Pots

Today was difficult to sum up.
There were a few different sets of people wandering around the Court and Church in warm sunshine.
There were two "friendship" groups, a coach party from South Wales and a day centre outing.

I did my bullying bit and forced two ladies up to the church - they were worried about the incline - "I've got two new hips and a stick" said one. So I drove them in my grubby car.
"I like a car with leg room," she said, "I don't care how dirty it is if it's got leg room."
Her face was a picture when she saw the Church interior.

I suppose the main element of today, as one might expect, was tea.
But today was different.
Generally we make plenty of lattes and hot chocolates and milkshakes, serve lots of local apple juice and elderflower presses.
But today was definitely a tea day.
And most people who ordered tea had a scone to go with it.

Licence to confuse

Lady ordering lunch: And two glasses of red wine please.
G: Sorry but we're not licensed.
Lady: Oh.....do you have any beer instead then?

Winners meddle.

The rain came this afternoon but not before we'd had a flurry of visitors for coffee. It's just a week since Good Friday when we were rushed off our feet all day in gorgeous sunshine and it couldn't have been more different.
Lunchtime was short but busy and the quiet afternoon allowed me to bake a couple of lemon drizzle cakes.
Baking is usually the preserve of the morning before the daily scones go into the oven but I might have to take these pm opportunities more often. They'll give me an extra hour in bed.

This evening was the annual village quiz which my family contrived to win. The prize?
Afternoon Tea for Four at The Garden Tea Rooms in Great Witley.
Hmmm.
We gave our prize to the second placed team.

Pushing the boundaries

Lady: "It says outside that you serve morning coffee and Afternoon Teas.
I know it's the afternoon but am I allowed a coffee?"


This reminded me of an NCT friend (quite a lot posher than I'll ever be) who asked, "It is a little before 4, but shall we have a cup of tea anyway?"

Bring your good times (and your laughter too).

I am taking a deep breath.
Tomorrow is a Bank Holiday.
We have a group of ten six-year olds coming to celebrate a birthday. Sandwiches and cakes and squash in teapots.
Half an hour later we have an 87 year old celebrating his birthday over lunch.
Which will be more raucous?
My money's on Wyndham, a Welsh man with an enormous smile.
He knows how to enjoy himself.
He's had a lot of practice.
So far over the past four years we've hosted his granddaughter's wedding, his golden wedding anniversary, his wife's birthday, his birthday, his grandaughter's first and second wedding anniversaries and a friend's 25th wedding anniversary.
That's a lot of cake.

The ice (cream) man cometh

Another lovely busy day full of panini and scone orders.
A few more members of the team learned how to make the popular milkshakes and I've decide that really they only take as long as a cappuccino and we make plenty of those.
A lady who told me her name is Mel arrived with four week old Tom. She'd walked. He'd slept.
She ordered asparagus soup so I took Tom on a visit round the tearooms while she ate.
A waitress did that for me once when I had a young baby.
I'll always remember how lovely it was to have two hands free to eat lunch. It's only right to pass the favour forward now.
Despite there being ice on the windscreen this morning the day warmed up and in the afternoon almost everyone sat in the garden. We had a moment of panic when a 7 year old boy went missing but he turned up. His friend said he'd been "sulking in the bushes". Who hasn't done that?

We ran dangerously low on ice cream. There wasn't much choice in the tubs department by mid afternoon. I kept telling people a delivery was due and to keep their fingers crossed.
They did. It arrived.
Just in time for tomorrow.

Busy as bees

Just a short note to say how very lovely and sunny and busy it is. Today I had deliveries from 3 places and immediately had to order more from all of them.
Usually at this time we are calmer before the Bank Holiday.
We are all a leeetle bit nervous of what the weekend may bring if this is the state of affairs now.
Deep breath.

The masonry bees are here. The sign has gone up (as it does every year) to reassure visitors that the flying things around the door are not wasps and shouldn't sting them.
The bees stay just a few weeks when the warmer weather starts, and are always in the same place. Then they're gone.