The local council could do a great deal more with Prestatyn Beach. Presently there are no classy facilities to enjoy....no restaurant, no little tea room, no bandstand and no pier; ok we do have a very scenic promenade, but apart from that and an over expensive car park, we have little else.The famous Offa's Dyke ends at Prestatyn Beach (for those that don't know Offa's Dyke is an ancient earthwork constructed in the 8th Century to separate the Welsh kingdom of Powys from the Anglican Kingdom of Mercia. Apart from the above sculpture and a bog standard cafe, this important national feature is hardly celebrated locally.
Anyhow Chris has been working in Cardiff today, so instead of a preparing tea late, we had fish, chips and mushy peas on the promenade,which was a huge treat. It was a treat for the dogs too, as the four of them sat stock still in the back of the berlingo waiting for scraps! It is the only time they are beautifully behaved!Chris reminded me of the time a good few years ago now, when I used to drive over to Prestatyn from Sheffield in his red nissan micra to take my mother for an outing from the nursing home she was in. One afternoon I took her to the beach to have some fish and chips, and as she was tucking into a portion of mushy peas she had a coughing fit ( she was a chronic bronchitic so coughed long and often)
Being quite frail, she couldn't quite open the window quick enough to provide a safe exit and a cough turned into a sneeze, and suddenly the whole of the car was filled with a ton of half chewed peas!!
we were finding them weeks later!
We'll have to get you one of those caravans that you see on the side of the road selling greasy burgers and tea in plastic cups. Yours would be more up market, with dainty sandwiches and tea from china cups. You could have little Parisienne style tables and chairs with checked cloths and posies of flowers from your garden. I'm sure it'll go down a storm with the discerning holiday makers you get in Prestatyn. On reflection I think you should stick with fish and chips and a flask of hot tea in the Bellingo. ps Would anyone notice if my Victoria sponge was a bought one, the prototype was a complete disaster.
ReplyDeletebought sponge will be fine
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Mrs Jones from Pen-y-cefn-isa says to put a tablespoon of water into the mix to get it to rise!!!!
Funny story. I've never heard of "mushy" peas. I like mine al dente, so I think this must be a local taste??
ReplyDeleteYou don't want your beach to get too nice or your city will become overrun with tourests. You don't want that, believe me.
I can picture the dogs. Mine are here in the car with me right now and sleeping 'til 'mommy' takes them up to the cabin. They LOVE to come in the car with me, no matter where I go.
Cassie
Cassie – I’m enjoying this cross-Atlantic cultural exchange. For those who’ve not experienced them, Mushy Peas are best described as a cross between mashed peas and thick pea soup. Eaten with batter-coated, deep-fried fish, they’re popularly associated with the North of England, although you’ll find them in ‘Fish and Chip’ shops throughout the UK. You can also buy them freeze-dried or in cans from most big stores.
ReplyDeleteIn my youth, they were coloured bright green with food dye, but in these healthier times they tend to be their natural colour.
There are sub-regional variations, too: Black Peas (North West England) are soaked, cooked peas with lots of salt and vinegar – an acquired taste. Best of all is Pease Pudding, which is a baked, split-pea roast, traditionally served with bacon or ham.
Of the British tribes, the English in particular are very poor at valuing the cultural heritage of their foods; Wales and Scotland fare better in this respect. But pockets of the North still view many of their food specialities with romantic attachment, even if they’ll never actually eat them!
John – the decline of the front at Prestatyn (and Rhyl, for that matter) can probably be explained in lots of different ways – another conversation I guess. I think it’s terribly sad, and I think ‘re-branding’ might now be too late. But, yes, a mobile tea-room (with curtains and doilies) would be nice.