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After a lot of running around all over the country....

The snow did not really settle in the south east, although there was a steady fall of it coming over Salisbury Plain. My host had the glaziers in and they took out every window of an old stone farmhouse to fit double glazing...I'll leave you to guess the temperature.

In the evening, we had to go to Torquay, as mentioned previously. While my host was doing other things, I sat in the local pub - I hoped to do some writing, but we had a precognitive conversation on the way as to how this was likely to go:

A local: "What you writing, then, love? You writing a novel? Am I going to be in it?"
Me: *WALLOP!!!*

This is precisely what happened, minus the wallop. I had some fish and chips and then talked to someone for about an hour. It was a bit like the real life equivalent of "10 Things I've Done...":

- the gentleman showed me his teeth (by taking them out)
- told me about shooting 4 people dead in Aden, one by a head shot about which he still has nightmares
- told me about swimming the mouth of the river Dart in evening dress
- and several more things that I can't remember because my brain had packed up by that time.

By the time T returned I had spoken to everyone in the pub, been bought several drinks, and bought some myself. A friendly lot, in Torquay.

They said to T - "Have you come to rescue her?"

- to which T unflatteringly replied "I don't think she's the one who needs rescuing."

On Friday evening I went to Gloucester and had dinner in Cheltenham at this place:

http://www.vanillainc.co.uk/hairbeauty/beautytherapy.asp

Yeah, I know it looks like a beautician's. That's the top part of the building. Excellent food and very good company, too. You know who you are! ;-)

Saturday, I went to Whichford and did things Druidic - not a bad way to spend your 40th. Up on the Cotswolds, the snow had settled and looked lovely, too - low winter light through bare branches. But the daffodils and snowdrops are all out in spite of the cold snap.

Sunday: back down to spend the evening with my family and subsequently with T (a lot of driving around, as I said). Lots of plans, lots of changes in slow progress. It's going to be one of those transitional years, I think.
(deleted comment)

Date: 2005-02-28 09:51 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] mevennen.livejournal.com
>Still doing the Catholic Boys' School thing tomorrow?

Yes! Are you still on for lunch?

Date: 2005-02-28 09:24 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] major-clanger.livejournal.com
dinner in Cheltenham

Mmm, looks nice. A pity [livejournal.com profile] bugshaw and I moved from Cheltenham about three and half years ago! (But there are plenty of nice places to eat in Cambridge, too.)

Happy (slightly belated) Birthday, by the way!

MC

Date: 2005-02-28 09:52 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] mevennen.livejournal.com
Aha! There are some very good places in Cheltenham and (I lived there for a bit) Cambridge too, though I'm a bit out of touch with the latter.

Date: 2005-02-28 09:58 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] spytfire.livejournal.com
We just don't have the friendly pub interactions like you have on your side of the pond. Of course, I suppose it depends on the size of the town you're in.

In H town? I don't go into bars or pubs alone if I can help it.

;-)

Date: 2005-02-28 09:59 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] mevennen.livejournal.com
There are some pubs round here I wouldn't set foot in, but generally most are OK places if you can stand up for yourself a bit!

Date: 2005-02-28 10:04 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] spytfire.livejournal.com
I imagine there is a bit of Yank naivete on my part. Combine that with the fact that most of my pub experiences were with Mand in small towns..except for the trip to Edinburgh...oh and Durham. :)

Date: 2005-02-28 10:55 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] mevennen.livejournal.com
Well, we might speak the same language but it is a different country, so not really a question of naivete, but legit caution! I am rather wary of bars in the US (when on my own) as I don't know the culture in certain areas.

Date: 2005-02-28 11:24 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] klingonguy.livejournal.com
I meant to send you an email birthday greeting, truly I did. I even had done a search for images of thoats on Google (astonishingly how many choices there are) which I intended to subtly modify in some graphic program.

But then I had the reading on Friday night, and Saturday was spent visiting with the future sisters-in-law (separately, not together) and then exploring the obscene prices of imported beds from Sweden, and so on well into the night.

So, in lieu of a card (and thoats!) you get the traditional Klingon greeting which, since Klingon lacks tense, holds up today quite well. qoSlIj yItIv

Lawrence

Date: 2005-02-28 12:44 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] mevennen.livejournal.com
Nobody's EVER said that to me before, Lawrence.

Wow! It's an honor.

Do Klingons do birthday cards? Somehow I suspect not....

vanilla

Date: 2005-03-04 01:42 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] cleopand.livejournal.com
Aw shucks! You missed the amusing speactacle of Mr Cleopand nearly chundering on the journey home after he was assailed by a violent bout of hiccups brought on by the extreme lushness of the restaurant's decor...
I hope you're collecting nectar points on your petrol with all this driving....

Re: vanilla

Date: 2005-03-04 03:06 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] mevennen.livejournal.com

I'm glad Mr C did not end up laughing at the ground but God knows, it was kitsch enough. I was particularly impressed by the Roman torches.

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