Bartimaeus

We had a small collection of possible but not essential items we might want to procure and hadn’t explored Garstang much, so headed into the small town. It has a varied selection of specialist shops as well as lots of lunch choices and we soon decided we’d try some local fare from a bakery, which had a huge variety of pies and other savoury delights available. It has a sign up saying “Thin people are easier to kidnap, stay safe, eat pies”! We plumped for a roast filled barm and a butter pie, and found a bench. Eating outside being the safer option.

While it threatened rain, it never quite did and we were able to continue our browsing and made a few useful purchases. Shane had been looking for a hardware shop that he’d seen on the internet that advertised a closing down sale but we didn’t find it.

Feeling that lunch had been quite filling but not huge and lacking coffee, we head for a cafe that had garden seating. A peep inside and I could see it had a great range of food, so even though there was already a couple of women waiting for an outside table, we decided to wait. We weren’t disappointed. A staff member had gone to the shed to find two more tables and set them up for us. We were in a pretty courtyard and we were served quickly. Shane was very happy with his blueberry scone and my overindulgence was a damson pie and cream. I couldn’t wait to tuck in! Always good to support local businesses!

It slipped down nicely and there was no stinting on the filling (Little Jack Horner would have got his target easily) a total of 14 damsons in my slice, as evidenced by the array of stones. Next time I get married it will be to a “poor man” apparently, but as long as I’ve inherited enough from my first husband, that will be fine.

I was delighted also by a swallows’ nest above us, with babies cheeping and peeping out and parents swooping in with food. 

I was intrigued by the somewhat scary name of a pub: the Eagle and Child. It puts “rock-a-by baby,on the tree top” into a much lower risk category by comparison. This baby clearly hasn’t eaten enough pies to prevent kidnapping.

There was a back route that could be used through the back of the pub, called Eagle and Child Weind and we noticed that the pub next to it has a similar through route named after it. Although small, Garstang doesn’t lack interest.

Shane was able to help a lost woman who asked for assistance, but we still hasn’t tracked down the hardware shop. We decided it may have already closed and headed back to the boat, past the amusingly decorated Farmer’s Arms.

Later, after doing some topping up with water and rubbish disposal, we found a better mooring spot ( except for the tooting of car horns as they approach the nearby bridge, but at least we won’t be hearing that tomorrow night) and headed to the supermarket. On the way we found the closed hardware shop and clearly it was no longer trading. Never mind, Edinburgh has plenty such shops. I don’t think Shane will be rushing back there to the ” anti- aging treatment” centre that will be “coming soon” . The pie shops are worth a return visit though! Stay safe!