Tea room 16 welcome to Shangri-la

[UniS]

Shangri-la = a hidden valley with beautiful views and crystal streams of course, and some inter-far eastern type of chalet things set around a Serene Courtyard with ever-blooming Japanese cherry trees, lots of refreshing fragrant teas, silk cushions, tinkling tiny waterfalls and bonsai trees, Gardens of Tranquillity etc.

Home to teh 16th Tea room, a haven for those with one or more or less children who like cake, tea, talking nonsense and oggling Mellors ( our handyman/ butler). If its your first vist, pull up a cushion .Mind out for the guinea pigs and other pets and do take care not to squash the teeny tiny naked mowhawk babies ( nmbs
, no longer naked and now toilet trained you will glad to hear)as they go about their duties helping Mellors.

Confused... come on, jump in and have a hot chocolate.

sort of a gingery cloudy lemonade I guess, its nearly as hard to describe as root beer.

instructions? were there actual instructions? I missed them, mind you I'm a long way from London, so it was never an option.

Pony rides ateteh fete made me smile. It was VERY short, FAT brown pony, and half the kids were short enough that their legs stuck out side ways. Most Thelwell pony. Boy was long legged enough to use teh stirrups , which he was quite chuffed about.

Yummy yummy!

glug glug

My SiL just rang and woke up BabyScout!

Oh.... so like ginger ale? I used to be given flat ginger ale when I had a sick tummy.

Hello all...

What a lovely meet up! Thanks - Milk, her friend and I had a much needed really relaxing afternoon.

I am still covered in cherry juice!

I was wondering on my way back... Will Mellors be doing that thing he did at all of the meetups or was that level of effort just because it was the first UK one?

SCOUT - YOu are in East Anglia?????!!!!!!????
REALLY!!!!!!

WOW - I am a true thorough bred East Anglian and often in that bump when I am in Blighty.

I would love to do a meet up with you if/when you are feeling brave enough.

Yes, Mellors was a very attentive (and not to mention athletic) companion, wasn't he? Tres sportif, oooh la la!

Encore de Bolly, Tea?

Well. I am not sure that Mellors could keep up that level of activity for too long or too many meet ups - to be that, well, frisky in this heat was quite something!

And the way the NMBs can-canned for us, I feel weak and emotional just remembering.

A lovely afternoon, thank you.

Bloddy cherry juice

Why of course!!!

Amber you must do a meetup sometime too - they are very very lovely things!

And yet the poignancy of our parting, when the ever-resourceful Mellors (aided by the NMBs) hoisted his folding massage table onto the trailer of his ride-on lawnmower and set off back for Shangri-La. I swear that, as we stood there gratefully waving our hankies while Mellors and the NMBs disappeared over the horizon, there wasn't a dry eye to be seen.

How long does it take to get from London to Shangri-La on a ride-on lawnmower?

Well we made it back quite quickly....

Hmmm... good point about timings between London and Shangri-La small.

Of course, in the case of Mellors; we do have to also take into account the fact it is written into his contract that he must jump into every lake and pond on route and then exit each one in slow mo in time with various degrees of cheesy film music which means the journey does take him a little bit longer .

Oxeye - I think with a bit of blue-tac that flag would make a jolly good fascinator!

I'm guessing there were instructions..otherwise how would people know where to go?

Holiday was absolutely lovely, thanks.

Aha, have located messages about parcel swapping (if it's happening, I'm game), and about emails (have tried to make contact, oxeye).
Meet-ups - honestly I would love to, I just don't know how to make it work for my brain. Those who have found my website might ponder the 'day in the life of' stuff on there about how huge a challenge it is for me to use public transport to attend social things. I love meeting people, but if it's train then underground then meet then underground then train, I'm going to be scared witless and be no use to anyone.
I think we'd better have a meet-up at mine some time. At least I know where I live and how to get here

I'm in East Anglia too! Near Ely!

I'm near ye ol' University Town that shares a name with the county. I live just over the border, though, in Suffolk. I'll be at the Ely Cathedral for the big Guide Centenary Finale in October. (Not that Ely is far from me, that's just when I know for sure I'll be there.) East Anglia reminds me a lot of the area I grew up in.

(Does anyone have any matchsticks?)

Very jealous of marvellous meet up although things are pretty marvellous here too. It's lovely having my French niece here for three weeks - Wriggle loves her, I have someone to talk to endlessly and it gives me hope that I could have a lovely relationship with a grown-up Wriggle.

M.Snake has agreed that he must go away for at least a long weekend next February after the awfulness that was last year. He is thinking of flying down to visit his family near Nice.

We had a lovely (only slightly fraught) day playing with ponies with Wriggle's Very Advanced Friend, who is also very sly. As you will see when we finally get to a meet up, Wriggle is painfully shy and is only truly Elliptical when with very close friends and family. Advanced Friend always gets the better of her - today she had three turns at Wriggle's ice cream (having gulped down her own), then when Wriggle did not want to hand it over for the fourth time, immediately squawked, 'Mummy, Wriggle won't share!', to be told, 'Sharing is for very kind people; you can't make Wriggle share.' !!! Luckily Advanced Friend's little sister bit her very hard later on.

Oxeye, since you did not respond to my suggestion of the 22nd, I presume you can't make it. Small has very sensibly suggested a day when SmallGirl could also attend, but I would prefer a day when M.Snake was not free as well - just too much to cope with at the same time! What about September 2nd? I think it is a Thursday and M.Snake will have started work but most schools haven't started yet.

Made a lovely salad last night with foraged lime tree leaves and wild garlic.

Helas, Racing, we will be back at school on 2 September (vraiment). Would 1 September be a possibility? I'd need to tweak a couple of other arrangements but I think it could be done.

I'm glad to hear that FrenchNiece is bringing joy with her. I am looking forward to meeting Wriggle, even if she does not display her full ellipticality, but you should be warned that the feeling may not be mutual. OxBoy announced that he did not like me, perhaps because I declined to let him bare my midriff in order to blow a raspberry on it. I was only trying to protect him from lifelong trauma at the sight of something so hideous. .

Scout - why the matchsticks? Did you have a sleepless night?

Pimms, anyone?

No more or less sleep then normal. Just very sleepy today.

I've been enjoying the weekend watching HubbyScout and BabyScout playing.

evening all. having a a chilled out evening reading the paper, after a chilled out afternoon playing rounders, drinking beer and listening to a folk/ punk/ rock band at teh rec.

Nice having family guests to stay who do NOT require entertaining and are happy to chill.

sleeep tight scout, matchsticks supplied if you really need them, just look in teh chocbox of requirements. Mint or orange flavour??

Ooooohhhh, chocolate matchsticks.....