The Blunsdon Arms - a good lunch that could have been great LINK FOOD AND DRINK

By Barrie Hudson barrie@positive-media.co.uk

My colleagues and I headed for The Blunsdon Arms in search of a hearty lunch ahead of a meeting and found one.

Or rather, we found half a dozen of them, each a fine antidote to the miserable January day outside.

The atmosphere at the venue pulls off the often attempted but rarely achieved feat of being bright and modern yet somehow homely in an oldfashioned way, and service after we ordered at the bar was efficient and friendly.

We ordered a diverse array of dishes from the extensive menu, and while nobody was dissatisfied - completely the oppositethere were suggestions as to how something good might be made even better.

Old favourite haddock and chips (£11.99) came with a generous serving of mushy peas and a perfectly crispy batter.

Upmarket sibling Posh Fish and Chips (£13.49), pictured, substituted sea bass and was rated delicious, although the colleague who ordered it said he could have done with rather more chips.

Chicken, Bacon and Avocado Salad (£10.79) was rated delightful, and the Sweet Potato and Apricot Falafel Wrap (£6.49), with its contrast between sweetness and the savour of the chilli jam, was another hit.

Vegan Katsu Curry (£11.29), with mint and coriander rice, was also highly rated, although it would have been better with something like a small side salad for contrast, and the Vegan Greek-style Salad (£9.49) was tasty - although the recipient said it could have done with a little onion.

Alfie Howlett: Swindon Town FC writer

It might be a new year but the factors which make STFC the club it is very much remain.

Having been in the job for just six months, Scott Lindsey found himself poached by League 2 strugglers Crawley Town. This gave the Swindon faithful an all too familiar feeling of deja vu.

It also reflected the incredible downfall of Swindon Town. In 1993 they lost manager Glenn Hoddle to Chelsea. 30 years later in 2023 they’d lose their manager to Crawley.

The emotions which greeted the departure of Lindsey were unlike any I’ve seen before. Usually when a team is deprived of the services of their manager it’s met with