24-05-27 - Monday I - Bank Holiday Sunday

Yesterday was a gardening day, or at least it started and ended like that. I was able to drag it round to a bank holiday Sunday briefly in the afternoon, but TW was on a Gardening Mission. 

We weeded the front garden and trimmed the central bush. It looks much tidier now than it did, which I suppose was the aim. TW then got the bit between her teeth and power-washed the paving slabs, and we discovered that underneath the built up dirt and detritus the slabs were different colours - red and yellow and green. 

Then we went to B&Q - of course, because where else is there to go on a bank holiday Sunday? - and bought seeds and weed killer. Then I wanted to go to a reggae all-dayer at a nearby pub - because where else is there to go on a bank holiday Sunday? - but unfortunately the pub was full and tbh the music was quite loud, which wasn't what I was looking for at 4pm on a Sunday afternoon. So we had a drink at the pub across the road. Then it got a bit chilly so we came home and strimmed some wild grass before dousing it in weed killer. 

We finished the day with Dr Who, which I enjoyed, and a few episodes of New Girl, which is developing nicely.

23-12-23 - Saturday I - A Cup of Tea

Haha, I just took TW a cup of tea in bed but she was asleep and so she won't drink it. I walked in and she had her phone in her hand, and the bedside light was on. So I gently took the phone out of her grasp and left it on the bedside table, and I extinguished the bedside light. I did leave the cup of tea there, so she will see it when she wakes up and it's cold. 

The funny thing is, I said, when I was getting up, that I wanted a cup of tea and she asked if I was going to make her one. "You're going back to sleep, aren't you? You said you were." She denied it and insisted she wanted a cup of tea, so I made her one. And now she's asleep and won't enjoy it. Sometimes - not very often, mind you - I know her better than she knows herself. 

TTFN. 

19-06-29 Saturday I - Friends of Brian

This week I have mostly been in Barcelona. It is a lovely city, and we had a great time. It was another part of my Christmas present from TW; she had calculated that since our older two girls were away on school trips, we could take the youngest one out of school for a few days and have her with us.

We flew easyJet, which was fair enough, although we did pack our passports in our luggage before boarding, and our baggage was stowed in the hold. As a result we got to passport check in Barcelona without any documentation. The police there didn’t seem too bothered and once the queue had been dealt with one of them accompanied us to the baggage reclaim and spot-checked our passports there. It probably won’t be as relaxed after Brexit...

We stayed in an Airbnb within walking distance of La Rambla. It was easy to get to the flat from the airport; we jumped on a bus and disembarked at Place Espanya and then walked up towards Montjuic. The flat was basic, and could have benefitted from a makeover, but it was a good base of operations. We found Carrer Blai on the first evening, and came back each night we were there. We discovered pinchos, which were delicious. TY was a bit fussy and wouldn’t try any dishes, so she ended up with a slice of pizza - which suited her fine.

On the Tuesday we hit La Rambla and took a couple of bus tours to see as much of Barca as possible. Our only fixed appointment was a seven o’clock visit to the Sagrada Familia, which was very much worth the entrance fee. Lots of folk go to see the outside and don’t bother going in, but the interior is just as if not more interesting than the outside. We were tired but got dinner at Carrer Blai again, and then went to bed.

Wednesday morning we slept in and then hit the beach, and then mooched purposelessly around the town centre. It was a nice afternoon, we ate at La Boqueria Market - TY actually had some calamari, which was brave. I had a meat empanada, which was very much like a Cornish pasty - delicious! Late afternoon, we bought some beers and went back to the flat and had booze on the balcony in the sun, which was a great way to spend a late afternoon / early evening. Then we hit Blai again, and then retired to the flat. 

Thursday morning we packed and walked back to Place Espanya, where we had our first Spanish coffee (TY had a donut), before catching the bus back to the airport. And then it was time to come home, with some amazing memories and pictures of the lovely city of Barcelona. 

The flat we stayed in was incredibly hot at night, and I didn’t sleep particularly well, but that was a minor inconvenience. It was brilliantly situated and well-stocked with margarine and milk etc., which had been left by other guests. There were some other Airbnbers there when we arrived, and then they left and were replaced by others on the Wednesday. So there was quite the footfall through the flat.

I’d certainly go to Barcelona again, although the ease of booking rooms and flights has opened our eyes to the possibility of visiting other European destinations; currently there is a sale on Eurostar tickets, for instance, so we could visit Paris or Brussels next. Who knows? We probably need to make the most of our European Union membership before it is taken away from us at the end of October.

TTFN.

19-06-08 Saturday - Lou Sanders @ Komedia Brighton, Wednesday 5th June

Another date, another night out. TW and I had arranged to see Lou Sanders as one of my Christmas presents, so off to Brighton we went. I had originally booked to see Angela Barnes, but she changed her date to later in the year, and I had heard good things about Lou. She had been an interviewee on RHLSTP, and I think I’d also heard her on Pappy’s Flatshare Slamdown, so when I saw that she was playing the Komedia, I was keen to get tickets.

I met TW in Brighton, and we had a pre-show dinner at Bill’s. Because her birthday is imminent she had an offer of a free bottle of prosecco with dinner, which was nice, so we took advantage of that. I had a burger, of course (how very unadventurous of me) and TW had a Glow Bowl, which was basically a posh salad, but a healthy option. We shared some calamari to start. It was nice, it was a good way to relax after work, and it was great to spend time together out of the house.

When we’d finished, we still had some time before the show started so we adjourned to the Heart and Hand, where TW had a gin and I had a pint of Toast, which grew on me. At first I didn’t like the aftertaste, but by the time I made my way to the bottom of the glass, I quite enjoyed it.

Then we headed into the show, and Adam Hess was the warm up act. I’ve seen him before, he’s very funny and appears to be quite scatterbrained and breathless, like it’s all unplanned. Maybe it is, but whichever, it was enjoyable. Then we had a short break, and Lou was on.

She was very funny, I really enjoyed her show. I think it was the last time she was performing “Shame Pig” - at least, that’s what she said. There were a couple of different stories she told, and she hung them together through the theme of shame. TW and I were both laughing, and it was a good night out. I’d certainly go and see her again, and was glad that I’d taken a punt on going to see her.

We got home relatively early, and hit the hay. Another great time had.

TTFN.

19-05-25 Saturday - A Night Out in Brighton

Last night TW & I went out in Brighton. It was part of my Christmas present - TW gave me 12 envelopes, and I get to open one each month until December. We’ve been together 19 years this month, and so TW suggested we go back to where we had our first date, the Sussex Yeoman. Handily, it is close to the station, so I met TW off the train after work and we went straight there. I had a very nice East Coast IPA (two of them in fact!) and TW had a gin and tonic. We had been sitting down for a few minutes when a guy who looked very much like Miroslav off of Line of Duty walked in. We googled him, sneakily, and quickly identified it was him - he grew up in Birmingham and had moved to Brighton. Eventually TW approached him, told him we really enjoyed Line Of Duty, and took a selfie with him. It was a good start to our Friday night together. And the clincher was, he bought us both a vodka and mango juice shot! What a nice fella.

Our next stop was The Foundry, which used to be called The Pedestrian Arms when I worked there. I had a pint of Low Five, which is a local brew, and really quite pleasant. I had tried it before, at a tasting session at The Independent, so I knew what I was getting into. TW was looking great, so I took a picture:


TW at The Foundry

Once we’d finished our drinks there, we moseyed down to Wahaca, where we had dinner. It was delicious, as ever: I think that’s the third time I’ve eaten there. We had a set menu, which was perfect, and enough for me, but TW spotted the chocolate & pecan brownie, so we shared that.

Once we’d paid the bill, we headed to the Spiegeltent and met up with a couple of friends for more drinks. To be fair though, by that time I was tired and ready for home, so we finished up and headed home. Normally I would have bought a beer from the Wine Centre by West Worthing station, but I was too tired even for that, so it was straight to bed once we got home.

All in all, a lovely night, and it was great to have time for just the two of us. We always say we should do it more often, and so we should.

TTFN.

Dolly Mixtures? Or Liquorice Allsorts?

I had a slice of cake on Friday which had a couple of Dolly Mixtures on top of it, as decoration, and since then I had a hankering for Dolly Mixtures. TW went out yesterday on some errands and asked if there was anything I wanted, to which my reply was "Yes! Some Dolly Mixtures. Or some Liquorice Allsorts". I don't know where the longing for Liquorice Allsorts from, I suppose I must associate them in some way with Dolly Mixtures. It's a little odd, perhaps, as Dolly Mixtures are made by Barratt, and Liquorice Allsorts are made by Bassetts:



When she came back, she had forgotten to get me any Dolly Mixtures or Liquorice Allsorts. "Not to worry", I said.

She went out later as well. "Can you get me some Dolly Mixtures, please?", I asked, "or some Liquorice Allsorts?"
"Sure, of course I will", she replied as she slipped out of the door. I looked through her bags when she got back, but I couldn't see any Dolly Mixtures or Liquorice Allsorts. Maybe she had already put them in the treat cupboard? I thought to myself. I had a look there, but I couldn't see them.
"Did you get me some Dolly Mixtures?", I asked, "or some Liquorice Allsorts?", hopefully. "Oh, sorry, I forgot", she said. Then we went down to the beach for some fresh air, and the girls got in the water as much as they could.

On the way back, she suggested that we stop at the Co-Op so that I could buy some prosecco for her, and at the same time I could pick up some Dolly Mixtures, or some Liquorice Allsorts. Getting the prosecco was easy enough, they stock about four different brands these days, and there is always at least one type on special offer. So I picked up two bottles which were on special offer and headed to the sweet aisle. I browsed the shelves but I couldn't see any Dolly Mixtures or Liquorice Allsorts. I was a bit worried that I would find some of the Co-Op's own brand, which I wasn't sure were going to hit the mark, but as it was they didn't have any Dolly Mixtures or Liquorice Allsorts, either Bassett's or Barratt's or Co-Op's own brand, so I guess I dodged a bullet there. However, I still hadn't been able to sate my desire for some Dolly Mixtures, or some Liquorice Allsorts. Last night I had to drown my longing for Dolly Mixtures or Liquorice Allsorts in some wine and distract myself with a thrilling episode of Banshee.

Today we had a visit from TW's mother and grandmother, and they all went into town, and took the children as well. I was to be left on my own for a couple of hours in silent bliss, which I was looking forward to. "Do you want us to bring you anything back?", asked the MiL. "Oh, yes", I replied, "some Dolly Mixtures, please. Or some Liquorice Allsorts. I did ask your daughter several times yesterday to get me some Dolly Mixtures or some Liquorice Allsorts, but she chose not to". "Okay", said the MiL and with that the crowds headed off into Worthing Town to leave me to my own devices.

I played a lot of slither.io and did some washing up.

When they got back, the MiL handed me some Liquorice Allsorts. "We weren't able to find any Dolly Mixtures", she said, "sorry about that". "Do not worry at all", I said, "at least you were able to bring me either some Dolly Mixtures or some Liquorice Allsorts, which is something your daughter clearly failed to do yesterday".
It was 1pm or so by then, so it was time for lunch, and TW made a salmon and tabouleh deliciousness. After lunch TW said "Can you open the Liquorice Allsorts?" "No", I said, "I've just eaten. I'm not hungry. If you want one, go ahead and open them yourself". "I want you to open them", she said. "But I am not going to", I replied. So TW went and opened the Liquorice Allsorts which the MiL had bought for me, and she ate some. I managed to show a modicum of restraint and wait until the MiL and the GiL had gone, but that was also partly because I was a bit greedy and didn't want to share my Liquorice Allsorts with more people than I had to.

I have been grazing on my Liquorice Allsorts since about 4pm, and I have to say that they have lived up to the hype and expectation. They are Bassett's Liquorice Allsorts originals and I have enjoyed them immensely.
The next time I feel that there is something missing in my life I will consider buying some Dolly Mixtures or some Liquorice Allsorts, and see if that fills the gap.

TTFN.

Thursday 16-01-28 A Weekend in Winchester

So last weekend I finally gave TW her 2014 Christmas present - a weekend away.

For both of us, that was. We left the kids at home with M&P on the Friday, well, they had them for a sleepover, and then the MiL picked them up on Saturday and looked after them until we got back on Sunday.

I had a day's leave left over from last year, so I took that on the Friday, and walked with TW and The Youngest to school. Then, when we got back to the house, we packed and headed off to Southampton. It was a weekend treat for both of us, but it was actually my present to her, so I couldn't really argue when she said she wanted to go to Ikea. I didn't like it, but I did get to sample the amazing Swedish meatballs that everyone keeps going on about - and quite nice they were too. Once she had had her Ikea fix, and casually spent £60 on napkins and other assorted tat (which was all "completely necessary", of course), we headed north to Winchester.

We've stayed in Winchester before, or rather I should say near to Winchester, at the Norton Park hotel. This time we stayed in town, at the Winchester Hotel & Spa, which was very nice. They were doing a deal, where they gave us £25 per person towards our dinner costs, which we happily took advantage of.

We had booked our evening meal in the brasserie on the first night, and the food was delicious. I had the sirloin steak, and TW had the seared tuna. Both were cooked to a tee, and we decided over dinner on Friday night to eat again there again on Saturday. It seemed a bit silly, when they were offering a discount on such delicious food, to spend real money eating elsewhere. So over the two nights I reckon we saved about £100, which I mentally offset against the £200 cost of the hotel stay - that made me feel better. On the Friday night after dinner we sat in the hotel bar and drank cocktails (TW) and whiskeys (me) - as a result, I felt a little jaded on the Saturday morning (some might say "no change there, then").

On the Saturday morning we walked into town and mooched around the shops. TW delighted in being able to shop at Joules, and Primark. We snuck into a lovely little coffee shop, where TW bumped into an old Uni friend - she was always bound to see someone she knew. We had a chat and then went our separate ways. By this time it was getting towards lunch, and so we looked for somewhere to eat. Luckily we chanced on Green's restaurant, which was a lovely little place. They did light bites and full lunches, and TW & I had some delicious snacks. TW had a spinach and salmon battenburg, which was an inventive and delicious meal, and I had scrambled egg, bacon and avacado on toast. It was a fine lunch.

After we got back to the hotel, we went for a swim and a sauna, and then prepared for dinner again. The second meal was just as good as the first, and we then went into town for more drinks back at Greens, before heading back to the hotel.

Sunday morning we got up and enjoyed the breakfast. They had everything - bacon, egg, tomatoes, hash browns, mushrooms, sausages, pancakes, fresh fruit salad, toast, tea, coffee, fruit juice... After breakfast I was so full I needed to go back to the room and have a lie down... :)

Unfortunately the weather was a bit grotty, so we checked out and headed home via Petworth and Midhurst. It was a nice drive, but we arrived home a bit earlier than expected. The girls were with the GiL in Brighton, so we had a nice quiet afternoon.

All in all, it was a lovely weekend, and well worth it. We agreed that we should spend time away together more often, and while it might not be a weekend away, an occasional evening here or there shouldn't be too difficult...

Tuesday 15-06-30 My Wife The Good Samaritan

TW was awake at 01:30 this morning, which was a miracle in itself (since no alcohol was involved), but actually she had set the alarm and intended to be awake at that time. We are taking in students who are visiting the UK to learn English, and she had agreed to take in a Chinese boy. Unfortunately we were expected to collect him from Worthing Station at 23:30.
Why set the alarm for 01:30 instead, then? I hear you ask... Well, at about 23:00 we got a text message advising that our visitor was delayed, and not expected into Worthing until 01:30. Up until that point, I was going to collect him, but at that point TW told me to go to bed and get some sleep, and she would collect the new arrival. So she set her alarm for 01:00 or 01:10, and dressed and set off to the station.
She was a few minutes early, our arriving student had not yet arrived, so she busied herself surveying the scene. She noticed a young woman who appeared to be visibly upset talking to a member of the station staff. The young woman ended the conversation and was crying. TW, being the person she is, wandered over and asked the woman what was the matter.
It turned out that she was a Mexican lady travelling to Milan, and she had been in London, intending to get to Gatwick. She had boarded the last train out of London Victoria, which as any fule kno runs fast to Brighton and then along the coast to Worthing. Unfortunately not every Mexican fule kno that though... She had spoken to the taxi drivers at the station, and they wanted £100 to drive her to Gatwick; she only had £13 about her person. So that was a no-go. And her flight was at 06:00. TW took control of the situation, told her not to worry, explained why she was loitering at the train station at that time in the morning (I would have been a bit suspicious myself) and promised to get the girl to Gatwick.
So TW collected the student and brought the student and the young woman back to our house, settled the student, came and woke me up and told me what she was up to (not that I took it in at the time, apparently I mostly blinked and looked dazed), and set off driving the girl to Gatwick. TW got back about 03:30 and slept.
I made sandwiches for the students when I got up, and a neighbour offered to take the girls to school, and I left for work.
Speaking to TW in the evening, she said that she hadn't done anything special, that anyone would have done the same thing and that she hoped that if she or any of our daughters were in that situation, that someone would have helped in a similar way.
I beg to differ though; I think that what she did was extraordinary, and it's not something that "anyone else would have done". TW is extremely empathic, and she helps people wherever she can. This was an extreme example of the sort of thing that she does every day.
In a world where people are getting shot while they sunbathe, and state support is being taken away from those most in need, and where all our heroes have turned out to be grubby self-interested child-molesters, this is the sort of act which restores my faith in humanity and reaffirms the fact that I've got the best wife in the world.
I hope others can appreciate that a little help here and there makes the world a better place.