Every so often in the affairs of man – or in this case, in the life of your editor, something quite wonderful happens. A niece gathered together as many of the extended family who could make it to celebrate her mother’s birthday, which would happen later in the year. Though, on consideration, I think it was decided by Fiona that it was high time the brothers and sister and assorted others should get together. I count myself as an assorted other. Oh yes please, went out the cry. But where to meet?

Fiona is one of those exceptional young women who is not only gorgeous, but has the ability to pull a huge number of strings together and make a situation work – looking calm as she does so. She clearly had a good look at the map and decided The Royal Oak at Car Colston was pretty much the central point for us all to drive for a couple of hours for lunch, a chat, and to decide that though it had been years we had not changed at all. Readers, I said as much to Dick, who is one of the brothers/uncles, and declared – ‘Really, Margaret, how can you say that and with all your white hair?’ He had to wait until the end of the day and we reached home to be banished to the flagpole to consider his sins.

We all arrived, pretty much together from all points of the compass to glorious Car Colston, a heavenly hamlet with the pub resting on the edge of the village cricket ground and pavilion. Yes really. Somehow these seem to have been vanishing, but here one stood, a bit parched, but wonderful.

Fiona was waiting outside The Royal Oak and gathered us up, and then the soon to be birthday sister barreled out to her brother Dick who was quite overcome as he hugged her and wondered just how many years it had been. How could it be so long??? Then we rushed inside to find the others already gathered around a long table in the bar. ‘Hello hello’ to another lovely niece and her husband, not to mention their dear little dog. ‘Hello hello’ to everyone else, Nigel and Ewa had arrived by now, and the two brothers, and their sister were together again.

As dogs are welcome we had brought Polly too, a Cavachon. So off we all went, talk talk, but hang on, what would we like to drink? And so it went on with Richard, who runs this diamond, taking drink orders, food orders and generally herding cats as there were so many locals and visitors in various bars, as well as this ‘get together’ mob. Staff brought drinks – yes, sorry I had such a huge glass of perfectly cooled Pino Grigio but I had been backseat driving for two hours, and needed resuscitating. And then the food. Perfection, huge platefuls of lasagna, or scampi, or whatever one felt like from the specials board, or menu. Then, as one does, I had to nip out with Polly to let her do a tinkle, (she’s the dog, just in case I’ve lost you and you are wondering quite who was to have an outside tinkle) to find Richard the proprietor had slipped out with his two springers for the same reason, so I caught up with him on this huge village green to hear all about his pub The Royal Oak

He and Vicky had arrived 22 years earlier when The Royal Oak needed a bit of tender care and soon it was thriving in this quintessentially English hamlet which has 29 acres of village greens which could be the largest rural common in England, surely. The Royal Oak itself is over two hundred years old – ‘Well, Margaret, you have only a few years to go to compete,’ muttered Dick when I told him. So his time at the flagpole was doubled.

Interestingly, there is an unusual vaulted brick ceiling in the bar which fits in with the thought that this 200 year old building was maybe, probably, possibly a hosiery factory, with the textile machinery being held on the floor above the ceiling. It was all just so nice to sit imagining the past of this building, as people bustled and sipped real ales through the various bars, relaxed, friendly and outgoing. A hub for the community through the ages, clearly.

So, with Vicky’s culinary delights being prepared in the kitchen, and Richard and staff busy we relaxed and wondered if we could all move to Car Colston. Just imagine being able to slip into The Royal Oak whenever we wanted. Dick was delighted that Cask Marque real ales were on offer, though he was stuck on non alcoholic lager as I was backseat driving again on the return, too. Bad hand, you see. Ho hum.

We all left, promising we wouldn’t leave it so long again, having caught up on news and grateful to Joe, the birthday girl’s son-in-law who quietly slipped off to pay the bill – so very kind.

Would we meet at The Royal Oak again? You bet we would. Let’s face it, a pub which has won Vale of Belvoir and Nottinghamshire CAMRA pub of the year for 2021, 2020 and 2009 should be visited many times.

The meat at The Royal Oak is locally sourced from: Harkers Farm, Clipston-on the Wolds https://harkersfarmshop.co.uk The fish is from Nottingham Seafoods The vegetables and salad are sourced locally from Maxeys Farm Shop The fresh flowers in the restaurant are supplied and arranged by Zinnia Florist, Bingham. The Royal Oak caravan site is for the use of Camping & Caravanning Club members and the B and B Richard recommends is The Grange, Elton-on-the-Hill . Finally, The Royal Oak, The Green, Car Colston, Nottingham NG13 8JE for more information on menus and to book. Enjoy! We most certainly did.