Keith and I took Sophie to the station at midday and after dropping her off, we drove to Chapel Brampton to The Spencer Arms for a drink. We hadn't been to this pub for ages and it was lovely inside, but no fire burning in the grate? On a very cold day like today?
We sat and had a drink and chatted and lots of people started arriving for lunch. One couple, obviously regulars, came in and asked why the fire hadn't been lit! It was chilly inside, something a pub should never be!
We finished our drinks and drove over to Great Brington for our lunchtime booking at The Althorp Coaching Inn. The road to the village hadn't been gritted at all and was covered in frost as it was such a cold, wintry day. We've missed this pub, which has been closed since the pandemic, and I think it's been taken over by new owners.
We ordered at the bar - I had a half of Plum Porter and Keith had the same and we sat down at one of the tables near the log burner. Again, it felt cold and there was a draught coming from somewhere! The pub hasn't lost any of its gorgeous character and has been tarted up a bit with a coat of paint and what looked like new wallpaper. There were several people already sitting enjoying drinks and food and lovely little nooks where you could sit and relax.
We enjoyed our drinks and then went to the dining room for lunch. We were given a table in the window, next to another table with two high chairs... The occupants soon arrived with their parents who decided that the table wasn't suitable so moved to another with a great deal of fuss. Keith and I sat and waited patiently for a menu and some more drinks, but the waiter was occupied with the families and deserted us. When they received their menus and were asked what they wanted to drink, we felt very miffed! I think he realised because he rapidly came over with the menus and took our drinks order!
The families with the babies spent an inordinate amount of time wiping down the already pristine high chairs and sorting out the two baby girls, one of whom was very squawky, and just wouldn't settle. Keith and I chose our meals - a burger for me and fish and chips for Keith.
The pub gradually filled up with people - another (well-behaved) baby, lots of dogs and young children so it's a popular place at lunchtime, and especially on a beautiful day like today when I'm sure people had been out walking.
Our food was very good and we managed puds - sticky toffee pudding for me and profiteroles for Keith. We had a lovely lunch and it was heaven to sit and relax and chat, but one of the babies shrieked and squawked throughout our meal and wouldn't sit in the high chair or even be held by her parents. Is it really such a good idea to take very young babies to a pub, even if it is lunchtime? Maybe, next time we'll go back for dinner!
We set out for home and the journey was lovely. All the fields and hedgerows were covered in thick frost and the sun was just starting to sink low in the sky. It was a beautiful winter's day.
Back home, Keith immediately fell asleep in front of the television and I went upstairs to watch a programme about Christmas films. Sophie had been having a great day and had visited the old Battersea Power Station which had been turned into a hub for restaurants and shops. They were off to Covent Garden next, to an Indian restaurant she'd been to before.
I went downstairs to find Monty hadn't moved all day, which was a bit worrying. He hadn't asked for food which was unheard of, as he loves his grub! I read the paper and received a panicky text from Sophie saying that Covent Garden was crowded with people and there was no chance of getting into the restaurant. She said they were going to try and get back to Euston as she'd had enough and wanted to come home.
She then texted to say that the nearby tube stations had been closed, and the roads were gridlocked so they couldn't even get a taxi or an Uber to get to Euston. Even the buses couldn't get through. She said that because Morocco had beaten Portugal, a huge number of Moroccans were out on the streets celebrating and letting off fireworks. She sounded very scared and worried, which was horrible.
I told her to let me know what they were doing and went and sat in the living room, worried about her not being able to get home. Luckily, she phoned me and said that they'd moved to a quieter area and were going to try the tube station at Great Portland street. From there they could get to Euston. They were able to do this and they had something to eat at St Pancras. She sounded fed up but a lot calmer, thank goodness!
Keith and I watched the football, of course, and although England equalised, they ultimately lost 2-1 to France. Sophie was on the train when the match was on and I kept her up to date with what was happening. I had a feeling England would lose, so it wasn't a surprise but it was a shame nonetheless.
Sophie's new man dropped her off at home at about 9.30pm and we were able to talk about what happened in London. She said it was one of the worst experiences of her life and she was terrified she was going to be crushed by the sheer amount of people on the streets. I'm glad they closed the stations as it would have been dangerous with that number of people all trying to get onto a train. I was very glad she was home!
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