The Feather Star, Wirksworth

Posted on by The Grumpy one

Some of the best pubs in the UK are to be found in the countryside, small towns and villages. The Feather Star in Wirksworth is no exception to this.

Nestled on St Johns Street in the Derbyshire Village of Wirksworth, the Feather Star is a relatively new establishment. It markets itself as an ale house and record shop. In this day and age, that may seem a very strange combination, and to a degree it is, but it works remarkably well.

   Walking in through the front door is a little like stepping back in time, reminiscent of someone’s front room but with a shop style window.

The compact bar is in the corner of the room and there is an impressive range of real and craft ale.

As you venture up the stairs, you are met by racks of old vinyl albums for sale. There is a glorious selection and if you like the old LP’s it is difficult to imagine leaving the premises without making a purchase.

In the upstairs seating area the sense of music and fun continues. One of the main tables in this room is actually a twin record deck covered by glass. Music memorabilia is plentiful. In the corner is a pile of games and I can only imagine being in here on a cold winters evening, playing games and drinking beer. It must be totally sublime.

The pub has such a great feeling to it. It has a sense of tradition whilst at the same time managing to entertain with its quirky features. One of the most quirky parts must be the toilet. I can honestly say I have seen anything quite like this.

If you are ever in the area, I would strongly recommend a visit.

English Pubs

Posted on by The Grumpy one

There can be no Englishman on this planet that does not appreciate the local hostelry known as the traditional English pub.

I think it is important at this stage, to define what I consider to be a traditional English pub. I am not referring to the big pub chains. Such chains are, in my opinion, far from a traditional pub. They have their place however. If you want to know exactly what you are going to get, usually with overworked, underpaid, inexperienced landlords and mediocre quality. I do refer to independent, quality pubs in traditional buildings with great atmosphere, good beer and food where the locals go. Independent ownership also means the landlord is likely to run a fine establishment and know his trade.

The great British pub is a true institution. They are a comfortable escape from the day to day life. They offer a warm welcoming atmosphere and can be the heart of the community. A true pub is a place where you can go and talk to friends or strangers alike.

Many of these pubs have a great history, the interior is often old fashioned and worn, whilst being fascinating in its intricacy.

A true pub will know how to keep the English Ale in great condition ready to be sampled by the thirsty regulars. The staff will know the beers that are all characters in themselves.

In short, they are traditional but different. Warm and Welcoming. Uniquely different.

I consider them to be my second home!

You may guess, that I like a beer and am of a certain age where I want to socialise in a comfortable safe environment. In other words, I like good pubs.

Whilst there are many guides out there, some of the organisations that write them have a different agenda. They need to make money so include pubs that shouldn’t really be listed. They often exclude pubs due to local politics.

I will, from time to time, reflect on a pub that I have visited that is worthy of a mention. When I feel this way, I will write about them on this blog under the category of pubs. Look out for my recommendations, I would love to hear your thoughts.

Such blog entries will be my own thoughts. Influenced by no-one other than myself.

I hope you will enjoy reading these entries as much as I will have enjoyed researching them!

FinTech

Posted on by The Grumpy one

There is a big discussion right now about the new Fintech banks. The like of Starling, Monzo, and N26 are all gaining customers at such a huge rate at the cost of the high street banks. But why is this happening?

On the face of this, it is somewhat counter-intuitive. Don’t people want to be able to go into the branch and talk to someone? What about cash? What about when things go wrong?

For myself, things have moved on. Whilst I recognise that the high street is important, and we need to do something to support it, customer service and efficiency are so key to the way I live my life.

We also need to understand just how often we want to speak to our bank and when. I don’t actually recall the last time that I wanted to, but I am totally sure it wasn’t on a weekday! I have so much power and control on my phone or browser so it is rare I need to. I do recall how easy it was to just chat via the app.

The way we live our lives has changed. The high street banks haven’t. It is as simple as that. Most people now work and can’t get to a branch. Why would you need to go to a branch anyway when you can do it online?

The way the new banks embrace technology, the way they challenge the status quo and make things so much quicker and easier is incredible. Who thought 3-4 years ago that you could open a new account in 5 minutes whilst sitting in the garden!

I find customer service so utterly important. It determines if I use an organisation or not. It also determines if I promote or detract amongst those that I influence. It seems that in this endeavour the fintech’s  also have the answer. Latest Surveys put them in 2nd and 3rd place. Which? also recognises this ability and has started recommending some of them. Impressive indeed.

There is a saying that says, “The only constant in life is change”. I believe this is true. Admittedly, the pace of change can sometimes be slightly bewildering, but change will always be present. I believe those that both embrace change but remember the service and values are the ones that will both survive and flourish. Those that resist change will fall by the wayside. This is the new way of life and we must adapt to this change.

 

 

Just stop for a moment

Posted on by The Grumpy one

The world is a busy place. Many say it is overly so.

I regularly commute by train and as I look around, what I see scares me more than a little. If you are reading this on a train, just stop a moment. Look around. How many people do you see on their phones?

It seems to me, that not occupying 100% of your time is fast become socially unacceptable. But why?

The brain is much like a human muscle. Sure, it needs exercise, but it also needs rest. When you think of it in these terms, do you see a sport professional working out every waking moment? Of course you don’t. Human body parts need a rest!

It may seem like an odd thing to say, but by just stopping for a short period each day will likely give you so much more benefit than reading that last email or responding to that text. Let them wait. No one needs an instant response by these communications methods. Instead spend that time reflecting on life, on yourself. Look out the window, look at the world. Just take it all in and give your brain that much needed break.

You may be surprised at the outcome. It is often so wonderful just to observe and not over think. Let your subconscious brain look after you and relax.

I am on a train writing this blog and I have taken my own advice! I spent a luxurious 10 minutes just letting the countryside wiz by. Staring at the magnificence of mother natures clouds and enjoying the warmth of the sun on my face. It made me feel alive. It made me feel refreshed. It made me want to write this blog.

So my advise to you, is for just a few short minutes every day, Stop and give your brain a rest.

Go on, give it a try.

 

Beauty on the doorstep

Posted on by The Grumpy one

There was a time in my life when I considered going on holiday must involve going to a foreign land. How could you possibly want to stay in the UK? International travel was exciting right? What did I do when I got to these places? Yep, I drank cold lager, lazed by the pool and failed to explore. I now consider that a waste. Don’t get me wrong, chilling by the pool is nice, but for 7 days?

What we must consider is that most of the places that the brits visit are designed to be a bit of the UK in the sun. Many of the holiday islands are sun scorched bits of land with hotels, pools and bars selling English Breakfast. I don’t see the point. If you want English food, stay in England!

If you want scenery, then the UK can be pretty special. You don’t even need to go that far. The picture above, was taken less than 1 mile from my home.

There are so many beautiful towns in the UK with rich history and tradition, I implore you to take the time to visit some of these places. Not only will you be helping the local economy and saving the environment, you may be pleasantly surprised.

I personally have never looked back. Yes, I still go abroad sometimes, but I am sure going to experience that which is in my own country.

Glorious architecture so often not noticed.

Posted on by The Grumpy one

Odd though it may sound these days, I actually enjoy rail travel. There is something about the challenge of getting from A to B (often via C) using the train. As well as the challenge, I like to sit and relax, gaze out the window at the ever changing landscape, the motion of the train, the sounds, and of course, the people watching.

One aspect of rail travel that I have only become truly aware of recently is the stations. Whilst it is true that many stations could not be described as magnificent, many are run down, cold and miserable. However, increasingly stations are being restored to their former glory.

It is sad that many people do not notice the environments that they pass through during the daily grind of a commute. What joy are they missing? What history are they missing?

My favourite, must be the London terminal of the Midland Mainline; London StPancras International.

The transformation that I have seen in this station in the years that I have been using it has been nothing short of incredible. The old station was so dirty, dark and depressing. The restored station is bright, beautiful and inspiring. They have utilised all the history to its best effect and it is almost a pleasure to wait for a train here. We are fortunate indeed that it was saved and restored.

Another station, that I have totally missed until this week, is London Paddington. Again, the beautiful preservation of historic buildings works so well.

I implore you to take a few seconds of your day to pause and look around you. Be amazed at what you see. Take it in. Above all, enjoy it.

 

Welcome to the grumps blog

Posted on by The Grumpy one

Introduction – As I grow older, it has become obvious to me that I have become more grumpy. When I say grumpy, I don’t necessarily mean miserable or unhappy, more disappointed with people and the human race. Simple things such as manners and consideration seem to be in increasingly short supply.  Perhaps this is simply my perception as I grow more impatient. Perhaps it is the way of the modern world with people becoming increasingly time pressured. I don’t honestly know. What I do know is I am not sure I like it.

In this blog, I may comment on some of the things I see as I navigate my life. Some of this maybe observations on peoples behaviour. Some posts maybe regarding personal experience. On the less grumpy side, I may comment on architecture, glorious pubs, Interesting things to do.

I am not sure how many people will be interested in my musings. After all, who am I to ask for your time to read about my thoughts? I am aware of the fact that in just one week, the New York Times contains more information than a person in the 18th Century would get in their entire lifetime. The question must be therefore, how much more data and information can a human consume? Will my commentary push you into overload?

Regardless of the risks to your health by providing you with more data and information, I am going to push on selfishly to try and save my sanity (Sorry about that)!

I truly hope you will enjoy my musings. If you do, please feel free to comment, share, tweet or whatever else you use. I won’t mind.

 

Steve