Selfie With Mum
The George & Dragon, Fordwich, July 2017
It is our 17th wedding anniversary today, so congratulations (and commiserations) to my lovely wife, Vanessa, for putting up with me for this long. We had a warm and sunny Friday evening to celebrate it, and we took the boys for a meal at the George & Dragon in Fordwich. This pub is just down the road for us and is a family favourite - there’s great food, with sharing platters of charcuterie and Korean spiced chicken wings to start, followed by steaks for the boys or fish & chips the size of a whale. It has become a bit of a family joke that Vanessa takes ages to decide on her meal but always ends up having one of the (excellent) burgers. The pub gardens have an old tractor for children to play on, and the River Stour runs nearby. I took this picture of Monty and his mum taking a selfie…
You can get to The George & Dragon Inn easily by following the A28 from Canterbury towards Margate, and when you get to Sturry after about 2 miles, turn right into Fordwich. The pub is a lovely 15th-century building set on the banks of the river Stour. Fordwich is the smallest town in Britain and has a lot of history. The pub has been at the centre of community life for centuries. The food is excellent at the George & Dragon, with menus with a spine of classic British dishes complemented by more exotic influences from other parts of the world. Near the pub, there is a circular pub walk you can try if you want to work up an appetite - it is a 5.6-mile loop trail and is considered a moderately challenging route which takes about 2 hours to complete. This trail is great for birding, hiking, and walking. The walking route explores the adjacent Stour Valley with the chance to enjoy the pretty River Stour and extensive views from the woodland and open range paths. The full route also includes an additional stretch into Canterbury, where you'll have a chance to see the famous cathedral and the city's other historical sites. There are several hills throughout the walk, and while the first half follows a solid cycle path, the second part of the route follows grass and dirt paths, which can be quite muddy in the winter or wet weather. Five stiles on the route, all with open fencing, should allow dogs to pass through. You will also need to cross two cattle grids with gaps suitable for dogs.
Fujifilm X-Pro 2 with XF 23mm f/1.4 lens, 1/180 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200, Lightroom, Color Efex Pro 4, Silver Efex Pro 2
