A bountiful pie

My sister Rosie came withTony to take us out for lunch today to celebrate Helena's birthday, which was actually last Sunday. The original plan was scuppered when the snow fell heavily and they had to turn back half-way last Saturday. A second bout of snow had fallen in the meantime and was still prettily decorating the landscape despite the thaw having set in.

The venue had to be changed, so Helena chose an old favourite, the Weighbridge roadside inn, between Avening and Nailsworth, set beside an old droving road in a still heavily wooded valley. Tony drove, so I guided them along a round-about route so we could see a bit of the countryside, which was a treat for me as I'm usually driving.

We all had a main course of their 2-in-1 pies, which turned out to be enormously filling. I haven't eaten anything else since!. I drowned mine with a pint of Uley Brewery's Old Spot bitter, a beer I haven't tried for years, having moved on to the new Stroud Brewery's Budding bitter. I must do more testing of different ales.

I'd brought my camera and as requested I quickly snapped Rosie's pie, and haven't managed to get anything very exciting. I fell asleep later this afternoon and then watched the BAFTAs this evening, which I enjoyed and was reminded yet again to get out more to the cinema.


Built in the 17th century, the Weighbridge inn stood adjacent to the original packhorse trail between Bristol and London. The trail is now a footpath and bridleway and the road in front (now the B4014) became a turnpike in the 1820s. The innkeeper at the time ran both the pub and the weighbridge for the local woollen mills - serving jugs of ale in between making sure tolls were paid.