Liquid Tales

Start the day with the obligatory cuppa. It’s a beautiful sunny day. It’s still freezing in our room at the back of the house as our radiators appear to be broken. We all congregate in the front of the apartment as the view is stunning and its lovely and warm. Our large dining table is perfectly placed for breakfast with a view. It’s easy to just sit and watch the tiny fishing boats go in and out of the harbour. We also have a view of the Mousehole bus terminal where the expert drivers turn the bus on a sixpence. After breakfast & blogging for a while we shower and ready ourselves for the day. We are to take the little Mousehole bus into Penzance. Armed with our shopping list & brollies as its supposed to rain, we trundle off catch the bus and get off in the middle of Penzance for a walkabout. Being Easter Monday most shops are closed and the town is deserted. We walk to the bus station and wait for the bus to Marazion. This is a lovely quick ride along the coast. Of course we stop for the famous Cornish pasty and coffee which we eat by the beach in front of St Michaels Mount. Watching out for hungry seagulls!!! Olly has booked a slot for the castle of 2.30pm so we set off across the causeway intending to walk over and boat back when the tide in in. Roger races ahead leaving Olly to help with this old invalid bless him. I’m just still very conscious of my torn meniscus which is still troubling me so I take it easy. It’s very windy. As we cross the causeway it gets even windier. The forecast is 30 miles and hour winds & my hair is blowing into my eyes so I can hardly see which makes me very nervous. As we reach the castle, they guide tells us to be very careful and even more coming down. We begin to climb the steep steps to the castle and pass the giants well and heart. Janet has disappeared up the steps like a racing snake. The wind is getting much stronger now and I’m immediately worried about the descent before I’ve climbed up! Fortunately there is a hand rail most of the way so I don’t have a problem. The castle is amazing – the views from the battlements are terrific. I can’t remember our first visit which Roger tells me was with our children in the early 80’s. In one room there are photos of the Queen Elizabeth 11 and I asked the guide how she made it up and down. She had a little help I’m told…I’m amazed and think they must be an easier way up and down, surely the old owners dont use these steps? I’m then shown a photo of Charles and Camilla who both climbed up just a few years back which makes me feel even more invalided. Once round the castle we come to the exit where I am told to be extremely careful as the wind is so bad the castle has been closed and the boats cancelled as winds have now reached 40 miles an hour. I take it easy so not to jar my knee and make it down to my great relief having wrapped my head in my scarf to keep my hair out of my eyes. Roger says I look like her majesty I’m not amused… Back down we walk to the bus stop and wait for the next bus back to Penzance. At Penzance bus station we wait ages for the Mousehole bus only to find out it has broken down. The next one arrives and we are soon back in our lovely pad. On the door step are two fan heaters and our welcome pack of local goodies that should arrived on Saturday. A cuppa is followed swiftly by large g & t’s and the room begins to fill with laughter again. Janet cooks a splendid supper with Richard as her commis. Supper is our fabulous wild bass purchased on Saturday. Served with Parmentier potatoes, crushed garlic peas and tenderstem broccoli washed down with a few bottles Garvi followed by Sauv Blanc and some cheese. Another episode of “Piano” is watched as we don’t think we can stay awake for a film. Bed around 11pm.

This morning is chilly and dull with heavy rain. We do not let this deter us. We are British!!! We rush around and get ready to leave at 10am sharp. Sadly Richard did not understand plain English & we had to wait for him to make some work calls missing two Mousehole buses which we can see from our window. Eventually we walk to the bus only for it to drive off without stopping for us. Olly walks to the bakery for fresh bread whilst we wait in the rain for the next one. We nip home to drop the bread off and the plumber arrives to sort out our heating. It’s an easy job we just have to move the thermostat to the back of the house as it was reaching its set temperature at the front in the sun. As easy as that. Off to Penzance, then the bus to St Ives, which take 55 minutes. It’s still pouring with rain but we walk around the litle shops dashing in and out to warm up now and then. A coffee stop then more shops. Roger and I purchase a lovely decorative fishy plate. Richard buys a fisherman’s smock. He looks very dapper ( dapper Dick) there’s a deal on so he gets some free sox! We find a little restaurant we fancy for lunch and book for 1.45. We walk to the beach just to say we have been there but the rain is now so heavy we give in and head for the restaurant early. We are the noisiest people in the restaurant as Olly tells us some really rude jokes. I try and video him but he tells me they are too rude so I stop. You will just have to take my word for it they were hilarious and he would not be able to repeat them in a public show….Janet then tells us how Olly proposed to her. He laid down in the middle of London Street in Norwich and shouted “Marry Me Janet….” Janet said she and her Mother walked off and left him. Another day he laid down in Comet to repeat it and a lady just stepped over him and said to her friend “That’s Olly Day!!” After almost being thrown out of the restaurant we carried on wandering but the rain was now so heavy and the wind getting up that our umbrellas were turning inside out. We ran for the bus. Soaked we had a very damp ride back to base. The boys had a nap before we all started on our g n t”s. we are as you know a group of raging alcoholics. The sun shows its face at 7pm to really pee us orf! We then indulged in a “fridge banquet” with Olly”s famous mackerel pate taking pride of place. We all crashed out on the sofas to watch the finale of “The Piano” with Mika and Lang Lang at the Royal Festival Hall. All of us had an emotional moment before retiring.

Easter Sunday begins with tea in bed. Dear Roger does make a fab cuppa. We all relax over breakfast of cereals and coffee whilst watching the tide flow into the harbour reaching the base of our property. It’s a beautiful sight & sound. The sun is shining. Later the boys pop out to the deli and Olly shows Richard & Roger around Mousehole. Meanwhile chef extraordinaire Janet prepares lunch of a splendid Spanakopita a filo pastry pie filled with spinach, eggs & feta cheese serving it with spicy potato wedges and salad. Olly spends a few hours swearing & sorting out the Sonos system so we can have some musical episodes during our stay..This is proving to be annoyingly difficult. I have leant new swear words!! Our lunch guests arrive, Janets childhood girlfriend’s Linda & Liz, arriving with armfuls of goodies including pink bubbles, Cornish cheese, chocolate and a fabulous dessert of plums, black berries and Amaretto topped with oats & maple syrup. Lunch began at 1.45. Laughter, jokes & eight bottles of wine ( Olly doesn’t drink ( much) & Linda was driving). Naturally the day descends into rude jokes & games such as “What is the most stupid thing you have done in your life”….Obviously I cannot print details due to fear of prosecution. Olly showed us a mind reading tick. Eventually as usual the conversation descends into political subjects and gets emotional – Roger winds Janet up continuously as Olly says he is like a Dog at the Postman’s trousers!!! . We run out of booze but Ollly magics some oat biscuits to go with our cheese. Richard makes coffee & we decide we should buy some brandy for nightcaps tomorrow. After Linda & Liz leave to drive home we settle down and watch tv. We watch Claudia Winkleman’s Piano which was fabulous. Night night at 11.00.

We arrive bright eyed and busy tailed after our overnight journey on the GWR. A large taxi with a jolly driver dressed in shorts and a t shirt is waiting outside the station to take us to The Old Coastguards Inn where Janet has booked breakfast. We receive a warm welcome by a young team and are served some jolly good coffee. We all opt for a full English breakfast Janet’s being vegetarian. We are disappointed in the size of the breakfast and Janet’s is sparse with no vegi sausage available but an extra egg is offered when Janet shows her disappointment. We request some toast to fill us up. We spend a pleasant hour in the lounge at the Coastguard reading the papers. Janet suggests she pops to our accommodation to see if we can store our luggage until our allotted checkin time. We all then trundle down the hill to our accommodation noting the lack of traffic about for the time of year. We all comment that it would be unpleasantly busy in the summer months. We store our luggage in the study, not a cleaner in sight so we hope its safe to leave the cases. We catch the bus just outside our home for the week. Roger & I use our bus passes with Janet Olly & Richard having downloaded a weeks season ticket. We enjoyed a lovely ride into town until six young lads get on the now full bus and stand by us. As its clear they are badly hungover and looking green we decide to alight the bus early and walk the rest of the way? We pass several fresh fish stalls by the harbour and purchase some wild sea bass for Mondays supper. The fishmonger happily fillets them for us and Janet stores them in her cool bag for safekeeping having cost £60! We walk into Newlyn centre visiting antique centres, art gallery’s and shops. One art gallery full of ornamental crabs takes Richards attention and we ask the gallery owner more about her works. She tell us her paintings are an old Japanese way of printing. Paper is rubbed over the fish leaving an imprint of the scales and fins which she then paints and colours. She goes on to tell us about the green fishing nets used by the fishermen which after time are discarded and left to recycle. She has collected them & had them turned into a length of coil which in turn can be used by a 3D printer to make ornaments and other such items. Early days but she is clearly enthusiastic. Further on we stop for a pint or so at the Tolcarne Inn. Janet was born and raised in the area so her & Olly have visited many times. Olly suggests we visit Mackerel Sky fish bar for a spot of lunch. We have tapas style fish dishes which were delicious washed down with a bottle of Chenin Blanc. We decide to catch the bus back to Mousehole hoping our accommodation will be serviced and ready. As we approach the building a handsome young chap comes out telling us it’s all ready and he has just left us a welcome pack. He is dressed in a t shirt with the logo “Scrubbers Professional Cleaners”. Under my breath I say I’d like a scrub with his brush. Janet tells me she heard that!!! We unpack and have a cuppa. Disappointed not to find any sign of a welcome pack or the usual fresh flowers this company always leave to welcome you. Janet has ordered a Tesco delivery. This arrives dead on time, we put is all away and decide on a little sleep. My head hits the pillow and I know nothing until 6.45pm. Janet however stay busy in the kitchen prepping for Sunday lunch. She has invited two old friend for lunch. We get ready for our evening meal which is booked again by the very organised Janet at the Ship Inn next door. We have a quick glass of wine then check in for supper. The Ship is a fabulous old Fishing inn with loads of character, I feel so at home, every table is full with diners and their dogs. Even a little doggie corner of treats. The menu fantastic. I have a Caesar salad with smoked mackerel, Janet Fish &🐠 Chips the boys have Chicken supreme with chips & polenta. Two more bottles of wine, the bill £200 which shocks Janet so we must be a more modest with our alcohol in future. Back home we have a night cap or two and the evenings conversation degenerates into topics such as sex toys so we all go to bed before it gets any worse!.

The Famous Five as Janet has now fondly named us. Janet, Olly, Richard, Roger & myself are about to spend another week together this time in Cornwall. We are to travel by train using our Senior Rail cards & bus passes where possible. ( except Richard the baby of the group ) Janet has researched,planned & booked the whole trip for us. All we have to do is turn up and enjoy the adventure. What could possible go wrong……….

After a libation with the crowd in the hotel bar we meet in reception for our coach trip. Several guesses about our secret destination reveal we are probably going to the Flight Club in Victoria. Sure enough the coach pulls up by Victoria station and we walk a short distance to the Flight Club. I am not enthusiastic about more stairs! My knees are still yelling from the roving around London and the subways on Tuesday & Wednesday. We are struck by the size and decor of the Flight Club and realise this will be a fun team building afternoon. We are split into pre arranged teams and take turns challenging each other’s teams at darts. The scoring is automatic. You even have your photo come up on the screen when it’s your turn to play. Tables around this large private room are full of Prosecco, wine and beers. Delicious food is brought out during the afternoon ranging from bbq meats on skewers to pizzas. The whole afternoon was great fun, top scoring teams facing playoffs followed by individual playoffs & all winners given huge cheers and presented with gongs! We are instructed we can’t leave the club until all the booze has gone!! Being probably the oldest couple left in the group Roger and I are one of the first to leave wanting to walk back to the hotel in Kensington. Most of the others catch a bus or taxi! We missed an medical emergency when Justin the Molson Coors area manager suffered a suspected heart attack on leaving the Flight Club and was taken to A & E!!! More on that later!!! The walk back was fabulous. 4pm & now dusk we pass Harrods a bright sight with Christmas lights, the Royal Albert Hall looking majestic. & Prince Albert’s memorial etc. Back at HQ Roger has 40 winks while I get ready for our gala dinner. The eve begins with champagne in the piano bar. We catch up with more old colleagues and trade reps then on to The York Suite. Dinner was a smoked salmon starter followed by braised beef with roast baby carrots, fondant potato with red wine and shallot jus, ending with a chocolate soufflé & coffee. Speeches include our chosen charity for next year which will be Big C – appropriate as we lost two members this year to cancer. A presentation to the founders of Norwich Inns Roger Cawdron & Mike Lorenz of an anniversary cake on the start of the 40th year of the conception of the buying group. A huge cheer then goes up as Justin returns fit & well from the hospital having been diagnosed with wind!!! Pratt Of the Year nominations are heard and the award is given to Justin for not only his A & E trip but for arriving for supper without his dinner suit! Fines are issued for various misdemeanours during the few days all proceeds going to our nominated charity. We all retire to the piano bar where a lovely young lady entertains us on piano singing lots of favourite tunes and we all drink and dance away the rest of the evening. Jason from our wine suppliers Peter Graham wines drags everyone to the dance door. He is such a brilliant young ambassador for his company but he dosnt understand ageing joints – my knees are now beyond repair and I’m drugged up with pain killers for the trip home ! But it was great fun. Bed at 1 or was it 2 am! Can’t wait for next year!

After a break from writing I’ve decided to pick up my pen- or in this case my finger and write about our current mini London trip. It’s slightly more challenging writing on my phone than typing on my laptop or iPad so apologies for mishaps!!! We have had an amazing busy summer since our fabulous family trip to New York for our grandson’s bar mitzvah! Spending time at the beautiful Norfolk coast enjoying the fabulous weather. A London trip for my birthday in August. The show ‘Moulin Rouge’ was the highlight, thoroughly recommended especially as we upgraded our booking by enjoying champagne & cheeseboard Pre show and interval. http://www.moulinrougemusical.co.uk. London again for our daughters 50th & granddaughters 21st just days after the Queens funeral. London was still awash with floral tributes and a busy London felt strangely proud but calm. Late September also brought a day trip for Joolia & myself to Sheffield to enjoy a brief lunch with Aspen on her actual birthday. Aspen is at Sheffield uni studying nursing. It was great to meet her flat mates & put faces to the names. I gave up alcohol from 30th September to 30th October hoping to improve my health as a little scare shook me up! So on to this current trip to the ‘smoke’ primarily for our businesses buying groups – a two day AGM. We decide to go a day early to avoid any train strikes. A leisurely start to the day we take the 11am train to Liverpool Street. The train is on time & we reach London at 1pm. We tube straight to our Kensington hotel, our room is ready so we check in , unpack and refresh before heading out to find a spot for lunch. As it’s raining we don’t venture too far & find a little independent type restaurant called Zuaga. https://zuaya.co.uk/. Beautiful decor & delicious South American tapas type food. Some of the tastiest food I’ve ever had. Leaving the restaurant feeling relaxed and rather merry we walked to the tube station and headed for Embankment the nearest stop to our theatre for the evening. We have an allotted time to enter the theatre of 6.15. As we are early Roger finds an excuse to pop into the Princess of Wales pub for another bit of research! This is a lively bar but we find a perch and wile away an hour or so. Then on to London Playhouse & KitKat club for our experience this evening! http://Www.Kitkat.club. Similar to Moulin Rouge strictly no photography allowed not that you have any free hands for your phone. We queue a few minutes at the stage door as instructed and dead on 6.15 we are allowed in, single file , bags searched we go down some stairs and into a narrow corridor & cellar passage way. A heavily made up female appears at a wicket window and hands us a shot of snaps as we pass along still moving. We then enter a cavern type bar, dimly lit and colourful, we are entertained by scantily dressed dancers of all sexes if I’m allowed to say that?? It’s difficult to dec as they all have such long false eyelashes causing a draught !! The music is lively jazzy making you bounce on to the next room/bar, so many different little rooms it feels like a secret priest holes. Musicians of all sizes playing various instruments from accordions to flute, sax, violin. One room had a cage built on top of the bar and dancing girls & boys with practically nothing on jigger and jive energetically! It’s very entertaining! Eventually we see the signs and find out seats. It’s a circular stage with seating all around. Some people still having supper& waiters are circulating taking drinks orders & bringing them to your table. I wish I could take photos but it’s strictly forbidden, they put a sticker over your phone camera on entry! The performance was great. We loved it. I won’t spoil it in case you readers wish to go see it We highly recommend it! Sadly the cast changed recently so we missed Eddie Redmain but the new cast were fabulous. After the performance we walked around Covent Gardrn and eventually caught the tube back to out hotel around midnight.Exhausted.

Next morning we sauntered into breakfast finding Other Norwich Inns members who also arrived early. A walk after breakfast we joined friends and walked in Kensington gardens. Back at the hotel we meet fellow members for our first Jolly of the AGM! Secretary Craig instructs us to meet in reception as the coach will leave at 3.30 promptly. Our treats are always a surprise only being told what to wear and where to meet. I’m first at the coach outside the hotel giving myself time to stroll . The driver asked me if I’m the party going to the races??? So the secret is out but I keep it to myself in case it’s one of Craig’s ‘red herrings’! Slowly we make our way to wards Heathrow airport! We pass Twickenham Stadium, Kew Gardens, Fullers Brewery fellow passengers trying to guess our destination . Eventually we arrive at Kempton Park racecourse for an evening meeting. We are in the Dessert Orchard hospitality room. Great views of the course. My friend Carol is very excited as she discovers a horse she had shared in is running. Norwich Inns Sponsors a race which is all televised! I have no idea about horse racing it’s not something I’d go out if my way to do but I thoro enjoyed the eve especially as Roger & I had a few wins! Thanks to help from a friend wink wink!!! Back at the hotel we have one more drink in the piano bar , others favoured the Goat pub opposite , some retire sensibly!

Wednesday is our AGM meeting. As only one vote per business is allowed I left Roger to attend the meeting and stayed in my room updating this blog and clearing emails. Showered and ready for our Second surprise called ‘Afternoon Delight’ we are instructed again ‘smart casual with a coat as there’s a short walk’!! Also the tube drivers are on strike so we have to walk back to the hotel after lunch! The meeting is due to finish at around midday, we need to be ready for transport at 1pm.

So in 2019 I purchased 4 platinum tickets to see Queen & Adam Lambert at O2 as a 50th birthday gift for son in law Gary! The original date was June 2020. Along comes covid so that date was rescheduled for 4th June 2021. I initially panicked as that’s our son James 50th birthday and we wanted to fly to the USA and surprise him. It was soon apparent we wouldn’t do either as covid surged again. The date was rescheduled yet again to 17th June 2022!! Although I advised the children the new date somehow it was overlooked and our daughter booked her 50th birthday pilgrimage treck on the Camino de Santiago with the dates clashing! So that was the first problem. I tried changing the dates but there wasn’t any chance! Not to worry granddaughter Aspen will accompany us with her dad. Aspen is suffering from a ulcerated ankle after a long wet rave dancing in unsuitable footwear – taking ages to heal. We are all looking forward to 17th. Hotel overnight and train booked. Two nights to go and I get a call from son in law. He has a burst eardrum and is in great pain. Dubious he will make the concert and granddaughter still can’t wear shoes as foot still healing! Last minute help from sister Celia who will take the tickets from a disappointed Gary & Aspen. Coupled with it being an imminent train strike and possibly the hottest day ever I’m beginning to wonder if the heavens are telling me something. Turned down two invites too! Luckily my sister Celia & her bestie Sharon agree to take the tickets. We travel to London by train, changing at Stratford. When we come out of the station we are surprised to see Celia & Sharon arriving at the same time. We all look at a table and chairs suspended by cables 50 feet above the ground with people eating dinner as we exit the station. We all walk to our hotel and check in. There is a long queue to check in so Celia & Sharon go to the bar and order some drinks. It’s just so hot now around 4pm & 29C so a beer is needed. Roger & I drop our overnight stuff in our room and quickly join the girls in the bar. Celia and Sharon treat us to delicious salads and Roger decided to order champagne. It’s so funny as people keep going to sit outside the bar to enjoy the sun but they soon return to the air conditioned bar! At around 6pm we leave for the O2 building and we are pleasantly surprised to see this is just a few yards from the hotel. I am amazed at the number of people shopping, eating and drinking in the outer area of the arena. We go to the designated area for our ticket and are soon through security and right by the seat. As there is still time to spare we have another bottle of bubbles in the Champagne bar. Well why not! An announcement is made for us to take our seat. We are right at the front of the seated area. We could do with being a couple of rows back to be slightly higher but it is great not to have heads in front of us, just the standing area below. We are blown away by the colours and lasers. Soon the concerts starts, the atmosphere was electric. A huge cheer as the band come on stage and another as Lambert himself appears in his usual loud blingy attire. He has several changes of costume during the performance. While he is changing Brian May & Roger Taylor did a few solos. I am amazed that at his age Brian May can still move his fingers so fast. The whole night was epic. We say night night to the girls who catch the train back to St Albans and Roger and I head for the bar in the hotel for a nightcap. The next morning we pack up and check out after a delicious breakfast. We catch the train to Stratford and head for Westfield for a spot of shopping. This is a tad tiring in the heat and we soon decide on late lunch in a Restaurant with outside space. Sadly there were no outside tables left so we sat inside for our lush lunch. We had the last laugh as it started to rain! We catch the train back to Norwich reflecting on a super 24 hours feeling really sad Gary missed his birthday gift. Better luck next year Gazza.