Cake!

I was hoping fervently that nobody would be off sick today, so I could get on with the emails! Luckily, everyone was present and correct, and my morning shift passed quickly.

When I went to make myself toast in the kitchen at lunchtime, I had a long chat with our MD about the business, and some of the figures he quoted were mind-boggling! I'm just glad we sold the business when we did!

We had a treat in the afternoon, when we were invited into the boardroom for a slice of creamy cake, to say goodbye to our Finance Director, who was his normal grumpy self. I won't be sorry to say goodbye! The rest of the afternoon passed quickly, and I was soon driving home and looking forward to the weekend! Just before we'd left, it had rained heavily, and the sky was an angry dark grey. I don't think Spring is properly here just yet!

Keith went to the pub, and Sophie and I settled down with a glass of wine to watch the 2017 film adaptation of Daphne du Maurier's My Cousin Rachel. Cue lots of shouting at the film as the screenwriter had changed the most important part of the novel - the ending! It bore no resemblance to the book at all! I knew how Sophie felt when we watched Rebecca!

When the film was finished, Sophie and I went upstairs to watch the first series of Amanda Holden and Alan Carr's renovation of an Italian house they'd bought for one euro. It was as entertaining as ever!

Remembrance of things past...

I was looking forward to working today, as I expected I wouldn't need to be on the phone, and I could focus on reducing the number of emails languishing in our inboxes. Keith took me to work, and things started to go wrong when I couldn't get through the barrier we have at the entrance to our building. I tried and tried, but my card wouldn't work. I even asked a member of staff for help, but to no avail. Finally, our lovely cleaner swiped her card to let me in!

When I got up to the office, I mentioned my difficulty, and Sheila said she'd changed the number on my card so she could have access to a class she does at the gym every week... Well, I wish she'd told me, but it wouldn't work as I need to get in every morning! Madness! I immediately changed it back to my membership number!

Next up, we found out that Macy, Nicola's daughter, had phoned in sick... I said I would help out with the phones (grrrr!), but I couldn't stay until 4pm as I had afternoon plans. In the end, I did two hours, Sara did two hours, and Sheila ended the shift. She won't be here next week, and I keep thinking we have another week to go before the changes. Where on earth has March gone?

I did as much as I could before I went on the phones, but thankfully, the lines were quiet today. Thursday seems to be the quietest day of the week. At 2pm, I dashed off, and Keith met me in the car park. We drove to my old building at Lings, to see Amanda, one of the receptionists, and take her a box of chocolates for all of her help in the past. 

Walking in felt very poignant (I remembered the door code!), and we had a chat for a little while. The gym was completely empty as all the equipment had been moved out last week, and there were no vending machines in reception. I went into my old office and had a chat with the Dans, who were sitting in Nicola's old office. I hugged Dan F, who is lovely, and we always bought each other coffees in the good old days! I miss the lovely coffees from the machine! I had another chat with Amanda, and another hug, and I left. If I ever go again, it will be run by the enemy!

I dropped Keith off at home, hastily ate a sandwich I'd bought at Waitrose, and drove over to Kettering to see my Mum. Thankfully, we had a better visit than last Thursday, and I promised to see her on Sunday and take my laptop so we could look at photos.

It was Sophie's turn to cook tonight, and she made a delicious creamy baked pasta dish, while Keith and I chatted in the kitchen. After we'd eaten, we watched the first episode of Katya Adler's documentary about Europe, which we all found very interesting. I was then determined to finish the novel, My Cousin Rachel, so we can watch the film tomorrow night!

Sunshine and showers

I had no plans at all today, so it was lovely to have a little lie-in and then potter about. Outside, the rain had gone, but we were left with the wind. It was a blue sky and sun morning, but as the day wore on, we had intermittent showers. I suppose it is nearly April!

I did a lot of stuff for Sophie's birthday first thing, and then wrote my blog and pottered about for the rest of the day. We'd have bright sunshine one minute and then dark grey skies the next. It certainly made for interesting weather!

Keith cooked a delicious curry for dinner, and after we'd eaten, we watched the Huw Edwards drama that we'd recorded last night. It made for very uncomfortable viewing, and Sophie could hardly bring herself to watch. I was truly shocked when the truth came out, as I'd always viewed Huw Edwards as a thoroughly respectable man and the stalwart of the BBC. How are the mighty fallen!

A change in the weather

Keith took me to work this morning, which always makes the start of my day a little easier. I tried to get as much done as I could before 10:00am, when I would be on the phones again. I had three hours until Shirley came in to relieve me at 1:00pm.

It was manic first thing with about ten calls waiting, so Sara had to jump on as well. Some people seem to think that we have answers to their queries about the new company taking over and what they will be offering! I think we will get a lot of calls next week in the Easter holidays about our general swims that take place at one of the centres we're losing. The Everyone Active website is not the easiest to use, and I learnt that you have to register for an account to see bookings and timetables.

All day, it gradually grew darker, and we were forced to put the lights on in the office, as I couldn't see the keyboard to type! On a sunny day, the light from outside is enough, but we were in for a spell of wind and rain, and we needed the lights on as we neared 4:00pm.

Sophie was going out for a Turkish meal with her work buddies this evening, so it was just Keith and me for dinner. I nodded off on the sofa and then read my book until dinner. Outside, the wind was blowing, and it started to pour with rain. Sophie arrived home at 8:00pm, which was earlier than I had expected, so that was a bonus!

As we were getting ready for bed, the wind was so strong that it made us rush to the window to look out. I was fully expecting some damage to have taken place, but it was just very windy and wet!

Back to the grind...

I knew there would be many emails waiting for us today, and I wasn't wrong. We had about 600 to deal with, and we just can't make any inroads into them. We are now into the last week of our contract with the council, and next week it will be very different. Sara is organising a collection for Sheila, who will be working for the new company as of next Wednesday. When we first heard the news, it was ages ago; how the time has flown by. I have also heard that our grumpy Finance Director is retiring, so that was good news! No more awkward meetings in the kitchen!

I had to answer calls from 2:00pm until we finished, which put a stop to my answering as many emails as I wanted. It was great to escape at 4:00pm and drive home. Tonight, I had no excuse for not cooking one of my favourite meals, liver and bacon, and I consulted a Hairy Bikers' recipe to see if I could get any tips. They recommended rinsing the liver first, which I have never done, or even soaking it in milk to get rid of the strong taste (probably works better with pigs' liver).

I duly rinsed the offal, then coated it in seasoned flour. Keith had prepared the vegetables for me, so all I had to do was lightly fry the liver, bacon and onions and cook the potatoes, Brussels sprouts, carrots and swede.

Sophie refused to eat the liver, so she had lasagne with vegetables. When we sat down to eat, the meal was delicious, and I think the best I've ever cooked!

After the meal, we continued watching Silent Witness, which is very gory. Hmmm! Below is a much nicer image!

A spot of gardening

It was lovely to pootle about today and not have any plans, other than an appointment at the tip to take the rest of our garden waste. Sophie was meeting Laura and her dog, Wilbur, at lunchtime for a walk to the pub in the village, so she would be out for most of the afternoon.

Keith and I brought our appointment forward as we were ready to go by 10:30am. We heaved the huge bag of garden material into the back of the car and managed to get it all in one of the big skips, which was already almost full. The council are charging £69 to empty the garden bin every other week (but not over Christmas and New Year), which I think is expensive. Normally, we would have very little in our bin, so it would be a waste of money! The garden waste skip now seems to be the most popular one at the site! I wonder why!

Back at home, I hoovered the back of the VW and then, when the sun had come out, and it had warmed up a little, I ventured out into the garden to cut the grass. It was very long and lush, so it took me a fair while to get it done, with many empties of cuttings into a big box. As well as mowing the lawn, I strimmed the edges and picked up more branches. I can't decide whether to grass over the whole area, including the former border, or try to plant some shrubs. However, this area is shaded by trees, so I might just put some pots down to add colour. When I finished, the garden looked a lot neater, and the big box was full, but there was still much to do. One job at a time!

Sophie was out the whole afternoon, and she arrived back as I was having a long soak in the bath. Afterwards, I just fancied curling up on the sofa with my book, which I am enjoying immensely. I have never read any of Daphne du Maurier's novels, and had no idea she was such a brilliant writer. I love the original film of Rebecca and have seen The Birds and Don't Look Now, but I'm definitely going to be reading many more of her works.

We were planning on having liver and bacon tonight for dinner, but I pleaded weariness, so Keith reluctantly agreed to have the meal tomorrow instead, but that was the last time we would postpone it! We cooked fish (for Keith) and chicken escalopes for Sophie and me, and I have to say the meal was tasteless. Serves me right!

From the sublime to the ridiculous...

Bird strike...

Sophie and I had been looking forward to our trip to London ever since I booked tickets to see a Georges Seurat exhibition at The Courtauld Institute. Sophie had also booked a table at one of the restaurants she'd always wanted to go to - Roka, on Charlotte Street.

We booked a train from Wellingborough at 9:30am, and Keith dropped us off. We just had time for a coffee and a pastry in Bewiched before our train left for St Pancras. The train was lovely and quiet, and we had good seats.

Just after stopping at Bedford, the train came to a halt. We thought it was to let a faster train come through, but then we heard an announcement that a bird (a seagull, we found out later) had hit the train's windscreen and cracked it. A maintenance team would have to be called out. Sophie groaned because she knew what was coming. We might not make it to London...

Finally, we got moving again, but very slowly, and we limped our way into Flitwick station, where we were told to stay on the platform as a train following us would take us to St Pancras. We all disembarked and stood on the platform. Everyone seemed to be in good spirits, and we started talking to a woman who was going to see her daughter. We could also have taken a Thames Link train, but we decided to stay with the EMR one following us. 

As we stood in the sunshine, the crowd began to move forward, and people told us the train we needed to be on was arriving at platform 3. We all surged ahead, up and over a bridge, and down to the platform. As we had guessed, the train was already full, so we were all packed in like sardines...

We stood all the way to St Pancras, and it was an uncomfortable journey. It was heaven to get off the train and emerge into the sunshine outside of The Renaissance Hotel and catch a black cab. There were a lot of police vans about, and our driver said there were protests taking place today, and some of the roads were closed. He dropped us off close to Somerset House, and we walked the short distance in lovely sunshine.

The sublime...

It was so warm and sunny that we decided to sit outside in the courtyard and enjoy a drink. Sophie bought us both an upmarket ginger drink and a pastel de nata, which we enjoyed while people-watching and soaking up the rays. Perfect!

At 12:00pm, we went into the building and up to the 3rd floor. Another member of staff checked our tickets, and we went into the two rooms holding the Seascapes exhibition by Georges Seurat. It was very busy, but we managed to have a good look at the paintings, some of which were of Honfleur. Georges Seurat employed the practice of "pointillism", the painting made up of tiny dots of colour.

I particularly liked the way he'd caught the light in his paintings and learned that he'd spent summers in Normandy and also further up the coast at a town called Gravelines.

After seeing Seurat's paintings, we wandered into the main rooms and admired works by Monet, Manet, Gauguin, Modigliani, Cézanne and Renoir. The paintings were stunning.

Cézanne

Cézanne

Renoir

Renoir

Deauville

Tourist central

Before we retrieved our bags from our locker, we visited the shop, and Sophie bought a postcard. She suggested we walk down to the river and find somewhere to have a drink before catching a cab to Charlotte Street.

We walked down to The Embankment, and marvelled at the vista in front of us - we could see Big Ben, the London Eye, Cleopatra's Needle and the Shard. People were out, and the pretty gardens, full of tulips and spring flowers, were packed with people enjoying the sunshine and warm temperatures.

We spotted a boat on the river, which had been converted into a pub and had a look, but the place was noisy and crammed with people drinking. It wasn't our sort of thing at all!

From the river, we walked past the Ministry of Defence building to Horseguards Parade, which was heaving with crowds of tourists, and then towards Trafalgar Square. There were several pubs here, but they were all busy, and we both agreed that this was a part of London that we rarely visit. We hailed a black cab and asked the driver to take us to Charlotte Street, where we hoped it would be quieter!

Our journey took us through packed streets where we gazed at the crowds of people out enjoying the sunshine, shopping and looking at the sights. Luckily, Charlotte Street was a lot quieter, and we passed Roka as we ambled down the street. There were a lot of very attractive women sitting by the windows, who Sophie said were probably influencers. Long blonde hair, false nails and thick eyelashes seemed to be the fashion...

The wine bar that Sophie wanted to try was closed, but we found another quirky one called Vagabond. The only visible member of staff showed us how to go about sampling the wines and explained about ordering food. We found a table near the window and ordered a plate of Padron peppers, a bowl of French fries and vegan aioli. There were two rows of wines, all behind glass, where you could choose 25ml (a tasting sample), 125ml or 175 ml. Some of the prices were astronomical: over £20 for the 175ml sample!

We found a Portuguese Alvarinho for about £11 and paid on the pad next to the wine. It was all very high-tech! Our food was delivered to our table by Sophie using the QR code and was very good. The small pastries we'd had earlier seemed a long time ago! It was lovely to sit and chat over the food and wine, and look forward to our late lunch (or brunch).

Maybe one to try if we can find it!

The ridiculous...

Just before 3pm, we walked the short distance to Roka, and we were shown to a table downstairs in the Shochu Lounge, which was a very dark space with tables closely packed together and boughs of artificial trees loaded with blossom above us. I sat facing the restaurant while Sophie could only see me and the wall behind me. To my right was a large party of drunk girls, who were on the point of leaving (thank goodness), and to my left was a table of two young girls who must have arrived shortly before us.

It was like being on the set of Love Island. Never have I seen so many pouty lips, hair extensions, false eyelashes and phones being brandished about. Virtually every table was full of young women, preening, pouting and posing. 

We had two menus on our table, and I didn't realise they were different. I had the standard brunch menu at £58 per person, with an additional £20 for wine to accompany the dishes, whereas Sophie had the more expensive version. We decided to go with the standard set menu. 

There was an array of starters, and then we each needed to choose a main course. We were given a Bellini, and our food started to arrive. First up was a mixed lettuce salad with caramelised onion dressing. We were so close to the two girls next to us that we could hear every word of their conversation (some of which I wouldn't like to repeat). More starters arrived:

Steamed edamame with sea salt 

Cucumber maki with umeboshi and roasted sesame seeds 

Fermented chilli cabbage

Crispy prawn and avocado maki

Selection of spicy sashimi and cucumber maki

Japanese potato croquettes with sweet den miso mayo (v)

Japanese fried chicken with chilli mayo

Prawn dumplings with yuzu truffle dressing

The food was good, but we forgot what we were eating as the waiter had taken our menu away with him! He kept foisting sparkling wine on us, which was fine to start with, but Sophie was under the impression that we were going to get a wine pairing with each course. I had noticed a disclaimer on the menu which said, "The Management reserve the right to stop serving alcohol at their discretion." To me, that meant they regularly had groups of drunken women rampaging around the restaurant! I don't think the waiters were going to recommend a wine with each course!

We made our way through the starters, the cold sushi dishes first, followed by the potato croquettes, fried chicken and dumplings, and Sophie looked increasingly uncomfortable. She had been wanting to dine here for about six years and regularly chatted to her Dr Bawa about the experience. She looked very glum.

We had ordered the sirloin steak and pork ribs for a main course to share, so while Sophie disappeared to the bathroom, I ordered a glass of white and one of red. When she came back, my daughter looked shell-shocked and told me not to go there. Later, she told me it was just a mass of preening women taking selfies in front of a large mirror...

Our main courses arrived and, again, the food was good, but certainly not in the same league as Inko Nito in Soho, where we have been twice. I would have liked a bowl of rice to accompany the meat and soak up the juices.

Our glasses of wine were fine (Portuguese), and I was determined to get our £20 worth, so we each ordered another glass. I had noticed a man of about my age come in with his companion and sit at the bar until their table was ready. When they sat down, they seemed to be a very mismatched couple! He was scruffy in jeans and a creased top, while she trout-pouted and posed in knee-length cowboy boots, a short skirt and a vest top with a plunging neckline. I had been feeling ancient and very country-bumpkinish since arriving, but at least there was one other person my age, even if his partner wasn't!

Our dessert platter arrived, and it was beautiful to look at, but mainly consisted of fruit, half a mochi each (why not a whole one?) and a scoop of cheesecake, which was delicious.

By now, Sophie was itching to pay the bill and leave, so we left half a glass of wine each, paid the bill (with a 14.5% service charge added) and fled back up the stairs to the street. Sophie was bitterly disappointed by the experience and the fact that the restaurant had been taken over by influencers. She told me that some of the words used by the two girls at the next table were awful, and the fact that we were crammed in so closely was obviously a way of making as much money as possible.

Not what we know and love...

We hailed a black cab, and Sophie asked the driver to take us to The Renaissance Hotel, where we could at least have a civilised cocktail before catching our 6:45pm train home. On the journey, we mulled over our meal at Roka and decided to put it down to experience! "It's for the blog!"

At the hotel, Sophie chatted to the doorman as he opened the taxi door for us, and we made our way to The Booking Office. It looked packed... Sophie joined the queue and asked about a table, but we were advised to wait as there weren't any available. A mass of people surrounded the central table where the 5:05pm cocktail ritual was about to start. We had never seen The Booking Office like this, visiting on a weekday as we normally do. It was a different beast on a Saturday evening, and one we weren't sure we liked!

As we waited, I was fascinated by another couple, sitting at the bar. They were in their late 50s, and he kept touching her arm while she gazed adoringly into his eyes. They were totally captivated by each other, in what I would presume was the first stages of a newborn romance. 

We waited for about five minutes, and I suggested gently to Sophie that we give it up and head home. She argued and said we could try The Hansom Bar instead, but they were full as well. We used the beautiful facilities of the hotel, and then decided to cut our losses and leave. As we walked to our platform, we passed a couple having a drink, both engrossed in their phones, and not each other... the other extreme to what I'd witnessed in The Booking Office!

It was very, very lucky that we caught an earlier train, as we later found out that our 6:45pm train had been cancelled. Even the one we were on was delayed due to problems further along the line, and we arrived back at Wellingborough at 6.30pm, much to Keith's annoyance as he'd had to wait twenty minutes for us. Our train had emptied out at Bedford, and we struck up a conversation with a woman who lived in Scaldwell, the next village to ours. Small world, eh?

The rest of our evening was spent discussing the day and relaxing with a drink. Definitely a day of experiences!