A Myriad Of Treats For Darrell

It’s not often that I am the one to find a bargain, that’s usually the prerogative of the finely tuned, hunting skills and intuitive noses of Darrell and Nigel, but today I struck lucky …….

…… as the Poundstretcher up town was having a 50% sale on absolutely everything, with the very nice lady inside telling me that I didn’t even need to spend the £5 or more it said on the poster, to get the discount.

What’s a boy to do?  I went wild in the aisles ….. ok, a slight exaggeration, but I decided to treat Darrell to a few choice cleaning products that I knew would satisfy his inner Mrs Hinch.

I mixed and matched the fragrances, I don’t do matchy matchy, especially when there was so many  wonderful whiffs on offer.

And when I got home, what can I say?  It was emotional to say the least,  with Darrell a little overcome by the array of lemon, rose and fresh linen stuff I’d bought him.

I feel that a vigorous and robust bout of spring cleaning is now imminent.  There is sometimes method in my madness! What am I like?

Devious Plans To Satisfy Garden Envy?

Spring, it seems has well and truly sprung ……..

….. and with it, Darrell’s garden envy ……

…… The Towers having only a plain lawn at the back and assorted evergreens  at the front, so pretty much devoid of the any of the colour  he longs for, other than the yellow and white of the daisies and dandelions that poke up through the lawn between it’s monthly mowings!

I’ve told him, no promises, but perhaps we could plant just one fast growing, colourful, climby, spready, thingy alongside the metal network rail railings, which wouldn’t get in the way of any estate maintenance.

To be honest all they do is a couple of sweeps of the lawn on their big mower, a fleeting strim along the edges and a quick leaf blow which always seems pretty pointless. However, if our first fledgling plant takes root and spreads then maybe we could add a couple more a little later?

Obviously, this would have to be a palpable and tangibly exciting, covert operation, undertaken when we are positive our miserable neighbour is out, but the pleasure in said thwarting would be ohhhhhhhh sooooooooooo delicious!  What are we like?  I think, maybe, we are monkeys on a mission ……..

It’s Eurovision Week – Our Most Favourite Televisual Week Of The Year

OMG, it’s finally here, it’s Eurovision Week, culminating with the Grand Final on Saturday .......

.... we really might all spontaneously combust, we’re so excited, it being our most favouritist televisual occassion of the year.

However, this year will see a (hopefully) one off deviation to our usual Eurovision tradition, as we will be staying a la Towers and not Le Chicken Coop with Hugh, Darrell's best friend and doyen of all things Eurovision, There are just some invitations and people that Hugh simply cannot, cannot, cannot turn down ......

....... to wit a certain someone and the above! He said his heart was pounding as he opened his hand delivered invitation and realised the awful clash. 

He says he's asked "his man what does" to record it all for him, as he can't be 100% sure that his host will simply suggest that they kick off their shoes and turn on the tele, with a tray on their lap, when they get back to the castle. However, whatever they do, he says it simply won't be the same without us and he might have a little word to make sure it doesn't happen again next year. Needless to say, we quite understand, when needs must.

So, we are making a few plans of our own for Saturday night, mostly comestible ones ........ 

https://eurovisionworld.com/

...... but, before that, we have the semi finals to embrace all with our customary rambunctious gusto. 

Our own personal, Derek Acorah (RIP) feeling is that in the final it will a unprecedented, landslide win for the Ukraine and on this one occasion we won't mind any of the usual "political" voting. 

Nigel Finally Redeems Our Cadbury Voucher

It’s taken quite a while, what with our Easter Odyssey to Minehead and various sleepovers and days out during the Easter break …..

…… but Nigel has finally “spent” our Cadbury voucher after our disastrous review a few weeks ago, and I have to say, “the boy dun gud” …… especially as he only spent £1 of the extra £2 Darrell gave him to really splurge.

He spend wisely with a great deal of thought, getting two packs of Freddo Frogs and Little Cadbury Bars to put in our “special box” of school run treats for Iris and Bertie.

Then there was a Daim bar for each of us to add a certain indulgence to our televisual viewing on Saturday night …..

….. and finally his piece of resistance, a box of chocolate Brownies, as he’d already noticed Darrell put a tub of chocolate ice-cream in the freezer and thought that if Darrell didn’t fancy baking real life Brownies, we could easily slip a couple of the bought variety into the microwave to warm and then bobs your uncle, we’d have ourselves a quick, posh pudding, with perhaps a generous squirt of squirty cream on the side.  Sounds good to me!

As I said at the beginning,  “the boy dun gud”, a very considered cluster of considered purchases, with something for everyone. Well done and thank you Nigel and thank you too to Cadbury!

Cheeky Little So And So

In amongst our Butlins welcome pack we received a sheet of “reward” stickers, Thank Yous for great guest service …….

….. however as we always seemed to forget to take them with us when we were out and about on the site, Darrell and I did wonder what happened to them when we had packed up to leave.

We need ponder no more …….

……. as we’ve both been finding them all and sundry round The Towers since we got home …….

…… courtesy of young Nigel!

What on earth is he like?

Other than a busy  ……..

……… and obviously very grateful little monkey.  You’ve got to love him!

Farewell Minehead……

And so we bid a fond farewell to Minehead, we arrived as strangers, but we leave as friends, promising that one day we will return.

We just loved it’s a gentle, unspoilt pace and quirky sense of humour ……

….. like The Apple Tree Tearooms, our No.1 Minehead tea room of choice, where the food, staff and ambience were just perfect and where, we will admit to lingering in the “facilities”, contrary to habit, in order to appreciate and read the décor!

What are we (they) like?

https://appletreetearooms.com/

Although Butlins had been a long felt want for our beloved Iris and Bertie, too be honest, it wasn’t really us. Darrell say it’s probably down to Covid, we’re just not used to being around quite so many people in such big venues anymore, even Nigel, party animal though he is, says he  “felt it”.

So, in time honoured holiday tradition, as a romantic sun set behind the iconic big top of Butlins ……

….. we celebrated our last night back in our chalet with a cheeky bottle or two of Prosecco …….

…… and, just for a change, a trio of impromptu midnight Cornettos ….

……. looking forward to our next adventure in foreign climes ….. fingers crossed.

A Blessed Relief

The erm, “facilities” on Minehead’s seafront weren’t the most salubrious to take a break and from our favoured spot on the beach quite a trek for the privilege, however when Darrell eavesdropped a conversation about the facilities at the Minehead Railway Station, it would have been rude not to take a wizz on behalf of the family.

It did not disappoint, with no comparison to the seafront, so a small donation was left by Darrell in the box just inside the block, towards the maintenance of a such wonderful facility.

But there was more ……… as well as real life steam trains on tap, there was the Turntable Café offering all manner of holiday comestibles, including an all day breakfast, never a bad thing, as well a variety of baps and West Country Cream teas. 

And that’s not all, there was also a large second hand book stall ……….

…… and gift shop. A true treasure and all passed on to the lovely Laura and Tom the Scientist who will be returning to Minehead in the summer after their original Brixham holiday got derailed. You’ve got to love a good fact finding mission that leads to happy ending.

https://www.facebook.com/TurntableCafe/

https://www.west-somerset-railway.co.uk/

Butlins Chic?

Since Hugh, Darrell’s best friend and mentor of all things trending and rive gauche, said that he hadn’t heard even the tiniest of whispers that Dame Kelly Hoppen was going to finally ditch the beige in order to “Bring out the B” with a must have Butlins themed range of homeware …..

…… or that Butlins Chic was about to storm the catwalks of the big four of fashion; Paris, New York, London, not forgetting Milan ……..

…. Darrell decided that he wasn’t going to make any considered statement purchases in Butlins finest emporiums.

Admittedly, he did hiver and hover just a little, not wishing to be “the one” who missed the boat and shockingly failed to be en vogue this season, but, if anyone should know about such things, it’s Hugh and what he doesn’t know about the next big thing for the next umpteen years is nobody’s business.