Fundraiser to make West Wemyss Blooming Beautiful!

photo by Carole Fitzgerald

Last year for the first time, after a lot of really hard work from residents/village volunteers, West Wemyss was awarded a Silver by Beautiful Fife.

 Interestingly, the aims of Beautiful Fife are:

• to protect, preserve and enhance the environment of Fife's towns, villages and countryside by promoting the prevention and control of litter and improving the quality of the local environmental in general for the residents and visitors alike.
• to improve the public's understanding of the natural environment and the role we can play in it's future.
• to improve the environment throughout Fife by promoting, encouraging and assisting in the raising of standards of public floral and horticultural displays.
• 
  to increase community spirit and 
  encourage public participation to make Fife a great place to work, live and visit.
  
  
  In other words, it's not all about public floral and horticultural displays -but they play their part, as does voluntary participation - Local children, for instance, put a lot of effort into the sensory garden created in the middle of the village.
  
  
  So last year, West Wemyss started to look increasingly pretty - and the floral enhancement group in the village are keen to make an even bigger impression this year (especially as we are hoping for some decent summer weather this year!)
  
  
  So they're holding a fundraising Race Night in Coaltown of Wemyss Village Hall on Saturday 11th May. Running from 7.30pm - 11.30pm, tickets are £2 each and the monies raised will contribute to more lovely blooms in the village of West Wemyss and also support The Vintage Gala.
  
  
  If you are interested in coming along to support everyone's efforts, you are welcome to contact The West Wemyss Walk Inn on 01592 652001, where there will be tickets available.

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Yay! We have a fabulous new chef.

Our new chef is fabulous and is serving up his new menu in the bistro on Saturday 27th April. His emphasis is on wholesome, generous food and we're delighted that he has joined us from The Orocco Pier in South Queensferry.

So please do book for Saturday evening - the winter has been a long one, and with a bit of warmth in the sun it's great to feel that summer and eating out and the end of long dark nights is finally over! The menu is attached below. We're excited!!

photo by Carole Fitzgerald

Starters

Chef's Soup of the Day £3.50

Prepared from fresh ingredients and served with crusty bread

Twisted Bruschetta £3.95

Toasted garlic bread with cherry and sun-dried tomatoes, finished with fresh basil

and parmesan shavings, served with salad leaves

Shetland Mussels  £6.95/£10/95

Steamed with garlic, onions, white wine, cream and served with crusty bread

Goats cheese and Red Onion Tartlet £4.95

Caramelised red onions topped with goats cheese in short crust pastry case.

Mains

Seafood Chowder £9.50

A creamy bowl of mixed seafood and new potato broth, served with crusty bread.

Smoked Haddock £8.50

On mash with a cheddar cheese sauce and topped with black pudding and poached egg

Rib eye Steak 10oz  £13.50

Hendersons beef hung for 21 days marinaded, char grilled and served with puffy chips and salad

Mushroom Risotto  £7.95

Finished  with parmesan  and tarragon pesto

Pane i Tulipano - Film night and Italian breakfast series

Lovely Italian Lucia works in The West Wemyss Walk Inn most days. She suggested, recently, that we host a series of Italian Saturday morning brunches - combining typical Italian brunchy foods with Italian conversation, newspapers and overall Italian ambience.

And so from Saturday 4th May, and running for 8 consecutive weeks, we proudly introduce our Italian Saturday brunch: Pane i Tulipano (bread and tulips) - named after the wonderful Italian film of the same name. 

photo by Carole Fitzgerald

Lucia will be organising delicious Italian cakes and breads and biscotti  (we'll bake some of them here at The Walk Inn), and she'll chat away in Italian and make the BEST cappuccino's. You can browse Italian cookery books and Italian newspapers, practice your Italian, learn some basic conversation and immerse yourself in a little bit of Italy even if the weather does stay chilly outside.

So, if you're planning a visit to Italy this summer, or simply want to brush up on your Italian, why not come along. Booking required.

You would probably also enjoy our Italian Film Night on Wednesday 1st May. We'll be cooking up an Italian buffet to get you in the mood for  the romantic storyline: After being forgotten in a highway café during a bus trip, a housewife decides to start a new life by herself in Venice.

Italian Film Night - Wed 1st May £7.50/head 
                                   Pane e Tulipani
                                   Buffet 7pm. Film starts 8pm.

Pane e Tulipani Breakfast - Sat 4th May £6.50
                                                   (weekly for 8 weeks)
                                                   10.30 - 12.30
To Book either the Film night or our Pane e Tulipani Breakfast series, please phone 01592 652001.

It's amazing what you find on your doorstep!

Last week I paid a visit to The Wemyss School of Needlework. It's beautiful. 

photograph courtesy of Wemyss School of Needlework

Now run by Fiona Wemyss, the school was originally founded in Wemyss Castle in 1877 by Dora Wemyss, and then moved to its present purpose built home in 1880, on the Main Street of Coaltown of Wemyss. Care of the school has been passed down through the Wemyss family and the School's seamstresses until Mary Birrell (the great grand-daughter of the first mistress, Mrs Webster), retired in 2012.

photograph courtesy of Wemyss School of Needlework

Whether you are a complete beginner, an aspiring embroiderer, or extremely accomplished in the craft, you will find the school fascinating. The building is now a light and airy space in which intricate works from across the years sit side by side with lovely old bits of furniture. Carefully scribed old ledgers document past works and purchases - It was interesting to note that wools purchased in the early 1940's were nearly all either white or navy; clearly destined for the serving armed forces.

photograph courtesy of Wemyss School of Needlework

The school also houses an important and unique collection of textiles and artefacts, including original designs, tracings and paintings, source materials and pieces collected from around the world. 

photograph courtesy of Wemyss School of Needlework

The school supplies bespoke pieces of work for you to sew from their large collection of designs, or they will design something especially for you. You can also buy quality needlework materials, including canvas, Appleton's Wool, needles, sundries and books.

photograph courtesy of Wemyss School of Needlework

The school is open to visit on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday 10-5. Groups of up 20 are welcome by pre-arrangment (and there is a charge of £2.50/head for groups). You can also purchase online. 

Fiona Wemyss is also planning needlework classes of up to 10 people at a time, and for all levels, later in the year - an ideal opportunity to work with experts and to learn the skills and techniques passed down through the ages.

So, if you are interested in textiles and wondering what to do with a decidedly chilly Easter break, why not stop by. The heritage of this area is vast and well worth exploring and sometimes we don't even appreciate what's right on our own doorstep!

And of course, within easy walking distance of West Wemyss - continue down the path at the side of the school, through The Wemyss Estate and you will arrive in West Wemyss at the Church end of the village - you should probably stop by the West Wemyss Walk Inn for some delicious food and a good hot drink!

info@wemyssneedlework.co.uk        01592 651 346

Happy days. Sunny days.

It would seem that maybe summer is on its way. A point in this direction is always the amount of walkers and cyclists who drop by to The West Wemyss Walk Inn. On the cold, wet and storm-lashed days of what has seemed like a very long winter, sometimes even these hardy souls are few and far between. But as the sun comes out, they do too - arriving thirsty and hungry, and appreciative of both our very nice food and very nice welcome.

Local fisherman Ian has just dropped by. I'm keen to shout hello to the warmer sunnier days by holding a celebratory seafood and shellfish evening in the bistro sometime over the next month. Not to be, according to Ian - the extremely sub zero month of March has meant that langoustines and crabs haven't been landed and his creels remain tied to the harbour wall, most likely until the end of the month. Oh well. Do you remember Easter last year - when we had a fortnight of sun and everybody was hopeful that the summer was going to be a good one? Ian was less optimistic, I remember : 'that was our summer,' he said. And he was right. I was too scared to ask him for a forecast today. Suffice to say that a little sun dance is being planned. Just in case.

photography:carole fitzgerald 

photography: carole fitzgerald