Marlow - The Beyonder

GOOD service is hard to find.

Impeccable service is even even more elusive, especially in a digital age which has fostered a respect for speed and efficiency over any authentic attempt to engender a sense of trust and loyalty among patrons.

Perhaps it’s appropriate, then, that the art deco surroundings of The Ivy Marlow Garden should reflect not just the timeless elegance of the 1920s but the attentive service we normally tend to associate with a bygone age when an expert maître d’ could make every customer feel personally known and valued.

It’s a dying art. And it’s one of the reasons behind the success of the original Ivy, opened in Covent Garden back in 1917 as an unlicensed Italian café and rapidly turning into one of London’s great Theatreland rendezvous, patronised in the 1940s by Olivier and Gielgud, Marlene Dietrich, Noel Coward and the like.

Revitalised in the Nineties, it became as popular with Hollywood stars and Royalty as it had been with the theatre legends of old, with long waiting lists for reservations boosted by the potential prospect of catching a glimpse of Madonna, Brad Pitt or Kate Moss.

Under the ownership of Richard Caring, over the past 20 years the brand has dramatically expanded beyond London’s Theatreland, with more than 40 cafes and brasseries opening around the country, including Marlow, Windsor, Oxford and St Albans.

Thankfully the passion for fine food has extended to ensuring that the elegant ambience and intimate attention to detail has not been diluted in the process of expansion, and the warm welcoming glow has an extra festive flavour when the Christmas decorations are up.

We’re here for a December breakfast treat, a chance to enjoy a little old-world luxury before facing the rigours of the high street, and we’re not disappointed.

They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day, a sacred meal, one to be savoured and embraced, full of promise and possibilities.

Where better to enjoy it, then, than in an establishment that understands how to create a memorable, multi-sensory experience which never feels pretentious, stuffy or uncomfortable.

This is the sort of meal which conjures up the characters from an Evelyn Waugh or PG Wodehouse novel, a leisurely moment of respite from the outside world where all the senses are engaged, from the feel of linen and heavy hotelware to the taste of well-cooked fresh ingredients, elegantly presented.

At around £60 for two, breakfast at The Ivy is perhaps double the cost of an equivalent full English at your local greasy spoon, but the cheaper option is likely to be a lot less memorable.

Like an affable colonel in an Agatha Christie mystery, we linger over the toast and marmalade before emerging onto the high street replete, mellow and ready to cope with the challenges of the day ahead. And it’s pretty hard to put a price on that sense of wellbeing.

For menus, opening times and bookings, visit The Ivy Marlow Garden website.

THERE are times of the year when the Thames Path between Bourne End becomes a bit of a mudbath.

But when it dries out, it’s the perfect place for an evening stroll, watching the world go by on the river.

Winston Churchill once described the Thames to the Queen as the “silver thread which runs through the history of Britain”.

The year was 1954 and she recalled sailing up the “dirty commercial river” at the conclusion of her six-month Australasia Commonwealth tour to be greeted by her prime minister.

“He saw things in a very romantic and glittering way,” the monarch later recalled.

She was perhaps being a little too self-deprecating. Both she and Churchill were only too well aware of the extraordinary history of Britain’s most iconic river, its banks lined by cultural landmarks and historic towns.

Today, the Thames Path is a long-distance walking trail tracing the route of England’s best-known river for 185 miles as it meanders from its source in the Cotswolds through several rural counties into the heart of London.

But the short section between Bourne End and Marlow provides a welcome chance to savour the river away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Easily accessed from a free car park in Coldmoorholme Lane, this is a picturesque part of the river that runs alongside the railway line to Marlow.

Flat and undemanding, it’s an appealing stroll for families and suitable for all ages, with the Marlow Mums singling it out as a great choice for little legs.

With feathered families out on the water in the spring, there’s plenty to hold the attention too, ducks and geese out in force alongside the walkers, sailors and rowers.

In the spring, the hawthorn blossoms are in full bloom, the goslings are learning to swim and, a couple of fields away, the baby bunnies are out playing too as dusk falls.

During the summer months, locals drowse on their verandas on the opposite bank as the shadows lengthen and pleasure craft chug to and fro.

Popular circular walking routes here include a detour to study the wildfowl on Spade Oak Quarry, or there’s always the option of letting the train take the strain if you fancy a jar or two in one of the welcoming hostelries along the way, or a restaurant meal in Marlow, Bourne End or Cookham.

The branch line to Marlow is a single-track seven-mile line via Bourne End to Maidenhead, and very picturesque it is too. Passenger services are operated by the Great Western Railway using two-coach diesel multiple unit trains, normally every half hour, but hourly after 9pm.

Back in steam days the train used to be known as The Marlow Donkey, normally taking the form of a one-coach train powered by a small pannier tank. Although the exact derivation of the term is unclear, a pub near the station in Marlow is named after it.

But if you’re happy to just watch the train clattering off towards Marlow or Bourne End, a pint or a bite is close at hand at the nearby Spade Oak, a popular upmarket country pub with a wide-ranging menu.

Tag: Marlow

Long history of service sets The Ivy apart

Wander down by the waterside