earlier at the Fram Crown

♫ Maybe it's us but Man in the Hat's voice seems to have moved from baritone to tenor since we first heard it at Hachfest four? years ago ... either way it's essentially enjoyable tunefullness was making him new friends at the Framlingham Crown last night.

Long time bar manager at the Framlingham Station and more recently manager of the Crown Hotel Gareth Clelland will be joining ex-Station chef Phil next week at the Wright Brother's Oyster Bar in a large town near Chelmsford.  We ate there last year at a birthday party and encouragingly porter beer is served.

After four years doing work of national importance dispensing liquid therapy at the Framlingham Station yesterday was bar manager Gareth Clelland's last day, but he's only moving up the hill to become manager of the Crown Hotel.

Good news for ntc musos, strong rumours that the Ipswich Railway will re-open with the last landlords of the Ipswich Milestone (another muso pub) behind the bar and the Milestone is expected to re-open today with Roy Hunt previously of the Framlingham Crown and presently the Ipswich Station in charge.

The Sunday Carvery has moved to reubens bar & grill.

Executive chef Simon Pickess joined at the beginning of the year and for some reason we didn't tell you about it!

Everybody wanted to know what the red carpet was for outside the Framlingham Crown, indeed Linda from the stationers sent a runner to find out, and now you all know it was for the twins Gemima and Alice's eleventh birthday party complete with stretch limo that had been delayed by the traffic for the Rod Stewart concert in Ipswich.

Pics of reubens first night on their site and you would have thought we would want a breather after that but No!  Today we became the new landlords of the Station Hotel in Ipswich.

reubens was officially opened this morning was and is fully booked for tonight.

The builders handed over Reubens yesterday and a little calm descended on the courtyard though there'll still be a certain amount of dashing about as we get ready for the opening on Friday 15th June.  Reubens was officially opened this morning

Le Patron Roy Hunt has had to explain so many times how he broke his wrist that he wants the world to know he fell off a ladder at home and yes, it was bloody silly and yes, he is finding it difficult to point at things.

Lot's of activity out the back including much amusement when Roy and Tracy spotted a builder falling through the roof ... no, not really but the courtyard is open with two circles created out of cobbles from the stables making a little nod to the past.

The lovely sunshine this Easter meant our courtyard was much used.  Regrettably from today until the end of next week building work on Reuben's Bar and Grill means the courtyard may not be available and there may not be access to the hotel through the courtyard from the car park.

Work has started at the rear to convert the stables into Reuben's Bar and Grill which has already got its own web site.

Wireless Internet has been unavailable in most of the bedrooms since yesterday morning, expect it back on by tomorrow evening.

By the car park at the rear we have the stables which were rather appropriately used at last year's Street Fayre for a live nativity complete with donkey!  This spring the stables are being sympathetically restored and converted to a bar and restaurant so we can offer even more facilities.  The bit that has caught us out is discovering Brown Long-Eared Bats in the roof.  We are observing all conservation guidelines and regs about our non-paying guests and inevitably it has slowed things down but we are still on course for opening the new restaurant this summer.

Because of the chicken flu up the road (not to be confused with chicken beer) there's a Sky news team staying at the Framlingham The Crown including Robert Nisbet, Paul Harrison and Paul Brennan, ... mmm ... three presenters?  Must be bigger than we realise ...