Teetering On The Cusp Of A New Year ……

I don’t know about you, but much as December is our most favouritist month of the year, but this past week we rather feel as if we’ve been cast a drift on some sort of bizarre type of festive time warp, leaving us disturbingly without a clue as to what day of the week it actually is. Therefore, reluctantly, as we teeter on, what we think is the cusp of 2022, we’d rather like to have our usual run of the mill routine back, there are only so many Bank Holidays in lieu we can cope with, without total confusion descending upon us! 

So being (almost) pretty certain that today is a Friday (????) Darrell nipped into town early, just to feel a “bit” normal again and …… to purchase a bottle of something choice with which to see said New Year in with ……..

……. only to have a strange feeling that he was being watched from aloft ……..

…… which made him smile wryly ……..

……. because according to the Christmas TV ratings, which he reads avidly, this pair weren’t as watched by as many people this year as the BBC had hoped, including, I have to say The Towers, though we did watch, and very much enjoyed Frozen!

Bottle duly purchased, it would have been rude not to have had a tiny mooch in at least one of Evesham’s finest charity shops …….. only to find and be reassured that, like some of the supermarkets …….. it’s beginning to look a lot like Easter!  What is he like?

Doing Exactly As We Are Told …….

We had the most wonderful, wonderful present from our beloved friends and followers  Paula and Louise from romantic seaside Plymouth,  just in time for all our festive televisual viewing….

………let’s just say it’s unwrapping was emotional, VERY EMOTIONAL!

They know us so well, as there is nothing we love more at Christmas than a good old snuggle under a blanket while enjoying the festive edition of Ask the Midwife, QI etc. or re-watching, for the 100th time, Love Actually, our most favourite romantic yuletide film of all time.

The blanket Paula and Louise made especially for us is tots perfect.  In fact, as soon as we started to try it out, we felt compelled to stay exactly where we were and simply watch tele …….. with only short interludes from under it to accommodate comfort breaks, the making of mugs of tea/coffee/hot chocolate, the replenishing of cocktails and/or the refilling of various festive snack bowls.  What are we like?

It is indeed very snuggly ……. plus it’s helped us to be much more aware and careful of any possible spillage scenarios, as we couldn’t bear to be without it for a second over the holiday. We promise that it will also be used long after the festive festivities. What can we say except thank you sooooooooooooo much Paula and Louise, we LOVE it xxxxxxxx snuggle, snuggle snuggle!

Christmas Morning …….. 2021

OMG, He’s been…… he’s been ……….as if we ever doubted that he wouldn’t! The cheese and pickle sandwich we’d left Santa has gone, with only a few crumbs left to show, as was the mountain of carrots we’d left the reindeer.

Nigel managed, unbelievably, to stay in his own bed until 6 o’clock but after that he couldn’t contain himself for a second longer…….

…….. and whether Darrell and I would have liked another hour or two’s kip, he demanded we too woke up ……………. to see what Santa had left us.

For Nigel there was a beautiful red sledge, I thought he was going to explode with excitement  when he saw it, all he/we need now is some snow,  perhaps it’s a spooky Santa type omen that perhaps some could well be on its way!

Santa certainly did not disappoint with his wonderful array of festive surprises…….

Who doesn’t want their shower to become a magical  “Enchanted Escape” or fragrant “Polynesia Paradise” ……. we’re all going to ponk amazingly, with skin so silky soft, we won’t be able to stop stroking ourselves.

There was a bottle of Tequila and an extra large Cherry B that had Darrell’s mind all of a whirl, with a stunning new cocktail  definitely in the festive pipeline …… a Cherrybequila Under The Christmas Tree And On The Rocks for three, now being the order of the day while we watch the Ask The Midwife Christmas special………

……. followed perhaps by a tipsy game of two of Nun Bowling  if we’ve still got the energy ……. and can bowl straight!

There was also a box of special chocolate biscuits, which we’re putting aside for our Yuletide elevenses, sometimes, even a Hob Nob, our usual biscuit of choice can occasionally be usurped by an Extremely Chocolatey selection.

What can we say?  Our beloved Santa thought of everything, right down to our atmospheric candle lit ambience ……….

…… “Santa dun gud” and it was emotional!

But, our Christmas Day just keeps getting better …….. in a little while, as soon as Darrell has put our festive bird in the oven, we’re off to Castle Greyskull for a special and “sensible” croissant-ed Christmas breakfast, before mayhem ensues seeing what Santa has left our beloved Iris and Bertie.  I have a feeling that the emotion might well become rife again, so I have taken the precaution of popping a couple of tissues in our pockets, with extra in Darrell’s who, as we all know, is a martyr to his festive sensibilities, especially after a mulled wine or two.

We’re going to take a few days off now if that’s ok……. but we’ll be back by 30th December, ready for another year of adventure and our hopefully mayhem......................... 

 HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY CHRISTMAS!   

Our Santa Watch Is In Very Safe Hands …………….

Just to let you know……..

……. that our Santa Watch 2021 is in the very safest of hands.

Christmas Eve 2021 & Our Letter To Santa ………

So, this wonderful Christmas Eve morn with hearts full of excitement and festive expectation, our stockings finally hung and looking most resplendent after Darrel gave them a cheeky little festive laundering ……..

……it’s finally time for us to gather round the table to write our letter to Santa.

We’ve all been cogitating and debating about what to ask for since the very beginning of December, although I am pretty sure Nigel has been giving it his undivided attention for an awful lot earlier than that, bless his little cotton socks .

However, this year ……. just like in 2018 we’ve decided to give Santa complete carte blanche over our presents and simply surprise us. We’re so blessed Chez Towers and Santa knows us pretty well after all these years, we’d just like something that we can all share and enjoy together, perhaps something to eat, drink and/or be merry with, aside Darrell’s potent cocktails!

An element of tangible and palpable yuletide surprise, what could be more exciting?  Whatever Santa chooses  we just know it will be utterly, utterly brilliant and “us”.

Darrell scribed the letter on Nigel’s and my behalf, there were a couple of crossings out, but hopefully Santa will forgive us that,  we then caste to the wind to find the great man himself later tonight.

This evening, just as the last light of Christmas Eve ebbs away we will hang our candle lit lantern on a tree beside the river to remember all thse special people who can no longer share our Christmas's with us, but who are always in our hearts.

Wishing you all a very happy, peaceful

and safe Christmas

XXXX Monkey, Darrell and Nigel XXXX

Bring On The Board Games ………

Oh dear…… poor Nigel, he decided to treat himself to a 14 day festive TV guide, thinking he could while away a very pleasant afternoon, sipping a hot chocolate (with squirty cream, of course),  nibbling on the odd  Hob Nob or two, circling all the programmes we might like to avail ourselves of over the holiday ………

Sadly, he is now suffering from a severe bout of buyers regret, his £1.50 investment promised so much but gave so little, as quickly became obvious from all the tutting  and sighing coming from the little fella’s corner of the sofa, when he quickly found that there was very little to ring, save for our beloved Queen’s - Queen’s Speech at 3 o’clock. He was not a happy a bunny, announcing that by the looks of things we would certainly not be strangers to the board game this year and that he would now concentrate his efforts into honing his dice throwing skills forthwith……..  there would be no Eastender or Coronation Street cliff hangers, explosions, reconciliations, unexpected home births or anything of an unforetold worry or misery type nature  pervading the festive portals of The Towers this year! Too right Nigel, pass me the shaker!

A Darrell Is Filled With Impending Festive Dread…….

Following Nigel’s example in trying to find sustainable Christmas gifts this year, Darrell thought he might as well have a cheeky little mooch too, but ended up very worried, very worried indeed …… when he spotted this monstrosity ………..

….. of a tea set, but appearing to be missing the jug, which to be honest he wondered was something of a blessing looking at the sugar bowl.

Not even Hugh, his best friend and mentor of all things of a tasteful and extremely delicate type nature could surely find anything to redeem this abomination, even if it turned out to be a long lost/forgotten Picasso from his ceramic years.

But then, a feeling of doom and dread swept over poor Darrell’s very soul, what if Nigel should happen upon “this” too, perhaps he already had, instantly rejecting it on the basis that it too heavy to carry home and was also possibly too big to hide  ……… but what if he hadn’t??????

Darrell, Down To The Very Last Detail ……..

With all the news of a new covid variant we’ve, to be honest, remained pretty calm, after all we are pretty much jabbed up to the eye balls and have never given up wearing “the mask”, so I was a little surprised when Darrell suddenly looked up from reading his interior design bible, Kelly Hoppen Close Up and gasped “Loo roll!”. 

Now, we didn’t panic buy loo roll last time there was panic buying of a loo roll type nature, so I sort of guessed that perhaps Darrell wasn’t feeling quite as calm about the covid situation as was he making out to be ……. and this was his way of expressing it.

So, I just let him go as he grabbed his coat, saying that he was just nipping up to the retail park for a couple of things and that he wouldn’t be long.

I needn’t have worried, he returned  to The Towers about forty minutes later in jubilant mood, proudly holding aloft a four pack of very tasteful (and soft) holly and other festive foliage bedecked Marks and Spencer loo roll, explaining that in all the excitement of decking our halls, it was the one thing he had unbelievably forgotten, but seeing Kelly Hoppen’s bathrooms had suddenly jolted his memory, bless him.

With Darrell it’s all about the detail, where would we be without him?

Nigel Travels Further Afield for His Sustainable Christmas Shopping ………

When Lu asked Nigel, at the very last minute, if he fancied a quick impromptu jaunt to Liverpool ……..

…….. what’s a young man to say, except for “Mais qui, mon cher, s’l vous plait!”

Unfortunately, it seems that they both got sooooooo engrossed in availing themselves of the pleasures of said festive city, that only a very few pictures were taken to record their visit, somehow, Nigel’s camera, which he’s rarely without, was inadvertently left back in their hotel room.

Away from the bright lights and hustle and bustle of the central Liverpool, Nigel promised that while embracing the view of the city from across the Mersey from Seacombe, he remembered to wave to all our lovely followers who live nearby. The visit to Seacombe was however tinged in a little sadness, as it was the place where Nigel first tried “scouse”, the national dish of Liverpool. He was hoping for a repeat performance, only to find the café gone and the whole site seeming to be undergoing some development.

They also managed to take in New Brighton, where Nigel said that “It was almost like being at the seaside for Christmas, only a bit early!” Being on a beach on a Christmas Day being one of Nigel’s long held, long felt festive wants.

And finally, on their way back they decided to stop by and mooch the charity shops of Birkenhead. I believe from Lu that Nigel was in triumphant mood, as he was able to put a prize bundle of sustainable Christmas gifts together ………

Obviously he is keeping his wonderous plunder very close to his chest until the big day, but I can’t help but hope that the set of multicoloured union flag badges that I caught the slightest glimpse of  when he was unpacking and squirrelling things away might just find their way into my stocking.  What am I like?

The Gift That Just Keeps On Giving Hope!

No, we’re not millionaires yet, but we’ve still got five days of scratching (but not sniffing) left on our No. 1 Fan, Jan the Fan’s advent calendar of a lottery fortune type nature ………

It’s the gift that’s kept The Towers on palpable and tangible tenterhooks all month.  Rest assured we will let you know as to any developments concerning our possible future financial status as soon as there are any …………….

Last Minute Supplies

I am pretty certain that Darrell couldn’t cram another maraschino cherry in his beloved cocktail cabinet, even if his life depended on it ……..

……… but, when Iceland have shelves piled high with all our very favourite festive drinks on choice, it would just be rude and a little remiss not to avail oneself of another couple of packs of each …………. lest we should inadvertently  run dry  at some juncture during the our festivities! What is he like?

Nigel In Bits ………

Poor Nigel came home from his very last school run of 2021 in bits yesterday ……

……. he was overcome with emotion, after the true spirit of Christmas had gone and well and truly bit him on the bum.

It would seem that as his little posse of merry men were nearing the tree stump where they usually sit for their hot chocolate (marshmallows) and biscuits on a cold day, the lady of the house directly in front came out and said “Don’t go” ……….. and then came back with two little Christmas bags for Iris and Bertie, saying how much everyone loved to see the little ones have their picnic each day ………..

How Nigel held it together he just doesn’t know, all he said he could muster was “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

Inside each bag was a coloured light up wand, perfect for our many midnight walks.

Iris and Bertie were so excited that when they got home, they wanted to put on their boots and go straight out again to look at all the houses that were lit up on their estate and then play in the spooky darkness of the play park, so Nigel didn’t manage to get them in properly until after 5 o’clock.  Happy, if emotional days!

Building Up To A Not So Nice Festive Tradition

Darrell has put it off for as long as he possibly could, but it’s a time honoured tradition for him give The Towers oven a real good going over before he can possibly think of putting “his precious” festive bird within a nano inch of it.

It’s not a job he relishes and he certainly needs to gird his lions loins to work up to it, but once it’s done he says he feels a wave of relief come all over him, knowing that with a clean oven all is well with the world and Christmas.   What is he like?

This year he is favouring Dr Magic for the inside of said oven and one of those boil in the bag type kit things for the grill tray and shelves, which he leaves to stew in their own juices for at least 24 hours in the bath in case of any leakage……..

…….. which gives him more than enough time to get to work with The Doctor on the inside, all windows flung open with gay abandon, while listening to Christmas FM on full blast  ………..

There’s nothing like the sound of Mariah Carey warbling and Noddy Holder screeching “It’s Chrrrrrrrrrrrrrristmas” in his wonderful Wolverhampton accent to have Darrell’s bum wiggling, transporting him to another plain where tackling cooked on grease is just a state of mind  ……. grease, what grease?????