The more turned out to be a weekend (two night) break at the White Lion, wrapped around the Young’uns Saturday Night gig at the Jubilee Hall. We could have easily travelled up to Aldeburgh specifically for the concert but it is pleasant to be able to combine it with short break. Lucky and/or smart enough to be able to do so I guess…
On the Friday night we indulged in another first with a meal in Sea Spice, the Indian restaurant attached to the White Lion hotel. Excellent meal and a touch above the average, ubiquitous high street establishment, although whether or not it tops the one we went to in Thornton is up for debate 🙂
Lovely breakfast on Saturday, followed by a walk / amble up to and around Thorpeness and Mere, accompanied by the obligatory coffee break; a rest break and then on to the Young’Uns gig at the Jubilee Hall, with a nice mix of acapella, storytelling and a copious amount of barbed wit included. Interesting that I genuinely said that David could easily run a nice sideline in ‘stand up’, only to discover on our return that he does in fact have a ‘second career’ as a much lauded stand up comedian (who knew). The Jubilee Hall was a relatively small, sit where you want (or can) intimate venue, a much preferred setting for acts like the Young’uns, whose excellent harmonies can appear a little lost in larger venues such as the Cambridge Folk Festival. Not sure there was any other option, but queuing up outside the venue to ensure reasonable seats would have been less edifying if it had been pissing it down at the time!
After another delicious breakfast we indulged in another ramble to the Aldeburgh Martello Tower, the largest and most northerly of the chain of towers put up by the Board of Ordnance to keep out Napoleon. Built in the shape of a quatrefoil for four heavy guns, nearly a million bricks were used in its construction. Now a landmark trust property, you never know, we might follow in Sandi Toksvig’s footsteps and stop in one..
Another coffee stop-off (in the Brudenell) and then off to the Aldeburgh Cinema to catch “Other People’s Children“, a 2022 French film. I was not overwhelmed, as despite the generally warm reviews, it was not exactly subtle in its inferences or in its portrayal of a slightly unusual love triangle. It was, though, beautifully put together and a “delightfully French” meditation on the heartfelt relationships of adults (and their children).
Another lovely break. The White Lion is not our first choice, as there are a little too many room updates required to make it compete and, in fairness, we had an excellent sleep both nights and the food was very good. And it is interesting that even when prepared to pay more than a little extra for specific comforts, a Yorkshire man still has his limits. Still, it’s good to know there are three fine hotels in Aldeburgh and that we’ve stayed in all of them a minimum of twice!!