Nigel Finds …… And Darrell Misses Out ……..

The other day Nigel found ………. on the school run …….

……. some really useful oven trays in excellent, hardly used (and recently scrubbed) condition, free to a good home, he said he was sorely tempted, but felt he needed to double check with Darrell first.

Unfortunately, Darrell didn’t pick up his phone, too busy squandering his 2p's in the arcades of Southsea no doubt, so missed the message, and when he did see it, saying that he quite fancied the non stick one if it was still going, it was too late, Nigel has a tight run school run schedule to follow and upon his return the next day, it was gone. Next time Nigel says he will simply rely on his highly toned feminine intuition and instant gut feeling on all matters of a free type nature. What is he like?

A Long Last Lingering Afternoon On Southsea Beach

It’s almost time for Darrell and Lu to return to real life back in Wolverhampton and Evesham. It’s been a pretty wonderful few days away, a time to re charge their batteries and enjoy all that an English seaside staycation has to offer.

They decided to spend their last afternoon simply, by putting three hours on the parking meter and setting their rug up on the beach  with a huge flask of coffee and a packet of Hob Nobs to just listen and watch the waves, carefreely throw a few stones at nothing in particular and have a cheeky, if very quick paddle in the freezing water.

It was absolute bliss.  Each lost in their own thoughts ………..

……….. the real world of county council accounting (Lu) and the school run seemed a million miles away.

…….. and in time honoured tradition Darrell found a few holy stones to bring home, along with his memories and hopes that with this third meltdown finally coming to an end this very day the sea would no longer be the illusive and fleeting stranger it has been for the past 18 months.

A Staycation By The Sea, Wouldn’t Be A Staycation By The Sea Without …….

………… fish and chips for supper on the pier ……..

https://piers.org.uk/piers/southsea-south-parade/

https://www.southparadepier.net/eat.php

https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/lifestyle/deep-blue-south-parade-pier-southsea-restaurant-review-993582

…….. to wit Deep Blue on Southsea South Pier.

It was the poshest and most romantic  fish and chip seaside restaurant Darrell had ever been to, with all it’s many sparkly Hughesque type chandeliers………

…….. and panoramic views of, at the time, a tempest tossed sea.  It was …….. emotional!

Naturally Darrell and Lu went for the works, fish, chips, mushy peas and an ample wedge of lemon for squeezing as well as lashings of salt and vinegar. How did it go down I hear you say? I quote “It never got a chance to touch the sides, clean plates all round!” which I am presuming is Darrell speak for, it went down very well, very well indeed!  Happy days!

Nigel’s Last (Emotional) School Run ........ Of This School Year

Yesterday, laden with small fairing gifts for Iris and Bertie’s teachers Nigel made his last school run of this school year.

It’s not hard to say that it’s been a really weird year, with those three months of home schooling at the start of the year now feeling like a million miles away ……. although the experience is still very much ingrained in our hearts, minds and dare I say souls, for many different reasons! It was probably the hardest thing we’ve ever been  challenged with …… with Nigel declaring that he would rather do the school run twice a day, five days a week, rather than ever home school again!

Nigel said it was very emotional saying arrivederci and sayonara to the staff we’ve all come to know and love over the past year, both in real life and through zoom calls ……. there were long heartfelt hugs, don’t forget us’s and tears, an awful lot of tears …….mostly, and he’ll admit it, from Nigel.

But who knows what the next school year will bring with new classes, new teachers, new adventures and of course, more school runs.

Before us now are six wonderful weeks of free as a bird, seasidetastic, ice creams in abundance, summer holidays, ……….. we can’t wait ……………….

The Delights Of Port Solent

The one thing we don’t have at The Towers is a mooring on  the river …. but we do have a designated parking space,  however, since we don’t actually own a car we let our lovely neighbour across the hallway Kata use it.

But, I digress, after enjoying a very lovely evening meal at Zizzi’s at Port Solent, Darrell and Lu decided to take in the sea air and have a gentle promenade round the marina and quickly noticed that though quite a few of the houses had a very short garden (which was generally astro-turfed), that was more than made up by the fact that at the end of said short garden they had ………. a mooring and a smallish boat or dingy at the end of it ………

…….. how totally and absolutely romantic for words would that be to have an actual sea faring boat or dingy at the bottom of your garden?  

Darrell and Lu then played the “which boat would you have if you could” game, which was quite ironic considering neither is exactly known for their strong sea legs or stomach!

Darrell also noticed that if you did have a boat, it really needed to be big enough to be able to sit/pose in the cockpit, looking effortlessly casual and nonchalant in understated nautical garb, with a huge glass of wine in their hand and perhaps nibbling on a few choice nuts, seemingly unaware that  everyone walking past on the quay was gazing at them with envious eyes …………… what is he like?

Nigel’s Finest Hour

Yesterday was finally Sports Day at Iris and Bertie’s school so I sent Nigel off with a good hearty breakfast inside him and advised, if he could, to try and breath or I else could see him spontaneously combusting!

When he got to school he said that his hands were shaking so much he doesn’t really know how he was managed to sign himself in on the very posh visitors screen …….. but, the receptionist was very patient.

In the staffroom he was presented with his “Official Visitors” badge ………

……. and more importantly his javelin instructions and score sheet

…….. there was a lot to take in, but Nigel says he thinks that he took it all in with an air of knowledgeable aplomb, even though his heart was pounding in his chest with nerves.

And then it was on to the field of play …………

The javelins were of course made from foam, no deadly, spikey, metal ends, just in case you, like me, you were worried for Nigel’s life and safety.

Needless to say it all went very well (sorry no photos of the action for obvious reasons) and  there were no stewards inquiries or investigations into any of Nigel’s more contentious rulings ………

………. his word, as far as the school was concerned was final.

It was everything Nigel had dreamed of and more ……….

…… and hopefully the start of a whole new “career” in helping out.

It was hard to say goodbye at the end of the morning ……..

…… but the thought, he said, of being able to proudly show me his Sports Day sticker made the walk home, with all his memories, all the more bearable.

What is he like?

A Decision Made At Gunwharf Quays

Knowing his love for all things designer Lu decided to treat Darrell to a visit to the designer emporiums of Gunwharf Quays …..

…… however she noticed that he seemed rather subdued surrounded by such luxury……..

…… and not as eager to flick through the rails and racks and finger the merchandise as she had anticipated.

He was even a bit on the quiet side when they went outside for a little sit to enjoy the sea air and admire all the boats in the harbour ……

…… which she initially put down to his disappointment in finding that the Cadbury Outlet no longer stocked Cadbury Dairy Milk Miniatures any more.

It was only when they ventured into Portsmouth town centre itself that Darrell was more himself, especially after a cheeky flit round the Cancer Research shop, declaring that designer was all very Hugh (his best friend and mentor of all things de rigueur and a la mode), but these days it was more exciting for him to find something of a high end label type nature for just a few pence or pounds in a charity shop. He didn’t know when it happened, but it was now the thrill of the hunt and the find rather than the exclusivity and nigh on untouchability of a posh shop that got his heart pumping ……. especially when he could then swish around in his haute couture purchases at Hugh’s and say …… “Oh, it’s just a little vintage I picked up on my travels!” whenever Hugh admires anything.  What’s he like?

Darrell Turns Down The View From The Spinnaker Tower

Darrell and Lu are continuing to embrace the pleasures of Portsmouth ………

……. but, as you know Darrell is something of a martyr to his vertigo …

……. so when Lu said she fancied going up Portsmouth’s landmark Spinnaker Tower Darrell instantly began to come over all nauseous and very giddy ……..

……politely turning down her very kind invitation to “treat” him, saying, if she didn’t mind, he would really prefer to stay as close as possible to terra firma, but would wave to her when she got got to the top.

Lu indeed managed to spot Darrell from all that way up but unfortunately just looking up for more than a few seconds at a time caused poor Darrell to come out in a very cold sweat with accompanying palpitations, so on this occasion Lu’s very enthusiastic waving went totally unreciplicated.  What is he like?