Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Ipswich regained
The mystery to the proper bread in Novotel has been solved. When logging out I noticed that the Apple was talking to me in French and the reception people informed me that Novotel was indeed a French outfit. Presumably all their IT is piped through their HQ, somewhere in France.
But they have put up a black. I discover this morning that I cannot escape Coronation Street by having a bath. They have thoughtfully piped the sound from the television into the bathroom. On the other hand they did see fit to pipe up the toilet in the same way...
Yesterday evening we discovered where the brightest and best in Ipswich spend their evenings when we wandered along the northern shore of what used to be the wet dock and is now the marina. Pots of flashy looking boats with a sprinkling of older boats, some actually made out of wood, and including a handful of Thames (maybe Orwell?) barges which looked as if they were in working order. One, which did not look as if it has been health and safetied for passengers, appeared to be offering trips, but they were bird flavoured and did not kick off until November so we did not pursue the matter.
Took refreshment in Isaac's. A collection of ancient dockside sheds which had been very expensively and tastefully converted into a day & night spot. One which the National Trust would be proud of and which packs in upwards of 700 revellers on Friday and Saturday nights. Good quality heaters in the various smoking dens. Average quality Greene King IPA - but at least they had it. I dare say most of the clientele was into cold and fizzy. There was also a place to get married.
Kept going past all the bistros until we came to the boundary between the marina and what was left of the proper dock. A spinkling of real boats. Cranes and warehouses. Also a poky little dockside pub, tucked behind some warehouses, which we thought would be full of superannuated soaks and worse but which turned out to be a newly opened Chinese restaurant. It had retained the name, 'The Golden Ship'. Interesting meal, if the brand new staff a bit self conscious and over attentive in a not very busy restaurant. I would be just the same, if not worse, in the same circumstances.
But they have put up a black. I discover this morning that I cannot escape Coronation Street by having a bath. They have thoughtfully piped the sound from the television into the bathroom. On the other hand they did see fit to pipe up the toilet in the same way...
Yesterday evening we discovered where the brightest and best in Ipswich spend their evenings when we wandered along the northern shore of what used to be the wet dock and is now the marina. Pots of flashy looking boats with a sprinkling of older boats, some actually made out of wood, and including a handful of Thames (maybe Orwell?) barges which looked as if they were in working order. One, which did not look as if it has been health and safetied for passengers, appeared to be offering trips, but they were bird flavoured and did not kick off until November so we did not pursue the matter.
Took refreshment in Isaac's. A collection of ancient dockside sheds which had been very expensively and tastefully converted into a day & night spot. One which the National Trust would be proud of and which packs in upwards of 700 revellers on Friday and Saturday nights. Good quality heaters in the various smoking dens. Average quality Greene King IPA - but at least they had it. I dare say most of the clientele was into cold and fizzy. There was also a place to get married.
Kept going past all the bistros until we came to the boundary between the marina and what was left of the proper dock. A spinkling of real boats. Cranes and warehouses. Also a poky little dockside pub, tucked behind some warehouses, which we thought would be full of superannuated soaks and worse but which turned out to be a newly opened Chinese restaurant. It had retained the name, 'The Golden Ship'. Interesting meal, if the brand new staff a bit self conscious and over attentive in a not very busy restaurant. I would be just the same, if not worse, in the same circumstances.
# posted by Jim @ 1:52 AM 
