School Christmas Dinner Day

Nigel was sooooo proud yesterday, it was the day that Darrell and I opted to partake in The Cook Lady’s festive fayre…….

…… and as the aforementioned Cook Lady said that she didn’t think that there would be an unprecedented demand for Nigel’s assorted condiments and sauces, she could spare him just this once and he could join us for dinner.

It has to be said that we were waiting in the dining room, our festive, reindeer emblazoned meal ticket at the ready ……

………  way, way, way before the hatch was opened …………

………. but for us it just added to the building tangible and palpable excitement.

As usual, The Cook Lady had pulled out all the stops by way of decoration of a Christmassy type nature……

…….. aided and abetted by Nigel, after he told Cook Lady that his best friend and mentor Hugh, who lives the showbiz life in Notting Hill, had once been a set designer for the London Palladium and had taught him the odd decorative or two !!!!!  What is he like???? (Nigel, not Hugh!).

At one o’clock, sharp and on the bell, the kitchen pass was opened …..
……. and Darrell was there ready to hand over with our ticket.
Naturally, all three of us opted for the full and complete seasonal works …….

……. offering to take anyone’s sprouts who didn’t want them.

It was a culinary triumph, there was much convivial conversation at our table, however to be honest we were all a little too occupied nomming, but we think nodded in all the right places, ploughing through all our extra sprout portions!

Nigel quickly found that people were not quite so forthcoming with unwanted Yorkshire puddings, so sadly he had to make do with just his own!

……. washed down with a rather cheeky little orange juice.

The Cook Lady’s Christmas pudding was another triumph, served with school custard,but minus silver sixpences due to health and safety reasons and cuts to the kitchen budget!

Again,  seriously licked plates were sent back to the kitchen …….

However, The Cook Lady beat us fair and square with the mince pies, there was no way even Nigel could squeeze one in, without our luncheon turning into an unfortunate and unseemly Bush Tucker Trial …….

But, not being ones to waste a morsel, Darrell has stolen ours away in his desk for a mid morning snack tomorrow, genius!

Happy School Dinner Day!!!!

Darrell Passes On Festive Traditions …..

A couple of the ladies in the office spotted something of seasonal interest in amongst Darrell’s shopping, when he got everything out of his bags onto his desk, in a panic when he thought he had lost his keys. The object of the ladies curiosity? Erm …… several rolls of erm …..festive toilet tissue!

Darrrell explained that it was an ingrained Castle Greysquirrel tradition that festive roll is always put in our bathrooms on the morn of Christmas Eve herald the beginning of our proper festivities …….

……. and as such, he had been to town before work to stock up, completely forgetting that this year our traditional Christmas was going to be a little different (but PLEASE not a word to Nigel, yet!) ……. so, he said, this year’s supply would have to be put away until next year. There was then a discernable buzz around the office, the ladies were obviously very taken with Darrell’s considered purchases and his romantic stories of family traditions …… and then they shyly asked  if they could perhaps take advantage of Darrell’s festive tissue faux pas and perhaps take his rolls off his hands, rather than leave it unused for another year ……

So, money changed hands ……. (and change was given, I hasten to add), and everyone was happy all round ….. and our family traditions passed on!!

Nom, Nom, Nom Of A Festive Kitchen Type Nature.

The Cook Lady’s much anticipated festive menu has finally been unveiled to the world …..

Naturally, working closely with The Cook Lady, Nigel has been under oath not to breathe one word about its contents for the past few weeks ……

……. but finally, seeing it in print and being able to discuss its aforementioned contents has made it all seem very real and from today it will be very much nom, nom, nom, all the way!

It’s going to be difficult to make a considered choice each day, but for me, well, it’s GOT to be the hot turkey bap with stuffing and bacon rolls,  Darrell, I think, will go for the Prancer’s Pizza with curly fries….

…… and Nigel will undoubtedly go for everything!  I just hope in all the excitement his condiments and complementary accompanying sauce sachets are all in order and in plentiful supply!

Darrell’s Been Shopping

Darrell’s went clothes shopping yesterday of a festive type nature  ………making considered purchases for both for me and him ….

He says, that according to Hugh (his best friend and mentor, who lives the showbiz life in Notting Hill), that everyone, who is anyone in London, darling,  is dans le “Elfin Gear” this season, it’s sooooooo en trend in London that it’s gone black market gushed Darrell  ……no one can get hold of it, but would sell their granny to get it!!!!!!!!

But, in Wolverhampton, we are a bit behind the London trends, and so Darrell had managed to find us a couple of “Elfin Gear” tops, when he popped into a local retail park after work.

I have to admit, I wasn’t sure as he put my top up against me to see how it would look, but after a while, his bouyant mood and enthusiasm for all that is festive de rigueur got to me…….

…… and before I knew it, we were both divested ourselves of our top garments at the kitchen table (I know, soooooo common), to find ourselves clad in our new “Elfin Gear”

“Hmmmmm” mused Darrell “You know what we really need now?  …..

…….. Elfin boots to match! I wonder if they do any, and if they do, I wonder if they have any in our size?!!!!!”

Now, I don’t mind being a touch de rigueur seasonally, now and again, but elfin boots, there, I fear, I must draw the line!

Finders Keepers!!!

Nigel seems to have an uncanny knack of just finding things, and yesterday was no exception….
….. because he found a tablespoon …..
….. just lying randomly on the pathment, by his bus stop, on the way to work.

Well, you know Nigel, he couldn’t leave it, and changed the saying slightly to suit his purpose “Find a spoon, pick it up and all day long, you’ll have good luck!”  Perhaps, he mused out aloud,  it was a spooky Derek Acorah omen, predicting an most ample and sufficient smorgabord of comestibles of a festive type nature in the coming weeks ....... what is he like?

However, once at work, he checked it very carefully for hallmarks, I blame The Antiques Roadshow! Sadly, there weren’t any marks of distinction, so the said spoon was duly put in the kitchen dishwasher and then put in Nigel’s locker, just in case he is ever finds himself without a spoon for his yoghurt, which, when you consider where he works, is highly unlikely!

Darrell’s Mission Impossible Fails

Oh dear, despite Darrell’s best efforts to robustly divert Nigel’s attention ….. Nigel did eventually spot the “Big Bear” …… part of Year 7’s fundraising efforts for The Ebola Appeal …….

and yes, Nigel was also accosted by eager Year 7’s to name him and purchase several strips of raffle tickets to try and win him!!

It was a rabbit caught in the headlights type moment, and I am afraid Nigel was not capable of putting up much resistance.

As I said the other day, The Big Bear is very, very big, and even Nigel couldn’t help wondering where he might be able to fit him in, in his bedroom ……

…… however, he mused,  such was his great size, perhaps he wouldn’t need his bed anymore as The Big Bear could afford him many cosy nooks and crannies to avail himself of!! Oh good grief!!

Festive Confusion Ensues

Oh dear …… poor Nigel came home yesterday in a state of profound festive confusion after seeing this in a shoe shop window ……….……… pondering that as far he knew, up to now, slippers were sold/purchased in pairs ….. but perhaps this was a new en trend trend, and that these days customers like to mix and match their said slippers when making a considered purchase? Hmmmmm

Darrell, On A Mission Impossible

Only three days into Advent and already seasonal activities are in full swing at work …… namely preparations for the Year 7 Christmas Fayre, and I fear that Nigel needs to be protected from it all!!

And as such, Darrell has taken on this impossible mission, because, the second Nigel is inevitably cornered by a gang of wide eyed Year 7’s, brandishing a list of names, a book of raffle tickets and a money tin,  we know that he will become equally as wide eyed and not only “Name the Teddy”, but also eagerly purchase a strip of raffle tickets to win it!!

Now, the teddy in question is seriously mahoooooosive, and I mean seriously mahooooosive, the picture (above) just does not convey just how seriously mahoooooooosive it is …… and mark my words it will also seriously fill a corner of Castle Greysquirrel ……. so Darrell cannot afford to take his eye off Nigel for a single second ….. and protect him (and his pennies) from much mentioned wide eyed Years 7’s!!!! 

A Considered Festive Gift For The PE Lady’s Mum

Seeing Darrell and me in our PE Lady’s Mum’s Christmas jumpers made Nigel go all whimsical, as he passed through BHS on his way home yesterday, remembering the time he went for High Tea at “The Dolls House” and availed himself of several slices of the PE Lady’s Mum’s most acceptable cake …..

We had discussed presents for the PE Lady’s Mum, but nothing really concrete, so when Nigel spotted a Christmas bauble that looked Christmas bauble  in the aforementioned BHS it was a no brainer ….. a triumphant Ulrika moment for Nigel and a very considered purchase was duly made.

When he got home we all sat round and admired Nigel’s gift, bought on all our behalves  it was the most apt and pertinent present ever!

The bauble was duly wrapped ……..

…… and a Christmas card written to accompany it…..

…… explaining that this was a present that the PE Lady’s Mum could open now, to hang resplendent on her festive branches, to get it’s full benefit. 

xxxx A Very Early Happy Christmas PE Lady’s Mum …. xxxx

We are perhaps pondering whether we ought to change the PE Lady’s Mum’s name, as The PE Day Lady is not really a PE lady any more ……… but, it could get complicated …… hmmmmmmmm

It’s Here! It’s December 1st!!!!

It’s here …… with Nigel taking the first sweet from his Advent at 4 o’clock this morning!!!!!! The Festive Season was finally been heralded in!!

And as per usual, as is festive tradition chez Castle Greysquirrel, we have donned our gay apparel. Darrell and I in our jumpers especially knitted for us by the PE lad'ys mum. Nigel, you may have noticed, took to wearing his jumper a week or so ago, a tad too early for me!  It was a gift from Hugh, our best friend, who lives the showbiz life in Notting Hill, and so is naturally, tres, tres de rigeuer and according to Hugh, has already featured in several top fashion magazines already, who has his finger on the fashion pulse of London, so Nigel is very proud of it.

So, this is it ….. and 24 days to go …… of Nigel’s building tangible and palpable excitement ….. heaven help us and, while I have the energy, ho ho ho!!!