Well at least almost the correct day, one day early. We went to the Plough and Anchor for a meal. Very good meal. Lashed out on a bottle of Champagne, which I ordered while Rosemary was otherwise engaged.
Rosemary thought the restaurant owner was very rude opening the bottle of Veuve ClicQuot for another table at the spare setting on our table. That was until he poured the glasses and handed Rosemary her glass.
Today was the fire lighting day at the Plough and Anchor. Traditionally the fire is lit on the 1st October every year. Jake lit the fire, where upon the bar and restaurant was filled with smoke. It took quite a while before the draft was sufficient to draw all the smoke up the chimney. The fire will now remain continuously alight until spring.
We had a conker knock out competition, and Jake provided us with pies and excellent pickle onions. It was a truly excellent Friday evening.
This Friday was a relief from Thursday’s storms. Started off a wonderful day, never clouded over completely, but there were some very nice flat-bottomed cumulus clouds around.
Popped out with John Curd, John Mitchell, and Tony Diggory for a lunch time drink. I had a couple of pints of Abott ale.
Picked Rosemary up from work, fairly late, and then to the Plough and Anchor for a drink. It was very pleasant sitting outside on the new decking area under the rush roof with all our friends from Kingswood and Grendon.
Barbara and Tony were there with their new offspring Thomas. He is so quiet and amenable. Quite how he managed to sleep through Brimstone playing at Selina’s wedding is anyone guess. Not sure Barbara appreciated the comment from a guest who mentioned that this was Thomas’s first Rock concert and maybe he would become a Black Sabbath fan.
The Kingswood against Wotton BBQ and tug of war was a great success. The weather stayed warm and sunny. The unending supply of burgers and sausages produced by Ian and Julie Smith went down well. The pedigree was on form, being expertly poured by Annie Stanton . The only items not on form were the Kingswood teams. We lost all three tug of war matches. Thanks to Austin Lovell for adjudicating.
Afterwards Jake provided us with a buffet supper in the Plough and Anchor.
Pictures coming soon.
This weekend was wonderfully warm, so much so we were able to sit out in the garden late Sunday evening eating our barbequed Herrings and sausages. The sunset was magnificent, so much so I ran to the house to get the camera and photo the sun as it dipped below the horizon.
Spent much at Bloomes and Homebase buying bits for the garden, and then mowing the lawn, and laying stepping-stones to the hot tub. We have at last removed the atrocious pallets we laid around the hot tub as temporary decking. It is now back to grass and stepping-stones to gain access.
Several drinks in the Plough and Anchor with friends on the Friday and Saturday.
We (Rosemary, Steve, Selina and Graham) ate at the Plough and Anchor for supper. It was the harvest festival pig roast. The pig had been spit roast by Peter Sheriff for the whole day. The vicar from Ludgershall blessed the meal before we ate.
While the Vicar was there he was negotiating extra business with Tony. Tony is planning his wedding to Barbara, and their allegiance has changed from Quainton church to Ludgershall church.
Today was my last day working for Elevon. I celebrated on my own with lunch at the P&A.
All the women of Kingswood are in despair as the Hungarian waiter Daba Greff leaves to go back to Hungary. I went over to the P&A and sat drinking with him and the other kitchen staff until long past 1.00 in the morning.
Hopefully we will see him back sometime.
This Wednesday we both took the day off from work and went to Royal Ascot for the Second Day of Racing.
We met up with the others at the Plough and Anchor for breakfast at 9.30 and left in the coach at 10.30. We got a bit slowed down by traffic at Ascot but arrived in the car park at about 12.45. Out came the wine and luncheon. Jake had provided us with beef, smoked Salmon, chicken and ham. It was a veritable feast.
Then we were off to the racecourse, where we watched the first two races from the rail in the Grandstands. Bet on Ann Summers Two in the second race. It came in fourth.
Next two races we watched from the paddocks, hoping to get a glimpse of the Queen. She passed by us when our backs were turned. Here it was fascinating watching the owners, jockeys, and trainers in the Paddocks and Winners enclosure. All the men were wearing the top hats and grey morning dress (well except the jockeys).
Last two races we met up with the group again at the rail. Placed a bet on Mana d’Argent in the fifth race. No idea where that horse came in, and in the seventh placed a bet on Sky Galaxy. Third at the last furlong, and then it too faded. Not a great success.
We went straight back to the coach to finish the food. On the way back Rosemary asked one of the limo drivers for a look into his car. It was quite fabulous. He said there were 5000 stretched limos registered in the UK. There must have been a very high proportion of them here. He had come from Nottingham.
At the coach we set up for our evening meal. More of the lunch with Pimms, G&Ts wine beer. We were having great time.
The evening was spoilt by what I consider was some very heavy-handed Thames Valley police action. There was quite a few police in our car park, which contained only 30 coaches. They all seem friendly and some were actually from Aylesbury. We had spoken to them, and had pictures taken with them and their police horses. Near by was one coach which had set up a disco, we had moved over there to take part in some dancing. While we were there it seems a couple tripped over and fell to the ground. Instantly the police where there, including the horses breaking up the event. Some 20 police had appeared from nowhere.
So we took the hint that the party was at an end and departed. Back on the coach we soon left and made a stop on the way home for some additional drinks at a pub.
Left again at 10.45 and back at the P&A at 12.30. The long journey time home was because we got lost coming home. For some reason we seemed to be driving around Reading at one stage. I think some instructions to the coach driver by over enthusiastic navigators got us on the wrong road.
Today the Plough and Anchor drinkers decamped to Hook Norton for a brewery visit. The brewery still operates a steam engine to power the water pumps, grain hoists and milling machines. The whole place is a wonderful piece of Victorian engineering, and much of this is still operated.
I intend going back there during the day when the machinery is in operation.
After the visit we had a few drinks in the brewery visitor centre, and then onto another pub for sandwiches and chips.