Today Jim came for lunch with 5 other people.
Jim is a regular customer and a former RAF man. He usually arrives with someone from his family, sometimes two or three others, often his son-in-law, Bob and always with a smile.
Today though was special.
Today it's Jim's birthday.
To look at him you might think him a 70 year old. If he told you he was 80 you'd blink and question whether he has a portrait in the attic. Today, though, Jim is 90.
After his jacket potato with chilli, an americano with hot milk and piece of fruit cake (the birthday lunch of champions) Jim asked if he could book in for his centenary....
Tuesday, 10 June 2014
Monday, 9 June 2014
Climbed up the spout again.
I shall find it difficult to describe the rain this morning.
It rained buckets, cats and dogs, stair rods and lots and lots of water.
The good news is that the new patio meant the rain water was channeled away from the tea room door and we weren't wading.
The bad news is that the conservatory roof leaks. Floor and tables needed attention.
Before we opened I made a dash to the local petrol station since the orange light, which tells me when I'm running on fumes, had been on for a couple of days.
The garage was not selling fuel though. A member of staff came out to the pumps and said above the rain: "I've switched off the pumps until the storm passes. We had too much damage done during the storm on Saturday." I nodded and drove away but I didn't really understand. I shall have to find out next time I go.
I wasn't around on Saturday to experience the storm.
I was in Bremen in Germany in the sunshine.
But who wants to hear that when you're facing a deluge?
This afternoon was glorious. The sun dried my weekend-away washing and the bag load of stuff my son came home from China with yesterday.
It rained buckets, cats and dogs, stair rods and lots and lots of water.
The good news is that the new patio meant the rain water was channeled away from the tea room door and we weren't wading.
The bad news is that the conservatory roof leaks. Floor and tables needed attention.
Before we opened I made a dash to the local petrol station since the orange light, which tells me when I'm running on fumes, had been on for a couple of days.
The garage was not selling fuel though. A member of staff came out to the pumps and said above the rain: "I've switched off the pumps until the storm passes. We had too much damage done during the storm on Saturday." I nodded and drove away but I didn't really understand. I shall have to find out next time I go.
I wasn't around on Saturday to experience the storm.
I was in Bremen in Germany in the sunshine.
But who wants to hear that when you're facing a deluge?
This afternoon was glorious. The sun dried my weekend-away washing and the bag load of stuff my son came home from China with yesterday.
Wednesday, 4 June 2014
Taking Steps
This morning I went back in time.
To a place I worked in the mid 1990s (how old does that make me sound?)
I went to the BBC Hereford and Worcester studios to collect a pedometer.
We're always saying how far we must walk in our job - taking out trays to the far reaches of the garden, bringing in empties, showing people the way to the church, bringing in the signs, moving the tables and chairs back where they started the day...
The local station is running something called Walk the Week from Monday. The breakfast presenter is going to walk 20 miles a day and present the show from a different part of the county each morning. As part of that they're asking people with different jobs to wear a pedometer to see what mileage they clock up.
I'm not competitive but....
To a place I worked in the mid 1990s (how old does that make me sound?)
I went to the BBC Hereford and Worcester studios to collect a pedometer.
We're always saying how far we must walk in our job - taking out trays to the far reaches of the garden, bringing in empties, showing people the way to the church, bringing in the signs, moving the tables and chairs back where they started the day...
The local station is running something called Walk the Week from Monday. The breakfast presenter is going to walk 20 miles a day and present the show from a different part of the county each morning. As part of that they're asking people with different jobs to wear a pedometer to see what mileage they clock up.
I'm not competitive but....
Tuesday, 3 June 2014
Novel
We host a lot of U3A groups.
They come in all shapes and sizes. Small history groups; large gardening groups; groups of mainly men; groups of mainly women; groups of mainly couples; groups from all over the UK.
At lunchtime we served a group of 16 who hadn't come far. They were from Bromsgrove and they preordered their lunches, arrived on time, were very complimentary and went off to enjoy their tour of the church and crypt.
Then half of them came back for tea and cake. It started to rain and they pretty much had the place to themselves. And they were wonderfully loud. They laughed. A lot. Either one of them was doing stand-up or they'd all been drinking.
As they were having their cake (and eating it) an older gentleman came in. I thought he might be either blind or partially sighted as he fumbled with his change and pushed it across the counter to pay for his tea.
I was wrong.
As I left for the day I noticed him sitting outside, holding his umbrella above his head reading a book.
They come in all shapes and sizes. Small history groups; large gardening groups; groups of mainly men; groups of mainly women; groups of mainly couples; groups from all over the UK.
At lunchtime we served a group of 16 who hadn't come far. They were from Bromsgrove and they preordered their lunches, arrived on time, were very complimentary and went off to enjoy their tour of the church and crypt.
Then half of them came back for tea and cake. It started to rain and they pretty much had the place to themselves. And they were wonderfully loud. They laughed. A lot. Either one of them was doing stand-up or they'd all been drinking.
As they were having their cake (and eating it) an older gentleman came in. I thought he might be either blind or partially sighted as he fumbled with his change and pushed it across the counter to pay for his tea.
I was wrong.
As I left for the day I noticed him sitting outside, holding his umbrella above his head reading a book.
Monday, 2 June 2014
Pick 'n' mix
Shhh.
2nd June and it didn't rain today either.
A few families whose children aren't yet back at school ventured to us but we weren't exactly over run. Then this afternoon twenty two ladies and gents from Highley in Shropshire came for a talk on the Church history, a visit to the crypt (some didn't want to go in) and cream teas all round.
Four of the group, which is known as Allsorts, came to the counter for big slices of cake after their cream tea.
They know how to enjoy a day out.
2nd June and it didn't rain today either.
A few families whose children aren't yet back at school ventured to us but we weren't exactly over run. Then this afternoon twenty two ladies and gents from Highley in Shropshire came for a talk on the Church history, a visit to the crypt (some didn't want to go in) and cream teas all round.
Four of the group, which is known as Allsorts, came to the counter for big slices of cake after their cream tea.
They know how to enjoy a day out.
Sunday, 1 June 2014
Glorious First
June. Sunshine. Today at least.
We opened early for a car rally group and ended the day with a twenty-strong choir from Staffordshire who were performing in the church after their cream teas/high teas/ tea-break from rehearsing.
We've had a marvellously busy day but someone has told us they'd heard June is going to be a wet month.
Guess not much hay will be made.
We opened early for a car rally group and ended the day with a twenty-strong choir from Staffordshire who were performing in the church after their cream teas/high teas/ tea-break from rehearsing.
We've had a marvellously busy day but someone has told us they'd heard June is going to be a wet month.
Guess not much hay will be made.
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