Thread 16 - TalkLair: "Well, I'm not exactly quaking in my stylish-yet-affordable boots, but there's definitely something unnatural going on here."

[Kucinghitam]

(Previous thread 15).

Another year over, a new one just begun...

In the TalkLair, the hearth is glowing, the walls festooned with tinsel, books by non-approved authors line the shelves, rugs are down on the floors, the tree is twinkling with fairy lights (and possibly being clambered on by cats). The denizens of the lair are a welcoming bunch though, always eager for general chit-chat on all manner of topics.

We just won’t mention the gnawed bones of our prey Christmas roast beast over there in the corner of the cave…

The expense was eye-watering, but did she say there were 20 children? £5.50 each adds up, obviously, but isn't really out of line.

God be with the days when we sat round a table at home with the amazing excitement of little sandwiches with the crusts cut off, sausages on sticks, a cheese and pineapple hedgehog if we were a sophisticated household and jelly-based trifle in those little waxed-paper dishes.

I think it was 10, not 20.

ah - the price per head does seem a bit steep so

Not cheap, certainly, but it’s not like party mum was in a position to shop around at that point. Frustrating for all concerned, really.

I agree, some posters said "Why couldn't someone have gone out and bought another cake?" but I was thinking, even if there was a supermarket 5 minutes drive away you'd still have to get to the car, drive, park, find and buy a cake, drive back, park, run to party room. Say 15-20 minutes minimum of action-packed rushing for the cake-getter.

Now imagine a party room full of 6-year-olds and crying birthday girl, doing what exactly for those 20 minutes? Somebody would have to find something to distract and entertain, which may well have involved buying more drinks, paying for extra time on the room booking, maybe more time in the soft play? I can't really see many ways of avoiding extra expense somewhere in the process.

I do think the price was very steep and there was probably an element of pissed-off luxury dessert ordering. But unfortunately the OP did tell the party mum she would cover the cost.

DeanElderberry · Yesterday 18:03

God be with the days when we sat round a table at home with the amazing excitement of little sandwiches with the crusts cut off, sausages on sticks, a cheese and pineapple hedgehog if we were a sophisticated household and jelly-based trifle in those little waxed-paper dishes.

I'm a child of the 70s and never had a birthday party. I can only remember going to one. I've just spent £145 for my daughter's do at Jump 360, am looking at £100 on party bags and another £50 on pizzas.

by the holy

That sounds pretty much like the level my DD spends at for my DGDs’ birthdays.

I had parties but very much of the homemade variety. I think my best one was my 14th when we agreed we were too old for activities, so about 10 of us just barricaded ourselves in the dining room (February, north Midlands , freezing cold Victorian house) with a massive fire and a lot of crisps and fizzy pop.

Now I have the old Judy Collins recording of The Song of Wandering Aengus going round in my head, and I can’t listen to it because it’s almost midnight and DH is sound asleep next to me, lucky bastard. w

☘Happy St Patrick's Day☘

Happy St Patrick’s Day ☘️ What are you doing to celebrate @DeanElderberry ?

Getting absolutely spanged on Guinness while wearing a leprechaun outfit, I imagine. Isn't that what all right-thinking Irish people do?

Of course, but first I'm off to Mass, where I'll get to say the Gloria for the only time in Lent, which is the justification for all the festivities.

I'm in a sourdough baking group on Facebook. It contains a lot of Americans, and is therefore currently flooded with pictures of bright green loaves with shamrocks (or more often 'shamrocks') scored in the top.

Happy St Patrick's day. May all your food be a normal colour.

Bright green bread sounds horrible, it must look poisonous.

On Saturday I had an effing DAMART catalogue delivered to me and there are pictures of middle-aged women with thermals on and it makes me feel old.

Most are a shade of Paris green.

Wasn't Paris green based on arsenic?

That's the one.

The only green food here will be leafy green veg and maybe some grapes (but maybe not as my brother is here and it’s his birthday so there is cake).

We went food shopping yesterday and there were huge displays of corned beef and cabbage as that seems to be the tradition here. We’re not a fan of the corned beef, but the cabbage was only 17c a pound so I bought one of those.

People eat cabbage from choice? I haven't eaten any in donkey's years, and very much doubt I'll eat it again this sides of the Gates.

I defy anyone not to like this: https://hot-thai-kitchen.com/cabbage-fish-sauce/

I love cabbage, and all brassicas, and always have done. We eat it a few times a week.

Savoy cabbage is good and pointy cabbage always seems very popular on Masterchef. Old school cabbage such as we had when I was a kid is not good but can work as a handy vehicle for butter and black pepper.