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 ...

No, I've not been on threads that haven't responded in general (although I might hvae posted a few thread killers in my time ).

When I came across the tearoom (completely by accident, on 'Active convos') I did peer in through the window, look at the menu (and a few of the discarded ones that were in the recycling box) and eavesdrop a few of the conversations that were going on before coming in and ordering something - but felt immediately at home .

How did you come across the tearoom - and have you settled in OK?

i came across the tearoom as it appeared on the list of threads in the one-child-families forum which i'd posted a message on. i was so overjoyed with the lovely response i'd got on my thread that i just sort of barged in and have been happily enjoying myself until it was suggested in these articles there might be a bit more to it..like being invited! so i wondered if i'd gatecrashed.

i am a particular Mellors fan and of course the magic bikinis we're all sporting. .

I must say that yours is particularly fetching - what a nice colour - and it just sets off your tan perfectly !!!!

Mellors is good isn't he - don't you think he might be getting a bit hot working away like that in the veg plot underneath the palm trees with his shirt on....

(or perhaps I should have been ignoring you - if so, I didn't know so am going to ignore that potential faux pas and carry on chatting - is that OK with you? )

sounds good to me .
i agree, i think Mellors needs to cool down, strip off and dive effortlessly into the pool. I'm glad you like my allover perfect tan - its a relief its turned out so well because normally i do red/blotchy/freckles/crinkly skin so this tearoom really IS magic.
Now...where's that g&t?

Ah, so THAT'S why the bishops hang around, all the g&ts on offer! I'd love one please!

G&T sounds perfect. Lime or lemon? (I'm opting for Lime with bombay saphire!)

Ooo, tough call... lemon I think

CurlyWurlyGirly - Are you sitting down, dear? Have you had your g&t? It seems that Mellors did indeed get quite hot working in the veg plot and has been for a swim. Look, there's Mellors walking back to the cafe.

MN etiquette seems to me to have changed a bit recently. It certainly seemed in the not very distant past when I joined that certain threads were dominated by the old guard, who just ignored anyone they didn't recognise (ie anyone new). That changed, I think, when some of the old guard left to join another site which I won't mention for fear of reigniting what at the time was a surprisingly fierce controversy. Anyway, one of the joys of the tea room is that we've never played by that rule and everyone's welcome.

Is there any white wine on ice, by any chance?

Well, I thought I needed a break (and I may still run for it if anyone shows up who wants to be, ahem, unpleasant - but I missed you all too much ... and the lovely email from Catita helped as well...

Here you go, MadBad, some iced white wine for you.

Good GOD!!
Does anyone have a fan?

I've just spotted Mellors walking up the beach and nearly had a heart attack!!!

[shameless lustful ogling emoticon]

ah yes, feel much better for that g&t with lime...purrfect. thanks for the warning this time MBDK, how purrrfectly marvellous . glad haven't gatecrashed but watching Mellors lovely children at play would be reason enough to gatecrash anyway!
anyone else miffed to get new boden catalogue AND credit card bill in post this morning?

Ouch, Boden catalogue and credit card bill, nasty. My credit card bills come by email, so I manage to separate them from tempting catalogues ... this may not be a good thing.

Now, how am I going to set up this projector screen in this blazing sunlight? You'll never be able to see DD doing the Bunny Hop, and I know you've been dying to see how she got on in her assembly ... hm, it's a problem.

She was fab though ... was in time when dancing, didn't go to pieces when her hat fell off TWICE, and spoke her line really clearly. I want to see 4 and 5yos on stage every single week, it was so much fun!

Mm.

Wriggle is at the moment sharpening pencils wearing a chain-saw safety helmet, visor and ear defenders, which she fetched from teh garage herself. Health and safety gone mad?

aah sounds like she did great! can't wait to see dd in a play or something, she had to miss christmas songs at her pre-school due to bronchitis last year .
(tries to regain composure from latest glance at Mellors with another g&t).

No - don't get the Boden catalogue - sorry!

Currently not spending any money on anything not essential due to dh STILL not having a job!!!

JM - ice cubes - problem - I don't think so - I mean its half way to a spritzer isn't it?

Good to see you again, Jacksmama. This wine is lovely, many thanks.

I seem to get a new Boden catalogue about every 6 weeks. I wonder how Johnnie can afford it, as it's a very long time since I bought anything from him. Interesting factoid for mums of onlies: Johnnie Boden is an only child. What can we conclude from that? (Nothing, probably).

Anyway, I just been speaking to Mellors, who is obviously refreshed and invigorated after his swim. He has a new project for the garden. As we are now in such a warm and sunny location, he is going to plant a grape vine and hopes we might even be self-sufficient in wine by next year. He has a French cousin, Gerard, who knows something about vines and has come over to advise. But first, Mellors and his cousin Gerard are going to our nearest Michelin-starred restaurant to sample the wines there. Mellors asked me whether I thought he and Gerard were overdressed, but I told him that a gentleman should always be properly attired.

[giggly emoticon]

MBDK - you didn't warn me

we have been known to ignore people who havn't "got" the tea room style.** Those who wonder in and make them selves at home are very welcome tho, esp if they show up offering choc brownies,

They clearly have "got" the house style.

Choc and ginger crunch any body?? Just the thing for a cooling evening overlooking teh sea I feel. Lady grey is eager to go out again if anyone else fanceys an gallop along the waters edge.

** I was thinking about this whilst sat at soft play with no book and no one to talk to. The tea room works well as a stand alone entity but wobbles if people try and bring too much of the out side world in. But while we witter on about Mellors and horses and cups of tea the rest of teh M N world will maybe get bored and move on.

Oh, do you think so, UniS? Have we ignored people? I'm feeling guilty now. I thought we tended to veer too much in the opposite direction and grab people the moment they cross the threshold and force-feed them tea, cake and Bolly. Not that many of them complain.

I must spend my time in a daze because I hadn't noticed the tea room wobbling when real life intruded. I'm sure it's true that some people looking in might think we're all drunk or deluded or both, but do you think that might also make us look clique-ish and deter new people from coming in? Or might deter people from discussing more serious stuff? (Although what could be more serious than Mellors in a tuxedo?)

CurlyWurlyGirly - Apologies again. I thought the warning was only necessary when Mellors was in his swimming trunks. But there was an almighty hint.

More wine, anyone?

We've ignored people? Who? Can you give examples? I really don't like that thought.
And personally, what makes the Tea Room so very special to me is that while we have fun and witter on and swoon about Mellors, we can, and do, bring our RL troubles and ishoos into the Tea Room, to unload, so to speak, and I don't think it's caused wobbles. Or perhaps, I, like MadBad, am in a daze...

Yes, Jacksmama, I feel the same.

Hmmm. I won't give examples, but I do remember some very earnest discussions about serious RL issues. But I'm not disputing what UniS says; it's good to get a different perspective on things. And I would be very sad to think that people who could have benefitted from the tea room in any way might have been ignored or frozen out.

People who come in intending to harangue us, on the other hand .....

oh, i need to clarify what i said about MN . i came across an article which said it was a bit bitchy (in broadsheet last year). i was confused because i've found it a great help and good fun so just put question in tearoom about MN history to see if anyone could enlighten me, which MBDK did. It (the article) mentioned about only going on forums if invited by existing member & i suddenly had a 'oh, i've made a muppet of myself' moment, which you guys have subsequently cleared up. i'm new to the whole chatting in virutal world thing so oblivious to any etiquette etc. I wasn't making any underhand comments about this forum/thread or even my experience on any MN bit.
To make up for my confusion, i have brought a large bottle of bolly, some cassis and a plate of belgian chocolates, .

they were the ones I was thinking of actully. I think its probadly teh best thing to do with that kind of vistors....
And yes we do get quite involved in discussin about RL , but its RL, rather than teh rest of M N.
I don't think people have been frozen out, ignoring trolls is dignified and OK. not ignoring them tends to make them worse. Hiding under a duvet or in the priest hole is OK, but we do need to try not to lure other people into the priest hole to continue the discussion. OR leap under the duvet with them and push them out teh other side.
Did that make any sence to any one else or am I spouting a lot of piffle having had farrrr to much time on my hands at soft play.

How on earth do we fit last week into the movie???

Most people who want to move in will have have a lurk first won't they??