Jaunty Wolf!
Apr. 18th, 2016 11:15 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lupestripeIt has been a rather fun weekend, starting on Friday when Stray and Luna visited for our semi-regular guitar session. In the end, due to Foxbox (what we call the PC in the living room) struggling to update, we didn't get chance to fire up Rocksmith but we did share some delicious pizza from a local takeaway we had not yet tried (or indeed heard of) called Pizza Pie before enjoying re-runs of Masterchef and Room 101. It was a rather relaxed evening over a few beers and prepared us nicely for the main event of the weekend - the Leeds Meet.
I'll admit that I had been feeling a little apprehensive about this one for a variety of reasons (and this was only enhanced by a party of loud furs from York using squeakers incessently early on) but in the end it was one of those days that just seemed to work. We got a large number of attendees who all seemed to love the bar, while we also had a rather high number of fursuiters on the walk, during which we gatecrashed two weddings and revisited old haunts including Mandela Gardens and Millennium Square. I was happy to discover that Baa Bar was indeed closed (proving at least that they weren't fobbing us off) while some of the interactions we encountered made for some wondereful memories. What clinched it for many people though was the new food range that The White Rabbit now have, with many furs in particular falling for the pizzas. Created by a company called That's Amore, the sandwiches and pizzas that the bar provides are first class and proved to be exceptionally popular amongst our group. I had a sandwich at lunch and a pizza as an evening meal, and I must admit that it was a delight not having to traipse around Leeds looking for a food place before inevitably going to Trinity Kitchen as that's the only place that can accommodate us. I think I will be having a pizza more regularly and I am also delighted that the local furs enjoy the vibe and atmosphere of the bar.
After the Meet, the four of us headed over to Foley's for some dominos and more beer, while we also sat around the table sketching plans for the forthcoming EF. I am always amazed just how quiet Foley's is on a Saturday night - it never used to be but its popularity has seemingly wained over the last couple of years. Still, it isn't dead and getting a seat is always a plus, which is why we often end up in here. Luna spilt his pint of sweet cider after knocking it over with his elbow when he was flicking dominos, before we decided to head back an hour early so Stray and Luna could pick up their guitars at ours before Luna's mother drove the pair back home. Stray left his birthday beer in the fridge too, the twat.
Sunday dawned quite bright and sunny, although we didn't surface until around lunchtime. However, not wanting to foresake the fantastic early Spring weather, we decided to go for a drive to the market town of Ossett, just south of the M1 between Dewsbury and Wakefield. This place was quite dead on a Sunday but at least the reptile pet shop was open, a shop I avoided due to my fear of snakes. The only other establishment open of note was Bier Huis, which turned out to be a delightful little beer shop not only with a huge range of bottled craft beer but also two beers on tap too. We didn't notice this until after we had paid for our beer, also claiming a 10% CAMRA discount bringing the price down far lower than anything we can get in Leeds, and as the lady was so friendly, we decided to stay and sample a Vocation Beer with her. She had a packet of Minions snack chips open and Wolfie and I devoured the rest for her, helping her out as she said she wanted rid of them. We also chatted about the range of cool events they do, including a Tasting Friday every last Friday of the month, where the shop has a lock in from 8pm to 2am as it is a fully licensed bar at this time. Apparently they get some food out and as well as the beer on tap, they also serve any of the bottled beers which take your fancy. This sounded like a fantastic venture and we only wish that Ossett was far easier to get to than Pudsey, otherwise we would be here all the time. Still, we are going to try and go at some point in the future.
The only other interesting thing of note was the Town Hall in Ossett, which dominates the square and makes for quite a tremendous sight. As Wolfie staggered back to the car with our big box of beer - including seven from the little-known Day of the Dead Brewery from Mexico - I went into the Co-Op to buy some lunch, being served by a man who could not look more disinterested if he tried. After this, we headed around to Cleckheaton, where Wolfie grew up, and he took me on a rather nice countryside walk he used to do with his dog when he was a kid. This was quite exciting as it involved walking up to and over an old viaduct, which afforded fantastic views over the Spen Valley. After this, we walked into the town itself and headed to The Rose and Crown, a bar that has been there for ages but has since relaunched as a microbrewery, brewing Whitechapel Beers under the Howarth Beer Company label. They have four tanks out back and brew their four main beers here, and we tried halves of two of them after our rather invigorating walk. The pub was very homely and would make a perfect Winter warmer, but a beer garden was one thing that was sadly lacking. The beer was quite nice though, although I was perhaps expecting a wider range of brews, not to mention greater exclusivity. Still, I am glad we called by and Wolfie got chatting to the staff about how the place used to be and the changes which have been made. Indeed, this sense of nostalgia continued as Wolfie walked around the town in which he grew up, even though he comes back here to see his parents pretty regularly. I guess I do the same when I go back home though.
The rest of the evening was largely uneventful. We picked up some sheets from Wolfie's parents, I went to the gym and then we shared some of our Mexican beers while I wrote this journal about my trip to Paris. We tried four of the seven in the end and I admit that some of them had a rather unique flavour, which was appreciated after drinking over 1,500 different beers already. I do like our random nights in sharing some beers, and we often get through far less than we would do while we are out, I guess socialising means it's more difficult to keep track of the time and the consumption. The advantages of this of course is that it helps the weight loss and the financial situation, both of which we have neglected recently but need to get back on track. Of course, this is easier said than done but after a rather difficult month, we must try and be good once again. Still, at least going to the gym last night saw me maintain my track record of three sessions a week, every week, since the New Year.
One of the main reasons why we have struggled is that things keep cropping up, and so it proved today when my father came to visit to see the attic conversion. I have been badgering him for a few weeks now about seeing the completed room as it was stalling us converting it into a playspace, and so I was glad he could finally come around and take a look. I had forgotten I had a late meeting at work so I was rushing against time to be back at home for his arrival, but thankfully I made it with five minutes to spare. He was very impressed with what we have done with the place, which considering the work we have put in and my lack of familiarity with all things DIY prior to this process, filled me with some sense of accomplishment. The fact that both my parents approve was something of a relief too and I am glad that his chapter of our lives is finally nearing its end. After the viewing, we went to a local pub we had been meaning to try in Tong - The Greyhound - which their website said served food. They weren't wrong, indeed their new food menu launched on April 1 after they had acquired a new head chef in the wake of one of the local restaurants in Pudsey, The Arch, closing down. We had only been here once but I do remember it being quite good, so it was a shame it went, but the culinary skills definitely transferred over as the food we had was fantastic. I had a smoked salmon and cream cheese pate followed by duo rack of lamb with dauphinoise potatoes and minted peas - good hearty pub food but with a contemporary twist. Meanwhile, my Dad and Wolfie both had the steak and kidney pie, and they too commended it. We had planned to walk to the pub at some point - it's about four miles away up and down a valley - but this seemed like a good opportunity to pay it a visit. However, with some tasty Leeds Beers on tap, we will definitely be paying it a visit again, even if we all did feel a little bloated afterwards. To ward off the indigestion, we had a brief walk around the charming village, which has a BD postcode but feels exceptionally rural, spying the charming church of St James, whose bells were peeling out adding a romantic air to the Springtime sunset. We also saw the range of houses on the main street, many of them undoubtedly Grade One or Two listed, with more modern buildings interspersed in between. It was certainly a beautiful place and the pub was clearly the heart of the community, surprisingly busy for a Monday evening. As we did over the meal, the three of us had a good catch-up on the walk before my father drove us back home before heading back up North after his rather fleeting visit.
I'll admit that I had been feeling a little apprehensive about this one for a variety of reasons (and this was only enhanced by a party of loud furs from York using squeakers incessently early on) but in the end it was one of those days that just seemed to work. We got a large number of attendees who all seemed to love the bar, while we also had a rather high number of fursuiters on the walk, during which we gatecrashed two weddings and revisited old haunts including Mandela Gardens and Millennium Square. I was happy to discover that Baa Bar was indeed closed (proving at least that they weren't fobbing us off) while some of the interactions we encountered made for some wondereful memories. What clinched it for many people though was the new food range that The White Rabbit now have, with many furs in particular falling for the pizzas. Created by a company called That's Amore, the sandwiches and pizzas that the bar provides are first class and proved to be exceptionally popular amongst our group. I had a sandwich at lunch and a pizza as an evening meal, and I must admit that it was a delight not having to traipse around Leeds looking for a food place before inevitably going to Trinity Kitchen as that's the only place that can accommodate us. I think I will be having a pizza more regularly and I am also delighted that the local furs enjoy the vibe and atmosphere of the bar.
After the Meet, the four of us headed over to Foley's for some dominos and more beer, while we also sat around the table sketching plans for the forthcoming EF. I am always amazed just how quiet Foley's is on a Saturday night - it never used to be but its popularity has seemingly wained over the last couple of years. Still, it isn't dead and getting a seat is always a plus, which is why we often end up in here. Luna spilt his pint of sweet cider after knocking it over with his elbow when he was flicking dominos, before we decided to head back an hour early so Stray and Luna could pick up their guitars at ours before Luna's mother drove the pair back home. Stray left his birthday beer in the fridge too, the twat.
Sunday dawned quite bright and sunny, although we didn't surface until around lunchtime. However, not wanting to foresake the fantastic early Spring weather, we decided to go for a drive to the market town of Ossett, just south of the M1 between Dewsbury and Wakefield. This place was quite dead on a Sunday but at least the reptile pet shop was open, a shop I avoided due to my fear of snakes. The only other establishment open of note was Bier Huis, which turned out to be a delightful little beer shop not only with a huge range of bottled craft beer but also two beers on tap too. We didn't notice this until after we had paid for our beer, also claiming a 10% CAMRA discount bringing the price down far lower than anything we can get in Leeds, and as the lady was so friendly, we decided to stay and sample a Vocation Beer with her. She had a packet of Minions snack chips open and Wolfie and I devoured the rest for her, helping her out as she said she wanted rid of them. We also chatted about the range of cool events they do, including a Tasting Friday every last Friday of the month, where the shop has a lock in from 8pm to 2am as it is a fully licensed bar at this time. Apparently they get some food out and as well as the beer on tap, they also serve any of the bottled beers which take your fancy. This sounded like a fantastic venture and we only wish that Ossett was far easier to get to than Pudsey, otherwise we would be here all the time. Still, we are going to try and go at some point in the future.
The only other interesting thing of note was the Town Hall in Ossett, which dominates the square and makes for quite a tremendous sight. As Wolfie staggered back to the car with our big box of beer - including seven from the little-known Day of the Dead Brewery from Mexico - I went into the Co-Op to buy some lunch, being served by a man who could not look more disinterested if he tried. After this, we headed around to Cleckheaton, where Wolfie grew up, and he took me on a rather nice countryside walk he used to do with his dog when he was a kid. This was quite exciting as it involved walking up to and over an old viaduct, which afforded fantastic views over the Spen Valley. After this, we walked into the town itself and headed to The Rose and Crown, a bar that has been there for ages but has since relaunched as a microbrewery, brewing Whitechapel Beers under the Howarth Beer Company label. They have four tanks out back and brew their four main beers here, and we tried halves of two of them after our rather invigorating walk. The pub was very homely and would make a perfect Winter warmer, but a beer garden was one thing that was sadly lacking. The beer was quite nice though, although I was perhaps expecting a wider range of brews, not to mention greater exclusivity. Still, I am glad we called by and Wolfie got chatting to the staff about how the place used to be and the changes which have been made. Indeed, this sense of nostalgia continued as Wolfie walked around the town in which he grew up, even though he comes back here to see his parents pretty regularly. I guess I do the same when I go back home though.
The rest of the evening was largely uneventful. We picked up some sheets from Wolfie's parents, I went to the gym and then we shared some of our Mexican beers while I wrote this journal about my trip to Paris. We tried four of the seven in the end and I admit that some of them had a rather unique flavour, which was appreciated after drinking over 1,500 different beers already. I do like our random nights in sharing some beers, and we often get through far less than we would do while we are out, I guess socialising means it's more difficult to keep track of the time and the consumption. The advantages of this of course is that it helps the weight loss and the financial situation, both of which we have neglected recently but need to get back on track. Of course, this is easier said than done but after a rather difficult month, we must try and be good once again. Still, at least going to the gym last night saw me maintain my track record of three sessions a week, every week, since the New Year.
One of the main reasons why we have struggled is that things keep cropping up, and so it proved today when my father came to visit to see the attic conversion. I have been badgering him for a few weeks now about seeing the completed room as it was stalling us converting it into a playspace, and so I was glad he could finally come around and take a look. I had forgotten I had a late meeting at work so I was rushing against time to be back at home for his arrival, but thankfully I made it with five minutes to spare. He was very impressed with what we have done with the place, which considering the work we have put in and my lack of familiarity with all things DIY prior to this process, filled me with some sense of accomplishment. The fact that both my parents approve was something of a relief too and I am glad that his chapter of our lives is finally nearing its end. After the viewing, we went to a local pub we had been meaning to try in Tong - The Greyhound - which their website said served food. They weren't wrong, indeed their new food menu launched on April 1 after they had acquired a new head chef in the wake of one of the local restaurants in Pudsey, The Arch, closing down. We had only been here once but I do remember it being quite good, so it was a shame it went, but the culinary skills definitely transferred over as the food we had was fantastic. I had a smoked salmon and cream cheese pate followed by duo rack of lamb with dauphinoise potatoes and minted peas - good hearty pub food but with a contemporary twist. Meanwhile, my Dad and Wolfie both had the steak and kidney pie, and they too commended it. We had planned to walk to the pub at some point - it's about four miles away up and down a valley - but this seemed like a good opportunity to pay it a visit. However, with some tasty Leeds Beers on tap, we will definitely be paying it a visit again, even if we all did feel a little bloated afterwards. To ward off the indigestion, we had a brief walk around the charming village, which has a BD postcode but feels exceptionally rural, spying the charming church of St James, whose bells were peeling out adding a romantic air to the Springtime sunset. We also saw the range of houses on the main street, many of them undoubtedly Grade One or Two listed, with more modern buildings interspersed in between. It was certainly a beautiful place and the pub was clearly the heart of the community, surprisingly busy for a Monday evening. As we did over the meal, the three of us had a good catch-up on the walk before my father drove us back home before heading back up North after his rather fleeting visit.
