England – Berkeley Square Barbarian

Spicy Nepalese food at Gurkha Fire, Chatham

November 16, 2024 No Comments

Ellie and I are currently spending a weekend in Chatham, near Rochester, in Kent, for a two-day wilderness first aid course. Naturally, with us being fond of food and all, we had to check out the local culinary scene. GURKHA FIRE, CHATHAM, ONLY OPENED IN MARCH THIS YEAR This is how Gurkha Fire caught our attention. They only opened in March this year to great acclaim, with the mayor and other dignitaries attending the opening ceremony. The mayor at the time happened to be the first Nepalese-born mayor of the UK, Nina Gurung. Of course, she comes from a family of Gurkhas. Within weeks Gurkha Fire became the top-ranking restaurant in the whole region (125 restaurants), according to Tripadvisor. Ever since we first visited Nepal in 2020, we have grown fond of Nepalese food. All pics (c) BerkeleySqB except where otherwise noted. Pic #2 above (c) Kent Online GURKHA […]

Art and Culture, England

Wayne McGregor’s MADDADDAM with The Royal Ballet at the ROH

November 14, 2024 No Comments

Ellie and I just returned from the opening night of Wayne McGregor’s MaddAddam with The Royal Ballet at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden. It is without doubt the best ballet I have ever seen. I’M NOT BIG ON BALLET, BUT McGREGOR’S MADDADDAM IS FABULOUS Now, admittedly, that does not mean much, because, different from my good wife, I am no huge fan of ballet and have only ever seen half a dozen performances or so. What does matter, is that Ellie loved it as much as I did. Moreover, the fact that it was me, the ballet hater, who immediately bought two tickets, as soon as I heard that McGregor was behind it, must count for something. Sir Wayne can get anyone into ballet with his magic. I had turned into a Waynaficionado about three years ago, when I saw his & Random International’s “No One Is An […]

England, Travel, Where to stay

Four-Star Genting Hotel at Resorts World Birmingham

January 9, 2024 No Comments

During a recent visit to Birmingham to visit The National Running Show, Ellie & I found a reasonably priced deal (£118 + 15 + 15 for double room w/breakfast) via Booking dot com for the Genting Hotel at Resorts World Birmingham. Usually we look for hotels in or very near the city centre. PERFECT LOCATION IF YOU NEED TO BE NEAR THE AIRPORT, THE N.E.C., OR RESORTS WORLD However, we were only going to arrive late on a Friday night, and be checking out the following morning to spend a day trying out new running shoes. This meant that the location, 10 minutes’ walk from the NEC (National Exhibition Centre) and Birmingham International was perfect for us. EASY TO GET TO From Birmingham International Train Station (which is a stop on the line from London to Birmingham) it is a 10min walk. Half of it will be outdoors, so […]

England, Travel, Where to stay

Haven Hotel, Sandbanks – Great Views

March 22, 2023 4 Comments

Ellie & I went on a climbing trip last weekend with a friend of ours, Gilles. Well, I went with a friend of ours, and my wife tagged along. It was because of her, that I picked the Haven Hotel, Sandbanks, for her and me to stay at. (Our friend stayed at an Air B&B nearby.) The lady wished for some distractions and a bigger town. She was not eager on bunk beds in a hostel at our climbing location, the Isle of Portland, an hour’s drive away. 1920s BEACH RESORT GRANDEUR To make up for the fact that I was going to do ‘my thing’ this weekend, I booked the only affordable four-star hotel available. It was built in 1926 and retains its rustic, heavy art deco grandeur both inside and outside. There are elements of the Victorian era designs and furniture of its two predecessor buildings and a […]

Caving, Climbing, England, Fun

Best Caving Locations in England

March 8, 2023 2 Comments

Ellie & I only started to do some caving about three years ago. We had come across the so-called Wild Wookey experience at Wookey Hole in the Mendips in Somerset. It turned out to be one of the best caving locations in England. The three hours underground were so much fun, we have been going caving ever since. HOUSE-KEEPING To be clear, this article is not the gospel. I have only been caving in England a dozen times so far (not counting show caves), and some of the caves below I have never been to. The Three Counties System, for example, I’m scheduled to explore month after next month. This means I have thoroughly researched it, but not entered it, so far. Feature photo (c) BerkeleySqB; above 2 pics (c) Somerset Adventures; Where not otherwise indicated: (c) BerkeleySqB Where I haven’t visited the cave myself yet, my information comes […]

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