TV gold.

The wedding canapés were a success. Thank goodness. We poured the champagne at the optimum moment (no mean feat for 150 guests) and managed to serve the mini pasties and red onion & Stilton tarts still warm, with us running back and forth between the Church and the tea rooms oven.

This afternoon a lady from The Food Hospital, a programme on Channel 4, came in to ask if I'd help out with a segment they're doing about asparagus.

Apparently I've said yes. So now on Tuesday I'm cooking asparagus in a field.
Surrounded by people who may or may not be persuaded to have their urine tested after eating it.

Floody Nora

This morning I went in early to bake another Wimbledon Cake and await the groom from tomorrow's wedding who was coming to talk about contingency plans. Or what we were going to do with all the canapés and bucks fizz we're going to serve outside if it pours with rain. So Mike arrived in a downpour. While he and I were throwing ideas around the downpour became torrential. I know this because the carpet grew wet. The rain came in under the doors. And it kept coming. And it kept raining until we could grow rice on the carpet. And still it rained.
I did what I could. I panicked.
I called in the cavalry who mopped and soaked up and hoovered up.
Then people started arriving for lunch with tales of flooded roads and shops.
By late afternoon everyone was sitting outside in the warm sunshine.
No sign of the paddy field.
It may have been one of those strange dreams...like when two nuns arrive at half past five and are turned away because we're closed. Ah yes. That happened today too.

Backhand slice

Today I got up early to make the Cake of the Week: Wimbledon Cake. Actually it will be cake of the fortnight. Or even longer if the rain sets in over SW19.
Cake includes strawberries and cream, passion fruit, orange zest. I keep trying out puns: shall I serve? like a slice? chalk flew up? Still working on that last one...

Paper

At lunchtime a large group of people arrived to celebrate.
It was our first anniversary.
A year since we hosted and catered a lovely, charming Afternoon Tea wedding in bright sunshine in a marquee in the garden. A year since we ferried Pimms and beer, tea and scones, crustless sandwiches and canapés, cakes, raspberries and strawberries, elderflower cordial to the music of a string quartet.
Ah it was delightful.
Our first anniversary also happened to be that of the Bride and Groom for whom 30+ people gathered as a surprise to mark the day.
When Mr and Mrs walked in the whole group broke into song - All you need is love.
Yes. They are for real.

Gamblin' Man

We had two football fans in last week.
One was a Wolves supporter, the other an Aston Villa man.
Mr Wolves was paying for the whole day out after a bet that his team would finish the season with more points than Villa.
It was a pretty close call.

Going Dutch

Two ladies from the Netherlands came in for an early lunch. They're staying in Stratford and touring around.
One of them lectures on Elizabeth I.
But that wasn't the most interesting thing about her.
Oh no.
The most interesting thing was that she ate her sandwich with a knife and fork.

Venus and Mars

Five men arrived together. They were walkers. Had maps on strings round their necks. The first one asked for a cappuccino and a tea cake and one by one they followed suit. Five of each. That'll do they said. The first man paid for everyone and said they'd sort it out later. They stayed about half an hour.
While they were downing their coffee five women arrived. They ordered separately and paid separately. There were three teas (two earl grey) and two americanos, one without milk. There was one scone (with jam and cream). They sat and chatted. There was another round of americanos. And one more tea. They stayed and chatted.
The men had sat in the conservatory.
The women chose the main tea room.
They didn't have a chance to see each other.
Should I try to run a speed dating morning?

Banking on the holiday

All the jubilee cakes have gone.
People often say the Queen does a lot for our economy.
Now I know what they mean.
Thank you ma'am.

Back to jacket potatoes and soup today.
And gallons of hot chocolate.
That's what the temperature drop does. Yesterday it was all egg mayonnaise or smoked salmon sandwiches and going outside to deliver them to tables in the garden.
It was the busiest day we've had this season.
So far. She says optimistically.