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Apr. 27th, 2007 11:27 pmMy father's had a cold since Tuesday, my mother was struck down by a stinker of one yesterday, so it's not come as a total surprise that all day I've been feeling the tell-tale beginnings of a sore throat and stuffy nose. Nadgers.
Work wasn't too bad today, if a touch on the dull side. At least we had the bonus of some biscuits on the table (nibbles on Fridays are most unusual). Was just about to cross the road to the bus stop when Lorna pulled up at the end of the approach road from our office, called my name and offered me a lift home :)
This evening we did the Basingstoke Ball. With my mother feeling really rough from her cold, the drive up was deathly quiet, though Pete kindly put Capital Gold on. When we arrived, Margaret was full of apologies for their not having been able to get any Shepherd Neame beers, but I assured her that it didn't matter.
We had a Bucks Fizz reception. Charles, the ex-chairman of Isle of Wight, told us that Kirsty had been meant to be joining him but she was stuck at work in London, thanks to fall-out from the M3 crash yesterday. Tony and Margaret introduced us to their daughter Fay and her friend Henry, as we'd be on the table Fay was presiding over. Henry turned out to be a big rugby fan (albeit union), so he and I discussed the oval ball game until it was time to go in to dinner.
I was sat next to the space where Kirsty should have been. Her place card called her 'Kirsty [Charles' surname]', so I quipped to Charles "I didn't know you and Kirsty had married since we last met." There was still no wine or water on the table when the starter was served, so we flagged down a waitress and my mother ordered a bottle of water, I ordered a glass of wine (from the choices she gave me I asked for house white; she brought red). A bit later, the head waitress stood next to our table ordering her team to bring bottles of red and white, plus water, to every table, then she apologised to us all for their not having been there at the beginning. A bit later, Tony came over and told us he'd been having to hold in anger when he realised the wine hadn't been there; he'd still made his point to the head waitress forcefully.
David from New Forest had brought two escorts: Liz, whom we'd met before, and his daughter Lorna. Over the main course, Charles grumbled that at the beginning, when he pointed out his ladylessness to David, David had agreed that Liz could come and sit with Charles, but then when the meal began David had whisked her off to her allotted seat at his table. My mother and Maria urged Charles on to go over and claim Liz; he said he was tempted, but he didn't want to make waves.
"Anyway, Charles, mustn't be unfaithful to your new wife," I said. He guffawed at that, picked up Kirsty's place card and said "That's most amusing, I'm going to send it to her."
Just after we'd all eaten main course, Sue came up to our table, and Maria got up and went to join her in going out for a fag break. "The three sisters are back together," I said as they began to go, but Sue looked over to the top table and said "I think Margaret's trapped."
When the dessert - superbly scrumptious lemon cheesecake with a raspberry and cream brandy-snap basket - was brought round, and the waitress stopped at Kirsty's empty chair and asked if anyone was sitting there, I said no.
"You fool," my mother said, "you could have had two portions."
When Margaret came over to say hello and ask us all how we were liking it, I said to her "Your two sisters missed you when they went for a puff." Margaret explained that she had her mother-in-law on her table, and when she's with her mother-in-law, excusing herself for a fag break is just impossible.
When coffee was served, Charles asked the waitress for a cup of tea, then when it was brought he put in it what he thought was milk... It was cream. As he realised his mistake and requested another cuppa, I quipped "Well, the Isle of Wight is famous for cream teas." We'd just finished the coffee and mints when the group started to play a swing tune. Tony and Margaret did the first dance alone, then when the second song began my mother asked me to call Pete. She'd pre-warned me that she wasn't feeling up to staying too long after dinner, and she wanted to conserve her energy for her Old Tyme Music Hall tomorrow night. So I went out to the foyer, phoned Pete before nipping to the loo, and went back inside to say my goodbyes. Of course everyone was surprised we were going so soon, so I explained that my mother wasn't too well, and about half a dozen of them went over to her to give their condolences before we left.
A drive home in deathly silence, with my mother asleep, punctuated only by dodgy Capital Gold reception. At least they played Eddie Cochran's Something Else, and had Glen Matlock in talking about the Pistols - and they even played God Save The Queen :)
Work wasn't too bad today, if a touch on the dull side. At least we had the bonus of some biscuits on the table (nibbles on Fridays are most unusual). Was just about to cross the road to the bus stop when Lorna pulled up at the end of the approach road from our office, called my name and offered me a lift home :)
This evening we did the Basingstoke Ball. With my mother feeling really rough from her cold, the drive up was deathly quiet, though Pete kindly put Capital Gold on. When we arrived, Margaret was full of apologies for their not having been able to get any Shepherd Neame beers, but I assured her that it didn't matter.
We had a Bucks Fizz reception. Charles, the ex-chairman of Isle of Wight, told us that Kirsty had been meant to be joining him but she was stuck at work in London, thanks to fall-out from the M3 crash yesterday. Tony and Margaret introduced us to their daughter Fay and her friend Henry, as we'd be on the table Fay was presiding over. Henry turned out to be a big rugby fan (albeit union), so he and I discussed the oval ball game until it was time to go in to dinner.
I was sat next to the space where Kirsty should have been. Her place card called her 'Kirsty [Charles' surname]', so I quipped to Charles "I didn't know you and Kirsty had married since we last met." There was still no wine or water on the table when the starter was served, so we flagged down a waitress and my mother ordered a bottle of water, I ordered a glass of wine (from the choices she gave me I asked for house white; she brought red). A bit later, the head waitress stood next to our table ordering her team to bring bottles of red and white, plus water, to every table, then she apologised to us all for their not having been there at the beginning. A bit later, Tony came over and told us he'd been having to hold in anger when he realised the wine hadn't been there; he'd still made his point to the head waitress forcefully.
David from New Forest had brought two escorts: Liz, whom we'd met before, and his daughter Lorna. Over the main course, Charles grumbled that at the beginning, when he pointed out his ladylessness to David, David had agreed that Liz could come and sit with Charles, but then when the meal began David had whisked her off to her allotted seat at his table. My mother and Maria urged Charles on to go over and claim Liz; he said he was tempted, but he didn't want to make waves.
"Anyway, Charles, mustn't be unfaithful to your new wife," I said. He guffawed at that, picked up Kirsty's place card and said "That's most amusing, I'm going to send it to her."
Just after we'd all eaten main course, Sue came up to our table, and Maria got up and went to join her in going out for a fag break. "The three sisters are back together," I said as they began to go, but Sue looked over to the top table and said "I think Margaret's trapped."
When the dessert - superbly scrumptious lemon cheesecake with a raspberry and cream brandy-snap basket - was brought round, and the waitress stopped at Kirsty's empty chair and asked if anyone was sitting there, I said no.
"You fool," my mother said, "you could have had two portions."
When Margaret came over to say hello and ask us all how we were liking it, I said to her "Your two sisters missed you when they went for a puff." Margaret explained that she had her mother-in-law on her table, and when she's with her mother-in-law, excusing herself for a fag break is just impossible.
When coffee was served, Charles asked the waitress for a cup of tea, then when it was brought he put in it what he thought was milk... It was cream. As he realised his mistake and requested another cuppa, I quipped "Well, the Isle of Wight is famous for cream teas." We'd just finished the coffee and mints when the group started to play a swing tune. Tony and Margaret did the first dance alone, then when the second song began my mother asked me to call Pete. She'd pre-warned me that she wasn't feeling up to staying too long after dinner, and she wanted to conserve her energy for her Old Tyme Music Hall tomorrow night. So I went out to the foyer, phoned Pete before nipping to the loo, and went back inside to say my goodbyes. Of course everyone was surprised we were going so soon, so I explained that my mother wasn't too well, and about half a dozen of them went over to her to give their condolences before we left.
A drive home in deathly silence, with my mother asleep, punctuated only by dodgy Capital Gold reception. At least they played Eddie Cochran's Something Else, and had Glen Matlock in talking about the Pistols - and they even played God Save The Queen :)
