Sunday Treats

What are you up to on Sunday?

As regulars to the Oakeley Arms will know, Sunday is one of our favourite days. And that's because Sunday is CARVERY DAY!

We've been told by many of our regular diners that the Oakeley Arms carvery is one of the best in Gwynedd. A bold statement we know, but we thought we'd let our happy, and full, customers  speak out for us!

As well as piling your plate with delicious local meats, vegetables and all the trimmings from the carvery, we also let you in on another secret and a fabulous Sunday treat. Special guest singer Mared Emlyn charms Oakeley diners every Sunday with her selection of chilled out modern and classical songs. From show tunes to folk songs to classical ballads, at the tender age of 15, Mared has mastered them all.

Mared, who's a pupil at nearby Ysgol y Gader in Dolgellau, has been singing since she was five years old. She's won numerous national Eisteddfod prizes as well as countless local recital and musical competitions. In a few weeks time, she'll be trying the Grade 7 Singing exam at the prestigious Royal College of Music. And not only does she sing, but she plays the piano, harp, guitar and drums.

She certainly is a talented young lady. So what are you waiting for? Come along on Sunday for Gwynedd's best carvery and a magical musical treat.

See you there!

As well as appearing at the Oakeley every Sunday, Gwynedd based singer Mared performs at private functions, parties and weddings. For more information, you can contact her at parry4py@btinternet.com

 

Strictly Update - Week 7 show

Way to Wembley!

Well, Russell has only gone and done it! He's made it to the fantastic Wembley show next Saturday, and we are thrilled to bits for him.

He totally deserved it after his excellent performance on Saturday. Over to you Russell for a glimpse into your busy week..... and good luck with the rehearsals for this week's coming extravaganza. When you've a spare minute, you'll have to pop to the Oakeley Arms to teach us some moves!

It’s been a busy time since I last had a chance on Thursday to update my blog. A busy, but an exciting and even exhilarating time.

The days have passed in a melee of press interviews, practice sessions and preparations for the big show on Saturday. I have even had a couple of photo shoots for the glossy, celebrity magazines so I hope you’ll have as much fun seeing the photos as I had during the shoot.

Saturday night was a real high. Great dancing and great scores for Harry and Aliona and don’t they deserve their place at the top of the scoreboard. They are just so fantastic on the floor the rest of us just look on in admiration.

Chelsee and Pasha’s Foxtrot was “Elegant, graceful, gorgeous and sophisticated” and it earned them a well deserved second place with only one point behind Harry and Aliona. Holly and Brendan shared third place Jason and Kristina and once again they bring that special starry something to the evening.

It fell to me to bring the show to an end with one of my favourite songs “I am what I am” from the hit show - La Cage aux Folles. Well I was what I was and I had the greatest time dancing the American Smooth with Flavia and I think I did pretty well all things considered. Did you like the quick change? I have never been in and out of my clothes quicker! A standing ovation thrilled me to bits. The audience loved it. I loved it and I hope you loved it too.

Len dubbed me “The Giant Ferrero Roche” and followed it up with a “Well Done!”

I took Alisha to a “Fun Place” and Bruno thought I “Couldn’t wait to get out of the closet”

A single “Immortal” from Craig crowned my night.

Did you like the video before the dance with multiple me’s coming out of the woods to serenade the fabulous Flavia. We had some real fun and laughs doing that with the BBC crew up in the beautiful hills of my home in Wales.

Sunday brought us together for the results show and we had to say good bye to the Big Man with the Big Heart. Audley and Natalie bowed out with their usual grace. We will all be sad to see them go, but that’s the way the show goes and sooner or later we will all go except for the wonderful winner of this year’s show.

Now I have a very busy week ahead of me. The Wembley show looks like being a true extravaganza. There are extra practice sessions built into the schedule. In between rehearsals there are more interviews and photo shoots to keep me busy. Whatever you do don’t miss Saturday’s show I can promise you it will be something special and you’ll see things you never thought you’d see and I can promise you, you’ll never see again! Intrigued? Tune in and watch!

More from me on Thursday about how the week has gone.

Thanks to everyone at The Oakeley Arms, sorry not to see you this week - The BBC film crew will miss the special ribs that are the talk of the BBC.

If you are one of those who have sent me a message I must ask for your patience. Usually I deal with them all promptly and reply straight away, but the BBC have sent all the messages to my home and because this week is so busy I have to stay in London so I won’t be able to deal with the post until I get home again next Monday.

Just one special mention – thank you to young James in Stockport for his drawing of Flavia and I getting 10 points from each of the judges and thanks to Madeleine and Violet Karczewski for her drawing and her kind words. They are both up on the fridge!

“Thanks for being there!” and Keep Dancing!

Strictly Update - Week 7

Ribs O'Clock!

Goodness me, it's been another busy week for our dancer Russell. It's the American Smooth dance this weekend, and we too are hoping that Russell and Flavia will storm the score boards and make it through to next week's show from Wembley!

As always Russell, we'll be cheering you on. Over to you for an update, while we get busy making some more stocks of our famous ribs! They are certainly proving a BIG hit........

This week has been rather different and difficult.

Poor Flavia was due to travel from London to North Wales for our usual practice sessions, but with one thing and another the whole day was lost. Delayed leaving London Flavia travelled with the BBC film crew and got tangled up in traffic so she didn’t reach North Wales until 9.30 at night.

Not only that but because we had lost so much time the film crew decided to do some interview sessions straight away so filming began about 10.00 at night at The Oakeley where the crew are staying. After such a long day Flavia was her usual cheerful, charming self but I am sure she must have been tired out. We left the crew tucking into The Oakeley’s famous ribs that are rapidly becoming a legend amongst BBC film crews!

So a whole day was lost and so was our first practice session for the American Smooth. One thing it did give me a chance to do was to reply to all the kind and thoughtful messages, letters and emails people have sent. There were so many it took me most of Monday, but it’s always good to hear from everybody.

Wednesday was another busy filming day with some unusual shots that I am sure you will really enjoy on Saturday night’s show. You won’t want to miss it.

The American Smooth belies its name; it’s really quite demanding being a blend of Foxtrot and Quickstep but Flavia has made it all go as smooth as possible and I hope you will enjoy our interpretation and our dance to one of the big show stopping songs of all time.

Thursday was an early start. Down to London for a series of press interviews, photo-shoots and preparing for TV appearances on “It Takes Too” with the lovely Zoe and “This Morning” on Friday.

For those of you who don’t know I am an avid football fan. Mostly non-league club football. I have regularly been on Radio 5 Live and Talksport. Coming up soon is the first round of the FA Cup and so I am adding my thoughts on who might be the clubs to watch on Football Focus. If you’re a footy fan like me be sure to tune in.

Then it will be heads down and dancing shoes on for some last minute practice sessions ready for Saturday’s show. I am hoping to make it through to the following week’s big show from Wembley. That will be something well worth watching. From what I hear it will be a real spectacular!

More from me on Monday about the Saturday’s show and what the next dance will be.

Thanks again for all your wonderful messages and the encouragement and generous support you send me.

“Thanks for being there!” and Keep Dancing!

Christmas Cheer at the Oakeley Arms

Haaaaaapy Christmas!!

Just joking..... we know it's a little early. But, it'll soon be here, in all it's festive glory.
Have you decided where to celebrate yet? Well, we can help you out; come and join us for some festive fun and frolics at the Oakeley Arms!

Here's a sneak preview of our brilliant Christmas Menu - you saw it here first.

We can cater for office parties, family parties, Saturday parties, buffets and carveries - there are loads of options.
Just contact us for more details, or to make bookings. We'll happily send you a copy of the menu by e-mail or  post.
Happy Christmas!!

Strictly Come Dancing News - Week 6

Pase Doble Success!

This week was another success for Russell and Flavia - they Pasa Doble-d all the way into next week's show, hurrah!

We were watching Russell, and cheering you on as always! We loved the radical interpration - what a great surprise!

Over to you for an update - hope the nail varnish remover did the trick!

So…… The Paso Doble was my passport to another week in “Strictly Come Dancing” I hope you enjoyed the comic interpretation of this dramatic dance that Flavia and I produced on Saturday night.

From Anita’s Charleston to Chelsee’s Charleston we were treated to a spectacular evening of ever rising standards and styles. As the weeks fly by I am sure you’ve noticed the work levels rising and the performances becoming more and more exacting and exhausting.

We are all hoping Artem’s painful injury will ease over the weekend. I feel sure his determination to carry on will carry him through, but we all have to be careful and it just goes to show that even the fittest of and even the most highly trained can sometimes be taken by surprise by our bodies. Nevertheless Artem danced his way through the pain barrier and carried on to produce a “Cool and sophisticated” jive that captivated us all with its energy and intensity. Holly and Artem deserved every one of their 34 points.

Topping the score board were Chelsee and Pasha with a “Pleasing, teasing” brilliant performance that our Craig proclaimed “FAB-U-LOUS” and so it was!

So far as points are concerned it wasn’t Jason’s week and it wasn’t Robbie’s either but we all know that there are some dances that bring out our best and some we find more difficult and challenging. Even so both gave us wonderful performances and both were receptive to the advice and guidance of the judges.

Flavia and I were the eighth couple to take the floor in a light hearted interpretation of the Paso Doble. Last Thursday I blogged “our version will be very, very different” and I am sure you agree now you’ve seen it. Once again Craig was reduced to a single “ASTONISHING!”. Jennifer, standing in for Len thought it “Entertaining” Alesha “Loved it”. Bruno caught the essence proclaiming: “It was a Benny Hill version of a Paso Doble – demented and fabulous.”

Sadly, each week we have to say goodbye to one of our company. This week it was my friend Lulu and her partner Brendan. We will all miss them and we will remember her stunning Halloween performance.

Back to Wales for a short rest. Tomorrow I shall be catching up with Flavia in the afternoon, that will give me a little time to write some horoscopes, catch up with the fan mail and, I believe, there are one or two newspapers who want to speak to me about Saturday’s show.

It’s a long journey each week from north Wales to London and back again, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. There really is “No place like home” and the mountain air of Snowdonia, the company of friends and neighbours and the chance to chat with people at our local shops make the trip worthwhile.

Thanks to everyone at our local Porthmadog supermarket who turned the store upside down searching for nail varnish remover! My wonderful make-up department gave me black fingernails for the Pasodoble. Rushing for the car I forgot to take it off before leaving Television Centre. Amazingly I had none at home. My god-daughter Lucy came to the rescue in the end – you can always rely on her!

More from me on Thursday about the week’s practice session - the next dance? American Smooth to I Am What I Am - rather me don't you think! Thanks again for all your wonderful messages and the encouragement and generous support you send me.

“Thanks for being there!”

Strictly Update

Strictly Saturday

What would our Saturday evenings be now, without Russell and Flavia to cheer on, and cheer us up? We're wishing you lots of luck this week with the tricky moves Russell.
Over to you to find out what you've been up to this week.......

It’s been an interesting and inspiring week so far.

First of all, Monday morning brought a flood of emails to be dealt with and later that morning the postman arrived with a bundle of fan mail. On top of all that there are all the wonderful messages on Twitter and Facebook. I am totally bowled over by all these messages. Many of them tell me a little about people’s own history and how “Strictly” cheers them up at the weekend and how much they love to see Flavia and I take to the floor.

Talking about Flavia - we have been working on the Pasa Doble and practicing hard each and every day. Flavia really is a joy to be with. At once uplifting, motivating, inventive and with a total focus on what needs to be achieved each week.

I am finding the Pasa Doble is quite a difficult dance, it has its roots in the intense colour and drama of the Spanish bullfighting arena and is based on the type of music played at the entrance of the matadors. The bullfighter’s role is played by the man and traditionally the woman takes the part of the matador’s cape. But our version will be very, very different. I won’t say too much now but watch us on Saturdays show and I am sure you will be surprised, even amazed!

Wednesday evening saw me down at the local rugby club and if you think you will be surprised by our Pasa Doble wait to see what the rugby club get up to! As you can imagine there will be some hilarious moments.

Something a little different is in the offing! You may not know it but I am often on BBC Radio 5 Live talking about non-league football and sometimes cricket. I take a deep interest in all sorts of sport but especially non-league football and always have done, so it comes as a surprise to a lot of people to hear me talking footy. 5Live and Talksport are two stations who interview me regularly to get my thoughts on various matches and clubs. This time around I will be chatting about next weekend’s FA Cup 1^st round and what surprises it might hold.

I shall be joining Zoe again on “Strictly It Takes Two”. It’s always great to see Zoe, she is such fun and the show is one of my favourites.

I am looking forward to Saturday’s show so much. It’s great to be dancing to the wonderful music and genuine joy to meet the rest of the gang. They are really wonderful people. Isn’t it a pity that at the end of each weekend we have to say goodbye to a couple. That’s “Strictly”!

More from me on Monday about how Saturday’s show went. Thanks again for all your wonderful messages and the affection and generous support you are giving me. You’ll never know how much it means to me.

“Thanks for being there!”

Cemetery Junction

Some "grave" goins-on at the Oakeley

Ok, so Halloween has been and gone, but we're staying with the Halloween theme for this blog post as we venture into the spooky cemetery in the Oakeley Arms garden. Yes, you read right - a cemetery at the Oakeley..... a dog cemetary, of course!!

The little dog graves in the far corner of the garden often attract quite a lot of attention from visitors and passers by, but they've been part of the Oakeley for as long as we can remember.

None of our faithful hounds are here yet, thank goodness, but some of the graves are more than 100 years old!

There's a similar Dog Cemetery at nearby Portmeirion, though of course it's much larger than our small patch. It was started by Adelaide Haigh, the eccentric tenant of Aber Ia (the manor house that became Portmeirion's Hotel building).

She absolutely adored her dogs, and they all slept in luxury in one of the manor house bedrooms. Apparently she read sermons to them in the belief that they were as religious as she was. When her beloved dogs died (and she had lots of them because she took in any stray that happened to pass), she buried them in the grounds of the estate, erecting grave stones with gushing epitaphs for her loyal companions.

We've yet to spot any spooky canine sightings, but who knows what these days after halloween will bring? Come along to the Oakeley and keep your eyes peeled for some four-legged ghosts!