Doncaster Archives - Journeys Are My Diary

Travel Diary – 21st June 16 – Paris Day Five

July 5, 2016 by Bel Leave a Comment

Day Five was the last of our holiday and really just a short day as it literally consisted of heading home. We were awake early, as the shuttle bus from our hotel was 7.15am and we didn’t want to miss it. We had already backed the night before, so really it was a case of tugging on some clothes and tumbling out of the hotel. Though we made it on time for the shuttle bus, it was very full and so another bus was send to take a second load. We were in this one and it wasn’t a problem as we didn’t need to be at the airport until 8am.

After arriving at the airport, we made our way to check-in. We were nice and early which was good as we didn’t have to rush. It was also Nat’s first time flying and she was a bit nervous, so rushing would definitely have made that worse for her. Once we had checked in and gone through security, we took a walk around the shops. Nat had some Euros left to spend and so she bought some gifts for her boys and then we both raided another vending machine for some water and chocolate to take on the plane. Eventually we just headed for our gate and sat there waiting until we were called. We were some of the first to check-in at the gate, but actually this just meant waiting on another shuttle bus to be taken to the plane. However after about a fifteen minute wait, we were on our way to the plane and then we got off and boarded the plane from the tarmac.

The plane was one of the smallest I have ever traveled on and also it was only about a third full. This made for a very quiet plane ride though so I can’t say I was complaining. Nat and I settled into our seats, with really no one that near to us. It was actually really nice, again especially as she was a bit nervous. Once we were up in the air, items from the cafe and duty free were offered and Nat and I got very excited at the prospect of a cup of tea. Having only been able to find Earl Grey or Mint tea, we had gone almost five days without a cuppa and this was really becoming a struggle. Despite tea being £2.50 a cup on the plane, we still paid it and enjoyed it. The tea wasn’t even that great – but it was so needed.

The plane took just over an hour and then we were back in Doncaster. This was much nicer than if we’d traveled into London as it felt like we were almost home. My mum was there to meet us at the airport and she drove us back to Retford where I had left my car. Nat and I then drove home to Gainsborough, were we drank tea and pretty much collapsed. This was basically the end of our trip. We had a really great time for the most part, though being/getting ill and then getting soaked were really some lows of the holiday. I think we’d both agree there were more highs than lows but I was definitely glad to be home and seeing the girls and Chris was definitely a great moment.

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April Round-up

May 3, 2016 by Bel Leave a Comment

Watching: Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares USA (I’ve managed to watch all 7 series), Once Upon a Time (I started again from the beginning with Lily and now Megan), Suits (1-4), the usual weekly episodes of Arrow, Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, The 100 etc etc. Megan, Lily and I also watched Saving Mr Banks for the first time.
Reading: Six Lies and Kingdom Keepers: Disney at Dawn – I’m not doing much reading!
Sewing & Making (for Closet Geek): This month I made some bunting and also a lampshade for my sewing room/dining room. I also made a Prince Charming jacket, along with the usual orders.

And in other news…
– We finally got the house on the market, all the paperwork approved and the brochure made. We’re at least on the way to moving – whenever that might happen!
– Went shopping with Megan and Lily for a few nice bits of clothes. Megan did a mini photo shoot but got herself all upset that she didn’t feel very natural and thought she was ugly.
– Went to Doncaster and experienced Cosmo with the kids. Also found a great little outlet village which we’d never been to before.
– Lily managed her 25m badge in swimming lessons and I was so proud of her because she hadn’t even been able to swim properly at the beginning of the 6 weeks.
– Went out for dinner with my mum a couple of days before her birthday. It was supposed to be just the five of us but my Auntie Pat and Bernard joined us last minute.
– We went out for Sunday lunch to celebrate my nephew’s 9th birthday.
– I attempted (and failed) screen printing for the first time. It wasn’t so much that I couldn’t do it, but newspaper got stuck to my screen!
– Got several new art prints over the month and also started collecting Itty Bittys from Hallmark.
– And very last minute, my best friend Amy came to visit!!

Looking forward to in May:
– My birthday has to come top of the list, even though its pretty much the last thing to happen in the month. It’s not really because of my birthday or the gifts, but because Amy will come down again and Nat’s coming over.
– Going to Paris! Finally, after all these years, I’m taking a holiday to Paris. It’s only 3 days but we’re doing the Eiffel Tower and Paris itself, as well as DLP of course.
– Maybe seeing Captain America: Civil War? I really need to watch Winter Soldier first though.
– As well as my birthday, half term starts at the end of the month (though technically runs into the next month). As always, I enjoy my time off with the girls and especially not having to head out every morning to take them to school.

Honestly there isn’t really anything happening in May other than the small trip and my birthday so we’ll just have to see how it goes!

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An eating out update

January 15, 2016 by Bel 2 Comments

I don’t want to be completely harsh and slate a place that we once enjoyed, but I do want to update about a place we discovered last year and really enjoyed. I’ve decided that I won’t mention the actual name of the restaurant in this post, but if you have read some of my previous posts, then you’ll probably be able to figure it out!

Last year, in August, my mum and I discovered this amazing burger place on our way home from York, quite by accident really. The kids were with us and we thoroughly enjoyed our burgers, fries, hot dog etc. The restaurant itself was lovely, but the service was fantastic, the presentation of the food was beautiful and all in all it was a great experience. So much so in fact, that only a week or so later, when Amy came to visit, we went back there again. And after that, myself and Chris went there one day too. Every time the food, presentation and service was great and we looked forward to it as a place to go. Until recently.

Having not been for several months, Chris and I visited after seeing Star Wars: The Force Awakens at the cinema. At first nothing looked that different (though the table and booth we were seated in were dirty) but as soon as we were handed the menu, I noticed an immediate difference – it was much bigger. As someone who loves Gordon Ramsay, I’ve watched a lot of his restaurant programs, especially those like Kitchen Nightmares and Hotel Hell. My first thought was that he would think the menu far too big and when I noticed things like Nutella as a topping for burgers and chips, I could even picture his facial expression!

The burgers themselves, are around the £10 mark. This is pretty average I think and didn’t feel bad value, especially since it came with fries and coleslaw. Sadly now it only comes with fries, but you can upgrade them with various options, if you want. Previously I’d tried Peri Peri and Cajun, both of which were shake on spices that I really enjoyed. To tell the truth, I don’t remember how much it was to upgrade your fries, but now it seems like a lot – at £1.55 for some sprinkles! True there are options a bit more filling – like the addition of chilli, mac cheese or even cheese and bacon. These will set you back about £2 though – remembering that the fries are part of your meal and your just topping them, this seems expensive.

There were other things we noticed as expensive too. I don’t know if they were that price or not before to be honest but it never struck me as especially expensive. Onion rings will set you back about £5 I think!

Anyway, we ordered a started of Potato skins and while it was nice, it was just average. Presentation was especially poor – three potato skins on a white plate with a blue edge and a dip of sour cream in the middle. Sure there’s not an awful lot you can do with potato skins but it just seemed lame. Next up came the burgers and this was the biggest shock visually.

Previously the food had looked like the picture above. Not just the first time we went in August, but all of the times. Amy even blogged about our experience too and the food looked amazing.

This time however…

Now I’m not going to lie, it still tasted okay. The chips were nice but needed vinegar (I’d really enjoyed having spices on them before but I wasn’t prepared to pay £1.50 extra) and the burger tasted nice but it’s look was just sad.

The truth of the matter is, I probably won’t rush to go there again. After three really good meals I feel like I should perhaps give it another chance, but it also seems like this is their way forward – a bigger menu and not as much effort with the presentation. As an ex-restaurateur and someone who spent pretty much their whole working life as a waitress, this is so sad to see and I only wish that business owners and managers could take a step back sometimes and realise what they had before was good and didn’t need changing.

NYC Bar & Grill – American Diner in Bawtry, Doncaster

August 8, 2015 by Bel 2 Comments

On Thursday we spent the day in York and on the way back my mum suggested we stop off in Bawtry for food. At the mention of Bawtry, I remembered a diner I had been meaning to try for some time, ever since seeing it advertised on the back of my car parking ticket from Marshalls Yard. I looked up where it was and so we parked and headed there. The time was around 6pm and there were quite a few in, but we fitted in too and seated immediately.

The theme is American Diner, though it’s not a full on diner, just had that feel. The menu has a huge amount of choice, especially burgers, chicken, ribs etc. The kids menu is £5.95 and includes mains, dessert and a drink. The adult menu is really reasonably priced, with burgers starting around £8-9.

First we ordered our drinks and a Bailey’s milkshake had taken my eye. Though mum and Lily only had soft drinks, Megan picked a Nutella milkshake and was offered to make it herself. She jumped at the chance (she made me buy a blender last week as she’s so into making milkshakes) and Lily headed over to watch too.

Once we had our drinks, our main order was taken. Mum and I had the same burger, though I was fussy and had mine without this and without that! Lily ordered a mini hot dog and Megan had a fishfinger burger. The food didn’t take long at all which is a massive plus in my book. Not only does it mean NYC diner is somewhere I would pick when we’re hungry/in a rush, but also when you have kids its far easier to keep them occupied for a short time than it is a long wait!

When the food came, it all looked amazing. Lily had quite a large sausage in a slightly smaller bun, alongside chips and sauce. Megan had a huge long fishfinger, in a cute little brioche bun (which meant both ends were sticking out!), alongside chips and sauce. Mum and I both got a burger, some fries (I upgraded mine to peri peri) and some coleslaw. It all looked fantastic.

Once we were all finished, we were too stuffed to have anything else which was a shame as the desserts looked great too. Since the kids had their dessert included, we were just going to pass on them but we were told they could take them home with us, so Lily picked brownie and Megan got a ring doughnut.

I cannot rave enough about NYC Bar and Grill in Bawtry, Doncaster. This was our first visit but it will not be our last. Our bill came in at almost £40 but I did have a £5 drink myself, plus I upgraded my fries. We parked the car at 6.10pm and was heading back to the car by 7.30pm. We didn’t feel rushed, but the food came quickly and the atmosphere was nice too. The staff were all incredibly pleasant and it genuinely felt like they couldn’t do enough for you. Megan accidentally left her coat (which we didn’t even realise) and one member of staff even ran after us to find us and hand it back.

If you’re anywhere nearby, give it a go! Apparently I’m going back next weekend when Amy comes to visit!