Allison

theatre, food & wine lover, vegetable grower, library volunteer, volunteer for visually impaired charities, frequently visit Calais to support refugee charities

[Kelvin MacKenzie @kelvmackenzie]

Grateful to Times columnist Giles Coren for putting to the sword a local council pipsqueak for trying to put out of business a restaurant in the middle of nowhere where owner Ruth Hanson does all the kitchen prep herself, the washing up, the bookings, the till, payroll and then cooks it.
The restaurant is called Hansom in Bedale, North Yorkshire. To give you an idea of its remoteness it’s 7 miles from Northallerton and 31 miles from York.
So, on occasions, her husband Mark, who had a job of his own, gives up his evenings to chauffeur some guests to and from their homes.
Coren points out when he reviewed the place last year ( he gave it a glowing recommendation) he had to hitchhike from Northallerton station.
No Bedale train, no metro, no Uber hanging around at the corner.
Enter Chris Doyle, licensing enforcement officer for N Yorkshire council, who has written to Ruth saying in his view Mark was operating a taxi service and that would require a raft of expensive and time consuming licences.
Ruth responded that Mark was her husband, he was unpaid and there was no separate charge for the journey.
Doyle said he didn’t care as there was deemed to be a commercial benefit and warned without a licence the council may take legal action.
Coren has a great last paragraph; “ Yeah, you sue her, you absolute local heroes.
“ You teach Ruth and Mark a lesson for being great at their jobs, for treasuring their customers, for trying to create a little joy and make ends meet in a collapsing world.”
PS Thought you’d like to see what a Ruth menus looks like. This is called the Sunday Sharing Feast.
Starters.
Smoked Leek and Pickled Croque
Monsieur
Whitby Crab Crumpet Pickled cucumber, Garden herbs.
Heritage beetroot, whipped goat’s Curd, Wild Garlic emulsion.
Main Course
Wensleydale chicken, Apricot and sage Wellington.
Honey and mustard mash, buttered spring , cider sauce.
Dessert
Yorkshire rhubarb and ginger trifle.
Cost; £55.
With publicity thanks to Coren’s column and this tweet I suspect the queue will be out the door and Mark can have his evenings off again.

[Allison @stonechat60]

@exitthelemming ❤️🙏

[Amar Latif OBE @AmarLatif_]

It was great to meet you! You've got fantastic energy and you do such valuable work. I know myself, when you get the right support in school the results can be life changing.

[Allison @stonechat60]

@thatsimonrose Amazing night!

[Allison @stonechat60]

@OctopusEnergy surely the most incompetent energy company ever! The final straw this time receiving yet another +£2000 bill after they changed my meter. The only response I ever get is to thank me for my patience & understanding 😡

[Allison @stonechat60]

@GaryUsher_ @BuRntTruffle Sorry to hear this as I was one of the original crowd funders. Never got to eat there as I don’t live in the area. However I will be in Chester in June and definitely booking Sticky Walnut.

[Tanni Grey-Thompson @Tanni_GT]

A society’s mission should be to assist the most vulnerable people how to live and not how to die.

[Paul Carrack @PCarrack]

Who’s looking forward to the Albert Hall show ? #notlong #howlong @RealFunkyvoices
@RoyalAlbertHall

[Allison @stonechat60]

@Matt_Pinner 8!

[Allison @stonechat60]

@5liveSport @bbc5live @BBCSounds @5livesport radio commentary much better informed than tv commentary. I muted tv, watched pictures and listened to the radio!

[Traveleyes @TraveleyesLtd]

We love this testimonial from VI traveller, Thien, who joined our 1st trip to #Andalucia "I always love to travel, but had a difficult time to find travel companion. Traveleyes provides me with an opportunity to do what I love - to travel and experience the world!" #SoloTraveller

[Allison @stonechat60]

Fantastic trip, great to have @TraveleyesLtd back!

[Traveleyes @TraveleyesLtd]

Our first Traveleyes trip to #Andalucia was a huge success! 🎉 From walking the high battlements in #Málaga, a visit to the #AlhambraPalace in #Granada, to the dramatic sounds of #flamenco in #Seville, our travellers had a fabulous time exploring #SouthernSpain.

[Allison @stonechat60]

@AmarLatif_ @TraveleyesLtd It was a fantastic return for #Traveleyes and a brilliant surprise to be joined by @AmarLatif_
Already looking forward to my next trip with @TraveleyesLtd

[Allison @stonechat60]

@TraveleyesLtd Amazing places, great company and the opportunity to support others who might not be able to travel otherwise. Looking forward to my next trip!

[Allison @stonechat60]

@ConnorScottG @RNIB Had to put AD off at 50 minutes when started to get both commentaries together - very confusing!

[Allison @stonechat60]

@ConnorScottG @RNIB Audio description for the England Ireland game is excellent! Can we have it for all the matches please?

[Allison @stonechat60]

I loved it! A gentle play with a happy ending- what’s not to like?
Unity of colour between set and costumes contributed to the calm feeling, very clever.

[Jenny Eclair @jennyeclair]

Dear Octopus @NationalTheatre great front row £20 seats -took a while to convince me - wasn’t sure why they’d bothered with such a period revival - but you get sucked in and once I gave in, I really enjoyed it - glorious costumes, and all very well done -

[Traveleyes @TraveleyesLtd]

NEW HOLIDAY RELEASE! Indulge in artisan chocolates, waffles and a blond beer or two on our #CityBreak to #Bruges #Belgium! Be charmed by picturesque canals, quaint cobbled lanes and iconic medieval architecture at every turn. Don't miss out... https://t.co/JVD8l8VLUb #Traveleyes

[Allison @stonechat60]

Still using it!

[60s 70s 80s Kids @70s80s90sKids]

Who recognises this book? 🙋

[Allison @stonechat60]

@WendyPMitchell I’m so sorry to hear this. I have followed Wendy’s journey and read her books. I loved hearing about her trundles and her beautiful photographs. Her final blog is so brave. Anna Wharton @whartonswords is right - Wendy beat dementia. 🙏