Crafty Mare's Bazaar, Slater Street

An amazing day of laid back vintage and retro shopping was drawing to a close, and I was looking for a comfy and cosy pub to delve into my latest haul (including a leather bound Jane Austen book from Oxfam, an original Gameboy Tetris cartridge game from Level Up, and a Motorhead record from Cult Vinyl) when I stumbled across a sign saying "Crafty Mare's Bazaar - now open".  Intrigued, I entered the unassuming shop on Slater Street, and could not believe my eyes!

"Bazaar" is definitely the correct word.  The whole shop is filled from top to bottom with vintage, up cycled and hand made clothing, jewellery and accessories, gifts, ornaments, as well as Eco friendly soaps, face washes, and other cosmetics.  I was absolutely enthralled!  I could have stayed in there all day, and still not seen everything that was available.  The friendly staff were keen to help, but not in the intimidating way, which often makes me feel as though I would rather leave a shop, than stay and be harassed.

The shop has been set up by several creative  independent businesses, and also includes a Holistic room upstairs for massages and pampering treatments.  As I am always keen to help independent local businesses (and everything in the shop was amazingly exciting!) I managed to stop myself from buying a whole rack of necklaces, incense sticks and scarves, and purchased a bottle of "Spotty Face Wash" by Betty's Page, which cost a reasonable £3.00, and a lovely pink glittery star shaped bar of soap, which reminded me of the lovely Eco friendly products sold at Lush (except without the hefty price tag - this soap was only one pound!).

And so, with my fabulous new products, I left feeling happy, and exited to return after pay day!  Next on my list is definitely the amazing cake stand, made from old vinyl records.  Crafty Mare's Bazaar will be my new port of call for friend's birthday gifts, as well as somewhere to treat myself to something special.  I will be trialing the "Spotty Face Wash", and reviewing it on here shortly, and I am very excited about spreading the word, and finding out more about this intriguing group of businesses.  So thank you very much ladies, you provided the perfect end to my day, and have given me lots to look forward to :)

The Lodge, Lark Lane

As a huge fan of Negresco on Lark Lane, I was more than disappointed to see that it had undergone a refurbishment, and was now named "The Lodge".  The exterior seemed to have none of it's former Gothic charm, but still, I thought I would give it a go.  Once inside, however, I realised that some of the artwork and furniture were the same as before, but some had changed for the better, giving a lighter and more welcoming atmosphere.

There are a range of world beers available, and a menu offering a variety of meals and snacks, with a good vegetarian selection.  Since it was a Sunday, I ordered a vegetarian roast dinner, and a chicken roast for my partner.   The food was wonderful, with a real home cooked feeling, as opposed to the frozen roast potatoes that are becoming more and more common when ordering pub food.  The staff were really friendly, and the atmosphere was welcoming and relaxed, with a nice mix of indie, rock and classic pop music playing.  Many people were dining with their families, and high chairs are available for babies.

The beer garden is a wonderful addition,  and is a lovely place to sit and enjoy the weather.  It has a  feeling of bringing the indoors outside, which really adds to the cool, laid back vibe.  As for value for money, I would say that it's a little more pricey than some other pubs offering Sunday lunch, at £20 for two roast dinners and two half glasses of beer, but I would still highly recommend visiting The Lodge - you will not be disappointed.