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The clue
It was a beautiful day. The snow glittered in the sunshine, the light so clear and bright it seemed to fizz. It was, in a word, intoxicating.
My friend, however, was feeling flat. We were going to sample a long-distance “coastal” path that in this section is about eight miles from the shore. But before we’d even started he was complaining of hunger.
“Please stop whining,” I begged as we left a village commemorated by the Royal Mail in the 1990s.
“But where are we dining?” he groaned, as he threw his apple core in the snow. “That was my last snack.”
I showed him my Ordnance Survey map. It was a little old. Not 221 years old, as some such maps of this county are, but I couldn’t be sure that the pub marked on it, three and a half miles southwest of us, would still be there.
It was, however, a worthy goal — set in a second village made famous by a knight. Friend squeaked in horror at the distance. I told him — given our target — that it would be more appropriate (and dignified) if he didn’t.
It made no difference. He squeaked for nearly an hour. His boots squeaked in the snow, his rucksack squeaked on its frame and he kept up a litany of complaint. Sir Thomas would have been appalled.
Good job I was fibbing. So I made a short detour from the path to an agricultural undertaking two and a half miles west-southwest of the first village. It was established in 2004, and its products are festooned with awards.
“Guess where we’re having lunch?” I asked. Suddenly Friend’s eyes were sparkling.
The questions
1. What’s the name of the first-mentioned village?
2. What’s the name of the second village?
The prize
The winner and guest will stay for two nights, B&B, in one of the new Elements Spa Barns at Retreat East — the Sunday Times Romantic Hotel of the Year. Set in 35 acres of Suffolk countryside, this former dairy farm has been brought back to life as a rustic-chic escape, complete with exposed beams, flint walls and a small spa. The Elements barns are snug, private escapes, with four-poster beds, walk-in showers and an outdoor tub — with a wood-burning stove to add a comforting crackle.
A dinner for two (excluding drinks) is included in the prize. The head chef, Adam Spicer, was a MasterChef: The Professionals finalist, and his menu bursts with seasonal flavours — savoy cabbage stuffed with chestnuts and smoked pigeon with salt-baked beetroot among them.
For details see retreateast.co.uk. The prize must be taken between January 2 and April 30, 2023, subject to availability and excluding February 10 to 14 and April 1 to 16, subject to availability.
The competition closes at the end of Wednesday, December 21, 2022.
Enter the competition
Can’t see the competition form? Enter at thesundaytimes.co.uk/wherewasi
Last week’s prize
The answers are Castleford and Carlton. Vinu Sreejababu of Surrey wins a luxury short break for two at Treehouse Hotel London.
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