![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
When We Was Fab
Sep. 7th, 2013 11:20 pm
Travelled south after work last night, for today's reunion of the 2006 Chain Gang at the Bridge Tavern in Old Portsmouth. My mother and I had a tricky time walking there from the Hard; first we carried straight on southwards instead of taking a right turn, then when we doubled back we ended up in a street where the only familiar landmark was the nearby Continental Ferry Port. Asking a passer-by, she gave us directions to the fish market, from where she said we'd see the pub. We did, but the pub was on the opposite side of a canal with (despite the tavern's name) no bridge in sight. Cue a walk all the way round.
As well as our hosts Brian and Audrey, Sue was already there, so after ordering desserts - I was tempted by an extremely chocolate-heavy brownie-based number but exercised enough restraint to settle for three scoops of ice cream - we sat at the outside tables drinking and chatting in the sunshine while more arrived. I went for a German beer called Weltin, quite nice. We shared news from the past year and mostly talked holidays, both recently taken and imminent. Soon after the last of us turned up we made our way inside to eat.
I made sure I sat next to Sue; we were joined at a table by Tony and Margaret. As soon as we'd sat down Sue handed me a tenner and asked me to go to the bar and get her a Pimms; when I paid the barman said he'd bring it over to our table. Sue and Tony both being enthusiastic gardeners, the topic of gardens came up; Margaret told Sue her little garden would be ideal for hydrangeas, and Sue confessed that she didn't like hydrangeas. Margaret, appalled, called over to Maria at the table behind and said "Maria, you come and sit here instead of her. She doesn't like hydrangeas!" I put an arm round Sue and said "My best friend on the Chain Gang and I sit together. Full stop" and Maria piped up "I thought I was your bestest friend." "He's fickle," Tony yelled, grinning.
My main course was an Owton's Chilli Beef Sausage; "rather you than me," said Sue. I'd expected this to be just sausages with some chilli flavouring in; it turned out to be sausages completely drowned in actual chilli. Tony asked how it was, I said "It's got a sting in its tail!" "I warned you," Sue chimed in, before observing "It must be nice, seeing as it's going so quick." When the waitress came round, Tony asked for extra sauce. As the staff had brought the ladies' Pimmses out to us, when the waitress came back with Tony's sauce I handed her a fiver and asked for a London Pride. "We don't take orders for drinks at tables," she said but agreed to do it this time. She came back with my pint, chiding "Don't do it again as we're busy."
We had quite a long wait for our desserts; my mother had to chivvy the bar staff along to bring us our ice creams in time for us to finish before our taxi arrived (she had to get back to Gosport by 3.45 to move her car from the car park). The call for the taxi came as my mother was trying to take a group photo; we exchanged fond farewells all round and made our way through the pub to the cab. The cabbie had Cheltenham v Portsmouth on the radio; Pompey had just scored as we got in.
Back to the parents', and just a quick sit-down before getting my stuff together for the journey back.
As well as our hosts Brian and Audrey, Sue was already there, so after ordering desserts - I was tempted by an extremely chocolate-heavy brownie-based number but exercised enough restraint to settle for three scoops of ice cream - we sat at the outside tables drinking and chatting in the sunshine while more arrived. I went for a German beer called Weltin, quite nice. We shared news from the past year and mostly talked holidays, both recently taken and imminent. Soon after the last of us turned up we made our way inside to eat.
I made sure I sat next to Sue; we were joined at a table by Tony and Margaret. As soon as we'd sat down Sue handed me a tenner and asked me to go to the bar and get her a Pimms; when I paid the barman said he'd bring it over to our table. Sue and Tony both being enthusiastic gardeners, the topic of gardens came up; Margaret told Sue her little garden would be ideal for hydrangeas, and Sue confessed that she didn't like hydrangeas. Margaret, appalled, called over to Maria at the table behind and said "Maria, you come and sit here instead of her. She doesn't like hydrangeas!" I put an arm round Sue and said "My best friend on the Chain Gang and I sit together. Full stop" and Maria piped up "I thought I was your bestest friend." "He's fickle," Tony yelled, grinning.
My main course was an Owton's Chilli Beef Sausage; "rather you than me," said Sue. I'd expected this to be just sausages with some chilli flavouring in; it turned out to be sausages completely drowned in actual chilli. Tony asked how it was, I said "It's got a sting in its tail!" "I warned you," Sue chimed in, before observing "It must be nice, seeing as it's going so quick." When the waitress came round, Tony asked for extra sauce. As the staff had brought the ladies' Pimmses out to us, when the waitress came back with Tony's sauce I handed her a fiver and asked for a London Pride. "We don't take orders for drinks at tables," she said but agreed to do it this time. She came back with my pint, chiding "Don't do it again as we're busy."
We had quite a long wait for our desserts; my mother had to chivvy the bar staff along to bring us our ice creams in time for us to finish before our taxi arrived (she had to get back to Gosport by 3.45 to move her car from the car park). The call for the taxi came as my mother was trying to take a group photo; we exchanged fond farewells all round and made our way through the pub to the cab. The cabbie had Cheltenham v Portsmouth on the radio; Pompey had just scored as we got in.
Back to the parents', and just a quick sit-down before getting my stuff together for the journey back.
