Dinner Thursday 27th May

[Kewcumber]

OK sso who is up for meeting for dinner probably central London (Victoria area) on Thursday evening 27th May.

C'mon, you know you want to...

I would like to point out that while Kew and I are not far apart as the crow flies, the crow wouldn't have to deal with London traffic (I'm deep in Eastenders territory and she is as far west as a westerly thing). This means it requires thought and forward planning, I haven't had a coherent thought since DD arrived and my idea of forward planning is encouraging DS to make it to the loo before the poo comes out.

I doubt I would be able to make it to the meet up before about 7pm, but you lot could gather and gossip about me behind my back while you wait.

"only kew and i have met ( i think) and only once"

i meant that you and i are the only ones who have met already. but i wasn't sure as i knew that you and bran had planned to meet up but she keeps avoiding you

if i didn't remember i would have written

" kew and i have met only once ( i think)"

please pay attention up at the back

i remember very well - clearly you did not ply me with enough alcohol

[woman who is travelling 400 miles not impressed by excuses for not travelling from the east end of london ]

I AM NOT SULKING!!!!

I am keen to come, I just wanted to check I would not be some sort of 'unwanted individual' sitting at the end of the table, while all the cool people talked about private jokes and 'secret' stuff!! Then I would drink too much, look desperate, and end up in Guildford, woken up by a guard, having missed my stop on the train.......!

KristinaM did you go to RHS Chelsea last year? (Dh had a garden there in 2009) I think dh and I will be going on Wednesday that week.

You think I'm one of the cool people? I LOVE you PheasantPlucker. [geeky]

oh yes indeed i did PP, it was fab. do tell - which garden was his?

i know it will be quieter on members days but I can only do Thursday.

I'm really excited about mini meet up. i would NEVER go to a real Mn meet up as i would feel just like you re cool people/in jokes/on trend outfits etc etc. ( but not the Guildford bit)

one thing i feel sure about is that you always get a great night out with a-parenst, as they always have a good sense of humour. its the only way they get through without killing a SW

and off line we can discuss where thebodies are buried home studies.

KristinaM - Perfume Garden. (Google if you have forgotten it)

i don't need to google, i remember it well [geek]. it was such a challenging plot and i thought they managed to change the unusual shape into an advantage, as it could be seen much better than the rectangular plots. The technical gizmos were seriously impressive but the planting is what I always love best

You will need to post here on the Wednesday night and tell me the best gardens to see this year. BTW is L or P your dh?

My dh designed the planting!!! ('P')

It's a really challenging plot, they had it 2 year's earlier, just by being allotted it by the RHS..... then in 2009 asked for it again!! They decided they liked the challenge and the fact the garden could be viewed by so many people from so many angles, which made it quite 'immediate'.

We have some of the fennel, lavenders, roses (those Gertude Jeckylls (sp?) are glorious!), iris, sage, pinks etc etc in our garden now. They smell lovely in the late spring/summer.

Sorry, just turned this into a gardening forum! (oh, looking forward to seeing Tom Stuart-Smith's garden, I think he is amazing)

So did he do the Urban Oasis garden in 2007? That got a silver gilt or a gold as well, didn't it?

Your garden with be lovely soon with all that scented planting. I am very as most of these plants wont do for me at all, as i have heavy clay. Lavender and sage are Ok but not delirious - I have to accept they are short lived. But pinks not happy at all. I try to grow things that like our condition here, rather than fight against nature IYSWIM

I am seriously impressed BTW. So much more interesting than the usual MN " I snogged a celebrity" or " Which Jimmy Choos do you have? " threads

Sorry for boring everyone else though

Yes, Urban Oasis (gold!) and Urban Regeneration:The Knightsbridge in - er - 2004 (I think, trying to remember how old dd1 was...) which got silver gilt.

When he did Urban Oasis I went with him on press day and saw my heroine, Juliet Stevenson, approached her like some crazed stalker fan and regaled her with all the plays/films/TV shows I had seen her in since 1989 - oh God the shame!! She looked at me, her face becoming increasingly smiley yet bemused/possibly alarmed(!), until I realised I was making such a fool of myself and I just said, 'er, I'm not a stalker, honest, my husband did that garden...er, cheers then' and walked off..... Dh said he was never taking me anywhere again.... !

Sadly I have never snogged a celebrity so cannot join a thread on that, or on Jimmy Choos! 'Harry' from Spooks held a door for me in a cafe once, that's probably as exciting as it gets!!

Sorry I am rambling. I am a very boring and dull person

PS So what can you grow????

Contgrats to your Dh on excellent medal collection

I'm sure Juliet thought you were charming - she does seem to be a very un-starry sleb IYSWIM

i can grow woodland & acid loving plants - magnolias ( hardier ones), camelias, rhododendron, azealea,hydrangea, lots of easy herbacacous plants & shrubs that dont need good drainage / full sun, like hostas, euphorbia, hemerocalis, etc etc. I just need to think more carefully about which varieties

eg iris that grow in wetland and grasslands rather than those from north africa or the middel east

eg i woudl buy roses from aberdeen rather than norfolk and varieties that cope better with rain

If you are not careful i will bring photos of my garden instead of my children to the meet up

I'm afraid no one else will come now in case we bore them to death

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz..............

What? Sorry? Did someone say something?

I've decided that compared to PP and KM I probably am one of the cool people.

Don't anybody tell my mother that I'm meeting up with garden-y types. She is determined that I haven't missed out on the horticulture gene, it's just dormant and one day it will wake up and I will be interested and capable of looking after a garden.

so who knows anything about jam? www.mumsnet.com/Talk/food/954233-OK-so-I-made-jam-in-my-breadmaker

bran - your mother is SO right

kew - you have me sussed - i was just about to protest that I am NOT in the Womens' Institute......when i remembered that i used to make jam with blackberries from my own garden

now i will have to bring a whole "on trend" outfit in suitcase to wear to meet up to prove that i am not really a geeky gardening person. Must pop over to Style and Beauty threads to ask for advice............

Yeah, I make jam with blackberries from the allotment! And strawberries, gooseberries, blackcurrants, rhubarb (bleurk) and raspberries.

Actually, I bloody rock and am terribly exciting!

Oh, and my chutney is amazing I tell you, amazing! (I have not forgiven the judges at the local allotment Autumn show for failing to award me with any rosette whatsoever for my glorious creation!!!!)

-->> TUMBLEWEED---->>

Perhaps I should send my mother to this meet up instead of me, she makes wonderful preserves (her tangerine marmalade would make you swoon with delight) which is something else I have failed to inherit.

LOL

I'm thinking of trying chutney next - I thought tomato chili and balsamic vinegar. But if I use the jam eting of my bread maker will that over cook the chutney?

sorry i have no ideas about chutney KC

LOL at all us a-mums as domestic goddesses..........like Nigella without Team Cupcake

Can I think about coming?
not sure 100% if I could, but if it is an adopters free for all??

How late will you be out?? I heard yesterday that I have a work meeting that night 6-8. If I come along after this would that work? I should easily be with you for 9, so could always just have a drink with you all?