![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
May. 10th, 2007 04:02 pmStayed up until 2 am on Tuesday night getting blotto on rum and cokes, from the bottle of rum I won for winning the welly-whanging.
So yesterday, it was hung over and feeling low from the Minett sisters' no-show that I sat through the Havant mayor-making ceremony, buffet lunch, and then, in the evening, their new Mayor's installation banquet. In that state, the speeches were damn heavy going. The ceremony at least featured a performance from some Leigh Park schoolkids, with one lad giving a beautiful rendition of Nothing At All. One thing brought a momentary smile to my face. At the buffet lunch, one lady asked if I'd been to Havant before, and I told her I visit regularly as I support Havant & Waterlooville FC. She was delighted when I said that, and said with a big smile "Oh, you're practically a native!"
Then at the evening meal, as main course was being served, when the Chaplain's wife, next to me, was offered a refill of wine she asked for an orange juice - and got one. Emboldened by that, when the waiter returned I asked if I could have a Coca-Cola. I got one. After a year of sticking to the provided wine at formal dinners, that was liberating. The Coke, with ice (it was very hot in the dining room), seemed to taste sweet indeed.
Up at 8.30 this morning for coffee and biscuits at Fareham Civic Offices before their mayor-making ceremony. When we stepped into the waiting area by the lifts, the first people I saw were John and Sheila from Southampton; then after saying hello to them I saw Sue from Winchester. I threw myself around her as if for dear life. Right then, a massive hug from Sue was the best feeling in the world.
Fareham did us proud again with luxury chocolate biscuits. At 10 am we all trooped over to Ferneham Hall to take our seats for the ceremony. The speeches, again, went on a bit. Afterwards we were invited into the VIP lounge to take drinks with Katrina, the new Mayor. I wandered around for a while saying hello to people, but my heart wasn't in the usual civic circuit small talk, so I drifted over to a deserted area of the room by a window and quietly sipped my red wine. I'd been standing over there a few minutes when Sheila from Southampton came over and asked if I was OK on my own; I just told her I was feeling a bit low. She asked if I wanted to be left alone, but I told her she was fine. She didn't ask what was up, instead she talked to me about the goings-on on Southampton Council, but she was perfectly nice, and then Sue joined us and told us about her handover which is next week.
Then it was back into the hall for a full three course dinner. Really nice food as always - main course was roast lamb. My neighbour was Lisa, a pleasant enough lady from a local healthcare centre. Talked a bit to her, and to Fred and Margaret from Portsmouth, about this and that; no-one minded me being quiet the rest of the time - after all, my mother will always have enough chat in her for the both of us :)
Roll on tonight's Eurovision semi-final.
So yesterday, it was hung over and feeling low from the Minett sisters' no-show that I sat through the Havant mayor-making ceremony, buffet lunch, and then, in the evening, their new Mayor's installation banquet. In that state, the speeches were damn heavy going. The ceremony at least featured a performance from some Leigh Park schoolkids, with one lad giving a beautiful rendition of Nothing At All. One thing brought a momentary smile to my face. At the buffet lunch, one lady asked if I'd been to Havant before, and I told her I visit regularly as I support Havant & Waterlooville FC. She was delighted when I said that, and said with a big smile "Oh, you're practically a native!"
Then at the evening meal, as main course was being served, when the Chaplain's wife, next to me, was offered a refill of wine she asked for an orange juice - and got one. Emboldened by that, when the waiter returned I asked if I could have a Coca-Cola. I got one. After a year of sticking to the provided wine at formal dinners, that was liberating. The Coke, with ice (it was very hot in the dining room), seemed to taste sweet indeed.
Up at 8.30 this morning for coffee and biscuits at Fareham Civic Offices before their mayor-making ceremony. When we stepped into the waiting area by the lifts, the first people I saw were John and Sheila from Southampton; then after saying hello to them I saw Sue from Winchester. I threw myself around her as if for dear life. Right then, a massive hug from Sue was the best feeling in the world.
Fareham did us proud again with luxury chocolate biscuits. At 10 am we all trooped over to Ferneham Hall to take our seats for the ceremony. The speeches, again, went on a bit. Afterwards we were invited into the VIP lounge to take drinks with Katrina, the new Mayor. I wandered around for a while saying hello to people, but my heart wasn't in the usual civic circuit small talk, so I drifted over to a deserted area of the room by a window and quietly sipped my red wine. I'd been standing over there a few minutes when Sheila from Southampton came over and asked if I was OK on my own; I just told her I was feeling a bit low. She asked if I wanted to be left alone, but I told her she was fine. She didn't ask what was up, instead she talked to me about the goings-on on Southampton Council, but she was perfectly nice, and then Sue joined us and told us about her handover which is next week.
Then it was back into the hall for a full three course dinner. Really nice food as always - main course was roast lamb. My neighbour was Lisa, a pleasant enough lady from a local healthcare centre. Talked a bit to her, and to Fred and Margaret from Portsmouth, about this and that; no-one minded me being quiet the rest of the time - after all, my mother will always have enough chat in her for the both of us :)
Roll on tonight's Eurovision semi-final.
