Tea room the Eighth - sun, sea, sangria, and perhaps a sandy Mellors

[DontCallMeBaby]

Greetings, welcome to the eighth incarnation of the tearoom.

The tearoom has been, and will be again, a virtual safe haven for anyone up for rather random chat and a comprehensive range of virtual snacks. Nothing in the tearoom will make you fat, or drunk (unless you want it to) or cause an allergic reaction.

The new tearoom location is a beautiful beachside cafe (no need for factor 50, the virtual sun will just lightly tan you, bring out your freckles or simply warm your skin, as you prefer) with a range of garden swings, hammocks, sunloungers, deckchairs etc (as well as a rather incongruous, but well-loved, chaise longue). For those in need of sanctuary, we have managed to fashion a new priesthole out of woven grasses.

Our fellow residents include Mellors the rugged gardener of few-but-well-chosen words, the naked mohawk babies, a coterie of bishops, various domestic pets, and a selection of others. On the human side, all are welcome - while we live in the One Child topic some regulars have more than one, and we are welcome all (except people who put their heads on one side and tell those of us with one child that it's just not fair to have only one child).

Please help yourself to a glass of Champagne and a canape on the way in ...

Good to see you, MaryBS. How was your holiday? Whereabouts did you go? After Tea mentioned yesterday taking a walk by the Seine in the spring sunshine I feel deeply envious of anyone who's been to France!

I had hoped that you wouldn't have to resort to kidnap to get Gerard to visit the tea room, though. I thought that perhaps the promise of unlimited tea, cake and the opportunity to help Mellors tend the tea room grapevines would be sufficient to persuade him to come of his own volition.

Here's some toast with honey for you, Amber. Perhaps Gerard would like some too?

.... suddenly feels deeply interested in madbads job...

• Don't tell us anything madbad - just the idea you can't tell us anything about it is enough to make you sound very very glam and terribly super splendid!!!

Actually I am the UK's only mango farmer

Do you tie them all up in ribbons?

[sorry, very dense emoticon]

I should think it's hell training the sheepdogs to round them up?

Too true, Amber!

www.sainsburys.co.uk/NR/rdonlyres/940E93DC-9AB0-4FB0-BC4A-1D336CCDC71E/0/Mango_cartoon_125x125.jpg

love the idea of MadBad the Mango Farmer

[by the way MadBad I hope you saw George was on tv twice last week in One Fine Day (top film) and Solaris (pants imo)]

Amber your easter story is wonderful explanation - I got a bit stuck on the "well, that nice baby jesus you like got nailed on a cross....."

Its the whole growing up in 3 - 4 months that's rather difficult to comprehend at that age isn't it?

Sloshing rather - gazpacho soup for lunch - on top of several cups of tea earlier in the morning. Desperately starting diet in order to be able to wear at least some of my clothes again!

Ah! An informal meeting of the George fan club. I didn't spot that those films were on, Daisy, but have seen both before. One Fine Day is fine as far as schmalz goes, but I found Solaris very dull. How much duller would it have been if the divine George hadn't been in it!

Anyway, I realise that Gerard has been toasting outside on the verandah for hours and I've been very discourteous and not offered him lunch.

Would anyone else like some smelly piquant goat's cheese and a lewd roll? There's also a large vat of mango chutney, staight from the UK's only mango farm (prop. MadBad).

Sounds good to me .

Dh did a wonderful batch of mango chutney one year when we managed to get a whole lot at a premium - but can't remember which recipe he used...

Love to have some smelly old Gerard cheese for lunch, thanks!

Bonjour et bienvenu M. Gerard!

Wow, we do have the lot in the tearoom now. Perhaps we should try for Johnny Halliday to keep M. Gerard company?

The French's obsession with him always made me laugh. That was until I found out about Juan Gabriel (JuanGa) the equivalent Mexican star you have to scroll down to see the best ones

Thumb Keep at it! You can do it. You'll be suprised how much fun it will be living in an empty house for a couple of weeks!

Mistle Ah yes, the testing bit. Last time I was a bit hassled with DS to try that. Perhaps this year I shall be able to try harder (after all, I'll only have DS and a 2 month old to deal with

I have brought a lorry load of the Cartmel Sticky toffee Pudding back from the Lakes as I thought it would go down well. I know its served warm and its a warm afternoon - but I need to have something sticky and gooey as trying to be very virtuous in RL...

Catita - dh is the marmalade maker in our household! He also does chutney and jam...

... It is A Day today - first "Oh those wretched Adenoids" meeting with the ENT specialist.... eeeeek!!!!>

Pudding for me please! With extra custard is there is any going, Mistle.

T42 Good luck at the Drs. I hope all goes well.

Ooo I love that pudding!!!!

Thinking of Tea - and milk - and the fact that MJ rather likes his 'ear Dr' who is amazingly good with children - even having quite in-depth discussions with me whilst moving around the room in a vain attempt to contain MJ....

Drat! Got here just too late for the last of the pudding but - hey presto - the tea room truly is magic and the bowl is full again.

Would anyone like to share? Perhaps Gerard - who has the look of a man who enjoys his puddings - would like some?

And, Catita, those pictures are, ahem, quite remarkable. Who are his audience? Mexican teenyboppers or ladies of a certain age?

Madbad - when I said a lorry load....