Travelling up to a much needed and deserved break from the junior agents to Le Manoir, a refuelling break was much needed. I have to confess to you here and now that after perusing the dull but useful AA Pub Guide, I settled on a stop at the Crown Inn in a place called Pishill. Childish, I know. At Pishill there is a breathtakingly beautiful pub & restaurant called the Crown. Attached to the Crown at the back is a large function room/thatched "barn" which doubles as a wedding venue, but has hosted a number of musical luminaries, who have "got down" there, including Dusty Springfield and George Harrison. The AA pub guide picks it out as a "pick of the pubs" place to go and its easy to see why.

Aside from the easy friendliness of the landlord and staff (no, you don't need to put a card behind the bar - we trust you), we wanted to have a smallish meal after being frightened by the titanic plates being thrust around the various dining areas. "That's no problem" he said, "I can get the chef to make a starter up to a main course, if you like".

Thai fishcakes were exactly that - loaded up with fresh pink salmon and spicy with soy dressed leaves - the best ever, perhaps. My beer battered haddock was as fresh as they come and HALLELUJAH chips made out of, wait for it, REAL POTATOES - fat, crispy and fluffy inside all stacked on top of a zesty mixed leaves and watercress. Absolutely perfect - and the best fish and chips I've had in a long time. All piping hot too. An absolute humdinger and very very approved. M