TRAVEL

Visit us for hearty food and real ales!

THE STRINES INN

Despite being within Sheffield's border, the Strines Inn could be a world away. Nestled amongst breathtaking moorland scenery, it is one of the local landmarks in the Peak District National Park.

Originally a manor house, it was built in 1275 for the Worrall family, although most of the present day structure is 16th Century. After becoming an Inn in 1771 when John Morton leased the property from the Worrall's, it got its name from an Olde English word meaning the meeting of water, quite appropriate as nowadays it overlooks the Strines Reservoir.

In the height of Summer the Inn attracts hundreds of visitors on a daily basis. The glorious sunshine and stunning views perfectly compliment the excellent food and drink available, with many dishes being homemade.

The Strines Inn is also famous for its numerous peacocks, the previous Landlord having introduced several pairs twenty years ago, there are now over thirty of them.

There is also accommodation available for those people looking to escape for a few days to relax. Our rooms all feature four-poster beds, en-suite bathrooms, hot drinks facilities and colour televisions. Each has a dining table where breakfast will be served to you, offering you comfort and privacy. Two of our rooms have fantastic views across the reservoir, so please ask if you would like a room with a view.

• Four-poster bed • En-suite facilities • Breakfast included

THE STRINES INN BRADFIELD DALE, SHEFFIELD S6 6JE TEL: 01142 851247 www.thestrinesinn.co.uk

Julie Walters

A NATIONAL TREASURE

IN THIS ISSUE

4-5 TWITTERING ON

By Angela Kelly

6-7 TRAVEL

Adventures aplenty for solo travellers

17-19 HOME

Making your home eco friendly

23-25 GARDENING

Tips to keep your garden dog friendly

32-33 STEVE HOWARTH’S TEST DRIVE

A look at the Corolla GR Sport and Peugot 308

Food & Drink

A TASTE OF THE MEDITERRANEAN

Bridgeman House 77 Bridgeman Street | Bolton | BL3 6BY. Sales Enquiries : T: (01204) 238180 E: artwork@mcgrathmedia.co.uk

STEVE HOWARTH’S TEST DRIVE

COROLLA GR SPORT

OUR latest test car came with some racing pedigree and badging kudos as the Toyota Corolla we got our hands on was the GR Sport version.

Now at first I got really excited as GR stands for Gazoo Racing (the motorsport/performance arm of the Japanese manufacturer) and I have already sampled super-hot GR versions of the Yaris and Supra.

However, I then realized that Toyota think you can have too much of a good thing and so are not currently selling the full-blown Corolla GR with its 300bhp, turbocharged 1.6-litre three-cylinder engine and adjustable-torque-split all-wheel drive and limited-slip differentials in the UK.

Rather as BMW have their M Sport versions and Audi their Sportline models the GR Sport is a more road-friendly, less license losing version with sporty DNA and also comes as a ‘self-charging’ hybrid - the batteries are topped up when you hit the brakes and a small electric motor can then improve either efficiency or performance.

You can even drive the Corolla on battery power alone with a light right foot for short distances and there are eco, normal and sport driving modes to choose from.

The standard Corolla is already a great family car comfortable, well made, well equipped and quite frugal - the GR Sport adds more striking styling with a 2-litre petrol engine which, linked to that electric motor, means 181bhp, a highly respectable 0-62mph in 7.9sec and top speed of 112mph.

Toyota say the car will give a combined mpg figure of up to 54mpg and my real world experience backs that up as over a near 300 mile round trip to a motoring launch event in the south midlands I got just a shade under that figure, despite travelling for the majority of the journey at motorway speeds (M6 roadworks permitting).

So despite the name, the GR Sport doesn’t have any specific sport tuning apart from distinctive 18-inch alloy wheels. What it does have is that striking styling – unique front and rear bumper trim, GR Sport badging and inside supportive sports seats, a head-up display and large central infotainment touchscreen.

Other standard kit includes adaptive cruise control, reversing camera, heated front seats and a raft of the latest Toyota safety systems.

On the road the car is quite quick with steering that feels wellweighted, a sporty yet comfortable ride and that typical Toyota build quality that inspires a feeling of solidity and strength.

In 2-litre specification, as tested, the Corolla GR Sport comes in at £32,645. For that you get healthy equipment levels with items such as LED headlights, those 18-inch machined alloy wheels, that extra body styling and interior sporting touches plus head-up display as standard.

The Corolla range starts at £26,895 for the Icon trim non hybrid 1.8 petrol and goes up to £34,555 for the range-topping touring sports in Excel trim pitching the hybrid GR Sport towards the top of the range in terms of pricing.

So with the 2022 Corolla already a great drive adding some sporting credentials with the GR Sport version could be a way for you to really stand out on the high street.

More info at www.toyota.co.uk