25 of 50: The Picture Playhouse (Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex)

The newest ‘spoons in the UK

It’s the bank holiday Monday, it’s actually a hot day.  Gamma is staying with us until his new flat is ready in a few weeks time.  It is also the last day of my holiday, so of course we need to make the most of it.

Originally I didn’t want to go to far away from home, but none of my ideas of places to go were well received, and then the Brain-wave, lets visit the newest ‘spoons in the UK.

We typed in the post code into the sat-nav, and all four of us (me, the wife, gamma and delta) left the house.  Gretta was saying that we have traffic delays of 66mins, my guess was she wanted to go via Rye.  A little way into the trip Doris offered an alternative route with only a 1 minute delay (via Tenterden), this was the way I wanted to go anyway.

I must have switched on the ‘idiot’ magnet by mistake as every slow car in front seemed to let in an even slower one.  I was following a slow van and a slow car, and then the car in front pulled over, without warning or reason and I thought, ‘my lucky day’, so I over took him, only to look in my mirror and see a police car with its sirens going.  Oops! Luckily he was not coming for me, and I let him go past me.  It did give me a chance to jump the white van (he has pulled over for the police, but I followed the police car and overtook him), and with a smug grin I carried on.

In St. Michaels we needed to stop for fuel,  I had been in a good mood up to this point and even peoples slow driving didn’t make me angry, but after filling up we go into the shop where two girls were trying to by cigarettes, but their card was not working.  What to do?  The guy serving thought it would be a good idea to try another 100 bloody times, and finally suggested they leave and use a cash machine.  After them a smaller girl buying enough water to hydrate the Sahara, but paying with enough small chance to weigh down a large camel.  I could feel the heat rising, and it was not the outside temperature.  I returned to the car, after a simple, quick payment, and carried on with the trip. 

After a time we finally arrived at Bexhill-on-Sea.  We drove passed the turning for the pub and headed for the sea front.  I figured we could take a leisurely walk back into the town.  As it was Bank Holiday and as it was very hot, the sea front was very busy.  I finally found a space down a side road but must have been nearly a mile away from the main town.

We arrived at the pub, and from the outside it looked like the best building in the street, of course the old lady outside having a cigarette lowered the tone somewhat.  We found a table near the entrance and then the wife and I went to the bar to order food.  The pub is actually really nice, and for me a new experience was having a new carpet that is in really good condition.

We sat at table 88, which I would advise you to avoid at all costs, as behind us is the collection of condiments, so we had a gaggle of strangers pushing behind the chair to get to them.  

From the website I knew they had an upstairs area, and of course the toilets were upstairs, so we went that way on the way out.  It is really nice up here, and the toilets were very nice and clean.  It is strange that from the gents there is clear glass where you can overlook the tables.

We went back to the sea front.  On the way there, outside of one of shops, was an old freezer (the type that you sell ice cream from), with a sign saying "free" (or words to that effect), delta was trying his hardest to move the damn thing, which a few bystanders found amusing.  It did make us all think of ice cream, so when we got to the sea front I bought everyone some (it was Kelly's of Cornwall), we had not tried this before and we were all very impressed.

We sat on the beech for a while.  gamma wandered off (mainly to take note of the brand of ice cream for future reference), and when he returned he had bought himself another double cone and seemed very pleased with himself.

After a while we decided to leave, there was no parking charge or time limit, which was nice for a change.  

So, that was it, I have reached the half way point of my challenge, and have visited the newest 'spoons in the UK.  Until tomorrow when the new one in Ramsgate opens...