We brought pork-and-chestnut sausages back from Clitheroe, gingerbread-and-chestnut-honey mustard from Dijon, and the ingredients for a couscous salad with chestnuts from the fridge and cupboards. It is so nice to come back from a week away and have dinner all ready to make.

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I cannot claim to have been to Clitheroe on this trip: I picked out the sausages from the brochure, and those who were going phoned ahead to reserve our various orders. C. and I were off to the Clog and Billycock, a Ribble Valley Inn pub near the town of Pleasington, to catch up with makyo and A. The structure is slightly confused, with table service for drinks, and counter service for ordering food. Still, it is a spacious, high-ceiled, stone-floored pub with wood burning fires, an interesting drinks menu, and good food.

We shared deep-fried cauliflower with curried mayonnaise, and a selection of dips and bread. Just as well we shared - our mains were substantial. My hotpot was topped with potato slices so thin, they had nearly turned into crisps under the grill. The side of pickled cabbage was crisp, light, and refreshing. C. had the burger, mysteriously disguised under the lable of minced steak. No wonder it was filling: it was 100% Ribble Valley. We hope no one else wanted to visit it, since he and makyo ate it all. A.'s seafood board was lovely, but defeatingly substantial. Nevertheless, between us we managed energy for two desserts: pancakes/crêpes with a scoop of toffee-and-gingerbread ice cream made in house.

Socially, it was educational: we learned about "The Hexagons", a never-made television sitcom about polygons and their lives. I wish it had been.