Matlock Bath

Sunday. Biker's haunt. Has to be done!

Darling Jess took me in the car (shhhh) to Matlock Bath to meet up with some mates. Lovely day as we set off, so the top was down. As we drove over Carsington, it started to look pretty horrible though. Thankfully, we managed to park up and put the roof up, before the heavens opened. There were 2 giant umbrellas in the car, so we casually strolled around Matlock looking at the shops and bikes. It was certainly warm though - typical British weather!

We had arrived a bit early, so after another circuit, we made our way back to the Fishpond and met up with Chris, Rachel, Maxie, Mickster and Rugs. What a laugh. There were some others around too, but I don't remember who! Thankfully, the rain stopped so we were able to have a lovely time, without having to find somewhere to shelter.

After a lot of laughter, people had things to do and places to see, so we slowly split up. Chris and Rachel were meeting friends at a Chinese in Ambergate and we were invited to join them. By the time we had walked back to the car, they had already gone, so we joined the slow traffic and pootled off. I was convinced the restaurant was on the right hand side of the road, so it was with some amusment that we drove straight past Chris on the left, and we waved to him very regally, before we could find a place to turn back around!

The Memory of China turned out to be a revelation. On the A6, on the junction with the A610, you can't go wrong with a cheap Sunday dinner (if you like Chinese food). £7 a head, if you finish before 5:30, with all you can eat. BUT, this was not a buffet. You order what you like and it is cooked for you there and then. You can order as much as you like, as many ties as you like. Between the 7 of us, we had soup, then a starter selection. We then had another starter selection (it was rather nice), before ordering the main courses. As the food is freshly prepared, not only is it hot, it really is fresh. I honestly think it is the best Chinese food I have ever eaten in the UK (or in Europe). The cleverest part, I thought, was, as there is some level of delay between courses, patrons stomach's have the chance to start feeling full, so nobody orders huge platefuls of meals that they can't actually eat. Perfect. For our table, there was only one dish wasted, which turned out not to be to the person's taste. Fair enough. It was picked at enough by the others anyway, that there wasn't much wasted in the end anyway. She also simply ordered a different dish, so she didn't go hungry either.

(The service was a little slow on the day we went, but that was unusual. Certainly, there was a good turnover of tables, so the locals know about it.) I can seriously recommend it.