Watch this argument with me

[Motherflubber]

I’m eating alone in a very small restaurant in a very small town and there’s a very small woman absolutely laying in to her dining partner who is resolutely refusing to react.

She’s in her mid-60’s I’d say. Her dining partner looks a similar age, he’s probably late 60’s although looks younger because he’s got that lanky teenage frame and posture about him. He’s deathly calm in the face of her fury.

Anyway, she’s fuming. It started about 20 minutes ago with a furiously whispered ‘well it’s just like it was in millets PHILLIP’. The ‘Phillip’ was spat with such venom I winced from across the room. There’s only them, me and another table here.

From what I can gather, Phillip has a long held opinion on something and as a result, doesn’t want to buy something that this lady would like to purchase. She says she will buy it for herself and Phillip has calmly said ‘that’s fine if you want to, I don’t mind you having one but I won’t be using it’. He’s eating a burger and switched from eating with a knife and fork to picking the whole thing up in his hands - this infuriated the woman further and she said that sort of behaviour was exactly why she can’t have him coming to Mark and Fiona’s next week. He didn’t reply to that and that also seems to have annoyed this woman even more. She has finished her main course but keeps picking up her cutlery and putting it down again like she’s stuck for something to do.

Phillip has attempted to change the subject a few times but she can’t let this go. They’ve not said what the thing is but my first thought was an electric car maybe? She wants one but he doesn’t? Whatever it is has clearly been boiling her piss for a while because she’s absolutely hopping mad that he won’t agree to use one of whatever it is. I’m also dying to know what happened in Millets.

Also yes I’m eavesdropping, although given the space is tiny and they’re feet away from me, I’d hear what was happening whether I was trying to hear it or not. It is indeed none of my business and if you need to tell me off to feel morally superior then please do go ahead. If you’re a people watcher though, come and speculate with me

Team wife 🙌

I think she told Philip she wanted to inject something fun into their love life and vaguely mentioned 'outdoor adventures'. Philip, being as deaf as a post, took her to Millets to pick out some walking boots and a flask.

🤣🤣🤣🤣

I highly recommend that Phillip swerves the hearing aid, therefore cutting out the need to listen to Judith ranting at him constantly.
Im definitely Team Phillip 🤣

Aye, once she get’s her hearing aid and no longer shouts, he’ll discover he needs one after all.

Still no clearer on the Millets situation but I’m team Judith, his calmness and lack of humour is infuriating and she’s pure fire watching her try to poke a reaction from him is like watching her try and set fire to a rock. He’s almost a bit patronising.

Anyway he’s talking now, trying to discuss American politics but she’s completely tuning him out and eating her fish.

Why would you be team Judith? would you say the same if it was the man berating a woman? she sounds like a bully.

OK. We need to know what they’re drinking. This might change things.

I imagine the millets incident involved a sale/discount code that went unheard and then Philip over paid for because he couldn’t hear the salesperson.

I need more info before I pick a side.

Not the vibe I’m getting at all - if anything. He’s superior and dismissive so I think her anger is more a reaction to that than anything else. He’s trying to insinuate she only wants him to have one because she doesn’t want to be the first one to get ‘old’ so wants them to do it together. Mind you, he does seem to be able to hear her and the waiter well so he could be right?

He’s drinking ale and she’s on lemonade as far as I can tell, might be a g&t in the wrong glass but looks like a soft drink to me.

OK. I’m team Judith. I used to work in a pub and most ale drinkers are a PITA. I said what I said.

Oh my good lord if you are in Worcestershire.
Not wishing to be outing, but you’re describing two of my family to a tee 🫣

‘You’re not going to bridge on Tuesday if you’re not coming with me in the morning, I’ll have the car’

’I’ll walk’

’YOU WILL NOT WALK PHILLIP ITS A MAIN ROAD AND YOUR KNEES.’

I might have been TeamJudith but you said she’s finished her main course and is now eating fish.

That implies that she’s having a fish course after the main course which would be deeply unreasonable.

Unless of course there’s a bit of poetic licence going on…. 👀😂

This reminds me of my elderly aunt and uncle, both accusing the other of needing a hearing aid, both saying 'there's nothing wrong with my hearing, you just mumble'. I'd watch them have a conversation. She'd say something, he'd nod and say "oh right". He'd say something, she'd nod and say "Hmm". Neither one having any idea what the other was saying 🤣

She’s left the table, she’s gone out of the side door to the smoking area so I think she’s gone for either air or a smoke.

Philip and his knees remain at the table. Plates have been cleared, desert menu has been examined and now he’s sitting reading his phone in silence.

She’d put her cutlery in the position for a finished meal so I assumed had finished - she had food (fish and chips) left and did start to eat again. Plates now cleared.

Oooh I love people watching, this sounds like an interesting ‘watch/listen’ 😁

The argument over who needs the hearing aids most, and the bad knees, sounds like my parents. Except they wouldn't be out after dark these days, and will just be at home, with the TV volume at 75 instead.

PS there is no Judith in their lives, as far as I know.

Reminds me of reading in Maureen Lipman's 'home thoughts from a broad' about an overheard conversation in a restaurant. The couple had been sat in silence for most of the meal. He leaned forward and said something quietly to her. She loudly replies, 'It's not the Boef Bourgignon, Henry, it's the last 40 years!'

I was having dinner out with dh. Next to us appeared to be a couple on their first date after meeting online. I had the impression they was swingers and talking far too loud. I'm not normally into listening in or people watching. But I was almost scrapping my table closer to listen.

I think he prefers not to hear her.

Great thread OP-I bloody love people watching!

Sounds like the mate of my uncle who declared he was more than happy to take the risk that repeated ear syringing would make him deaf as 'you've all met my wife'

Team Judith hear here. Does Phillip know he can Bluetooth his hearing aids to the doorbell/his phone/Spotify? Perhaps if he realised he could be quietly listening to ClassicFM while Judith ranted at him he'd change his mind.

You can't drop a juicy tidbit like tgis then leave us hanging! Relay the conversation!