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Good work! Hope it continues well
(ps, really lovely to see certain axe grinders in this thread, can we not just have a positive one for once?)
Let's hear the important stuff, what cake you stocking?
Who's being negative?
Nice one!
Will try to get over on way from Chilterns to Woodstock (another one with family in there).
Actually, you're near RAF Benson aren't you?
I hear that a newly opened coffee shop might be appearing in the local Oxford newspapers soon. Wondering if that's you. Did you have a photographer who I can only liken to an excitable labrador puppy come by for photos?
Well done. Sounds ace. Really hoping it does well, by the sounds of it you will. Pencilled in for a visit if we ever get down that way.
Mac - lol it was us, spooky, it's going to be in the Oxford mail hopefully! The photographer came over yesterday, do you know him?!
Importantly cakes.... All home made by a local business. No preservatives, all fresh. Double chocolate cakes, carrot cake, Victoria sponge, the best brownies you can imagine, cookies, and guest cakes and more including toffee banana flapjacks.
All the bacon and sausage is local sourced too from the butcher in the village too. Not the cheapest but proper meat and very tasty.
Haven't had time to download pics yet but will do soon!
Right, you met Ed Nix then. He's a really nice bloke and one of the wifes photographers at the Mail.
Got home last night and I thought I'd do my little bit for the singletrackworld community and mentioned that there was a possible local news story, mountain biker, new coffee shop, Cholsey blah blah, only to to be told that she'd already sent Ed out to shoot you!
If I hear when it's going to run I'll shout so you can go out an buy all the copies from the local newsagents 😉
Hope it goes well. We'll have to make it a scheduled stop on a ride one day.
Hey Rob!
We headed in for elevenses on our way home from swimming - no wonder you're so pleased with the place! Cutting straight to the keenly anticipated cake news, my lemon drizzle cake (and hot chocolate) were delicious and Miss Makrie's scone (that I wasn't allowed to touch) looked great! My one regret is that I didn't notice the brownies earlier, they'll be my next time choice for sure. I'll also keep my fingers crossed for MTB mag back issues to appear in the future - I'm not sure your wife actually believed any bikers would turn up!
STW dad's club notice, my toddler learned two new words whilst we were there - 'salt' and 'pepper' - thus proving that even though the 60's are gone, cafés remain intellectual hothouses. An unconnected aside for Rob, the salt and pepper pots on the table in front of the sofa may need refilling 😉
I was surprised at the number of people in - not over-full, but certainly a nice low buzz, long may it continue. We'll certainly return next Tuesday and could well pop back sooner if I get us caught at a loose end... cheers!
Congratulations!
Was that the one I suggested topless waitresses for?
If so did you do it????
If you did pics are definitely needed for this thread - if you didn't I'll find some pics on my own you selfish git! (PS please don't post pics of that nature as I work in an open plan office where that kind of web browsing if a no-no!)
Markie - that's great feedback. Will get onto the salt and pepper refills! Don't know what my wife has done with the mags so will investigate! Would be good to meet you in person!
Topless - not done yet but I'll suggest it 😉
Where about a are you in cholsey. I'm out on a ride tomorrow and a mid ride Bacon sarnie is quite appealing.
Pete - that would be great. We are just by the little tesco bt the forty (the green in the middle if the village). Bacon will be waiting!
Hopefully this works.....
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The reflection in the windows is the village green it looks over.
Note to self - get better pics and smarten up the website!
Fantastic news and really good on you for having the balls. I hope it goes well for you both.
well done good luck
ooh i'm Blewbury, i'll pop over for a cuppa!
What a nice thread. I don't know you Rob2 but congratuations and good luck. If we are ever over that way I'll be in to try the brownies!!
Kev - that would be cool. If you or markie ever fancy a loop one day ending with coffee and cake action let us know. couple of us into mtbs in Cholsey. 🙂
Tell you what I've just had an ace (even though I do say myself!) idea.
We cycle to cafe every Sat (usually Ascot / Henley / Marlow)
Wouldn't it be great if you could cycle to a Cafe and had somewhere to lean you bike against and they loaned you a nice big D-Lock while you have a coffee.
We don't carry locks on the road bike, so we either sit in the cold with the bikes or watch them like hawks while we have a coffee. 😀
Cafe supplying locks is a great idea, no chance of people pedalling off without paying either :p
Just had a group email from an NCT friend asking if anyone else had been to the nice new café in Cholsey!
Does the café have a Facebook page?
Tiger - according to the OP, there's secure bike storage at the back of the caff.
Sounds like a great place - maybe get some chinstroking bike mags in - Rouleur, The Ride, Privateer, maybe even Bike, if it's not disappeared up its own fundament. Proper sit-down-four-coffee-and-cake reads. Get the numbers up. 🙂
Seriously, I may have to move house. Can you open one in Bristol?
Re storage - we've got a lockable garage at the back of the cafe so can keep bikes in there plus if peeps are interested I'll keep a **** off big chain and lock behind the counter.
Website and Facebook here - http://www.fourteas.co.uk/ (I know the website is a but rubbish we're on it but doing it ourselves! Menu is on there though!)
Nct - cool!
Ps - we're only about 12 miles from Henley 😉
2 Million likes! on Facebook, well done!
hmmmmm Maybe get that fixed 🙂
Ace work, Rob. I'm now long gone from Oxon, but wish you the best. 😀
But be choosy about which cyclists you let in - wrinkly old audaxers will sit there all day in their wool shorts and buy one cup of tea between them...!
You need to rpovide secure Audi parking and a suitable carpark for Moutain Biker Faffing(tm).
Good luck with the cafe, used to work in Wallingford so know the area.
Yeah the Facebook likes doesn't look right!
It's not giving your likes, it's giving the likes of what it links to, The Facebook Platform.
I think you need to change a link destination from this:
to this:
Hey this is great news! You should do STW discount ... 😉 only joking got to make some money! I used to be a uniform bobby in Cholsey shame it wasn't there then! I'll forward this onto the teams, they may pop in more central point to deploy from!!
RAF Benson isn't far at all! I shall spread the word, oh and Pedalhead if you can factor a stop in there to our Chiltern rides that would be ace ... actually can't be far from Grims Ditch maybe 15 mins on the road.
As a fellow local mtb-er, I can confirm less than 10 mins from Grims Ditch! I also have a piece of Lemon Drizzle sat in the kitchen for pudding tonight which was purchased at said Cafe earlier by Mrs Sheck
OOO 10 mins from Grims Ditch it's getting better by the minute! oH man my MTBing may take a back burner...
It's in todays Oxford Mail no less.
http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/headlines/9035013.New_Cholsey_cafe_thanks_to_grandpa/
Do you need help with the website btw?
Cheers for the Oxford mail link. My wife is the one on the right!
Molgrips - we might well do. Jo's dad is helping us but I need to get it off his hands a bit. Not easy! Can I get back to you over the weekend?
Ok then...Jeez.
Thanks Drac...
How's the coffee shop going?
nice work, i love reading stuff like this. 😀
rob2, just out of curiosity, find out if your wife knows Nina Barrs and Kiernan Doherty (head of enhancements) from her Network Rail days. I'm often on the other side of the table from them on major infrastructure projects.
Dd - it's going well. Hard work but good. We've increased the menu recently which has worked well and have started a few events like childrens boom readings etc. Spent a lot of time on getting customer service tip top and building reputation.
Are we going to be able to retire to the south of France? No but it's been worth it so far.
Hoping to get didcot phoenix to get us on one of their routes on sundays so if anyone on here rides with them let me know!
Pete - my wife doesn't know them (she worked on the GSMR project, or GSMarse as it was known!) 🙂
Glad it's going well, Rob. The option to flip the middle finger at your current employer must be overwhelmingly tempting! 😈
It is but I have a mortgage to pay and two kids in nursery!
Back from summmeerrrrset. Will phone Tomoz!
Tsk, and you didn't drop in 🙁
It was jo's birthday so it was family stuff all round. Believe me not my ideal weekend !
Hehe - escape to the Qs would've been A Smart Move! 😉