasted better when it was Nesels,it went downhill when it was called Neslay.How can you have a bloody French Milky bar kid.

I seem to remember Kitkats in the USA were made under license by Hershey, and they were a totally different shape to ours. But in all honesty I don't remember them tasting awful, different yes, but so are Mars and Snickers and those are made by the same firm. Clearly chocolate makers have to cater for local tastes, otherwise they would never sell.

[bobstheboy]

A nice, mainly sunny day here in South Yorkshire, fresh breeze so not sitting on the patio but nice to have the doors open and sun streaming through.

[bobstheboy]

Anyone stayed at the Crowne Plaza, Harrowgate ? We are hopefully attending a reunion weekend there in October.

[brian1]

12 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

I seem to remember Kitkats in the USA were made under license by Hershey, and they were a totally different shape to ours. But in all honesty I don't remember them tasting awful, different yes, but so are Mars and Snickers and those are made by the same firm. Clearly chocolate makers have to cater for local tastes, otherwise they would never sell.

I was only on a wind up anyway.I think the main reason may be what is allowed to be put into chocolate in these countries.Milk,different fats etc.Ours take some beating but Lindt is up there in my reckoning.I do remember a documentary about different tastes in regions of the world and how recipes are tweaked to suit.Cheers,Brian.

[Bloodaxe]

30 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

I seem to remember Kitkats in the USA were made under license by Hershey, and they were a totally different shape to ours. But in all honesty I don't remember them tasting awful, different yes, but so are Mars and Snickers and those are made by the same firm. Clearly chocolate makers have to cater for local tastes, otherwise they would never sell.

Correct, I did not like any of Hersheys products but has you say its all a matter of taste.

The only chocolate we found in the U S A that we really enjoyed was made by a small company in Vermont, the Green Mountain Chocolate Company, the owner once worked in the White House. 

Edited March 25, 2021 by Bloodaxe

[mrsgoggins]

23 minutes ago, Bloodaxe said:

Correct, I did not like any of Hersheys products but has you say its all a matter of taste.

The only chocolate we found in the U S A that we really enjoyed was made by a small company in Vermont, the Green Mountain Chocolate Company, the owner once worked in the White House. 

 

Lindt chocolate is my number one, but Ghiradelli's American chocolate is pretty good too, but would agree about Hershey's; not nice, although they do one with roasted almonds which is much better.  My worst ever was some supermarket 'own brand' I bought in Iceland, (you know when you want to take a souvenir home where the price tag doesn't make your eyes bleed?).  I gave in and chucked it in the bin. This could be my Mastermind subject alas 🤭! 

[Bloodaxe]

37 minutes ago, mrsgoggins said:

 

Lindt chocolate is my number one, but Ghiradelli's American chocolate is pretty good too, but would agree about Hershey's; not nice, although they do one with roasted almonds which is much better.  My worst ever was some supermarket 'own brand' I bought in Iceland, (you know when you want to take a souvenir home where the price tag doesn't make your eyes bleed?).  I gave in and chucked it in the bin. This could be my Mastermind subject alas 🤭! 

I had forgotten about Ghirardelli chocolate, that is pretty good, we visited their shop in San Francisco.

[P&O SUE]

5 hours ago, grapau27 said:

The Harrogate Betty's always has big queues so hopefully they deem it viable after lockdown.

My friend had to book quite a way in advance when she went.

[P&O SUE]

1 hour ago, Bloodaxe said:

 

It is the Little Bettys in Stonegate that is closing, the larger one on the Square will be reopening.

Thats something, they’ll be nowhere to go once the High Streets open at this rate 😒

 

Online shopping has it’s place but it’s actually healthier to walk round the shops than just ordering from your chair! 
It’s an outing for me and John and some of my friends often ending in a good lunch.

 

John said many of his colleagues today said what I said, it’s a shame John Lewis didn’t wait until the shops re-opened and see how they fared instead of just not opening again. I think people would rush back to some places. 

[grapau27]

1 hour ago, bobstheboy said:

Anyone stayed at the Crowne Plaza, Harrowgate ? We are hopefully attending a reunion weekend there in October.

We have stayed in the White Hart hotel several times,the hotel Du Vin and a boutique hotel but never the Crowne plaza but it does look nice.

Graham.

[grapau27]

11 minutes ago, P&O SUE said:

My friend had to book quite a way in advance when she went.

We did when we had the Champagne Afternoon Tea upstairs and were shown upstairs straight away.

Those without bookings stand in a big queue for downstairs.

[Adawn47]

1 hour ago, brian1 said:

I was only on a wind up anyway.I think the main reason may be what is allowed to be put into chocolate in these countries.Milk,different fats etc.Ours take some beating but Lindt is up there in my reckoning.I do remember a documentary about different tastes in regions of the world and how recipes are tweaked to suit.Cheers,Brian.

I love Lindt, my favourite. I treat the both of us sometimes, either Lindor or a bar, but on Mother's Day I was bought a box of their chocolates. Delicious😋. I hope you're taking notes bro😉

Sis

[Snow Hill]

Pretty reasonable day here, quite sunny, warm out of the chilly wind, so had mid morning cuppa on patio. 
 

Fun first job of the day was cleaning out compost bin, read for new lot of stuff to compost from now on, moved compost to storage bin before use in garden. 
 

Did first cut of lawn this year as it grown quite a lot in last 2 weeks, noticed hawthorn hedge showing signs of sprouting green leaves, last batch of daffodils coming into flower and new shoots on peonies, spring in full swing. As we should be able to spend time in families gardens from Monday  I checked long range forecast, looks like a chilly Easter with a chance of snow on Saturday and Monday. Best not pack my thermals away just yet.

 

My second pair of glasses delivered today, reading glasses came Monday, varifocals today, only had eye test last Thursday, excellent service, much clearer vision now.

Edited March 25, 2021 by Snow Hill

[Beckett]

7 hours ago, lancashire_cruisers said:

Hi Jane

Glad that your time off has given you the headspace to consider your future and put in place what works for you. After this last year a lot of us are doing the same and I’ve been crunching the numbers to see how early I could retire which looks like it could be in 6 years time.

 

There is a bit of a fly in the ointment though as there is a possibility that my Trust will be taken over by another and my job will be at risk as a result. Keeping my fingers crossed that I can at least get to 55 so that I can use any redundancy to pay up my pension.

 

Keep your chin up lovely x

 

 

That is a bit of a worry but could work in your favour if you get a redundancy payment. I would have said redundancy package but there's little chance of that in the NHS! Fingers crossed it works out for you. Thanks so much for your kind words of encouragement. Best wishes. Jane.x

[Harry Peterson]

1 hour ago, P&O SUE said:

John said many of his colleagues today said what I said, it’s a shame John Lewis didn’t wait until the shops re-opened and see how they fared instead of just not opening again. I think people would rush back to some places. 

I suspect Covid is being used by John Lewis as a convenient excuse to slim down what’s become a very bloated and expensive estate over recent years.

 

Times have changed, and JL no longer has the edge it once had. Amazon changed all that.

 

Waitrose, however, is still out there on its own. A little pricey, but no other supermarket, except perhaps Booths, offers the same experience.

[grapau27]

31 minutes ago, Adawn47 said:

I love Lindt, my favourite. I treat the both of us sometimes, either Lindor or a bar, but on Mother's Day I was bought a box of their chocolates. Delicious😋. I hope you're taking notes bro😉

Sis

Swiss and Belgium chocolate is my favourite.

 

[bobstheboy]

Not a big chocolate eater, but I love Paynes dark chocolate brazils.

[Josy1953]

Belgian chocolate is my favourite but a close second is Toblerone, I know when DH is feeling a little guilty about something because a Toblerone appears. 😂😂

[TangoYork]

It is very sad that the Stonegate Bettys cafe is closing but it’s kitchen is very small and not conducive to social distancing for the staff. Due to the age of the building, the stairway and cafe are also not suitable for social distancing. The shop, along with all the other Betty’s shops and cafes, will open when lockdown restrictions start to ease. Hope this helps.

[Snow Hill]

11 minutes ago, grapau27 said:

Swiss and Belgium chocolate is my favourite.

 

On our annual trips to France we stocked up on Côte d’Or Chocolate which is made in Belgium, find it much tastier than anything can buy here, except possibly Hotel Chocolat products.

[Peanut006]

10 minutes ago, Josy1953 said:

Belgian chocolate is my favourite but a close second is Toblerone, I know when DH is feeling a little guilty about something because a Toblerone appears. 😂😂

Love Toblerone!!! I am having a scan tmoro and I can’t have chocolate, tea or coffee for 24 hours before the scan, it’s horrible 

Michelle

[grapau27]

18 minutes ago, bobstheboy said:

Not a big chocolate eater, but I love Paynes dark chocolate brazils.

I was a rep for Payne's Poppets, Just Brazil's and Anthon Berg Danish chocolate for 13 years from the mid 1980s.

[yorkshirephil]

9 minutes ago, Peanut006 said:

Love Toblerone!!! I am having a scan tmoro and I can’t have chocolate, tea or coffee for 24 hours before the scan, it’s horrible 

Michelle

Good luck with the scan.