my photos

The Orchard ...

Holds an Apple Day every year in October.




There's beautiful blossom to be seen on the trees right now.

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Attractive wooden plaques identify the variety, Egremont Russet, a classic apple from the Victorian era.

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The blossom of an old English Cooking Apple.

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Newton Wonder!

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This orchard is only small, but if you want to take a quick peek, or have a hearty breakfast in The Orchard restaurant, both are along the A272, parallel to the old West Grinstead Railway Station.

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You may even get to hear, or better still see this dear little fella too!

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more friends and a belly dancer ...

Last night I met up with the girls to celebrate my friend Fiona's birthday. As well as us two, the usual suspects being Jackie R, Jackie P, Helene, Lynn and Val.

Fiona chose to go to Istanbul, a Turkish restaurant along Worthing seafront, which turned out to be a very good choice. The decor has a real spicy Turkish feel and the food is of a high standard. For the price of a meal you get a belly dancer thrown in! You cannot dispute the value for money here.




The belly dancer was really very good and was dodging the waiters to keep the dance going. The hip scarf was being passed around but only Jackie P, Helene and Val were brave enough to accept it and get up and have a go. Jackie P being absolutely hilarious after a drink or two! There was a hen party too, so you can imagine the scene, and also couples with their partners of whom couldn't keep their eyes off the dancer!

The belly dance in Turkish is called Oryantal Dansi which means the dance of the East. Click on Turkish Belly Dance to discover more of the tradition.

evening out ...

I had a good catch up with friends this evening, Fiona, Helene, Jackie C, Jackie R and Valerie, we meet up every so often and have done for many years, usually to celebrate our birthdays.

I booked for us to go to Meze-Meze, a Greek restaurant close to where I live, it only opened recently and has been furbished in a very modern, contemporary style. None of us had eaten there before so we didn’t really know what to expect, I think it matched all our expectations. We all decided not to have a starter and headed straight for the main meals listed on the menu, examples being Keftedes (crispy beef and mint meatballs), Moussaka (mince, aubergine, courgette, potato, covered in bechamel sauce), Kleftiko (slow roasted lamb) and Stifado (braised beef in red wine). For desserts included Rizogalo (rice pudding sprinkled with cinnamon and drizzled with honey), Baklava (filo pastry with nuts and spices topped with honey syrup), Kalobrama (traditional almond cake), followed by coffees, I tried the Greek coffee which I must say is an acquired taste, I wouldn’t have it again, but at least I can say I have tried it. Lovely little Greek biscuits containing nuts and laced with cinnamon came along with the coffees and I took along some mints and Fiona bought some great Halloween cupcakes, and when the bill arrived there was a piece of turkish delight each too, needless to say we were all pretty full by the end of the meal. The evening was rounded off with a verse of Happy Birthday!

Thanks to all for a great evening and for the lovely cards I received.

Fiona, my photos were rubbish, I didn't get the flash right!