The One and Only Tea Room: Tea, muffins and champagne served at all hours

[BoccaDellaNativita]

Well folks, here we are!

We were on the brink of filling the old thread so I thought we'd better start a new one now. There was a rumour that we were going to be evicted from our old premises, but we managed right at the last minute to get an extension on the lease. So it's business as usual. We're still in our charming old tea room, overlooking our beautiful garden complete with ha-ha and duck pond. And Mellors the gardener.

Please come and join us for a celebratory drink.

No, thanks, I don't think so. Another thread on multiples v. singles I see...

Hello - I heard a rumor that there is champagne tonight - great practice for tomorrow evening, I think!

Talking about that - what are your plans for tomorrow evening?

I always find New Years Eve a real flop - much more fun when you get accidently carried away! What is vital is whatever you do can sound good enough to be able to tell people about - even if it was actually crap it must sound fab!

I shall be going to a Pajama Mamma Mia party - but I fear it doesn't sound fab enough? So when back in Paris I shall say "New Year was a blast I ended up at a film premiere and everyone was in the most wonderful evening dress!" (first time my mate put the dvd on and no-one will wear grotty nighties to a party - surely ha ha ha!!!)

Yes, I decided to step away from that thread as I detected the potential for it to all to explode, like the thread which led to the opening of this establishment. I guess we just have to get used to the stereotyping of mothers of onlies as embittered and jealous.[huh]

Realise I got my last wrong.

Sorry, tea, didn't notice you come in.

Well, I shall be spending NYE in ChateauBocca. For the last two years we have been to wild (by middle aged standards) parties but we're all rather tired following BabyBocca's pukeathon, so tomorrow my plans are: slumping on sofa, quaffing real champagne and then off to bed at 10 past midnight.

But I shall pop in here too.

Goodnight all.

We've got some friends staying over - so late supper (after children in bed - ds plus another) then general chat and sociability I imagine. Pyjama party sounds a lot more interesting though!

Isn't it interesting how different points of view give totally different reading on things.

Bocca - TBH that sounds so so so nice!

My bestistest new years have been spent with my family and Jools Holland - there is something rather deliciously lovely about it!

at people feeling not great - it is a horrible time of year for bugs and feeling blaaaaaah!

Night Night Bocca - don't let the bed bugs bite!

MT - There are two large family v onlies threads tonight - I was wondering whether to post "What MT said" on one of them... but I feel my revolutionary days are over now!

Actually TBH I never wanted to plant bombs...

Bocca said there was gin ... I have someone else's archetypcal fiery redhead coming round to play with DD, and I need sustenance

Straight (Mother's ruin) or how we love it like it - with fizz. We are Bolly guzzlers here - take a bottle if need be.

Don'tcallmebaby - nice to see you!

Let me introduce you to the crowed -

Mellors is our sexy air head of a gardener!

Bocca is the one in the rocking chair going "Ohhhh young man!" at the cardboard cut out of Mr Clooney.

Racingpig is that funny feeling in the sofa (he is a much loved guini pig of racingsnake's child who lives just under your bottom!)

Jacksmama is the one in the garden chopping wood and eating wursts (she is a German Canadian and she likes doing that type of thing.)

Daisy is the one making soup in the kitchen wearing very nice Mary Janes and fascinator and cmot is the one fanning herself in the corner - still recovering from the days I used to called her cnut due to my very poor reading skills!

An' me... I am T42 - als left ta saaay iz - Consider ya self at 'ome, consider yerself one of the faaaaaayyyymiliiiiiiiyyyy!!!!!

So how are you all today?

Mm, with fizz, always open to a new drunkenness taste experience. I've brought my own cocktail umbrella.

The small redhead has been and gone, leaving a trail of destruction in her wake (to be fair, DD is quite capable of doing that singlehandedly).

I've been ironing, which is a rare event, and warrants gin.

extracts guinea pig from bottom

Ironing always warrants gin. I loathe and detest it, and therefore contract it out to someone who likes doing it.

In a couple of ours we have friends plus their DD arriving. We plan on slouching on the sofa in pyjamas, drinking pink fizz, eating pizza (lovingly handcrafted by me so I can eat it) and watching telly. Some of us may have to be prodded awake at midnight to celebrate. I much prefer this to the NYE before DS when I felt obliged to go out and party.

Bocca- we plan to start going to those Notelets concerts in the new year as they sound perfect - another MNetter pointed me in the direction of them.

I think the difference in the Ocarinas is that BabyBocca has been learning on a Pentatonic ocarina, which innately makes a nice sound due to the tuning

Ironing done, including Dorothy Perkins Shirts Of Doom, hurrah! Time to get tucked into the gin in earnest.

We are going to my parents to escape next door, having failed yet again to formulate a way of asking the neighbours 'are you going to be noisy bastards on NYE?' without sounding like we're inviting them round (argh) or angling for an invite to theirs (ARGH). So DD is having souffle with chips for tea as we have souffle with salad for starters, then several hours later when she's safely in bed we're having steak and then pudding, and wine will be involved at all stages.

BTW, is that the aspidistra over there, or a free-standing heap of discarding fascinators?

It is an aspidistra. Its actually quite striking and fairly healthy despite the fascinators - although I have had to rescue it from outside the backdoor (once) and the compost heap (once) where it was accidently thrown in the heat of spring cleaning or similar.

Lurking behind the aspidistra again as I don't seem to have anything to say at the moment. Just keeping an eye on numerous people who seem to feel the need to sit on Racingpig, between thawing out drining water for various outside animals. Hope Mellors has remembered to lay the tea room pipes.

BTW, I went to a tea room in RL this morning; a rare occurance as it was not a cafe or a bistro or a Starbucks or anything else hip and modern, but an old fashioned tea room in an old fashioned (very beautiful and very moneyed) village. Nice large light rooms, slightly overgrown garden ... I noticed it is for sale ...

In my dreams, I run a teashop, with a little second hand book shop attached (the sort where the books are piled high, and shelves are sort of random). Alas, I can't see that we would ever be in the position to do that sort of thing...

In our little town, we don't have a chain coffee shop, and have two delightful tea shops of the type where at 10.45 precisely, a group of ladies assemble at 'their' table for coffee and cakes. We also have a 'coffee bar' run for the community theatre/cinema, but we don't frequent it as they take forever to serve you as each order involves a chat about the current gossip in the town

Um hello . Bocca said I could come in and have a muffin, though if everyone else is having Champagne.....

We have thrown caution to the wind (and caused all my north eastern relatives to spin in their graves) by celebrating the New Year already, with tea and a 2009 cake, lovingly made by DH and DS. We are all knackered and will be going to bed at normal time . DH and I might partake of the half bottle of bubbly in the fridge over some early evening telly if we're feeling up to it.

aw aw aw - MRS BORING - I love your New Years Eve name!!!!!!!!

I'll be back in a minute - just going to get changed into something NYE stylie too!!!!!!!

MrsBoring - not even a little Joolsy????

He is performing here a little later - I do believe!!!!

uk.youtube.com/watch?v=rA5IQlhhgXA&feature=related

Oh look there he is warming up with Lulu!!!!!!

mrsgboRingOutTheOld - what an excellent idea to celebrate at a reasonable hour (ie when you're still awake!). Have a muffin. I also have a pot of spicy chickpea soup, if anyone feels they need something warm and comforting under the fizzy stuff.

Obviously in my last post I meant 'drinking' and 'lag', although in Mellos' case ...

In our nearest small, beautiful and v moneyed local town, there is a second-hand book shop which is a warren of tiny rooms and crooked stairs, all lined with shelves of books. If you thread your way through the shop you get to a little cafe where they serve soup and warm Dorset apple cake with cream. There is even a tiny yard behind for sitting out in the summer. Sounds as if it might just be waiting for one of us ...

Sees racingsnakes point and feels young and stupid for thinking MrsBoring should stay up until the unearthly hour of midnight also very jealous of her teashop. Secondhand bookshops always have such a special smell - really I love it!!!!!!

He he he

So my dear friends - Happy New Year x x x x

Quick before I go out though - When does JM enter 2009 in our time????

Sorry, Jools on waaay too late. I had a three hour nap this afternoon too. Got to fortify myself as DH has a doomed plan for us all to go to Winter Wonderland in London tomorrow.

Since in the virtual world I don't suffer from pregnancy food aversions, or have any restrictions on what I'm allowed to have, yes I would love a bowl of spicy chickpea soup. It's just what I would like if I were normal.
And if there's any parma ham going, it would go perfectly with the champers.

Happy New Year, everyone!

Orf to bed early. Hope you are all out at great parties in your pyjamas.

Must get Tea to hekp me tomorrow to presnt evening watching Chocolat with grumpy dh and wide awake dd in an enviable light.