Bank and Building Society branch closures.

[patman post]

If the shrinking number of high street bank and building society branches is causing people and local businesses problems, they should consider using their local post office. There are around 11,500 post offices around the UK — that's way more than the total of bank and building society has been for decades, if ever...

[papasmurf]

I don't recollect any bank or building society branches round north London serving food, fish or otherwise. 

It wasn't me who derailed the thread it was Nick. Totally ignoring the problems that the lack of bank and building society branches causing a significant number of people serious problems.

[patman post]

Nick it is not the cost it is the very limited menus. (It has been like that for several years.) The so called fish restaurants are nothing of the kind. (The person who first lagged fish in batter should have been summarily executed.)
We now rarely eat out in Britain, because of the lack of decent food. We would much rather cook at home.
It is also why we look forward to our holidays in Brittany where the restaurant food is far superior than Britain and good value. It is also easy to get a "take away" fruits de mer ordered the day before at a very reasonable 30€ (Makes a very superior picnic and we can make an excellent soup/bisque out of the leftovers.)

I don't recollect any bank or building society branches round north London serving food, fish or otherwise. But we have a couple of excellent chippies that do fish well in light crispy non-puddingy batter — and there's an Asian fusion place that has a Japanese cook who does amazing battered fish and veg.

There are also restaurants doing enjoyable and excellent food, and there are restaurants serving over-priced mediocre meals. Currently, there's the "gastro" movement in the UK that appears to put ideas and fashion above actual cooking ability.

On the whole, I have to agree that in my experience food served in brasseries, cafés and restaurants in Belgium, France and Italy is more dependably good and probably less expensive than their counterparts in the UK...

[papasmurf]

There are thousands of fantastic restaurants in the UK, you clearly have no taste, plus you could always take a packed lunch. Why go somewhere if you come up with an excuse not to eh?

Nick, we no longer eat out except rarely because there are no fantastic restaurants, and have not been for several years now. 
Finding decent food in a restaurant in Britain is now as rare as rocking horse poo and Unicorns.
My wife and I happen to like food but the drastically curtailed menus of the last few years has made it very difficult to find. 
That is why we look forward to our holidays in Brittany, where even the "menu ouvrier" restaurants serve good food.
Britain has now become "burgerised" when it comes to restaurants. 
If we want  a decent meal we cook it at home. Fortunately getting good quality ingredients is not a problem locally. 

[Nick]

Nick it is not the cost it is the very limited menus. (It has been like that for several years.) The so called fish restaurants are nothing of the kind. (The person who first lagged fish in batter should have been summarily executed.)
We now rarely eat out in Britain, because of the lack of decent food. We would much rather cook at home.
It is also why we look forward to our holidays in Brittany where the restaurant food is far superior than Britain and good value. It is also easy to get a "take away" fruits de mer ordered the day before at a very reasonable 30€ (Makes a very superior picnic and we can make an excellent soup/bisque out of the leftovers.)

There are thousands of fantastic restaurants in the UK, you clearly have no taste, plus you could always take a packed lunch. Why go somewhere if you come up with an excuse not to eh?

[papasmurf]

Not many restaurants do a peneth of bread and dripping these days. Don't say there is no where because you're too tight to spend any money. You can get fish and chips for a start, if that's beyond your budget then there's no hope.

Nick it is not the cost it is the very limited menus. (It has been like that for several years.) The so called fish restaurants are nothing of the kind. (The person who first lagged fish in batter should have been summarily executed.) 
We now rarely eat out in Britain, because of the lack of decent food. We would much rather cook at home.
It is also why we look forward to our holidays in Brittany where the restaurant food is far superior than Britain and good value. It is also easy to get a "take away" fruits de mer ordered the day before at a very reasonable 30€ (Makes a very superior picnic and we can make an excellent soup/bisque out of the leftovers.)

[Nick]

Nick there is not a restaurant in Penzance that my wife and I would go to. (It has become very difficult to find anywhere to eat out in Cornwall that suits us.)

Just looked at the seafood restaurants menus I would not bother with any of them.

Not many restaurants do a peneth of bread and dripping these days. Don't say there is no where because you're too tight to spend any money. You can get fish and chips for a start, if that's beyond your budget then there's no hope. 

[Borchester]

Nick there is not a restaurant in Penzance that my wife and I would go to. (It has become very difficult to find anywhere to eat out in Cornwall that suits us.)

Nick there is not a restaurant in Penzance that my wife and I would go to. (It has become very difficult to find anywhere to eat out in Cornwall that suits us.)

[papasmurf]

Firstly you said Dinner, actually Dunner but ok, not lunch. Secondly there are 9 seafood restaurants open at lunch midweek. Perhaps for once you can admit you're wrong? But I think not.

Nick there is not a restaurant in Penzance that my wife and I would go to. (It has become very difficult to find anywhere to eat out in Cornwall that suits us.)

Just looked at the seafood restaurants menus I would not bother with any of them.

[Nick]

Just because  they exist does not mean they are places my wife and I would got to. (Also they are probably not open weekday lunch times.)

Firstly you said Dinner, actually Dunner but ok, not lunch. Secondly there are 9 seafood restaurants open at lunch midweek. Perhaps for once you can admit you're wrong? But I think not. 

[papasmurf]

I've just counted 19 restaurants in Penzance that are open, before I got bored, including a Thai. Which Penzance are you talking about?

Just because  they exist does not mean they are places my wife and I would got to. (Also they are probably not open weekday lunch times.)

[Nick]

There is nowhere to go out for dunner in Penzance.

I've just counted 19 restaurants in Penzance that are open, before I got bored, including a Thai. Which Penzance are you talking about?

[papasmurf]

It will be a chance to take Mrs P out for dinner.

There is nowhere to go out for dinner in Penzance.

[Nick]

It will be a chance to take Mrs P out for dinner. When we organised the lease extension we decided to have a bit of a blow. So she got herself dolled up, I put on my laying out suit and we ended up in a place near Russell Square. As long as there is something on the plate I am not bothered about what I eat, but the staff gave us the full Monty and she was tickled pink

You think the same as me Borky, any excuse for a party. 
We were half way to the smoke to get Russian Visa's and I thought we should see a show. We ended up watching The Book of Mormon in the West End, bloody hilarious. With dinner in the Lebanese I had to sell a lung, but hay ho, I've got another one and my lung will have grown back by the next time we go to London. 

[Borchester]

My wife and I are in the process or arranging matters in case one of us carks it or goes gaga. We need face to face meetings at a bank branch office and a building society office. Just one problem the nearest ones are now over 25 miles away.

It will be a chance to take Mrs P out for dinner. When we organised the lease extension we decided to have a bit of a blow. So she got herself dolled up, I put on my laying out suit and we ended up in a place near Russell Square. As long as there is something on the plate I am not bothered about what I eat, but the staff gave us the full Monty and she was tickled pink