Ladies Who Lunch

A new experience for me today! I’ve been to a “Ladies” lunch held in a posh hotel in aid of the local Hospice.

As my normal attire is jeans, my first dilemma was to find something to wear. All of my skirts or dresses have been thrown out as they no longer fit, (going to the gym has it’s downside) so I bought some smart trousers and thought that would do. However, when I arrived it was clear that to the great and good ladies of the area this was an occasion for fancy dresses, tottering heels, beautifully coiffured hair, full makeup and plenty of bling. I was decidedly under-dressed!

Nothing I could do about it but hope that the lunch would be good.

Alas, it wasn’t the case! Overcooked salmon with three small new potatoes, and for some bizarre reason peas and mange tout! Peas & Peas? Dessert was supposed to be Eton Mess, but it was mostly cream; few strawberries, meringue that had disappeared and ice cream that had already melted!

Added to this the service was appalling, there were too few waiters to serve over a hundred people so one half of the tables had finished their course before the other half had been served which presumably contributed to the melted dessert.

The highlight of the occasion was an after lunch talk by Tricia Stewart, one of the original WI calendar girls from 12 years ago. She was a very good speaker with funny anecdotes that women of a certain age could easily relate to and it was interesting to find out that even after so many years later their initiative is still raising money for Leukaemia Research.

It is said that we should embrace new experiences! I’m glad that the event raised money for the hospice but now I’ve done the “Ladies who Lunch” thing I’m not looking to repeat this particular experience!

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Fish & Chips

I haven’t had any fish & chips since I moved here nearly three years ago but yesterday I suddenly got an overwhelming desire to rectify the situation.

After a quick search on tinternet I set off with great anticipation. Saturday night is probably not the best time to buy fish & chips ‘cos when I arrived the place was heaving. The smell was as lovely as ever and the golden battered fish was all piled up in the hot boxes.

I got to the front of the queue eventually and asked for Haddock & Chips, only to be told they didn’t have any just the fish in the hot box. “What is it?” I asked and was told it was cod. I asked for that and then noticed that the board with the price list just said ‘FISH’!

I have to admit the fish was tasty but no way was it cod; no large white flakes and in fact it was as thin as plaice but not as expensive. So what was it?

I believe fish shops have been encouraged to stop selling cod because of the reduced stocks but surely they should be required to name the fish they are selling. Listing unidentified fish on the price list would seem to me to break all the rules of the food trading standards.

Rant of the Week (so far)

Effing stupid surgery!

Just been to collect my prescription after having complied with the rules of putting in the request two days before you need it.

The receptionist shuffled through the box then said “What is your address?” Consulted the computer and asked “When did you put it in?” “Tuesday” I said. “Well, we haven’t received it. Do you need it today?”

I had to bite my tongue! “Yes”, I said but thought of course I bloody needed it today or I wouldn’t have asked for it and how can they not have ‘received’ it when I hand delivered it into their Prescription box.

“I’m sorry”, she said ” I don’t know what’s happened, can you call back later?”

She didn’t offer to investigate and get me one signed there and then just shrugged her shoulders and said come back later.

It’s already a pain that I have to get my repeat script every month instead of every two months as I did at my previous surgery but then to be told it’s not ready and to have to make another trip is ridiculous.