Friday 19 March 2010

A Change of Scenery




After the previous post a change of mood from Friko's woe to Friko's weal, and a pleasant day out in pretty Ludlow; our little town is such a gem, sitting in the glorious landscape of the hills surrounding it, presided over by the big old church and the even older and even bigger, and very famous castle. Even on a grey day the town will raise your spirits.

As might a visit to the butcher's and pie shop, whose wares are truly delectable and delicious, if you are a meat eater, like I am. 


bacon and sausages


pies galore, from pork to steak to chicken


If you are fortunate to have the time and leisure to take your lunch at one of the many good hostelries in Ludlow, you are truly blessed. The Charlton Arms Hotel sits on the edge of the ancient Ludford bridge over the river Teme, with Whitcliff Common next door, should you need to walk off a very substantial lunch. That is the one problem nowadays with most pubs in the UK, they serve such vast portions that even the sight of my plate makes me feel full before I have started and really rather puts me off. A lot of my very generous lunch went to the dog afterwards. Doggy bags are not common in the UK and may not show good manners either,  but I can't help that. There are more and more of us who take uneaten food out to the dogs.



The Charlton Arms Hotel overlooking the River Teme.



a lone cygnet majestically cruising,
he has already learned to hang about by the bridge,
waiting for bread.



Ludlow Castle
above Dinham Bridge



27 comments:

  1. Hi Friko. Love your pics of Ludlow. It's years since I've been there. It's such a pretty little town. I know what you mean about huge portions. Me and him have been know to ask for just one portion and two plates where they know us well!

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  2. Hey, Friko! Love the pictures, and Ludlow Castle looks a great place. Is it near here that the Arvon Centre is?

    I've changed my blog address, for various reasons, but I don't know if my current followers can still be in touch. I'm rubbish at this kind of thing. Are you able to leave a comment to test this out?

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  3. Beautiful pictures! Oh, to be in England, now that April's (almost) here!

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  4. I like Ludlow too - we nearly bought a house nearby. Will try the Charlton Arms next time we are there - thanks.

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  5. This looks like such a neat little town, picturesque and compact. Here we often don’t know where towns start and end with long highways full of strip malls. There is uniformity in town landscapes – with the same drug stores from New York to Los Angeles, the same grocery chains, the same restaurants. Since my first trip to England when I was 13, I have been an anglophile – I love it there. The flowers in spring look sharper and more colorful in England, it must be the soil and air, or the love people have for gardening. I like your pics.

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  6. Nice post and a lovely pictorial tour of Ludlow. I must visit next time I'm that way.

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  7. what a beautiful town friko!! lucky lucky you. the little sign - steak and ale pies - oh my! one of my lingering memories of the south of england was right-out-of-the-oven pork pie. you could buy it by the slice - which we did - and paired with a bottle of cider, the early autumn sun and the sounds of a market day in an english town - it'd make you cry if you let it. steven

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  8. Ludlow is like a town out of a fairty tale or perhaps the setting for one of those lovely Old English movies. You are lucky. And I would insist on starting the trend of taking half the meal home for lunch the next day...manners be damned.

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  9. Hi Friko

    when I saw your first photo I thought it was a pop up page from a children's fairy tale book. It looks so quaint and miniature. I love the feeling of a small town or village where you have your favourite vendors and haunts to relax at.
    Is there still snow around now or is the castle an older photo?
    Can you tell me where in the UK your town is. I am not familiar with your part of the world, even though the paternal family are the descendants of Tatton Park in Cheshire.

    Happy days

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  10. mollygolver - time you came back to pretty Ludlow, it's the same as ever.

    Fran - in a village not far off.
    I've tried getting through and hope I have succeeded.

    Vicki - Hm, there are lots of attractive places everywhere, but perhaps not many as olde-worlde as Ludlow. They jealously preserve their status as
    'slow city'.

    Twiglet - I could certainly see myself living there, if C. weren't so cosy.

    Vagabonde - Although there are no strip malls in the UK (yet), many high streets look exactly the same. Ludlow is one of those places which guards its unique character very jealously. It has too many ancient little lanes and too many well-preserved old houses and I can see no permission being given to change things any time soon.

    Martin H - You certainly must, it's a glorious place, summer and winter. Come for the Festival, or one of them, food or Shakespeare.

    steven - oh dear, I wouldn't wish to break your heart. But if you ever hanker after the old England as was, then Ludlow is your town.

    Tabor - Many Americans come to visit and they all stay in the Feathers Hotel. You are right about doggy bags, it's a real waste letting all that food go back.

    Delwyn - No snow, the castle is indeed an older one. The others are all from Wednesday. No more snow now, it's Spring this weekend. Officially.
    I don't live in Ludlow, I live 20 minutes' drive away, Ludlow is just South of Cheshire in the next county down, Shropshire, which runs with the Welsh border. Descended from Tatton Park? Posh or what!

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  11. I was just invited to a wedding in Ludlow (or Pembridge (nearby?) - don't think I've been. Don't they have a famous food festival? I'm with you on the subject of doggy bags - and I don't even have a dog. If I've paid for something I'm going to eat it... eventually!

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  12. This for sure seemt to be a place where the "Ruhepuls" won't be in exceed of 20, as the sign so beautiful shows.

    Thank you for these pictures showing a bit of your neck of the woods. A wonderful weekend as well.

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  13. You live in a fairy tale town. I'd love to take a walk such as you described, and then pause for lunch - although I'd be tempted to buy my lunch from the pie shop and then sit down by the river. There is nothing at all like that over here - I enlarged the photos and wanted to climb right in.

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  14. To me, Ludlow is a street in Philadelphia, a sort of smallish, carriage street. Strangely wonderful to now understand the original and to have this friendly connection to it. I loved it and would SO love to dawdle in those streets and meet thee for tea.

    Aloha from Hawaii my Friend!


    Comfort Spiral

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  15. Friko, I thought that first picture was a painting when I first saw it!! What an absolutely charming place Ludlow is. I'm not going to listen to any more complaining from you about how quiet it is out there...

    Mmmm, meat!

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  16. Charm, charm! Look at the building arching over the street!
    The castle, of course, makes my heart beat a little faster. Someday I want to be inside a castle, ruined or not.

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  17. Nah not me..but my name is Tatton...

    It appears that the black sheep of the family must have emmigrated to NZ - he was a dentist...and records of his birth are hard to trace...or were back when sister in law had a go many moons ago...one day husband should hire a genealogist... at that time the Egertons owned Tatton park, having married into the family.

    My mother in law had doomsday books from the Tatton family...It could make for very interesting research...



    Happy days

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  18. Great to see something of Ludlow again. Memories, memories... thanks for the pics.

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  19. Oh, wie ich das liebe ... es ist einfach traumhaft schön. Malerisch und unglaublich fotogen. Ja, ich glaube auch, es ist schon ein Glück dort zu leben auf diesem wahrlich zauberhaften Fleckchen Erde. Dein reizvoller Post stärkt mich in dem Wunsch endlich mal wieder nach England zu reisen ...

    ganz liebe Grüße und ein traumhaftes Frühlingswochenende für Dich

    Isabella

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  20. brokenbiro - Pembridge is about 10 miles South of Ludlow in Herefordshire. Ludlow food festival is undoubtedly famous and great fun if you are interested in food. It happens mainly within the castle.

    robert - Ruhepuls, den Ausdruck lese ich zum erstenmal. Aber der schlaegt hier bestimmt.

    Pondside - I shop here, I don't live here. My little town isn't even half the size. and just as pretty.

    Cloudia - that's the problem with blogging, it brings people nearer but reminds them also how far away from each other they are.

    Deborah - Charming, schmarming. sure it is, and I love it, but it doesn't have any of the amenities I need too.

    June - what is it with castles. I live right next to one, it's practically in my garden; The dog and I hardly give it a glance.

    Delwyn - so get down to it and do some research on the spot. Cheshire is very pretty too and Chester is another old town, full of quaint buildings.

    Dave Kings - you obviously know Ludlow.

    veredit - Und wenn du tatsaechlich mal in diese Gegend kommen solltest, sagst du mir vorher Bescheid, okay?

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  21. and just through the archway on the right is my dentist - just to cool everybody down a bit - I worked there for five years and made many many friends, every day was an absolute pleasure just to be there. No mention of De Greys - was it closed? Thats where we meet up and yak for hours and hours and ......

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  22. Just came by for a visit from Delwyn's blog and notice you know June, too. I've enjoyed the mini tour of your town - the photo of the swan is perfect. That first photo of Ludlow looks as though you're going to tell us a fairytale.

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  23. I'm definitely going to have to visit Ludlow. It's not like I have an excuse, living in Coventry as I do. You've made a very eloquent and pleasing case for it.

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  24. I cannot wait to visit England. It's all that British blood from my ancestors - I just feel an affinity for places like this. Thanks for sharing.

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  25. This armchair traveler enjoyed your Ludlow images...my #1 dream trip would be to England and Wales where my roots are. And forgive my ignorance, but "The Lookout" - so beautifully written - by who?
    Thank you for sharing a glimpse of where you live.

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  26. Well - had I been more observant - The Lookout is written by Goethe??

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  27. SBS - so what made you leave?

    Barb - come to Ludlow and the town will tell you one at each nd every corner.

    Argent - you won't forget to let me know if you do, will you?

    Nancy - this is all quite strange - so many of you actually have roots here whereas I am a complete stranger and alien.

    taylorsoutback - lovely to see your comment. dreams can come true?

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