Stanley House Hotel & Spa, Ribble Valley

This weekend I was lucky enough to be treated by my boyfriend Richard to a romantic weekend away at Stanley House Hotel and Spa in the Ribble Valley, Lancashire. The hotel is in a picturesque location, which is extremely accessible and about an hour away from Manchester.

The entrance to the hotel is lovely, away from the noise of the roads, in a serene location at the top of a hill with views across the valley. The main entrance looks like an old converted barn, with a modern interior and fresh design. The walls are covered in artwork by local artist Trevor Lingard, whose colourful paintings are beautiful.

The reception staff told us we were staying in the old part of the hotel, the Grade II listed Manor House, which has boutique individually themed rooms and is situated in an out-house building. The reception is in the same barn as the Grill on the Hill restaurant and Mr Fred’s Bar, as well as various reception rooms for weddings and special events. There is a beautiful court yard connecting the main building to the Manor House and the newer part of the hotel which houses additional hotel rooms and the luxury award-winning spa.

When we entered the Manor House, we found ourselves in a warm, homely lobby area with comfortable seating, books and a fire place. Our room was on the first floor, and was incredibly spacious and seemed to be themed around the Chinese dynasty. It was a little haven, with an old fashioned fire place, brick walls around the bay windows, plenty of seating and a lovely stand-alone bath tub.

Richard and I had a spa session booked for the afternoon and we were blown away with the level of service and facilities on hand. Upon arrival, we were escorted to a personal dressing room each, with our own personal showers, bathrobes, slippers and dressing tables. In the spa, the swimming pool had glass walls, looking out onto a little pond and trees. Whilst swimming and enjoying the massage jets, you could bird-watch and enjoy the outdoor scenery. The spa had a range of facilities, including two steam rooms and two saunas. My favourite of the four was the sauna with a glass wall – it was incredible sitting in such a hot space watching the world go by outside, with the wind blowing through the trees.

We then both enjoyed a 30 minute treatment each – I had the relaxation massage on a heated bed, whilst Richard enjoyed a neck, shoulder and back massage and described it as one of the best he has received.

After our afternoon in the spa, we enjoyed a three-course meal in the Grill on the Hill restaurant. We had a bottle of the house red (which was lovely), and enjoyed an incredibly indulgent and delicious meal. There were lots of extra little touches which made the meal really special, including the selection of freshly baked bread and homemade crisps with cajun spiced popcorn which was brought to the table.

The only downside to the entire stay was the level of noise in the Manor House at night. There was a wedding on when we stayed and the noise bleed into our room was incredibly loud and disruptive, and lasted about 2 hours. 

That said, overall, I would give the hotel 4 stars, and the spa 5 stars for its outstanding service and excellent facilities. The noise from the wedding party was frustrating, and there were a few tiny things that I could comment on, including the off-milk in the fridge and the thermostat in the room which seemed to be broken. Despite these minor annoyances, the whole spa package was excellent value with no hidden extras or nasty surprises, and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a nice relaxing evening away.

You can find out more about the hotel and its spa facilities on the Stanley House website.

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

Having recently read, and absolutely loved,  The Kite Runner, I was eager to read Hosseini’s second novel, which I have heard so much about.

A Thousand Splendid Suns is about the particular hardships endured by two Afghani women, made worse by the Taliban’s invasion, making life a desperate struggle against starvation, brutality and fear. The story begins with Mariam, a harami – an illegitimate bastard child, who has been banished to a little kolba on the outskirts of the city with her resentful mother Nana. Mariam’s father, Jalil, is the centre of her world, until Mariam learns the truth about his shame and guilt in way that will continue to haunt her for years to come.

We then learn about Laila and her family; a forward-thinking and kind father who is keen for Laila to be educated and fulfill her potential as a bright young woman, and her mother, who seems to have forgotten Laila whilst mourning the loss of her two sons. Laila’s blossoming love with childhood friend Tariq is heartwarming and innocent, and we feel Laila’s immense pain when they are torn apart by war and illness just when they need each other most.

By unfortunate circumstances brought on by war, and the greed and lies of a lecherous old man, Mariam and Laila meet and develop a bond that cannot be broken, even through the toughest and most daunting obstacles.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading A Thousand Splendid Suns – it had me captivated from the first page and I furiously made my way through it in a couple of days, desperate for more. Hosseini tells an important and powerful story, one that is sadly, very much inspired by true horrors that are happening to Afghani women. I was so pleased to hear that after being awakened to such atrocities, the author created The Khaled Hosseini Foundation. This not-for-profit organisation provides humanitarian assistance to the Afghani people, particularly women and children who seem to be the biggest victims.

Shalimar the Clown by Salman Rushdie

So, after hearing so much about him and his writing, I finally read my first Salman Rushdie novel; Shalimar The Clown. It might not be the most obvious first Rushdie novel to go for, but it did not disappoint. The writing immediately drew me in, with it’s telling of a modern American girl called India. India is positioned as wealthy, attractive and unattainable, but deeply troubled with a dark history. I have to admit, I was immediately hooked and wanted to read more.

I was somewhat surprised to then be transported to a small village in Kashmir, and then to Germany through the Nazi regime soon after. The characters could not be more different, and it was incredibly exciting linking them up in mind, trying to find their inevitable connection. I have to be honest and say that I did struggle with some long overly-descriptive sentences, which occasionally found me lost. However, this was completely over-thrown by Rushdie’s imaginative intertwining of fiction and history, in one of the most creative ways I have come across. Of course, Rushie is well known for pushing boundaries and writing about controversial issues; something he covers brilliantly with the Kashmiri war.

In terms of the narrative, it is quite simply a love story gone wrong, that simultaneously takes us through multiple senseless wars, suffering and trauma. What I really respect, is that a midst the beautiful prose and descriptive writing, Rushdie tackles the most extreme torture and heartbreaking moments in the simplest way:

‘Who lit that fire? Who burned that orchard? Who shot those brothers who laughed their whole lives long? Who killed the sarpanch? Who broke his hands? Who broke his arms? Who broke his ancient neck? Who shackled those men? Who made those men disappear? Who shot those boys? Who shot those girls? Who smashed that house? Who killed that youth? Who clubbed that grandmother? Who knifed that aunt? Who broke that old man’s nose? […] Who killed the children? Who whipped their parents? Who raped the lazy-eyed woman? Who raped that gray-haired lazy-eyed woman who screamed about snake vengeance? Who raped that woman again? Who raped that woman again? Who raped that woman again? Who raped that dead woman? Who raped that dead woman again?

The village of Pachigam still exists on the official maps of Kashmir [..]. What happened that day in Pachigam need not to be set down here in full detail, because brutality is brutality and excess is excess and that’s all there is to it. There are things that must be looked at indirectly because they would blind you if you looked them in the face, like the fire of the sun. So, to repeat: there was no Pachigam any more. Pachigam was destroyed. Imagine it for yourself.’

I am so fortunate to have experienced this beautifully written novel, as it is probably one of the most captivating and imaginative I have read. It has made it to my top 5 must-read books and I couldn’t recommend it enough. Be prepared to be taken on a roller-coaster journey across time and through history. And most of all, be prepared to be left speechless. I actually finished this book over 4 weeks ago, but couldn’t find the words to talk about it until now. 

Fiddler on the Roof

This week I went to see Fiddler on the Roof at The Lowry, directed by Craig Revel Horwood (Strictly Come Dancing) and starring Paul Michael Glaser as Tevye.

For those of you who don’t know the story, Fiddler on the Roof is a classic musical about a poor Jewish family living in the small town of Anatevka, Russia in the early 1900’s. The story follows Tevye, father of 5 young girls and husband to Golde, as he tries to hold on to his traditional Jewish values in an evolving and fast-moving world. One by one his three eldest daughters move out and marry men of their choice, begging for their fathers consent and approval. Each request (from Motel – the poor tailor, Perchik – a Marxist, to Fyedka – who isn’t Jewish) becomes harder for Tevye to accept, pushing his values and beliefs to breaking point.

What makes this production so fantastic, aside from the stunning and versatile set, is the talent of the actors and performers. They play instruments live on stage, sing catchy and well-known songs to perfection and dance along to beautifully choreographed moves.  The cast seemed humble and modest at the bows, several of whom went on to favourite my positive tweet after the show! If you are looking for an all-round entertaining production that will guarantee a great evening, then you should definitely book tickets to this show.

The production is going on a UK tour so there should be plenty of opportunities to catch it. A full list of dates can be found here.

The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga

The White Tiger is written as a long letter by Balram, an Indian servant from a small village called Laxmangarh, to Wen Jiabao, the Premier of the State Council of China. Balram tells the story of how he outgrew his hometown and went on to become a driver for a rich and politically-corrupt family. We learn quite early on that Balram is a wanted ‘murderer’ and we follow his story to find out how he eventually escapes the ‘Rooster Coop’ and ends up sat in an office underneath a chandelier, whilst his ex-employer is dead.

‘Never before in human history have so few owed so much to so many, Mr Jiabao. A handful of men in this country have trained the remaining 99.9 per cent – as strong, as talented, as intelligent in every way – to exist in perpetual servitude; a servitude so strong that you can put the key of his emancipation in a man’s hand and he will throw it back at you with a curse.’

This book is simply written, provocative and unusual. It takes a while to get behind Balram and have any empathy with the character, who makes sharp and unique observations about the world and the people that run it. It is clear why Adiga’s book won the Man Booker Prize (2008), and although I wasn’t 100% convinced to begin with, it is certainly a worthwhile read.

¡Buen provecho!

This weekend’s Saturday Kitchen featured Paul Hollywood’s Mexican Tower, which looked incredibly appetising and too good to resist. I quite enjoy Mexican food, but usually stick to El Paso’s pre-made kits as they really are delicious – particularly the Tacos and Roast Pepper Fajitas. Having said that, the thought of making homemade torilla wraps, Mexican marinade, chipotle chilli salsa and guacamole was a challenge I couldn’t resist. And so, I went to the Arndale Market on Sunday morning to buy my ingredients.

I was a bit naughty with this one, and adapted quite a few parts of the recipe (details below). Don’t worry about quantities if you are looking to replicate this, as I’ve included links to the originals at the bottom of the post.

Chicken
For the chicken marinade, I had to adapt Paul’s recipe as I didn’t have quite a few items (celery salt, garlic salt and dried oregano). I used mixed Italian herbs, chilli flakes, garlic, salt, pepper, cumin power, smoked paprika and limes (juice and zest). I coated strips of chicken and put them in the fridge for about an hour. I then put them in a pre-heated oven for about 20 minutes. Easy!

Torilla wraps
This was the fun bit! I adapted the recipe based on some user reviews, and used plain flour, linseed powder (great for digestion), baking soda, salt, olive oil, butter and boiling water. I mixed all of the ingredients together and kneeded them into a dough. I left the dough to settle for 10 mins before rolling out into 7 inch circles (kind-of) and cooked them for about 1 minute on either side in a frying pan (without oil/butter). They were yummy and had a great texture. Having said that, in retrospect, I probably would have halved the salt as it was a bit overpowering, but other than that, no complaints!

Salsa
Hmmmm, the salsa made this meal! I roasted some tomatoes, red onion, chillis and garlic and put it into a blender with coriander, lime, salt and pepper and dried chipotle chillis (warning: Do not eat raw – I made this mistake by having a little nibble and had to stick my head out of the window and down a pint of milk to cool down).

Guacamole
To be honest, this was nice, but I’ve followed nicer recipes before. Paul’s recipe suggests mixing avacado, sour cream, lime, lemon, olive oil and salt and pepper seasoning. I followed the same measures, but the sour cream overpowered the avacado. I’d probably use another recipe if i replicated this again – maybe with less sour cream and olive olive, and perhaps some jalapeno and coriander.

Once all the components were ready (it was super quick to prep everything – probably about 20-25 minutes excluding the marinating time), I was ready to stack! The layers work as so:-

1 – Tortilla wrap
2 – Chicken
3 – Salsa
4 – Guacamole
5 – Sour Cream (optional)
6 – Cheese
7 – Spring onions

Then repeat steps 1-7 three times, and you will have the following result:

If you fancy giving the Mexican stacks a go, then visit the BBC website for full details. The tortilla wraps recipe can also be found online, with some helpful user reviews that I would recommend reading for tips and hints.

Kate Furnivall’s The White Pearl ***

The White Pearl tells the story of Connie Hadley, British expatriate wife of a rubber plantation owner in Malaya during the 1940s. It makes for an enjoyable, light and entertaining read, which touches upon some darker themes of secrecy and deception, loneliness, fear and war.

Kate Furnivall takes a rather romantic approach in her story and focuses on one woman’s plight during the Japanese invasion and World War II. The strongest feature of this book is the authors ability to recreate the setting – I was utterly convinced that we were in Malaysia and could visualise the smells, colours and heat. However, some of the plot-lines and background context felt a little far-fetched and cheesy.

One Amazon Reviewer has said ‘It is not a bad book. Worth reading for the unusual and exotic location, evocatively descriptive writing, and fascinating portrait of colonial life. But I shan’t keep it on my shelf with a view to a future second reading.’ I couldn’t agree more. I’m glad I read it, mainly due to my love for Malaysia and Singapore, as the book generously gave me what I needed and transported me back in time to these exotic and beautiful locations. However, I don’t think I’ll be reading the rest of her book collection, unless going on holiday and seeking something simple and well-written.

Escape to… Northumberland

Last weekend my boyfriend and I took a few days out and went to the small town of Alnwick (pronounced Anick) in Northumberland. Alnwick is a gorgeous place, with lots of greenery, traditional houses and a beautiful castle full of history. It is also home to the UK’s largest second-hand bookshop, and is a stones throw away from neighbouring Alnmouth where you can enjoy the sandy beach and a bit of seal spotting. For even more indulgence in history, you can visit the ruins of Dunstanburgh Castle (free for National Trust members). If you are more adventurous, enjoy bird-watching, and are brave enough to combat the coastal winds, then a trip to the Farne Islands is definitely worthwhile. Whatever you decide to do, Alnwick offers something for everyone, and is ideal for a long-weekend city escape.

We stayed at Aln House, which is the number 1 rated B&B in Alnwick – and with good reason. If you appreciate attention to detail and personal touches, such as complimentary brandy in your room, little biscuits and fudge by the tea and coffee making facilities, better bathroom toiletries than some 5* hotels, and a delicious breakfast with fresh fruit (including plums in amaretto, fresh strawberries, yoghurt, cereals, french toast, full English, porridge etc), then this is the place for you. The parking is a little tricky with it being a tight squeeze, but all in all, I cannot recommend it enough.

For foodie’s, a trip to the Treehouse Restaurant is a must, though I decided to give it a miss as I didn’t fancy the three-course set menu which felt very prescriptive. Having said that, I can understand why they offer it as I imagine it would be full to the brim with people just wanting to experience the feel of the place and ordering nothing more than a cup of tea. We did have dinner at The Art House, where the food was nice, but nothing extraordinary. It has a varied menu, with burgers, tagines and burritos, so ideal if you are struggling to decide what to eat. We also went to the highly recommended Red Lion pub in Alnmouth which I have to admit, was in a beautiful setting, but the service was very average (they got our order wrong, charged us too much, and couldn’t accommodate my simple request to have the starter portion soup as a main course).

Another thing worth noting is that if you visit over the weekend, the shops and cafes are mostly closed on a Sunday in this sleepy little town, so make sure you plan accordingly. We went to Grannie’s cafe which is a little shop upstairs selling jams, preserved fruits, pastas, breads and specialty foods, and an intimate cosy cafe downstairs. Their menu is very extensive, with a huge list of sandwiches, jackets and cakes and the portions are huge.

In summary, the trip was lovely, and if you don’t mind simplicity (especially with your food) then Alnwick is ideal. If you are looking for something a little fancier, then I would suggest making the 20 minute drive to the larger town of Morpeth, or even Newcastle which isn’t far.

Melt your taste buds…

So, this weekend I decided to tackle the ultimate Indian-Pakistani delight of Biryani. It has been an absolute favourite in the Mahmoud family household for as long as I can remember. It reminds me of my mum getting up first thing in the morning to prepare the ingredients for this epic dish; turning the tamarind into liquid, marinating the chicken, roasting the potatoes, soaking the rice and getting out exotic and aromatic spices of various smells and colours. My job, when I finally roll out of bed with my little sister, is to set the dining table (using the extra large Denby plates usually reserved for guests), with some family-friendly film playing in the background as my dad sits on the sofa laughing at all the jokes. Gradually through-out the cookathon, we all migrate to the kitchen as delicious the smells begin to seep into the living room and we begin making the accompaniments of raita and salad, and dipping our fingers into the big pot, all desperate for a little taste of heaven.

When I saw the series of Rick Stein in India, my eyes popped out of my face. Having never been to India, I was fascinated by the colours, combination of ingredients and creative ways of cooking. In order words, I was inspired. I hinted and hinted and hinted, and finally got bought the book by my boyfriend. As I’m sure you can imagine, when I came across the Chicken and Rosewater Biryani, I had to give it a try. I bought a list of ingredients as long as my arm (and walked round and round in circles looking for various things in Sainsbury’s), but was finally ready. Other than boycotting the Ghee (I used Lurpak’s unsalted butter instead), I followed the recipe to a tee.

The recipe is essentially divided into three distinct areas: Stage 1 – Preparation (making the marinade, coating the chicken, soaking the rice, leaving to rest). During stage 1 of cooking, I also measured up all my ingredients for stage 2 and 3, chopped and sliced all the extras and got my pans out on the appropriate hobs, filled with the appropriate levels of oil. I still had 40 minutes to kill, so I mixed up some Walnut Brownies and stuck those in the oven at the same time (Mary Berry’s recipe – fool proof, unless your eggs are off like mine were). Stage 2 is the fun bit – frying up some onions, cooking the chicken and making the rice.

Stage 3 is the scary bit, where it could potentially go wrong – the assembly. I didn’t quite have as much chicken as I thought I might (I divided everything by 2.5 based on the weight of the chicken – but that was before I trimmed off all the gooey white bits), but the layering still worked fine, and it was a proud moment as I saw my creation come together. I poured some butter around the edges and then left the lid on. To my amazement, the dish didn’t burn and was cooked to absolute perfection. I know you shouldn’t blow your own trumpet about your cooking, but WOW. My boyfriend said it was as nice as my mums (though of course, very different with the saffron and rosewater instead of tamarind and potatoes, to name a couple of obvious differences). Either way, I’d say don’t be afraid of this epic 2-pager. It has been my favourite Rick Stein recipe so far and I can’t recommend it enough. Have confidence, cook, and devour!

You can find Rick Stein’e recipe on the BBC website, though, I personally would suggest buying the book. There is nothing more satisfying than looking at all the curry-stained pages reminding you of your experimentation and hard work.

Willy Russell’s Blood Brothers

This week, I went to see the premier of Blood Brothers at The Lowry. The closest I have come to knowing anything about the story was a 5 minute extract I’d seen the Year 10’s put on in the school hall. I was in Year 9 at the time, and this interpretation happened to star someone I had my eye on. One stabbing scene in, and a ripped shirt later, I was faced with bare chests and lots of on-stage testosterone fuelled adrenaline. As I’m sure you can expect, I paid absolutely no attention to the story.

Fortunately, as with most musicals, I didn’t really need to. Starting off with the name, Blood Brothers, and a basic summary on The Lowry website, I understood it is about two brothers separated at birth who go on to lead very different lives. The brothers meet by chance years later, and through tragic circumstances (or perhaps fate, depending on your interpretation), they both eventually end up dead. I was expecting some stabbing/shooting to take place (school production memories come flooding back), but had no idea about some of the real issues this story covers.

I arrived to a packed theatre which is always a good sign. The production started rather unusually with the house lights on, and kicked off with police men covering up two dead bodies, before taking them off stage. Warrick Evans, who plays the narrator, starts with a poem, ‘So, did you hear the story of the Johnston twins?’ The lights then dim down, and the narrator hints at the dark story that is about to unfold before us.

The story then takes a surprisingly upbeat turn as we welcome Maureen Nolan who plays Mrs Johnston, a young woman from Liverpool. We are taken on a whirlwind journey and find out about how she fell in love, got married and had children at a young age. A few years later her husband leaves her for another woman, and she is once again pregnant and left with several kids to feed. All of this is told through the famous ‘Marilyn Monroe’ song, which is repeated several times through-out the show. The song is really catchy, and with its changing tempo and lyrics, it draws on a range of emotions each time it is sung.

‘He told me I was sexier than Marilyn Monroe
And we went dancing
We went dancing’

‘By the time I was twenty-five
I looked like forty-two
With seven hungry mouths to feed
And one more nearly due
My husband, He walked out on me
A month or two ago’

We soon come to learn that Mrs Johnson is having twins, and concerned about how she will make ends meet, she confides in Mrs Lyons, the lady whose house she cleans. Mrs Lyons, who is desperate to have children, but unable to conceive, proposes that as brings up one of the twins as her own.

‘How quickly an idea, planted, can
Take root and grow into a plan.
The thought conceived in this very room
Grew as surely as a seed, in a mothers’ womb’

And so, the twins are split at birth, one brought up by Mrs Lyons, and the other by Mrs Johnston. We follow both families on their separate journeys and watch the boys grow up to live polar opposite lives, with scenes full of laughter and fun along the way.  Aged seven, the boys meet by chance, and soon become best friends much to both of their mothers’ discontent. Although forbidden to see one another, and despite several obstacles preventing them from being friends, the boys meet again in their early teens. This is when we get a sense of what might go wrong between the brothers, as a love-triangle forms between them and Mickey’s childhood sweetheart Linda (who happens to be my favourite character).

I won’t ruin the story by going into any more detail, but I found the piece to be full of unexpected humour, underpinned by darker themes of unemployment, the class system in the UK, borderline poverty and extreme violence. The production wasn’t afraid to be gritty, and takes an emotional turn in the second half.

There are of course, as with most musicals, the occasional cheesy moments, but if you embrace this, it almost feels natural, and is certainly an intrinsic part of the success of the production. I don’t really like rating musicals, but I would give it a 4/5 and would say it has mass appeal, whilst still having some depth. If you are contemplating the £36 ticket price, I would say go for it. Having now experienced this infamous musical for myself, I completely understand the hype and would say it is as relevant today as it was when it first hit the West-End in the 1980s.