Tea Room the Eighteenth - the Cricket Pavilion

[thumbwitch]

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.

Bonjour tout le monde! Just popping in while waiting for some photos to download on MILs laptop, after another giant lunch. Feeling a bit like an anaconda which has swallowed a rather-too-large warthog. Every day since we got here. We are in possibly the most beautuful french town (right on the Italian border) I have ever seen and are just getting ready for the 14 hour train journey home. After days of brilliant sunshine and playing on the sand .... we have all managed to catch colds. The French contingent is not suprised, as they have been muttering darkly about draughts and chills since we arrived. They are all wearing woolly hats and cardis and a lot of fur was sported at the christening. The temperature is 18 in the shade and Wriggle is in a summer dress. No good will come of it.

And I do realise that an anaconda would have to be very well trvelled to swallow a warthog, but that is the danger of holidays.

Is Small back?

Has AandO dropped in?

Why didnt Tea say that everyone but everyone in both France and Italy is wearing grey and black for all occasions, even Christenings and that we would look downright silly in red and white flowers?

How is Mr Amber?

BabyScout is now the proud owner of his first pair of real shoes. He wasn't sure about standing in them at first but after five minutes thought "sod it, I want to move!" and he's been going since. He looks very smart and grown up in them. My baby's a big boy -- birthdays, shoes, what next?!

WAVES to everyone -- be back in a bit!

This is where I am. And it really is this beautiful!!

Mr Amber is currently doing a heck of a lot better than I am, thanks.

Yesterday, was appalling and I'm going to tell you anyway so brace yourselves.

Braced? Good!

What, for the love of God Almighty (and that IS a prayer, Bishops), is the meaning of a bunch of people saying they have a 'right' to use the word 'retard', and that no-one's really hurt by it...despite me saying that we'd just buried M, a lad who killed himself after extensive bullying aimed at his disability.

And that disabled people - specifically a disabled woman who's part of the LGBT community and just might be me and who deals with so many kinds of hate/prejudice all the time - wouldn't understand what proper prejudice was like, as only people from the Black community would.

ah amber - what a bunch of tossers. :( for you that you have had to interact with them and hope to goodness that you had some impact on at least one of them. Discrimination of any kind is abhorrent, be it for race, sex or ability grounds. No one type of discrimination is worse than another. It's still singling people out for their differences (which they have no control over) and making them miserable because of them. Stupid ignorant people.
But - there will always be stupid small-minded ignorance because that is the way some people's brains function. And they don't just hurt vulnerable people, they hurt anyone who is perceived to be different from them. Fat people, ginger haired people, intelligent people, ones with glasses, ones with freckles, ones with curly hair - you name it, they'll find a reason to be nasty just because they are in themselves.
I know it's next to impossible to do this - but try to think about it thus: it's NOT about you and who you are, it's about them and how stupid, ignorant and small-minded they are.

Scout - love that first pair of shoes thing! I got miniThumb's from jojomamanbebe because they did canvas shoes with flexible rubber soles - much better than mini-trainers that didn't bend at all, imo.

Unserpent - [henvy]

amber, 3thumb summed up what I was thinking. As my best friend and I are fond of saying "People are stupid."

BabyScout's shoes are Clarks Cruisers and he seems very happy in them. They bend but are sturdy enough to withstand the rough and tumble that is BabyScout. I got him the only non-velcro ones they had on offer -- I put the (poor) boy in tights because he pulls off his socks, why would I want him to be able to escape from his nice, new, expensive shoes?! Once he got used to the idea he seems fond of them. There's a bit of "Look at me!" going on with him.

I confess, I don't know Betty's.

thumb, wise words re their motivations.

Scout, very pleased re the possibilities ahead of you.

Unserperpent - Gosh, beeeeaaaaauuuutiful!!!! Have you seen the film "A good woman" it reminds me of that!

Amber - What a load of fuckwits - I hope you threw your toys!!!! I am angry to hear of such stupid stupid people!!!

Scout - Welcome to a true and wonderful English institution, daaahling...www.bettys.co.uk/branchlanding.aspx

We were here today at a Parisian 'institution' café. It was also completely deeerrr-reeeeaaaam - eeeeeey and I am soooo going to go again...

www.groupe-bertrand.com/angelina.php

Amber, that is appalling - Thumb as ever is very wise in her response.

I just popped in to ask if people have seen the Bison recently?

When we were driving through Rhug on Wednesday, I'm sure I saw them in a field!

Donki - You are veeeeery lovely!

'tis true the bison seem to be pretty quiet of late....

Anyone any idea where they are...???

Er, I haven't thrown any toys?

No, I haven't got shouty, I got scared. I do the best 'scared' in the UK, I think, complete with full speed running away and hiding. I'm reminded of Rincewind in the Terry Pratchett books (also for my ability to solve minor problems by turning them into major disasters, for a start...)

Ha ha ha - when I pressed 'post message' I thought afterwards... will Amber 'get' "Threw your toys"...???

It doesn't mean to specifically "get shouty" but it does mean to make your opposing opinion known.

Like you, Amber, I am not good at throwing my toys. I hide and brood which is not healthy at all but sometimes we just have to go with our instinct and let ourselves be.

Amber - Thumb is, of course, right. These people - I wish you could name and shame but I know that wouldn't really help - are just showing their own limitations of imagination and empathy. I worked on a diversity/equality project and it showed me that some people do like to place types of discrimination into a hierarchy of seriousness, with the one they have experienced at the top and the one of which they're guilty/complicit at the bottom. I haven't followed the 'retard' argument closely - I can't stomach it - but I imagine it runs something along the lines that the playground insult 'gay' isn't homophobic because, like, the word has evolved, innit, and it just means, like, feeble and stupid and isn't about sexuality, you know what I mean?

Would anyone like a slice of birthday cake? The SmallHouse is en fete today.

what complete barstewards Amber. People are stupid.

I had a lovely Betty's, although not my best. But this was spoilt by in-laws complaining about price, about lack of non-dairy, just general moaning. But that is what they do.

Ds has been grumpy with molar teeth. However I have been suprising myself by being pleased that when this is over that is it- no more teething! I am all into playing up the positives- today I made myself notice how hard it was for mums with multiple children, and all the fighting.

I won't have that :)

Back from Bettys I have brought some fat rascals and scones, as well as a bucket of Earl grey- help yourselves!

what complete barstewards Amber. People are stupid.

I had a lovely Betty's, although not my best. But this was spoilt by in-laws complaining about price, about lack of non-dairy, just general moaning. But that is what they do.

Ds has been grumpy with molar teeth. However I have been suprising myself by being pleased that when this is over that is it- no more teething! I am all into playing up the positives- today I made myself notice how hard it was for mums with multiple children, and all the fighting.

I won't have that :)

Back from Bettys I have brought some fat rascals and scones, as well as a bucket of Earl grey- help yourselves!

fat rascals and scones, as well as a bucket of Earl grey!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BLISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!

Now do we do cream then jam or jam then cream????????

Mmm, cake and scones and tea -- a girl could put on a few pounds in here.

Happy Birthday!

Could I have a slice of fat rascal, please? SmallBloke used to bring them back from business trips to Harrogate, but I could never manage a whole one!

My mother is a great one for shrieking 'how much?' when she sees the menu in restaurants. Being generous, I say it's about being brought up with wartime rationing and a sense of thrift. But it can be exasperating.

I do cream then jam, but that's only because the boy that took me for my first cream tea (surprisingly, NOT MrScout) did it that way. And I was following his lead.

cream then jam.
once pon a time farmers ( wife's) only made butter if they wanted it for cooking, clotted cream is easier to make ( possibly) and does just as well for spreading.

Amber = rincewind... now I shall read Mr pratchets novels with a whole new image of Rincewind.

Bought DH and I anniversary presents today. Tis "meant" to be Ivory for this one, so I bought a splitting maul ( like a large axe and sledge hammer combined) and a wood moisture meter. How romantic is that.

Oi Scout , catch,
Unis lobs a fat rascal at scout.

The deliciousness that is a fat rascal.

I agree with Unis. No butter, cream then jam.

Bolly anyone? To go with the cake?