Would anyone like a cup of tea and a muffin?

[MadBadandDangerousToKnow]

I'm tired and in need of refreshment.

The tea room is now officially open, serving hot chocolate, tea, freshly-squeezed orange juice and a range of home-baked muffins. Tablecloths and crockery are charmingly mismatched antiques (no Cath Kidston here). We overlook an attractive although somewhat overgrown garden, with a distant view of rolling countryside.

Everyone is welcome but house rules dictate that anyone indulging in fisticuffs will be ejected.

Please come in.

hi All

Right, hope I'm not too late for a Brandy Alexander? I love 'em, and always think of Anthony Blanche in Brideshead (well the 1980's tele version) "down the little rrrred llllane" - makes me happy

love the Singing DS - my DS went to sleep chanting "Daddy poos, Mummy poos, DS poos" and so on through everyone he could think of. He has, I can now vouch, a wide wide circle of friends and acquaintances!

Mmmm.... yummy cocktail!!!!

What is it called???

NO!!!!???!!! - That is shocking...

Any mincepies hanging around???? I went to the switching on of our town's Christmas lights tonight.... and to get everyone in a Christmasy mood a jazz band played "Oh when the saints go marching in" and gave out free.....

candyfloss!!??!!

Am seriously craving a few Christmas classics, mincepies and a glass of Baileys now!!!!

racingsnake - You may indeed (ahem) help with the panto, in the sense (if you wish and have the time) of writing, casting and directing it! I assume that, like all the best pantos, it will make topical allusions to such diverse issues as muffins, fascinators, guinea pigs and gardeners! I'm happy to make costumes, if you're not too fussy about quality.

Mistlethrush - Oh, you're clearly at a higher level of Pampered Chefness than I realised. I thought you might be the lady in whose home the Pampered Cheffing takes place, rather than the Pampered Chef herself. I must speak to you some time about re-equipping the tea room kitchen - some of our baking trays are looking a little warped, I see.

Rebelmum - Commiserations on the poorly boy, although bedtime singing does sound extremely cute.

Good to see so many in the speakeasy tea room tonight. I just love cocktails - what a brilliant idea and so in tune with the Palm Court vibe we're aiming for. My Christmas favourite is Apple Cracker - champagne (quelle surprise), calvados and cointreau (the recipe also says cassis but I leave that out as I think it adds one too many flavours). I've got a pitcher full here. Does anybody want to share?

psssssssssst... when I went to my lunyversity my sister bought me a bunny - I called him Bunalisious inspired by Brideshead revisited.... and I bought it for my mil for her birthday as we had this "meee tooo" gush gush moment when somehow one of us mentioned our love for Brideshead revisited!!!!

Mmmm.... Christmas is arriving....
www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oj3jixMGaw

I bought my MIL this box set... (just incase anyone needs the reference for their letter to Santa)!

www.amazon.co.uk/Brideshead-Revisited-Complete-Laurence-Olivier/dp/B001CWLFHC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=d vd&qid=1228263140&sr=8-1

Nat King Cole is very good as an opening bid, but I raise you Frank Sinatra.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7obvsi-gFQ

• T42 is in a Brideshead Revisited cloud!!!!

(it was repeated on ch4 in the summer of 1998 in 1982 I was more of a Rainbow girl)

Daisy - On mn people often say LOL and I am not sure if they mean it - but I really did have a big laugh out loud at your ds's chant - fantastic - I think it should be Christmas number one!!!

Bocca - I like your singer - but I think Frank works best with an edge of sadness and sophistication... I raise you...

www.youtube.com/watch?v=3M0dzWuSmGQ&feature=related

I think that an Apple Cracker sounds really good - but can I save my sampling for this evening though? (although may have to delay until tomorrow evening as I may not be able to pop in this evening due to other commitments)

We don't have any warped baking trays anymore - just stoneware, so none of it warps!

I've brought in some left-over cold pizza that I thought might be quite good with soup at lunch time...

Just popped in during lunch hour.

Having prepared so well for disturbed night ahead with WS, we slept through stayed in bed. I think the cocktails may have helped. (Not to mention the time spent getting dry on leaving last night. What a place to dig a duck pond!)

Nice to see that Racingpig is drying out.

Cold pizza very acceptable for lunch; thank you MistleChef

Bocca, I'll just leave you a note for when you drop in later - I have, at school, directed, produced and written plays, made the sets, set up the lights and made the punch the the interval. It is probably the major reason I look as old as I do. I saw my role in the tea room panto as an assistant, cheering on the sidelines.

There is so much talent here! I feel Daisyboy may be setting himself up for a leading role.

MJ would also like a leading role - probably as a pirate, or a prince, or as a Powerranger (not that he has ever to my knowledge seen Powerrangers on TV) A shepherd would apparently be acceptable. Although he would definitely not want to be an angel. Halo would definitely not fit anyway!

Talking of MJ he has got his new wellies on and is splashing about with the ducks. We find the all-in-one waterproofs very good - he has managed to fall full-length in a puddle before now (of course, we still have the 'starfish' approach - hands, legs and head brought rapidly out of contact with the ground - and wait for it....!) and been fished out with only a small wet patch round the neck Must remember to pack the spare set of clothes back in the car though

I thought we might have spinach and nutmeg soup today....

RS do you think that we could add some reality to any potential 'manger' scene by asking Racingpig whether he would like the role of the ox or the ass?

This is beginning to sound like a Nativity, rather than a panto. We'll have to check wtih the management whether a combined Nativity/panto would be acceptable.

Inkeeper saying 'There's no room at the inn,'; audience response, 'Oh, yes, there is!'

Mary, Joseph and Jesus (MistleChick?) fleeing on donkey to Egypt with Herod's soldiers in hot pursuit and audience shouting 'He's behind you!'

Feel Daisyboy should maybe be a shepherd due to present interests. Could be building manure heap?

The Racing menagerie could certainly fill many roles, although (when I last checked), there wasn't an ox or an ass. Maybe Racingrabbit might like to join in. Dastardly and Mutley (Racingpigeons) could be angels.

They certainly don't have the survival instinct necessary to be a pigeon, as they can be caught by a 2-year old - dd came marching in the bedroom last night holding one firmly around the middle and carefully put it to bed. In our bed. Daisy Boy might like to know that pigeons also poo.

No, I don't think that Jesus would be a suitable role for MJ... would be better as an inn keeper (knock -knock - who's there...)

RS I didn't think that you had an ox or ass, but I thought that Racingpig might wear a costume.

Mistledog would certainly be up for being a reindeer - or a Christmas tree fairy come to that (although I think it would need to be a large christmas tree not to get flattened )

When I got married, my parents had two rescued collie crosses - my mum made one of them a 'bridesdog' costume (a little hat effect for her head and a frill round her middle) - but she could only be on her own as the other dog attacked her with that sort of thing on (yes, we knew from experience )

Great! We have an innkeeper and a reindeer. Maybe all the tea room dogs could be reindeer.

Racingpig is slightly anxious that Mistledog might not realise that he is actually a very large ox and, thinking that he is a small guinea pig, eat him.

Baby Jesus still needs casting. Possibly Jack Baby? Don't know the age/gender or Rebelchild.

Am counting on Bocca to add the topical references to fascinators, muffins, etc.

Role for Mellors?

I volunteer Jackbaby for the role of Baby Jesus - he has that "baby's wave that looks like a blessing" thing down pat these days!!

Been thinking of a role for Mellors... since he does sweet FA very little around here, it's hard to know just where his talents may lie.

Spinach and nutmeg soup?? Hand me some!! And some pizza.
I made Nigella's "curry in a hurry" last night... would have brought left-over but... ermmm... it was so good there weren't any!

Oops, forgot to say "please".
Pretty please, with sugar on top!

(Guess I won't be the one teaching Jackbaby manners)

Would anyone like a an oatmeal chocolate chip muffin after their spinach and nutmeg soup? I put them in the oven before going to collect DD and her friend from school, but there was a cake sale that I'd missed the publicity for, and they've had cornflakes cakes from that instead of lovely muffins. Still, all the more for me. And you lot!

Anyway, I had to report that I had an MN moment. After-school playdate, bookbags - well, I don't care, but I felt I'd somehow be letting MN down if I didn't have a peek. So I'm happy to report that DD's friend has a reading book, and DD is still on word strips and I don't care!

When are the Christmas decs going up in here, by the way?

staggers in, carrying

1. icicle lights for the outside of the tea room
2. a medium-sized blue spruce with stand and tree skirt
3. bows and ribbon for the tree
4. glass globes and other festive decorations for the tea room
5. a gallon jug of egg nog>

Aaaaahhhh.... that's better!!!!

Ooh, lovely.

tea, is that you?
(can't keep up with Christmas name changges today emoticon)

Casting the nativity panto is going to be interesting with Chistmas name changing as well. Would anyone like to sign up for a part? All available, apart from Baby Jesus, the innkeeper, a shepherd boy and a reindeer.

Mmmm, egg nog! Always wanted to try it.

no.... I am me....seee.... so who is DontCallMeSantaBaby??? What a mystery!!!!!

I have had such a day.
Someone pour me a drink. A triple, please.

Bit worried about the stiff drink, since it's 6.30 am here, but since it's still dark, I don't think you will be setting yourself up for a severely disapproving sniff from the health visitor ... have a very large egg nog.

Actually, maybe we should have a baseball bat discretely under the counter here in the tea room. Just in case someone has designs on the honesty box, what with Christmas coming and the credit crunch. Can't always assume Mellors will be around and Racingpig would be a weak last line of defence.

I think my teacher persona may have followed me home last night and scared everyone out of the tea room. Will abandon my script and just settle here quietly behind the Christmas tree with the last of the egg nog a nice cup of redbush tea.

BTW, has anyone seen that rather splendid aspidistra?

May I join you, I do have only one DS (even if he is a grown up) and one DGD, I could be the honorary Granny [flutters eyelashes]