Mamma mia!

Double espresso is £1.80 a cup in Cambridge's Grafton Centre - at Mamma Amalfi.

The service wasn't great - they ignored me at the self-service counter.

Then they didn't provide a bill - had to go to the till inside to try to pay them. They smarmily asked if I actually wanted to pay - I didn't but they took me by surprise and threw me somewhat.

Not great service, not a great coffee - not a place I'll be going back to.

And the atmosphere outside on the 'terrace' with the smell of Burger King mingling with the stench of popcorn from the Vue cinema was not what I wanted.

Wish I had stayed in the Costa queue or tried the new Starbucks on the trading estate in Newmarket Road...

Harry along to see this one . . .

What a film!

Even if you don't like Harry Potter - and I know the little one with the rimmed glasses can be somewhat annoying - this is quite an offering.

It's a bit darker than the rest, as the cast are getting older, but that adds to the appeal.

And I got it wrong - Harry doesn't snog Hermione (sorry!).

I can't believe my eldest got through the amount of popcorn he did...now I know he has hollow legs.

What a relief

There are days when only Nero can deliver.

Today was one of those days . . .

It was espresso, it was £1.60 and it was worth every penny.

Last night made me realise just how much this little tasse means to me.

Small, round and perfectly formed. I'd like to say just like me...it wouldn't be true.

Tomorrow is another day and I'm off to see Harry Potter - or Barry Trotter as the kids refer to him.

I gather Hermione and Harry have a snog...whatever next!

What a Feeling

Not the sort of steaming offering you expect on a coffee blog, but I thought it was relevant.

Drove out to see The Feeling at Thetford Forest last night - and what a gig! (and what an impressive set of toilets, too)

Those guys know how to rock; the sound was fabulous and the atmosphere electric.

My only gripe as the lack of a Starbucks/Nero/Cafe Rouge-type coffee stand...or am I being a bit picky?

There was a hog roast and a first-aid tent along with somewhere selling 'hot drinks'.

I didn't venture along - had a Double Decker, packet of Hula Hoops and a bottle of water.

Now choccie bars - there's another great topic (oops, no pun intended) for a blog. Do you think Mars bars have gone downhill since they stopped those crinkly wrappers?

And how do you eat your Twix? Bite off the chewy bit and then eat the biscuit? Both together? Or just let it melt in your mouth?

Cadbury Boost has to be my fave though - bite into one of those and chew and it feels as if your teeth are going to come out.

Mmmmmmmmm...........

G&B

Mmmmm...

Guess where this is and I'll be dead impressed.

Went out last night to a swish eaterie and went for espresso (double) at the denouement of a very nice meal.

Best bit was they brought some Green and Black miniature chocs with the coffee. No white choc ones though, so slightly disappointing, as they really are my favourites.

Lovely!

It was dire in Newmarket.

Got there early (about 7.30am) and was soooo looking forward to a good 'kick' from my 'doub-esp' - but the blooming shop was shut.

How do they expect to get early morning trade?

Did walk past the named shop (not wishing to name and shame the offending establishment - it was Costa) later on, but snubbed it out of principle.

However, I did manage to get to the Grafton Centre, in sunny Cambridge, on Saturday morning (again really early) and Costa was open and running.

Changed the habit of a lifetime and went for the medio Americano for a reasonable £2.

One thing worries me about Costa though - why are the saucers off-set? I like a saucer you can put the cup in the middle of. Call me old-fashioned but this off-centre thing really puts me ill at ease.

And they always put the receipt in the well of the recess for the cup.

a) You can't read it again as the cup always oozes some liquid on to it;

b) I do like to read receipts (I'm a weirdo like that) and see what info is on it.

While we're on that, don't you just love reading other people's shopping lists?

Whenever someone has left one in a trolley or on one of those clippy things on a trolley, I always pocket it and read what they have bought. You can find out some really interesting things about people on those...

Anyhow, back to me at Costa.

Read the property supplement which was the only freebie paper hanging around and found a lovely new pad - a cool £4 million horsey establishment in Chippenham (think that's out near Newmarket, which would make sense).

If we can get enough together, I'll turn it into a Nero franchise...any offers?

Here's my coffee from Saturday and the napkin. Just for proof.

Not a great day.

Computer problems all round have meant I have not got away from the office and Tuesdays are normally a great day for finding a good seat at a local coffee house.

So it's Original or Gold Blend. But it ain't quite the same.

There's somethnig about the theatre of those people in Starbucks or Nero or Costa and the hissing and spitting. Then there's the machine noise . . . LOL.

I live to fight another day though - I'll be in Newmarket on Friday at the strangely re-named Guineas shopping centre (the old Rookery Centre). All locals will forever refer to it as the Rookery - in the same way that Bury's Cattle Market will never, ever be called the arc.

And there's a gleaming, shiny new Costa in the Rookery (sorry, marketing gurus, Guineas).

I'll do a comparison between that one and the Bury one and report back.

Hope the double espresso costs more for all those well-off horsey types...

And apparently there is a special offer for workers from the Rookery (sorry... Guineas) so I'll try to blag my way into some money off.

That's better

Funny, but some people's cheek never ceases to amaze me.

I'm one of these blokes who would never dream of going into a shop (like Nero), use the toilet and then walk straight out again. But that very thing happened this lunchtime.

Brazenly, she hurried in. She had to wait an eternity but persevered - and then she was gone.

Wish I had the b***s myself to do that but I would have had to have bought a double espresso like the one which left this rather fetching ring on my napkin.

Wet, wet, wet

Darned English summer!

My lovely Abbey Gardens 'gig' featuring the old Bard himself was rained off on Saturday night.

Went home in disgust - sorry, organisers, didn't fancy the school hall you offered as a substitute and will be after you today for my money back.

I did manage to have several decent coffees over the weekend - but nothing from a shop so will be off to Nero today with camera in hand and try to place my first picture on here.

Cool eh!