Tea Room the Eighteenth - the Cricket Pavilion

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Welcome one and all to our new abode - a lovely old-fashioned Cricket Pavilion, with decks outdoors and a rather lovely Members' Bar, complete with deep-seated leather comfy chairs and any drink you care to mention.

Our outdoor amenities include the well-tended cricket pitch, kept immaculate by Mellors, our multi-purpose man; a couple of tennis courts round the back for those who prefer the Wimbledon scene; and another multi-purpose pitch (can be used for hosting Fine Lad-style rugby matches, or Little Kickers' football, or the occasional All Comers' Lacrosse Tournament.

Bishops abound, mostly snoozing in the leather armchairs; there are sundry animals around - guineapigs and bison mostly - and of course the Naked Mohawk Babies, fetchingly attired in cricket whites (most unusual for them!)

The cricket pavilion tea room is open to all - those with only one child who need a safe haven predominate but having more than one child is fine - come in, have an egg'n'cress sandwich and a glass of Pimms!

*other fillings and beverages also available.

I haven't seen it in Waitrose, but Waitrose do sell guaranteed gf oats

Yes ok to cook with gluten, but I generally don't as I like to put the effort into something I can eat. Just make sure you scrub your nails well afterwards

yes, you'll be fine to use normal flour for other people - but why would you? Check out the Doves Farm website - lots of different speciality flours and recipes to go with. They work very hard on their recipes - I met the lady who owns it at an exhibition and asked about hot cross buns; she said she was working on a good recipe for them but was having some trouble with it and wouldn't post it until it was right. They do gluten-free plain flour that works jsut like normal, apparently you need a little more liquid than normal but can use it in most recipes.

Also have a look at Mrs Crimbles website - I have met Mr Crimble (there is no Mrs Crimble, it's him, but he thought he should be a Mrs for the brand name) - he and one or both of his DDs are coeliac and he has developed a great range. I particularly like the double choc brownies and the choc macaroons - although the latter give me acid reflux if I eat too many (too much sugar and I can only have small amounts of coconut)

I've done it because they're for the church to sell as refreshments at the flower festival. Plus it needs using up if I really can't have gluten anymore!

Thanks for all the tips on where to get things. I wonder how long it takes for the test results to come back? The nurse didn't seem to know...

I just found some Cadbury Dairy Milk Caramel in the fridge -- Scout is a happy girlie!

Mary, it sounds like the ladies of the tea room are giving you lots of good advice. I can't offer any, so won't pretend or try. I can pass you some GF biscuits if they'll help.

Went to a story telling workshop this afternoon. It was open to anyone but was mostly full of nursery and/or Sure Start workers. Only a couple of us parents. Was really good fun, though. One of BabyScout's teachers from the summer was there and she came and sat next to me and kept asking me about BabyScout (used his name, too, which impressed me).

Friday afternoon cocktails with umbrellas?

I'll see your cocktails and raise you a jug of Pimms with full fruit complement. :)
Made with dry ginger ale, of course, none of your lemonade softiness! (too sweet).

God I still miss Pimms... wish I'd had the space to bring some with me!

Cocktails and Pimms please!
yes, where is small?

CMOT good luck with acupuncture, I think it's great

Scout, I am afraid the card do scare me a bit. We make about 20 for friends of OxBoy and family and buy the rest from Charidee shop

Tea glad you had wonderful flicky frings new clothes fashion show

Racing, how are all cuts and pumpkin disasters? and how is AP

Amber, well done you getting through frenzied days

UniS love sound of your fire, we just turn up radiators

Mary I have no more useful infor to add but it sounds hopefull

JM lol at your friend's story!

AandO is sending me a parcel, I am so excited!

busy here, OxBloke is girding loins for another mahoosive trip and I am working so much I miss my Oxbaby dreadfully

Thanks Scout, yes everyone is really helpful! :). Even handholding is appreciated though, as I'm finding it all a bit bewildering as well as painful.

Blimey Oxeye - is he off again? I take it he gets paid well for these jaunts expeditions?

Did I mention that I am starting work on Monday? Just for a trial, apparently - I am supposed to wear a non-stop smile and persuade everyone I know to come and shop at the place (health food shop). Monday is just for a couple of hours to see how I go - as though I were some green teen!! oh the irony... They wanted me in at 10 but I said I couldn't get anyone to look after miniThumb at such short notice in the morning, and since it was only a couple of hours, could I come in later? So will be going at 1pm. It was a fib - but I want to take miniThumb to one more Little Kickers and warn them that someone else will be bringing him from now on - and I couldn't see why I should miss it for only a couple of hours work. If it had been the whole day I would have just put up with it - but it's not.

ohh pimms O'clock, perfect. Do you mind being my friday night pub buddies this week. Can't go out as DH is out at Cricket Club dinner. Mustn't grumble toooo much as I'm off for a girls dinner next weekend .

I could spend teh evening doing some usefull jobs and making ginger beer.... lets see what happens eh. Think I'll fire up teh stove tho. Not cos its massive cold, but coz I LIKE It.

Just a quick pop in as am off out in RL with local Mnetters for a thai meal

Have fun, CMOT!

UniS, I'm still waiting for MrScout to get home, so I'll keep you company. I should be doing things but I'm tired!

thumb, I don't blame you postponing work. I know baby/toddler activities are some people's idea of hell, but it's so much fun watching them play/learn/try things. It's hard work when BabyScout sees the tray of water at messy play and beelines for it, getting everyone wet. He loves it, but some of the moms glare.

UniS, is making homemade ginger beer easy?

I could almost go for a drink in RL -- dunno why, it's so unlike me.

ginger beer isn't particular hard, most faffy bit is sterilising the bottles. I guess the tricky bit is keeping the ginger beer plant alive long enough with out forgetting it and leaving it to starve.

So far tonight I've put 2 pints of hot water in pot, added 600gish of sugar and 100ml of lemon juice and the liquid from the ginger beer plant. now I wait for it to cool down.

Laminater calling while I wait I think.

meanwhile, ladies I give you a toast. "To the priest hole and all who hide with in".

Ginger beer plant? Really?

really really.

www.cookingforengineers.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=2240&highlight= but I use powered ginger not grated ( quicker).

Sorry. Sounded like one of those things one of my ILs might try to convince me was real but wasn't.

I'll admit, I don't like it much, but that looks fun to make.

No it is real, my grandma (strict Methodist and therefore teetotal) used to have one, so did my Mum (Dad also strick Methodist and teetotal) - the alcohol content was ignored by them both, as it was home-made and therefore "didn't count" - although Grandma used to say it "put a sparkle in your eye" - Dad reckons it was pretty powerful stuff!

Morning all. He's off again, Oxeye? Goodness me...

Here, smaller journeys: Off to have a look at a university with ds. It means using buses and going into places that might not be even remotely Amber-friendly .

Ok guys, I'm off for India now! Won't have my laptop but plan to go to an internet cafe once a week and will keep in touch.

Oxeye - I have got your parcel and given it to fil to post as I've no time left. I probably won't get a chance to get a card to go with it, so if you get a parcel with no name to it, it will be from me!!

Will miss chatting to you all everyday, and will be back full time in April!

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A&O - have the bestest time - enjoy yourselves to the hilt.

Hope all goes well with the flights - remember that it's only one day and it'll soon be over, and you can recover from it when you get there .

Seriously though, you'll be fine :)

WOOOHOOOOO!!!!

Oh and for heaven's sake stick a Watch on this thread so you don't lose it! (click on Watch at the top of the page if you haven't done it before - and then when you get online click on Threads I'm Watching, rather than Threads I'm On.

Also, if you get a chance you can change how long your threads hang around in your personal settings - use Customise at the top of the page - I keep mine for 5 days instead of the default 3.

HTH! :)

Byeeeeee A&O

Ohhhh amber- university visits. eek. will they be far from home or do you think he'll be wanting to come back every weekend with washing?

Oxeye- here is a knitted husband to keep you warm in bed while oxbloke is off in parts exotic.

CMOT- teh parcel is slowing getting there. Promise. I just need to knit more and read less.