Welcome back folks to day 2 of the Annual Herbie Awards. Apologies for the longer than intended intermission. I'm assuming you've been to the bar in the interval and you glasses are fully charged to toast the winner of Good Stuff for a Boater to Buy. After much soul searching the Herbie Academy has decided this year to make it a Double Award
1. for something I should buy
2. For something we all should buy.
Award 1. The thing I must buy in 2024 is A Phone Float. It could be a floating case, or just a float to clip on to the normal phone case. The loss of my beloved OnePlus 8 phone into the water earlier this year was the cause of much regret. Kath has already lost 2 phone that way (a line from The Importance of Being Earnest springs to mind), so we really ought to learn our lesson.
Award 2. For sheer simplicity, economy and versatility by recommending the 2023 Best Good Thing to Buy for your boat is . . .
A Cheap Foam Sleeping Mat !!
- you could even sleep on it if you really wanted to, but we cut ours up and use bits of it for keeping our bums dry on wet grass or wet deck seats, as kneeling pads for diy jobs (or gardening at home), as shock proof lining or thermal insulation for containers and a whole host of other things. It's simple, it's cheap, it's readily available, it's easy to fashion. I'd be flabberghasted if you couldn't find a use for one.
And now, on to something more tasty.
Best Canal Pub Grub 2023.
Of course we can only nominate places we've patronised this year so that limits us a tad. We haven't boated past Tom Kerridge's Hand and Flowers in Marlow for instance although I should think his grub is pretty good if a tad expensive. So from our limited travels this year, we'd like to nominate
1. The Boat Inn at the top of Stockton locks on the Grand Union.
When this pub first reopened and was refurbed a few years ago it got a bit of a reputation for being over priced and not as 'gastro' as they thought they were. Well it seems that they've throttled back a bit and we think they're all the better for it. We just each had a pizza there, but it was a good cut above yer average pizza. Clearly home made with a proper stone baked base. In fact as nice as any pizza I've ever eaten and generously proportioned and topped too. Sadly some months later I can't recall what the toppings were but I remember they were juicy and flavoursome. We couldn't eat it all so we took the remainder back to the boat for lunch the following day. The staff were attentive and friendly and the beer was very good too. I'd be glad to eat there again any time.
2. The Greyhound at Hawkesbury - previous winners on more than one occasion. I still remember the monkfish thermidor with saffron potatoes and samphire I had there some year ago. This year I also remembered they do a belting ploughman's ( or do they call it a lock keepers?) so I ordered that on a hot Sunday afternoon as we sat outside watching the boats take the tight junction turn. Here's a picture, of the meal
Ignore the fries, they were part of Kath's meal. Here you see thick cut ham, Stilton and Cheddar cheeses, pork pie, a sliced apple, a boiled egg, pickled onions a dressed side salad, chutney and piccalilli and bread and butter. A feast.
3. The Wharf at Fenny Compton - always known for generous proportions, the Wharf has in the past stuck to fairly plain food and often seems to be patronised by hungry young farmers. Not that it is too 'cheffy' now, but some nice touches have crept in. Here's what I ate there in August (vegetarians look away now)
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