Good place for coffee

Harrogate is awash with great places for coffee, including, of course, the renowned and perfectly fine Bettys. But this morning I was struck by just how agreeable it is to sit UPSTAIRS in Cafe Nero, the one on Cambridge Crescent between RBS and Jaeger. The coffee's excellent, the cakes look nicely cakey (I resisted them), downstairs is a bit dark and crowded but upstairs there's a lovely big comfortable room with one of the best views towards the Cenotaph and over the Stray you could possibly hope for.

A new kind of litter?

I really hope it's new and that it's not going to happen again. Some kind person (probably genuinely trying to be kind - I'm not being sarcastic) has put out a load of white bread, clearly hoping that it will make the birds happy. But it's a REALLY REALLY BAD IDEA. It will definitely attract rats, squirrels, and as you can see, jackdaws and other birds that are already doing fine. The little birds won't get a look in. And shouldn't anyway, because white bread is even worse for them than it is for us.

It will probably be cleared up by our excellent Harrogate Borough Council clearing-up people, but it would be a lot better not to put it out in the first place.

There are plenty of good websites on how to feed wild birds in summer. This one is sensible and comprehensive:

http://www.rspb.org.uk/makeahomeforwildlife/advice/helpingbirds/feeding/whentofeed.aspx

But please don't leave food out on the Stray.

Such weird weather!

And here's Slingsby Walk in the rain:

Lunch at the West Park

It was nice. No, honestly, it was. My companion and I had the seafood sharing platter, she had a glass of white wine, we both had coffee to finish (mine a double espresso, hers a latte). Things that should be hot were hot, things that should be cold were cold. There were scallops in their shells with a sort of cheesy crunchy topping, goujons, prawns, smoked salmon, brown bread and butter, lemon, sauces, and other stuff that I've probably forgotten, The service was unobtrusive and professional, the environment was pleasant and comfortable (a bit noisy, but not enough to be a nuisance), the view over the Stray was lovely. There was really nothing not to like.

My problem with it was just that - it was nice, it felt like a standard product that was produced to a consistent standard (and what do I expect in a fairly big hotel/restaurant?) and it felt to me as though there was something lacking, though I'm really not sure what.

Though I do know that, to compare chalk with cheese (such a weird expression), I much preferred the Jamaican street food at 10 Devonshire Place - far less professional, much more fun, and to me it tasted better.

I'd be interested to hear other people's views.

Straying from the subject ...

Sorry about the dreadful pun, but, following yesterday's post, here's a much better photograph of a cormorant.

It was taken at Staithes by Frances Fletcher (who retains copyright) and is entitled "Does my bum look big in this?"

Irresistible.

Quite surprising!

I saw a cormorant flying over the Stray this morning, looking a bit confused. Possibly I'm the only person who's interested ...

Not my photograph - the blue sky is a bit of a giveaway.

Posters on the Stray

The poster advertising the Fair seems to have struck a chord, so I thought I'd have a little wander round to see how many other posters there are on the Stray.

There a quite a few:

These monstrosities have appeared recently on a whole lot of rubbish bins. I think they're hideous and almost certainly unhelpful. Almost all dog walkers are brilliant at picking up after their pooches, and the few who don't aren't likely to be deterred by this.

This is the Fair poster, showing clearly that it's definitely on the Stray.

I've got a feeling this doesn't count. It's a huge poster welcoming people to Christchurch, but it's inside the church wall facing out on to the Stray. It may conform to the letter of the law, but I'm not sure about the spirit. Sorry it's such a rotten picture - too much traffic for me to cross the road there, and I couldn't be bothered to walk up to the crossing.

Poster advertising the Sewing Room. It's pretty but still a poster.

This poster has been there for months, as you can see from the date! It's on the hospital railings so it may be arguable that it's not on the Stray, but it's time it came down.

And this isn't a poster, it's just a lovely evening.