Karen Wright: I do like to be beside the seaside...

I wrote last week’s column from the seaside, if you read it you might remember my mad dash to Brighton for the arrival of our new grandchild, well this week I am

writing from the seaside again but this time from Yorkshire’s very own gorgeous coastal resort of Scarborough.

I am a bit of an impulsive sort of person and no sooner had I arrived home from Brighton than I was thinking about getting away again. I do have a very good reason to ring the changes again and take a break from routine, it’s our 30th wedding anniversary this week. After the usual trials and tribulations of married life, getting to the pearl anniversary is quite an achievement and I wanted to mark it in some way, so I booked us a coach trip to The Grand Hotel.

I had seen this landmark hotel towering above the sands over the years on each visit to Scarborough, it is hard to miss and I was keen to get inside and see how it had fared over the passage of time. It was once the largest hotel in Europe with fabulous and ornate public rooms. I purchased a booklet to bone up on the history and reading this helped me to visualise the glories of the past where dressing for dinner was a strict requirement with ladies in crinolines and parasols and gentlemen with top hats, starched collars and gloves. It is a far cry from those days now with our more relaxed fashion and etiquette.

So, no cooking for me this weekend, it’s a pleasant change to come down to the dining room for breakfast and an evening meal and have no idea what is on the menu. Also, we

have enjoyed the obligatory lunch of fish and chips, not outside due to rain but in a cosy café overlooking the sea.

On these organised coach trips there is always an optional excursion included and ours was to York.We took advantage of it and enjoyed seeing the sights, the Minster, Shambles and the Railway Museum to name but three, it is so easy to overlook the fantastic scenery, towns and cities that we have pretty much on our doorstep.

It's February at last, although I have had a great January this year there is something about getting into the second month of the year with its lighter evenings that lightens the mood. Also, we have foodie things to look forward to, first up is Valentine’s Day, with maybe a special meal on the cards. Then it’s on to Pancake Day, always a family favourite, is it lemon juice or orange juice to top them in your house? In my book it is always lemon!

Where we live here in Wakefield, we have the much-heralded Rhubarb Festival happening in just a couple of weeks. I need to get back into my kitchen and really buckle down to developing my recipes. I have two or three ideas up my sleeve, one is a rhubarb soup and the other is a rhubarb curry, those recipes will certainly be different! I will be cooking in the marquee on Sunday, February 23.

Well readers, that’s about it for this week, next week I will have a think about what we might consider cooking up for a romantic Valentine treat, something light yet delicious that won’t get you hot under the collar in the kitchen!

For more tips and recipes go to https://www.karenwrightbakes.co.uk