18 of 50: The Thomas Waghorn (Chatham)

sorry Chatham, don't think that I don't love you, but I haven't had time to write up this entry yet!

I know it was a day out with the wife and delta.  I also remember that the pub used to be a post office.  Also someone pushed in front of delta in pound world.   Hmm..

The Flying Horse (Gatwick)

OK, well this doesn't really count towards my target.  We had a short break planned to Corfu, just the wife and I.  As she works at a school we have to go during the school holidays.  Anyway, I thought, great we can add another spoons to the collection.  So 'The Flying Horse' is actually after security, so it's not an easy to get to pub.  Sadly on the day we went it was heaving, there was no where to set.  We walked though it, but that does not count.  Is it a nice pub, well not really, it's in a very busy airport.  Maybe we will try again, in the meantime here are some pics from the holiday..

17 of 50: The Old Unicorn (Leeds, West Yorkshire)

As some of you will know, there are 5 spoons in the centre of Leeds.  Since starting my quest it always seemed to me that I could easily add 5 more to my list.  However, that is not why I came to Leeds.  My lovely daughter beta lives here with her partner beta-p.  It was the first time since beta moved house, so we were really keen to see the new digs.  ...  In the morning we decided the only way to go was to have breakfast at a spoons (and why not).  We drove out of the town and headed for The Old Unicorn.  We were really pleased as it was nice, modern and clean.  Parking was available (for 2 hours).  It was here that I told beta and beta-p about my spoon quest, and they thought it was a really good idea.  In fact they have already started their own quest (and have already got more than my 17, mainly thanks to working within the pub/restaurant industry).  ...

The Peter Cushing (Whitstable, Kent)

I can't add this to my mission count.  

We starting the day with gamma, took a drive to Whitstable with a single, simple mission, visit this pub.  It looked really good online so I was actually excited to see it.  Before the pub, however, we thought, let's take a trip to the sea front, and that is what we did.  Parking was not fun, there seems to be a few small car parks on the front, most of which stated 'no parking' near any of the spaces.  We were lucky in the end as someone was leaving just as we arrived.  Parked up.  Walked along the front, and everyone was eating either ice cream or chips.  By this time we were hungry.  We got chips along the front (from a chop that smelt like fish, which was not good), chips were good.  In my mind I could hear an Ice Cream calling me 'eat me' it said, 'eat me' (again).  We went to the van and got ice cream.  I had to. I was told.

We then took a walk into the town to find this pub.  By the time we finally found it (it is nearly on the way back out if you park at the front), neither gamma, the wife or I were 'in the mood' for a spoons (yes it happens), so we gave it a miss.  

So, that's it folks, all the above words to tell you that I didn't actually go in the pub. 

16 of 50: The Muggleton Inn (Maidstone, Kent)

There are 2 spoons in Maidstone, and it's just up the road.  So the wife and I left, on the journey she tells me that she fancies a visit to 'budda belly', I have to say it didn't really interest me as our last few visits were not great.  Anyway, we went to this pub and had a drink on the way, I really fancied a burger, but off we went to the belly.  It was much better than expected since a recent refit/change.   .. 

15 of 50: The Ice Warf (Camden)

I hope they don't mind me using their names, it's a bit of a shame if they do.  A visit to London with brother-and-sister in law Richard and Tina, as part of a brilliant plan to celebrate her birthday.  Of course we had to go to a spoons, but so many to choose from.  We went from St. Pancras and walked to Camden.  It was Sunday and very quiet.  When we started walking there was nobody else around, but the nearer we got to Camden the more busy it got, until it got to the point where we can't walk at all.   We started at the Ice Warf, and used the 'order at your table' app to get drinks (to avoid the queue).  We then went to the food area opposite where you can find pretty much any kind of food you want.  Myself and Katherine found something with ease, but R+T both did not find anything, we walked back (on our way to the BBC as I have never been there), and they had a McDonalds (yes, all that great choice and they end up with McD).    ..  other stuff happened.. 

14 of 50: The Opera House (Tunbridge Wells)

What a pub, really, this place is amazing. We actually only went to Tunbridge to go on the Spa Valley Railway (we were on the train called 'UGLY'), but we also found time to look around, and it gave Katherine a chance to give the Nissan a run, she is so in love with it. 

The traffic getting there was horrible due to a road being shut.   delta is a bit of an actor, so it was really nice to tell him that we have finally made it to the stage.  For some reason the toilets are on the same floor as everything else (what is going on here?).

It was while walking away from the pub that Katherine tells me that maybe my idea of visiting many spoons wasn't such a s**t idea after all.  'why not' she says.  So technically the mission started here.