The Fourth and Only TeaRoom! Tea, Champagne and Muffins at all hours! Racing Pig get moving!

[daisy99divine]

A warm welcome to everyone, whether you have one child, none, or ten. This is a tea-and-muffin or booze-and-sofasorcanapees sanctuary for all. But certain standards of behaviour continue to apply - anyone engaging in fisticuffs will be ejected by George Clooney, ably assisted by Mellors the Gardener.

Cheers all!

While of course I do hope that Mellors does not get a black eye, and only in part because I think that would reduce his output even further, I think that the fourth incarnation of the tea room is at last producing scenes worthy of The Tea Room, The Movie. After the excitement of Teas's prison break, the flying bishops in the haha, the secret occupant of the priest hole (who of course will have to be off-screen all the time, in the manner of Mannering's wife) and the Mysterious Arrival of the horses, it had all got a bit visually non gripping. Apart from the donkey in the tea room, of course (does Donk have any particular donkey in mind for the role?). Now with Amber and MrAmber in the motorised or is it horse-drawn bath chair and MrAmber meeting Mellors at dawn with pistols, the pace is hotting up again.

Also, I don't think anyone should ever be upset at causing mirth and hilarity with their typos. MonsieurRS loves to tell of my French faux pas - pointing out flying grocers instead of hawks, being caught out in a deluge of grandfather clocks and getting attacked by muskateers in the Camargue.

And I love to share the fact that he calls guages 'Georges' and 'banks' 'bonks'.

Causing innocent fun on those lines can only be thought of as a service to society in these grim times.

Possibly there is a dearth of night life in Devon and framing is what keeps the young off the streets. It would certainly be the height of excitement in Dorset.

you see, I had the Young Framers down as the type who stood theatrically around on stage saying

"It was the butler!"

"No, no, it wasn't Aunt Mary! Check behind the grandfather clock"

"I never did trust that Footman, he had a shady moustache!"
and other such Agatha Christie type of statements

I didn't know they were at it with little fret saws and mitreing corners for fun

Egads! Pistols at dawn?!

No chance of him hitting Mellors, that's for sure, though the Bishops' windows in the far field might be in danger, or anyone standing somewhere seemingly safe!

Besides which, I've no idea why Mellors should be shot or otherwise inconvenienced, since he was merely showing me the principles of slalom charioting

A semi-clad man in a chariot???

Amber, that's why I thought it might be scurry driving - although he didn't seem to be dressed quite right for that . Lady Grey does seem to be enjoying herself though, she was dashing between those apple trees at quite a lick, and I only saw her stop once at a particulary nice patch of grass - I think Mellors must have been distracted at that point - I can't think why...

Ok, ok, could someone please explain what scurry driving is?

Scurry Driving - small fast horsedrawn carriage they use for speed-racing round a course. Bit like rally driving for cars, but using a horse and cart. Or two horses/ponies and a cart if you really like a challenge

www.equestrianwales.org.uk/images/Scurry%20driving.jpg

Oh alright, I'll come clean. Mellors wasn't showing me slalom charioting at all.
Our secret is out - Yes..we've taken up ballroom dancing. This week, the Tango. Next week, who knows...

Hm, the aspidistra's pot is full of naked mohawk babies riding carrots - I take it the cake was acceptable then?

Back at work properly today. A whole six weeks stretches before me until the Easter holidays.

DD has surprised me by doing very good swivel-hips at trampolining this evening - I didn't think she could do them. I don't think SHE thought she could do them. She rather let herself down with tea-time amateur dramatics though - worst day EVER because she was required to eat her tea, and proclamations that she is a 'stupid child' when DH suggested this may be a little unreasonable. I fear for her teenage years, I really do.

Is there any Champagne this evening? The day I drink sherry is the day I finally give up and admit I AM my mother.

Don't worry, the six weeks goes VERY fast. In Spain, where I lived for a while, sherry is drunk by the young and even by men!

DCMB - Perhaps I am your mother?

But in deference to your prejudices wishes, I now declare this bottle of Bolly officially open.

Are we going to fill up the thread today folks?

Huzzah to the bolly !

I like sulky driving more than scurry - the fact that you kind of balance just on your bottom with legs up the poles makes it seem more dangerous. And the trotting action looks lovely.

Heavy horse carriage driving is wicked though. Haven't managed to see it in real life yet

DH is away tonight - in fact most of the week one way and another, which is rather nice in some ways - I don't often get the house just to myself and DS

We took ds to the Royal Show when he was 2 and a bit. If he'd had his way, we'd have brought home a couple of alpaccas, some sheep, a tractor, a JCB and 6 of the calvalry pulling their gun carriage and gun at a gallop with no brakes !!!!

Glass of bolly - yes please! (although not in RL, still feeling dizzy and queasy)

Yay, Bolly!

will say evening all again in the hope that this time I don't scare everyone off into the deep blue yonder (as per the recent pattern )

Hope you are all ok
hope mramber is getting better and behaving
catita - how is your thumb?
and all you poorly people - are you well now?

Everyone has strong feelings of distaste towards cold wet dishcloths, surely? Can you explain further?

Evening, Thumb.

Oh ... clearly it's my dad that's a loon then, not me and my mum.

Evenin RS & DCMB (phew! - haven't chased you all off)

DCMB - I have ishoos with cold wet slimy dishcloths - DH has technical problems with rinsing them after use (EWWWwww!) so next time I come to use it, it has to be either boiled first or thrown out.

Am going to chase myself off to bed, so don;t take it personally.

Night RS! (not taken personally )

Eeeeawwww!
Donk heaves a large sack of carrots (to share) into the middle of the Tea room.
The carrot cake was delicious - once the decorations were removed.

Jacksmama, My Dad gets his test results tomorrow - so I will find out more then (assuming that the supply agency doesn't 'phone, and I am in!)

Will second the fun of scurry driving - I had two driving lessons from Christine Dicks a long long time ago (name dropping ), with one of her competition cobs (not the little ponies she used to do scurry with). It was wicked - it would have been terrifying driving such a responsive and lively animal at my first attempt if I hadn't had a lot of riding experience first... especially as it was a lovely brisk (almost frosty) autumn morning, and said cob was decidely frisky!

MBDT - DS's (long) investiture update is on my other thread. To be brief, he is now a Beaver! But true to himself.

oh Donk - I hope the news is on the good side, as it were. Everything crossed for you.

Donk, your DS sounds fab! DD has her name down for Rainbows and I can see us hitting almost the opposite problem - DH and I are atheists, already somewhat conflicted by her being at a CofE school, whereas she is quite taken by the idea of God (not least because SOMEONE unnamed at school apparently has claimed to have met Him ).

And fingers crossed for your dad tomorrow.

Thumb I am happy to say that there are no cold wet slimey dishcloths in this house because there are no dishcloths - washer-up-in-chief prefers an array of sponges and brushes. I do my best to avoid washing-up in all its guises, including packing and unpacking the dishwasher.

Off to bed, got to do complex things in order to get car serviced tomorrow, need brain in gear.

Just popping in, as I need an early night too. So I will simply give a (virtual) powerpoint presentation

1. Am glad to hear that people are (mostly) getting back to good health
2. Will have all digits crossed on behalf of Donksdad
3. Will go and read the Beavers thread forthwith
4. Am fervently anti dishcloths of any complexion, as sliminess seems to be their natural condition. I have no qualms about sending umpteen little sponges to landfill every year. Does that make it more or less likely that I am DCMB's mater?
5. Am I the only one here who has never ridden a horse, far less participated in these outre equestsrian activities?

Night all!