Consett

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Consett. To the uninitiated, young or disinterested, Consett might not ring any bells at all. To those who remember the economic problems of the late 1970's, early 80's and even more recent times, Consett is perhaps synonomous with heavy industry and its demise. In particular, the steel industry.

Having visted the area previously (well, Middlesborough, actually) I had a rough indication of what to expect: industrial, bleak, sulpherous. In the event, it was not all like that. Bleak, certainly, but more in the way of high up and windswept . Industrial? Nope. It all seems to have gone. Sulpherous? No way. In fact, there is a fabulous wooded valley running from Consett down towards Cumbria with stunning views, forests and lots of agriculture.

I stayed at the Derwent Manor Hotel at Allensford. A really nice hotel in a great setting. Don't think I'd go there on holiday but, as a place to stay on business, it was fine. For some reason, I was assigned a double double room (no spelling mistake). The room had two double beds in it and was very large! This meant that I had loads of room for working during the evening and just generally spreading out. The hotel also boasts a swimming pool and fitness centre (no extra charge) and, most importantly, free wi-fi internet access (just remember to choose a location near to the reception desk - coverage is not that brilliant).

For me, the only thing that let it down was the restaurant. A very tasty chicken and mushroom soup was over salted and the lamb rump to follow, whilst accompanied by a good selection of vegetables, seemed of dubious origin. At breakfast, bacon was "soggy", damp and full of moisture without any indication of being crisp (or even cooked). Sausages were appropriate to an inferior hot dog stall. Do not despair, however, Penna and Chicken, with lots of stir fry vegetables, in the bar was excellent.

Would I stay there again? Certainly but I wouldn't eat in the overpriced, below par restaurant.

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