Tea Room the Ninth: I love rock and roll, put another dime in the juke box baby

[MadBadandDangerousToKnow]

Welome to the ninth incarnation of the tea room. It's been a long and eventful road, from a tea room overlooking a cathedral garden to a beachside cafe, with a diversion via a yurt. Now - voila - we are in a music lounge. We cater for all tastes and, as this is a tea room of requirement, it manages simultaneously to be many things at once. For some, it is a 70s glam rock disco with a cool boho edge - glitter balls, smoke machine and much wearing of platform shoes and eyeliner. For others, a jazz bar where mellow music is played as cocktails are served. For still others, it's a concert performance of Spem In Allium. We still have a garden, with shady parasols for the summer, and a menagerie of pets. Our membership is international.

The tea room has few rules. Everyone is welcome. But anyone visiting with the sole intention of causing hurt or shouting abuse will be ejected by Mellors, the multi-talented gardener-handyman who (it turns out) is also a guitar wizard and rock god.

Please come in.

I do like champagne, I only have bacardi and brandy left though.

I'm orff to bed night. Good night. Come back tomorrow for tea and a muffin.

Night Mad.

Oh, I missed the prosecco. Bum.

No, there is no chance that the neighbours didn't notice my state of undress. He coughed and turned away rapidly, she grinned broadly and handed me a bowl of blackberries and said "enjoy, we'll let you get back to your cleaning". I am quite certain that I heard them laughing hysterically on their way down the walkway. Behind the door which I shut very quickly, so the rest of the cul-de-sac didn't get a good look, as well.
doesn't begin to describe it. An [exploding head] emoticon is needed here.

By the way, welcome, Fluffy! Hope to see you again.

Oh dear. At least they will remember you though hey!!

Err. Yes. Well, they live right next to us in our townhouse complex, we're not likely to forget each other. Which, right now, is really too bad.

Jacksmama - What you need to cling to here is that she realised you were cleaning. It would have been far worse, surely, if they thought they had interrupted you in the middle of a moment of passion with DH. Wouldn't it?

Of course we have an inexhaustible supply of prosecco and I'll bring out a bottle in ten minutes when the sun is over the yard arm tonight. Meanwhile, would anyone like a coffee and a croissant?

Jacksmama I have no words. All I think of is that at least you have a funny story to tell for the next 20 years ....

Hello and welcome Fluffy hope to speak ot you later.

Would anyone like a prosecco? And we may still have some brandy.

I agree that being caught identifyably cleaning in your underwear is somehow vastly more acceptable than being thought to just swan round the house thus.

My domestic horror of the day was that I washed DH's work phone. Oops.

DS and I have made blue and red dinosaur cakes today. You may choose from triceratops, T Rex or diplodocus.

Did we have any gin left ?

You've reminded me, Cmot, of the time when a tube of metanium burst in my handbag and so I emptied the contents into a bowl of soapy water, forgetting that my phone was in there. Ooops.

I thought of jacksmama today, as I attempted (unsuccessfully as it turned out) to restock my lingerie drawer. Ho hum. Better for the bank balance, I suppose.

Could I have a triceratops cake, please? They go very well with prosecco, I'm sure.

Cin, cin!

Hi all - just wanted to pop in to say I think I'll survive the shame but would gladly take a gin and tonic!

I have a hedgehog birthday cake here, if anyone wants a slice for later

Morning everyone. Tea and bacon/vegetarian equivalent butties on the go if people are interested.

How lovely. Thank you, Amber. And many happy returns of the day to the hedgehog. How old is she now? Oh, it's not the hedgehog's birthday.

I've made some fresh tea to go with the cake. Would anyone like a cup?

How lovely. Thank you, Amber. And many happy returns of the day to the hedgehog. How old is she now? Oh, it's not the hedgehog's birthday.

I've made some fresh tea to go with the cake. Would anyone like a cup?

How amazing you are still at No 9!!

Only a minute to pop my head round the door of whatever No 9 actually is - I hear loud music and am dazzled by glitter balls, so not sure who is there. (Although I could have sworn I saw a hedgehog.)

Very very very busy for the next couple of weeks.

Byeee!

Unis pops her head round teh door, waves, and then drags in a big bag of used tupperware and flasks. I'll just go and ask mellors to wash these up. He was helpfull for the 1st day, but seemingly got the hump over the super efficient removals men ( with nice legs) and off he went muttering about giving foot rubs to someone in a warmer part of teh world than dartmoor.

We are mostly out of boxes now, broadband is connected 3 days ahead of schedule- hurrah- and rather faster than it ever was at old house, also hurrah.

This place is HUGE, we rattle, and yet have managed to fill up the kitchen AND utility room cupboards already. We only had a small kitchen at old house, guess we just packed more effiently.

So To recognition of my new stamping ground. I have brought some scones, with home made jam and clotted cream, they are on teh counter for any that wish to indulge.

Up to Mum and das for 4 days R&R tomorrow ( and an Ikea trip, visting my gran and picking up boys uni. )
see you.

'Tis lovely to see you both and excellent news about the speed with which Unis has knocked the new abode into shape. What a pity that Mellors threw a hissy fit about the lovely-limbed removal men. I hadn't realised he was so insecure.

The scones look delicious. Shall we have some prosecco to accompany them?

what IS pros... thingy what sit? is it inkaholic?? if so, yes I'll give it a shot.
Boy has been a total whingebucket today and DH and I are both grumpy. Ho HUm.

Prosecco is a rather lovely sparkling wine, a fine variety of which can be bought in Lidl. It has remarkable restorative properties. Would you like a bucket glass, Unis? It may help with the post-moving, post-unpacking, post-whingeing grumps. Or we could make Bellinis with it ...

It's a while since we had any snacks. Here's a selection of olives, crisps and twiglets.

Dinosaur cakes did go rather well with Pimms. And rose wine. BBQ was fun, mostly for the fact that all guests brought cake/dessert with them. All children played amazingly nicely, so it was rather chilled and pleasant. DS and daughter of hosts put themselves to bed at 7, discovered curled up together, although not actually sleeping. Cue complete meltdown on both sides when they were informed that DS was not staying over.

Was that a Racingpig I saw with the twiglet bowl ?

I do hope it was Racingpig. I've missed him recently, even though it's nice to be able to sprawl on a sofa that still has all its stuffing.

We've had a very nice day, enjoying the sun and making the most of what's left of the summer holiday.

Would anyone like a bijou drinkette?

am also muchly impressed that we are still in the 9th tearoom!
G'day, as they say.. it has been interesting today, hot, muggy, windy and then rain (in that order). NOT what I call a typical winter day.

Anyway, just wanted to pop in and let you all know I survived the flight etc but am having some trouble getting through the jet lag (miniThumb's, not mine!) and the internet ishoos.

Could be a while before I'm on regularly again - keep me some Prosecco somewhere safe, please!

Birthday weekend was excellent. But now I'm back at work, which isn't as excellent at all. Drat.

Hello? Are we still here? I have, rather prosaicly, brought posh-ish cider and some peanuts. Well, it's doing it for me.

We have had a lifestyle change, we are now a one-child and ... two-kitten household! My brother asked was it like having two more children, I said 'nah, can leave them in the house by themselves, they eat less and don't need their bums wiping'. Typically, since I said that, one has developed a touch of the squits and I did end up chasing him round the house with a piece of damp cotton wool trying to wipe his bum yesterday. Plus they've cost me £50 in vet's fees so far, not something I remember DD doing in her first week as part of the household.

Can't believe it's two months since I was here ... apart from the kittens not much has happened with us, except five mostly pleasant weeks of summer holidays (I have to go back to work next Wednesday, am not pleased).