Inside The Cage – St. Andrews for a Sea Change

Window table overlooking the west sands as the sun goes down in one of the best seafood restaurants in the UK. The Seafood Restaurant. St. Andrews. All glass. Poised above the rocks. Stunning. And then there’s the food. Crab. Scallops and chilled watermelon puree to kick off with.Grilled Halibut with potatoes ecrassee and a cumin foamy sauce that I have never experienced before. Cheese platter to follow (seven different kinds to sample on one plate for you.) and ice cold Spanish Sauvignon Blanc to wash it down with. (The kind you never actually come across when you are in Spain.) Oh my word. Just go there.

I had a twenty four hour pass to escape the Edinburgh madness so I took a trip back to my old University. Twenty odd years ago I was standing on the very same rocks (the restaurant didn’t exist then – nor did the Starbucks and Costas that are unfortunately threatening to turn St. Andrews into a take away coffee mall) with my friend Parrish Freeman. We had our guitars with us and we’d been up all night drinking tequila. About nine in the morning we finished off the bottle and went to play our songs to the seagulls and any other creature who might care to listen. It was a good moment. Graduation day. ( I got a II ii – a Desmond. A did get a distinction however in spoken German.)

I haven’t seen Parrish since but thanks to the Internet we’re back in touch – I have a trip planned to North Carolina as soon as the diary permits.

Having spent the last day walking the sands and the golf links I am re-charged to do battle. It’s looking good. Another nice four star review – from The British Theatre Guide – and we are back in business.

The Cage is here again. You are invited. Be there if you dare. (And then go to St. Andrews for dinner at The Seafood Restaurant – it’ll take you an hour by train.)

Bye for now.