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 ...

I'll just have to be good between now and then - should be able to get back into something respectible by then. At least having that on the horizon helps with willpower...

MJ decided that 5.30 was the appropriate time to get up and ask about breakfast - when told to go back to bed he said he'd had a bad dream - so came to bed with us. A little later (5mins?) he complained he was getting squashed - so I left and went into his room and got into his bed (rather squashed!) - but had to call him back from going downstairs - he went back to bed with dh for a little while then took himself off to the toilet - and wanted dh to 'check' so sat there shouting for Daddy every now and then to no avail...

Dh finaly got the results from this course - he did pass which is good!

I'm just required to reach a certain level of respectableness on a regular basis for work, and find talking to very large groups much easier if I know I am a bit groomed. That way, my interaction with making myself respectable is much lower when I have to do this too early in the morning after not enough sleep/too much alcohol/wrong time zone issues.

The biogel nail overlays are really the dogs doodahs for groomed nails for a couple of weeks at a time.

I need to buy a pair of seriously comfortable flat black shoes/sandals. The ones I have used for conference evenings and long haul flights for the last couple of years have died, and last week proved just how much I need them. My feet still hurt today

Any recommendations ? Soft, squashy, but not tooo casual (so not birkies or flip flops)

Squeaver - Good to see you. Would you like a cup of tea while you're here?

I noticed the arrival of BlokeWithAgenda. Actually, I pretty much agree with him and that's one more reason I'm glad I had a daughter and will never have to confront the issue. Anyway, I agree that the link I posted wasn't much help in pinpointing who exactly is working on the issue (and who might welcome a donation) but I've just found a statement of UK government policy, which I've also posted.

But, Cmot, that's exactly what I meant. You know what needs to be done to achieve an acceptable (or more) level of groomedness in the most time-efficient way. Hence your status as grooming and glamaour corrsepondent. And we have seen the photo of you heading out for the evening in corset top and wafty shrug, so we know you do do glamour!

That is .... I agree with his general point about unnecessary surgical interventions. I don't think it's always helpful that, when someone starts a thread saying 'x is a bad thing', other people pile in with 'x isn't so bad when you consider it in the light of y' or 'let's talk about y instead'. If the thread is about the nature of x, that doesn't pre-suppose any judgement about the status or relative merits of y.

Thanks, I'm always terrified when I come in here that I'll never leave

Squeaver - the tea is very addictive isn't it... along with interesting conversations, and you never know what direction they'll go on next.

And of course, Mellors is also an attraction too don't you think. I see that he's given up trying to go up that sand dune with the ride on lawn-mower with attachments and has decided to take Earl Grey for a gallop along the breakers. His shirt seems to have got rather wet in the process. Good thing he's not got the saddle on as I'm not sure who's on tack cleaning duty at the moment and I'm sure whoever is wouldn't want to try to get all the salt off the leather...

Squeaver - The tea room is the Hotel California. You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave.

Mellors is riding through the waves?

Now mellors is back in tehshed I think I may take a turn along teh sands on Earl grey, get some wind in my hair etc. BOy is fast asleep again.
SOmetimes he reminds me of teh NMBs. all baby snores and war paint.

CMOT, Dr Marten Emily? www.amazon.co.uk/Dr-Martens-Emily-12635001-Regular/dp/B0018LT1H8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=apparel &qid=1242656882&sr=8-1

One of the reviews is a bit dubious but another suggests the problem is variable across individual shows. I have DM Mels, which are nice now that they've had a few days' wearing in - bit more casual than the Emily though.

I couldn't see anything quite meeting your description on El Naturalista's website - don't have any of theirs, but they always look very comfy.

Oops, didn't mean to sound all important. I am very unimportant indeed, even at said conference, where all the other speakers are old, wiser and have published more than me. The organiser was my supervisor and is a generous soul who thought I'd might benefit from attending.

I have laughed myself silly over yesterday´s/today's antics in the tearoom. I think perhaps the 9th tearoom might be Hotel California. We could have a robot butler (wasn't there one in the song? and everything.

I have no idea about what R4 anymore as I have no time to be tuning in on the internet these days. Still, hob-nobbing with the stars should be fun Mistle. I hope you enjoy it.

BP: I was a Peter Duncan fan myself. Goldie was the dog, I recall. I also remember Janet Ellis being pregnant. It was all very exciting.

CAt- love teh new look, do you think your conferencee's will like teh wig and facial hair combo?? will you be combining it with an all enveloping poncho for maximum disguise??

Pops in briefly to say that yesterday's conversation about all the initals was completely surreal and mystifying to a colonial furriner.

But, funny, I am on the side of everyone who pictured CMOT as the epitome of the well-groomed lady! There you go, CMOT!

Peter Duncan? Goldie? You are all mere children!

I want to sneak into both Catita's conference and Mistle's family wedding, to lurk at the back and see what happens. And, I am liking the idea of the 9th tea room as the Hotel California.

Mirrors on the ceiling
The pink champagne on ice
We are all just prisoners here, of our own device

Hmm, it does sound rather like the tea room, doesn't it? Does anyone agree it's now wine o'clock?

wine O'clock for sure. hey MAYBE this IS teh hotel california, do we have to wait for a new thread?

Go on admit it Madbad, you were of the Valerie Singleton generation.

Unis Yep, the poncho would really do it for maximum effect. I could even wear the cowboy hat too ...

Catita - and that would be bad would it (gets ready to have a miny founce )

Catita - I refer you to the Bible

"Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." John 8:32

But, as Mistle says, I did not think that my old crone status wisdom and maturity were a crime to which I had to admit.

My first pin-up (after Noddy).

This is the life!!!!

Mwaaaaaah Mwaaaaah

Must dash - I am in deepest darkest Brittany and the log fire, dogs, children and a good book are calling me to join them while DH cooks dinner.

Bye for now!!!

No flouncing allowed Mistle....

It was just that Madbad had been making illusions to how "wise and mature" she was, so I was just acertaining more precise details on quite how wise she meant.

There's nothing wrong with having watched VS on BP [said specially to confuse Jacksmama) at all.

I bow humbly down to this wisdom! (But not too far, I might not be able to get up again )

Amber has cleaned Earl Grey's tack and giving it to me to bring back - and waves at everyone.

Need an early night tonight. Anyone for a glass of something before then?

This tea room looks very fine!

If anyone else takes Earl or Lady out, I rubbed the tack over earlier with hyrdrolan - so it shouldn't be too bad to get the salt off. Amber had done a fantastic job of getting it all in tip top condition.

Blue Peter was Valerie Singleton and Chris Trace of course - and who else (besides me and MBDTK) remembers Petra?

Can't stay to chat - or for a bucket of tea, am getting ready for a job interview on Wednesday!

(hence, my apologies for only skimming the thread to date. I'm sorry if I have missed important news from people)

I do!!!

Donk - I salute you!

This is maybe the first time I've had something to contribute to a discussion about dogs - if you have to ask who it is, you're just too young!

Good luck with the interview, Donk!

Now, is anyone waiting for a drink?