Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

The Wide Awake Club

This is a space for anyone looking for support, tips on helping your baby sleep or just for a chat with fellow wide-awakers to get you through the night feeds. For more tips, check out our Ages and Stages emails.

The Happy Place Café is open 2026

191 replies

sashh · 06/01/2026 02:39

Morning and welcome.
To anyone new this is the Happy Place Café, all food and drink served here is calorie free. Everyone is welcome.
There are some people who have been here for literally years and others are newer.
The staff are me, obviously, Florence a French pastry chef who is married to Fernando the cocktail waiter (no one knows where Fernando is from so we suspect the marriage was about visas).
In a previous incarnation one of the regulars was Tilly (RIP) who brought a sparkling light in to the café along with a lemur named Leo.
Leo runs a dog wash (Tilly had a golden retriever and her family agreed to the dog wash as a tribute) but as there are rarely and dogs around he will wash anything, his other interests are goats and eggs. He spends every morning cooking eggs.
Outside the café is seating and a water feature, the water feature becomes a swimming pool in summer and an ice rink in winter. There is also a petting zoo.
Other residents are the kittenbees who are kittens the size of a bee with wings, they are very gentle but like to nibble anything sweet. Please do not give them alcohol.
Outside is where their larger cousins the bumblecats live, they are about the size of a fist and a lot more feisty than the kittenbees.
There is normally a daily special for breakfast and sometimes there is a pack up / bait / packed lunch.

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Lolaslashes · 08/03/2026 08:49

I’d love a hazelnut coffee and crumpets to start then a bagel with butter AND cream cheese seeing as the fat won’t affect me here. I feel strangely sad today. Like I’m a few days post surgery so nobody really thinks I should still be sore but I am and the dog is making “walk?” Eyes at me. Which can’t happen yet. Maybe a whiskey too please ! Little bit of a warm to my spirits x

sashh · 08/03/2026 12:55

All on its way.

I know what you mean about surgery, I didn't feel too bad the day after my last surgery, but then the bruising came out!

Take it easy, I'll send the kittenbees over to amuse you.

OP posts:
Lolaslashes · 09/03/2026 03:03

Oh the kitten bees are a delight ! I’m awake again. Already worried about going back to work. I’ve got a ginger tea IRL but a happy place coffee which won’t keep me awake would be ace. The bruising is something else isn’t it ?!!

sashh · 09/03/2026 04:41

Morning.

Ginger tea, now that's an idea.

Florence is making ginger bread and parkin. Leo is trying to persuade Florence that eggs go with ginger bread.

I know it is breakfast but I'm going to make a chicken and broccoli stir fry with ginger of course. If you want a pack up there is carrot and ginger soup. I'll let Leo make egg fried rice.

Fernando is making ginger beer, of course.

OP posts:
Lolaslashes · 09/03/2026 12:47

Oh ginger bread and all things ginger. Yes please !!!

sashh · 10/03/2026 05:55

Morning.

So today I'm giving F and F and L a day off. So I'm ordering from Greggs.

Sausage rolls, baguettes with bacon or sausage or both the same on soft rolls, bacon or sausage and omelette breakfast rolls.

Hash browns various porridge pots, pain au chocolat, croissants and if you can stand it for breakfast steak bakes.

I'm going to get a pain au chocolat for the kittenbees to share.

OP posts:
sashh · 12/03/2026 07:14

Morning.

Well that was a nice short break. I think today we should head for Austria.

Florence is making schwartzbrot and croissants.

I'm putting out a selection of vegetables (peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes) and jam for the bread.

Leo is scrambling eggs with bacon.

Fernando has coffee, tea, cocoa and obviously schnaps.

Well the ice rink has totally gone, the bumblecats are not happy so they might be a bit nippy. I'm planting some veg and herbs outside to keep them busy.

OP posts:
ImDoneOnceAndForAll2 · 24/03/2026 04:41

How are you @sashh

sashh · 24/03/2026 12:02

Hiya,

Sorry I have been a bit busy, the cat needed to go to the vet, I needed the dentist and the same day I had a mammogram.

I'm also arranging for my Mum and Dd's ashes to be buried. So full on.

The café will return once I have finished the game my cat has made up, it consists of her removing the 'cone of shame' when I am not looking and me putting it back on.

OP posts:
sashh · 24/03/2026 12:04

Part way through the game.

The Happy Place Café is open 2026
OP posts:
ImDoneOnceAndForAll2 · 25/03/2026 02:31

Ahhhh glad you are ok

sashh · 25/03/2026 07:47

Morning.

Well as I have been missing in action I think a gentle simple start.

Florence is making Welsh cakes because I think I missed them on St David's day. Leo is making scrambled eggs with cheese on toast.

Ferando has tea, coffee, Milo, Horlicks and Bovril.

OP posts:
ImDoneOnceAndForAll2 · 27/03/2026 05:10

Can i take a hot chocolate please...
Its chilly this morning

sashh · 27/03/2026 06:39

Morning.

One hot chocolate on its way.

IRL I have had a trip to the dentist, a mammogram, I had to take the cat to the vet x 2 and I am organising the burial of my parents' ashes. So a bit busy.

But here in the café I'm all relaxed.

Florence is making drop scones, Leo is experimenting with meringues, I'm making grilled cheese with the options of bacon, extra cheese, pickles, mayo, tomatoes and mustard.

Fernando has tea, coffee, hot chocolate, coffee liqueur and brandy all to keep us warm.

OP posts:
Lolaslashes · 29/03/2026 04:11

Morning. Not sure what’s on the menu today but I’d love a grilled cheese as IRL am struggling to eat fat after my surgery.
if I’m being sensible even in the cafe then just some toast and a bit of jam maybe. Your poor cat. Looks like my dearly departed moggie. Cone wars ! I’m herewith my little dog wide awake. Not so much in pain but fretting as I am prone to in the wee small hours

sashh · 29/03/2026 06:46

Grilled cheese should always be available, I swear it is a cure for anything in life that cannot be solved by chocolate.

Well the cone is off the cat and she seems to have forgiven me.

So lets stick with bread / toast / grilled things for breakfast.

Florence is making a selection of breads, I'll turn them in to breakfast items.

Grilled cheese, cheese and ham toasties, creamy mushrooms on toast and bacon butties.

Leo is, of course frying eggs.

Fernando has the usual tea, coffee and cocoa but to go with the toasties he has some home made tomato soup.

OP posts:
sashh · 29/03/2026 06:46

Grilled cheese should always be available, I swear it is a cure for anything in life that cannot be solved by chocolate.

Well the cone is off the cat and she seems to have forgiven me.

So lets stick with bread / toast / grilled things for breakfast.

Florence is making a selection of breads, I'll turn them in to breakfast items.

Grilled cheese, cheese and ham toasties, creamy mushrooms on toast and bacon butties.

Leo is, of course frying eggs.

Fernando has the usual tea, coffee and cocoa but to go with the toasties he has some home made tomato soup.

OP posts:
ImDoneOnceAndForAll2 · 30/03/2026 01:55

The clocks changing always mess with my sleep pattern (even more than it is already)

Fancied a egg and bacon sandwich since yesterday so hoping one is on offer

sashh · 30/03/2026 04:58

Morning.

Bacon and egg sandwiches you say? Of course they can be on the menu.

I'll do a full English, Bacon (back, streaky, smoked) eggs (orders to Leo) hash browns, sausages (Cumberland Lorne and Lincolnshire) mushrooms, tomatoes, black pudding and fried bread. Any combination you want, in a butty or otherwise.

Florence is making croissants if you don't want a fry up.

Fernando has the usual hot drinks but some large glasses of orange juice to wash down the fry up.

OP posts:
ImDoneOnceAndForAll2 · 30/03/2026 18:30

Irl I went for a full fry up on my own this afternoon. It was a really quiet cafe and was very much needed

sashh · 31/03/2026 04:08

Morning.

I'm glad you enjoyed your fry up. Some days nothing else will do.

I think we need something lighter today but I have also been watching a bit of YouTube about submarines and the two do not mix well.

I have always wondered why people would choose to work on a sub and what I watched has not changed that.

The subs run a 6 hour rota, I'm sure there is a proper word for that, basically they work for 6 hours and then rest for 6 hours so meals are served twice in a 12 hour time frame.

As they are at sea for literally months fresh food doesn't last long, fresh eggs last about a week so Leo is going to have to work with powdered or UHT egg products. We will see how that goes.

So it's more of a 'grill up' than a fry up, grilled bacon, sausage choice of eggs (when available) plum tomatoes and baked beans.

Florence is making the bred rolls to go with the breakfast. Fernando is handing out the beer (yes I was surprised they get beer daily).

It is apparently tradition to have a roast dinner on a Sunday, a curry on a Wednesday and fish on a Friday.

OP posts:
ImDoneOnceAndForAll2 · 31/03/2026 04:27

Oooh.... No thank you to working on a sub. I would miss salad

sashh · 31/03/2026 05:41

ImDoneOnceAndForAll2 · 31/03/2026 04:27

Oooh.... No thank you to working on a sub. I would miss salad

Salad, daylight, fresh air, water, I know all water has been through a few people but going through the same 150 or so continually has got to make it taste odd.

And no contact with friends / family for months - actually that might work.

OP posts:
Lolaslashes · 31/03/2026 09:46

Th isolation sounds appealing on occasion doesn’t it ? As does someone else telling me when and what to eat

sashh · 31/03/2026 10:11

@Lolaslashes yes to the isolation, but you are stuck in a metal tube under water with 100+ other people with very little room.

OP posts: