ROLL UP! ROLL UP! Midlands area Christmas Dinner/Get-together: Friday 3rd December

[LunarSea]

Midlands area Christmas Dinner is booked - please come along and join us.

Date: Friday 3rd December
Time: 8pm
Place: Bear Inn, Berkswell
Location: Close to J6 of M42, near the NEC - see map here
Cost: £19.99

Menu:

Roasted Cherry Tomato & Butternut Squash soup laced with Basil (served with half a crusty baguette & butter) OR Smoked Salmon, Creme Fraiche & Crab Parcel (served with brown bread and butter) OR Warm Salad of Crispy Duck, Walnuts, Spinach & Pomegranate (with a balsamic raspberry vinaigrette) OR Port & Stilton Rarebit (garnished with cherry tomatoes)

Traditional Turkey & Honeyed Ham (served with sage & onion stuffing, bacon, chipolata sausage, cranberry & bread sauces)
OR
8oz Sirloin Steak with Bearnaise sause
OR
Fresh Haddock set on Walnut & Stilton crushed new potatoes (garnished with wilted herbs, capers, cherry tonmatoes and rocket pesto)
OR
Half a Roast Duckling (served with a winter berry and cassis sauce)
OR
Mediterranean style roasted Vegetables, Spinach & Brie Calzone (a folded pizza parcel filled with vegetables, olives, spinach & cheese)

All served with a selection of fresh seasonal vegetables

Christmas Pudding & Brandy Sauce OR Festive Berry Pavlova OR Tarte au Citron (served with a raspberry coulis)

Coffee, mini mince pies & Bittermints

Accomodation nearby: Travel Inn at Balsall Common - we should be able to fix transport to/from if people want to stay overnight.

HOWEVER... I do need deposits (£10 each) by next Thursday to confirm the booking. We may be able to add extra people on to the booking later, if they still have spaces, but no guarantees. I will also need your menu choices in advance of the meal (although not necessarily as early as next week.

Can anyone who wants to come either CAT me or send an email to
Midlands_Xmas AT mail2uk DOT com
and I'll get back to you with details of where to send cheques to.

Probables so far:
jampot (Solihull)
NomDePlume (Worcester)
GeorginaA (Worcester)
LunarSea (Leamington Spa)
Ailsa
Ronniebaby (Tamworth?)
MumtoLaura
whimsy (North Birmingham)
clary (Derby)
CHRIZ (South Birmingham)
Mum2girls (Coventry)
MadameButterfly (Burton?)
Lavender2 (Cambridge)

LS - When will you check for finally space availability?????

Still not sure if I can come, despite pleading from Jampot only joking.

Someone suggested I stop over at my outlaws, and DH stayed there too, then I could get a taxi back, but I'll have to speak to DH & O/Laws first.

So let me know later on next week if they have spaces available.

Hope all are well.

PLEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAASE RB

hi there

yes hope you can make too tc

My Menu choices...

Warm Salad of Crispy Duck

Traditional Turkey

Festive Berry Pavlova

Sorry for the delay, only just spotted this online

my menu choice

salmon

duckling and festive berry pavlova

I have spoken to the Outlaws and they are quite happy for me to stop over at their on that night.

I have also spoken to DH who again said it's ok, but said it must be up to me, not anyone else.

So I will wait till that week and see how I am going on, if I feel ok, then I may come along (spaces permitting). It would be nice as it could be my last night out for a few months.

Lunar - i can't quite keep up with who is and isnt coming - any chance you could post a list of definites (so I can read up on them for mingling purposes)

Confirmed:
Ailsa
CHRIZ
GeorginaA
jampot
Lavender2
LunarSea
MadameButterfly
MumtoLaura
NomDePlume

Possible:
Ronniebaby

Is anyone driving from the Birmingham area and coming down the A45 past Sheldon?

SOrry no - dh is dropping me off and we have to go to Warwick first.

hi there

no worries least i know will find someway of getting there as i want a drink dont wanna leave the car overnite

see if i can get a mate to drop me off

tc c u there jampot

chriz - tried to catch you on msn but you're never on

lol when are you on jampot

can get msn messenger at work

tend to long on late 10pm if i get a chance

I've just spoken to the Bear, and they do still have space for you RB (or anyone else who wants to join in).

thats great to hear

anymore takers?

Lunar - have you booked a table or just spaces for a communal christmas do?

Lunarsea why do you ask if anyone is going past Sheldon on the A45...does someone need a pick up!

Lavender - I asked because it's where MadameB is staying. I'll do pickups if necessaery, but it's the far side of the Bear from me - so if anyone else happened to be passing....

Barkingmad - I've booked x places, but it will almost certainly be one big table for x people. The Bear is fairly civilised restauranty, so not likely to be raucous (and they've said that this early in December they haven't got a lot of large groups). So although there will be other people there, it won't really be joining in a function with them. Hope that's clear.

thanks Lunarsea...it's a 30 mile detour each way (if it means MadameButterfly paying loads for a taxi...I'll pick her up)..please let me know times ans stuff.

Lavender - from where you're staying it's just as much out of your way - and at least I know the area so it's probably easier for me to do it to be honest. Thanks anyway.

LS - cheers, I really wanna come, but still cant say yah or nah, as not sure with (roo) bump how I will be feeling or even if I can .

Barking Mad are you coming???

Chriz - Sheldon is not that far from you is it. Could you not take a slight detour???

hi dh is taking next fri off so can drop me off there

did someone want a lift from sheldon?

Chriz - MadameB is staying at the Innkeepers Lodge (the Wheatsheaf). If you/your dh could come past there, perhaps you could pick her up? If you drop me your email or phone details to Midlands_Xmas AT mail2uk DOT com I'll give you MB's number so you can try to arrange it between you.

Have I picked the most out of the way hotel.

Sorry to be a nuisance. I am willing to pay towards the petrol of whoever it is that is kind enought to pick me up.

MB - it's not that out of the way - but relative to the Bear, it's in the opposite direction from my house!