Exeter still hasn’t made a recovery from the devastating fire on Cathedral Green last week which engulfed the Royal Clarence Hotel amongst other buildings. It took five days for the fire service to say that the fire had been extinguished and lots of local businesses have suffered because of it. Many shops and restaurants were within the police corden so couldn’t open their doors to the public for safety reasons. My friends at Lorna Ruby were thankfully spared the onslaught of the flames last Friday but have had to suffer endless days of uncertainty. Thankfully, things are now looking better and many businesses are opening up and getting back into their normal routines.
I have suffered myself with real moments of sadness. It seems silly to say this but I feel like a friend has been lost. Exeter’s Cathedral Green is going to look pretty sorry for itself over the next few months and potentially years. I made a donation to the Official Historic Exeter Fire Appeal and if you want to do the same then click here.
Obviously life has to carry on as normal and I have been back at dancing. Some of my students performed at The Northcott Theatre at the weekend in “Chance To Dance”. An exciting opportunity for dance schools from across the region to dance on a big stage in front of a big audience. We had three dances involved that had previously been performed at the Barnfield Theatre in our own show “Once Upon A Time”. It was great experience for the children and young adults involved.
Harry’s is family run and they will do their utmost to accommodate your needs. Nothing is ever too much in my experience. There is always a fine selection of local produce on offer plus I can get local wine too. They stock a few different wines from the Lyme Bay Winery which is great news for someone who tries to support local producers wherever I go.
I met up with Lucy on Tuesday for our monthly get together. We try and go somewhere new every time we meet and this time our destination was No1 Polsloe. A cute cafe by day that turns into a place for cocktails by night. Lucy was feeling peckish so went for a stack of pancakes with bacon and maple syrup followed by a hot choccie for pud! I on the other hand had just eaten breakfast so I had a tea whilst Lucy was eating and then a hot chocolate with her for dessert… I really must return and do a full review. I really like the vibe of this place and it needs to be documented!
Steve and I popped out on Wednesday morning to say our final respects to the Royal Clarence Hotel before the demolition team moved in later on that day. We called in at Cakeadoodledo on the way back for a warming cuppa and a little treat to share. We both decided a pretty cupcake was in order to lighten our mood. It was delicious by the way although I did suffer a serious sugar high not long after!
Thursday night was date night at Comptoir Libanais. A delicious spread of Lebanese mezze and baklava alongside rose and mint tea was enjoyed with a full review to follow. Watch this space!
On Friday I met up with my friend Carmen at the newest cafe in town called Rabbit. Their menu is 100% plant based and a relatively new thing in Exeter. We have a couple of vegetarian restaurants in town, The Plant and Herbies but Rabbit is completely vegan. I opted for the special of the day which was creamy garlic mushrooms on granary toast. Carmen had the quinoa burger served with some fabulous multicoloured tortilla chips and homemade slaw. For dessert we both opted for the incredibly indulgent peanut slice which was a chocolate and nut sensation. So tasty! I would highly recommend popping in to say “hi” and a bite to eat. A perfect lunch time venue or if you fancy a coffee and a slice of cake.
